- But will there be other guys who got paid like me?
- No, there isn't.
I'm not sure if you readers know this, but this doesn't really make sense.
This lady is telling me that I'm the only one they paid to be some gag character?
What if I was so bad, I got eliminated in the first round? They must've run out of money.
Before I overthought it, I guessed they just had enough ridiculous people signing up for the show. It's too bad I have no one to stick to or die together with, but what's done is done.
I was just about to turn off my phone when a notification came from Instapounds.
It was Kim Dojun.
He actually posted the picture of us together in that rice cake shop from Hongdae. The caption was: 'Out with a friend! @h.chan I'm having fun~'
I was about to click on it to see the picture he used, but another notification immediately came through and that opened instead.
- @dddojun: Channnn did u see my post?? I chose the pic where u smiled the brightest hehe
- @h.chan: I will look at it later. I'm outside right now. Let's talk tonight.
That's right.
Right now, I have an important mission to complete, which is why I am back in the streets of Hongdae!
This is the first time I stepped foot here without much disguise. I've already searched the media for famous thrift stores and such, because no way in hell will I waste all the money I earned on a few pieces of clothing.
Despite having done some research, I ended up choosing a random store that caught my eyes. The sign on top of it says 'Strawberry Clothesline', which felt ridiculous to me. But I entered anyway.
Unlike in the stores I found online, everything here wasn't arranged nicely or by order. Some of them were hanging for dear life on one end of their hangers.
But I trusted my intuition and looked through an isle. Even if the atmosphere is dark, there's still air conditioning and lights on, which means the place was running.
Though after a few minutes of looking, I started doubting my intuition.
There isn't a single good item at all. Did the store get these clothes from a donation bin or something?
I get that beggars can't be choosers, but I'm still paying, you know!
My legs suddenly felt the need to run out of this thrift store.
But as I moved my feet to walk off, a stack of boxes suddenly came through the door. Carrying them was a short person with messy black hair with an unimpressed expression.
The person dropped them near a counter and grunted, massaging their shoulder. They finally noticed me after turning around to do a stretch pose.
"Oh, you're finally here. Come help me arrange, then."
Judging by their voice, this person might be a woman. I couldn't really tell because she had an androgynous face.
But what do you mean, I'm finally here?
"Why are you standing there? Move! Can't you see I carried all these things because you were late?"
Oh, I was?
"Ugh, I'm sore now. Everything better be in order once I finish my smoke break!"
The woman slammed was already half inside what I assume was a staff room behind the counter. She slammed it close before I could explain.
Now, the normal thing to do is just leave the store with a shrug, and I would've done so if it hadn't been for the sparkling item that fell down the stack of boxes.
It was just a sweater, but something about it caught my eye. The closer I moved to the boxes, the more I observed. The more I observed, I started to realize these boxes might be full of hidden gems.
I can't miss out on buying these things!
"But the lady doesn't seem like she would return in a matter of minutes..."
I placed half a palm over my mouth, the index finger lightly grazing my lower lip.
I do have much free time today.
.
A greasy woman in black slammed the staff door aggressively as she pulled a pack of cigarette sticks out of her hoodie pockets.
She didn't light it up immediately, instead opening another door that revealed a narrow alleyway with no one around.
The alley itself wasn't suspicious. It was clean despite the reputation of dark alleys in power-up fantasy novels.
The woman used a small lighter to fire her cigarette and leaned against the door, looking relieved.
She had only been there for less than fifteen minutes when her phone started ringing. The woman ignored it at first, scratching the back of her head in annoyance, until the fourth round of dial forced her to look.
On her screen was a local number saved as 'Helper - Suho' on it.
The woman almost crushed her phone. She had much destructive power despite the short stature.
"This damn brat, coming in late and already asking for help?"
The woman tapped the accept button begrudgingly. The voice coming through was that of a youth's, his tone apologetic.
"Mrs. Hwang, I'm so sorry! It turns out I have an audition for a show tomorrow and can't help you arrange clothes after all!"
Wait a minute...
Did she hire two helpers by mistake?
"What do you mean by tomorrow? Aren't you already here?"
"What? No, I'm definitely panicking on my bed right now... We promised on Saturday, right?"
The youth on the other line sounded more confused than her, clearly not lying.
And today is Friday.
"Then who was that."
"Pardon?"
The woman's jaw dropped along with the horrified expression on her face, making the cigarette fall to the ground. She crushed it mercilessly and rushed back to her store.
"No, my first customer..!"
The woman hung up as she ran without much thought.
What was she gonna do first thing to the customer? Grovel and beg for his forgiveness.
If he already left? She'll chase him down the streets of Hongdae then grovel and beg for his forgiveness.
The woman was expecting a disappointed person to greet her once she saw a figure still standing in her store.
The sight that met her was instead an organized pile of clothes on the floor, clothing racks left clear with just clothes hangers on them.
What in the fairy godmother's magic is going on?