CP&BC

Chapter 2: Sour Empathy

I take it back, this is not going to be my year.

As I stepped out of my last class and embarked on my way to work, I had come to realize a few things. First, I was not able to print any of the syllabus for my courses. Second, I was now going to work double shifts today, which meant arriving home as late as yesterday and not being able to get rest or get my assignments done. And third, the reason I was going to work a double shift was that I was going to train someone new at my job, who I had not been aware of until my boss called me and asked me to train him just for today.

So here I was, dragging my miserable body to work. I had never been so grateful for the convenience store to be only 20 minutes away from my university. As I arrived, I greeted the girl who worked morning shifts. She returned the greeting with a tired nod. She studied in the afternoons, so her life was almost as unbearable as mine. If not for the fact that morning customers were polite, not in a rush, and on top of that cute. While I was left with the smelly, drunk, perverted idiots. I sighed as I clocked in and grabbed a snack from one of the shelves. My boss was an angel for letting us eat and drink anything we wanted while on our shifts. My friend's shift was not over yet, So I strolled around the store, grabbing a few more snacks and drinks. I wasn't going to let the new guy starve either, I was still bitter about having to train him, but that didn't mean I was going to take it out on him.

I went to the break area, took a few bowls, and laid the snacks there. After that, I went back to the register and saw my friend doing her report. It didn't take long for her to leave, I waved her goodbye and stayed at the front cashing out clients. I heard the security guy come in and glanced at him while he went to the back of the store to get beer and soju to refill some coolers. It had been an hour already and the new guy was yet to appear. I began to wonder if he was going to come in or not. My train of thought was interrupted by the ringing of the store's phone. I turned around to grab the phone and answer the incoming call. I was so indulged in answering the vendor's questions about our next delivery that I didn't notice a small presence in front of the register. I turned around just as he called out to me.

"E-Excuse me? Noona?" Asked the boy in front of me. I stared in shock for what seemed like interminable minutes. The guy on the other line of the phone had begun to call my name, but I was too astonished to even bother replying.

'For the love of God. Don't tell me he was here too?... No, he must be a customer. Yeah, that's it! Just a custom-'

"I'm here for training." He stated very matter-of-factly, looking me in the eye. I felt my soul dismay at such an announcement. I stared blankly at him, then picked up the phone, which I had lowered and let rest on the counter. I hastily said my goodbyes to the vendor and hung up without waiting for a reply.

"You?" I asked cautiously.

"Yeah, I believe we haven't introduced ourselves properly. However, I believe that if we will be working together, we must make an effort to at least tolerate each other." He spoke in a manner that made me feel the height difference was suddenly reversed, and I was looking at him with absolute amazement. Was this person the same as the trembling boy who had to kneel before me at school earlier today? I became aware of the awkwardness of the situation. In a rushed manner, I went to open the side door that gave access to the inside of the register area designated for employees only. I thanked God there were no customers in line, and that the store was almost deserted apart from the gambling players in the machines. The boy came inside, and realization suddenly hit me as I became aware of the fact I didn't know his name. He stood in front of me for a few minutes, I now noticed that he was short, but for a few seconds back out there, he had given off an aura of authority. Now he remained confident, but the height difference was more evident.