The reason I started working as a convenience store clerk is simple - that damn COVID-19 killed the company I was working for.
I joined the company in 2019, so it had been exactly 2 years.
The workload had been really erratic this entire time, so when it started decreasing, I thought it was just temporary.
But one day when I showed up at the office, the doors were locked.
The inside was a total mess, like it had been hit by a typhoon.
At first, I was just dumbfounded.
I didn't even know which desk was mine among the overturned ones.
I tried calling my boss to figure out what was going on, but of course there was no answer.
I got so frustrated that I even called one of the clients I was handling, only to hear this response:
[Why are you telling me your company went bankrupt?]
That's right, I had become an idiot asking someone else about the collapse of my own company.
It took me three full days to properly understand and accept that my company had been completely wiped out.
And the emotion that arose after that realization was a boundless devastation and hopelessness in life.
Anyway, I had to find a way to make a living.
For the first month, I tried looking for other jobs.
But of course, I couldn't get hired anywhere.
It wasn't just my company that had been destroyed by COVID - the tasks I used to handle at work were also a bit... all over the place.
Basically, I would just do whatever was asked of me - install the games my former company developed at contracted stores, help someone set up a CCTV camera, explain how to operate an unfamiliar machine to a store owner, handle all the after-sales service, and so on.
In short, I just did whatever I was told.
Since I had experience in a variety of tasks rather than specializing in one, it didn't really help my job application portfolio.
And there wasn't much else I could put on there - I couldn't even mention that perfect attendance award from high school, since I never even graduated college.
After a month of failing to find a job, I ended up settling on part-time work.
But even finding part-time jobs wasn't easy.
The factories would hire anyone who contacted them, but cafes and bookstores said I was too old at 29.
I did get a few calls through the job applications I had posted online, but that just made me even angrier.
How on earth was I, someone who is living in Gyeonggi-do, supposed to work a 2-shift job at a sock factory in Jeolla-do?
Couldn't they at least read the resumes before calling?
After getting dozens of those worthless calls over the span of two weeks, I decided to just go out for some fresh air in the morning.
In the 2 weeks when I hadn't gone out, the scenery around my house had changed a bit, with a new convenience store opening up nearby.
There was a sheet of A4 paper taped to the entrance that saying, "Hiring part-timers".
I wonder if they're still hiring?
I went in without much thought.
At the counter was a girl who looked barely old enough to be in high school.
Assuming she was a part-timer, I asked:
"Hello, I saw the sign outside and came in. Are you still looking to hire part-timers?"
"...Ah, yes! Yes, we are! I'm the store manager."
"Huh?"
I was a bit taken aback there.
This girl, who just declared herself as the store manager looked way too young for the designation.
But her subsequent actions did confirm that she was indeed the manager.
She pulled out some papers, gestured for me to sit by the window, then sat across from me and asked with pen in hand:
"What's your name?"
"It's Lee Chan."
"Have you worked at a convenience store before?"
"Yes."
I had done some part-time work at convenience stores before starting my previous job, about a year's worth in total.
My answer seemed to please the manager, as a smile spread across her face.
She wrote my name on the top of the paper and continued:
"In that case, you'll probably adapt quickly. And how old are you?"
"I'm 29."
"That's just about right. As for me, I'm... hmm."
The manager suddenly seemed to hesitate about stating her own age.
Why would she hesitate about that?
"Anyway, since I'm a bit older than you, would it be okay if we talk casually?"
"Sure, no problem."
I don't really care about age.
Judging by the manager's still cheerful expression, it seems the hiring is going well, and I'll just call her "miss" or "sis" or whatever once I start getting paid.
"Okay, got it. Then, let's talk about the pay..."
I was expecting the pay to be pretty low, but the manager's next words completely surprised me.
"For now, the hourly rate will be a clean 10,000 won."
"Huh? Not minimum wage?"
"What is the minimum wage these days?"
Even though I was the one being hired, I felt it was appropriate to answer the question the manager had asked.
"I believe the minimum wage is 8,720 won this year."
"The hourly rate?"
"Yes."
"How can you live on that?"
"That's why they set it so low - to push people to find real jobs faster."
I was here looking for a part-time job precisely because I couldn't find a "real" job.
The manager seemed to understand, nodding her head contemplatively before continuing.
"Anyway, I'm going to pay 10,000 won. I'll raise it later, of course. But you'll also have to work weekends..."
"That's fine."
Apart from gaming, I didn't really have any hobbies to speak of.
And when I did get into gaming, I would end up spending tens of thousands of won at PC cafes.
It seemed better to just work and not think about gaming.
"And the work hours will be 12 hours a day - from 10 PM to 10 AM the next day..."
"12 hour night shifts?"
"Yes. I'll cover the remaining 12 hours."
What kind of work hours were these?
Was it because they had just opened and were still short on part-timers, or something?
"...Okay, that sounds fine."
I said it was fine, even though these work hours seemed quite intense.
But convenience store work isn't exactly backbreaking labor - after stocking shelves and handing over the shift, it's mostly just idling with a smartphone.
And I could still look for other jobs during my free time.
At the end of the day, I didn't really have the luxury to be picky.
I was on the verge of not being able to afford next month's rent, so I had to accept whatever was available.
At least I had an unemployment insurance.
"If it gets too tough, I'll let you know."
"Then I'll cover for you on those days."
"Cover for me? Aren't you supposed to be hiring other part-timers?"
"Can't, since no one's applying."
I found that hard to believe. With a 10,000 won hourly rate in this economy, there should be no shortage of job seekers lining up.
"Anyway, Chan. Will you take the job?"
"I have to, with how hard it is to find work these days."
"That's true. How long did you plan on doing this for?"
"Hmm, maybe around a year, I think."
Honestly, as long as COVID-19 ends, whether it takes one year or six months, it didn't matter.
At that time, I thought I could still find a job.
"Okay, I'll note that down. Now let me show you around the register area."
After that, it was fairly straightforward.
I briefly observed the handover process at the register, and the manager said the stock management was mostly her responsibility, except for some special situations where new inventory might arrive even in the early morning.
This particular detail piqued my curiosity, so I asked:
"Inventory arrives even in the early morning?"
"Yeah, but they only do that for really urgent stuff."
I wondered what urgent deliveries a convenience store could possibly have, but for now, I kept quiet.
"And you'll need to take out the trash around 2 AM, and, um, also..."
"Got it."
"Handle any problematic customers appropriately."
"Don't worry about that. I'm used to dealing with difficult people."
This was something I could handle.
One of my responsibilities at my previous job was to deal with customers making unreasonable demands.
For example, since our company's products were installed all over the country, I would get calls from everywhere demanding same-day repair service.
And with my limited mobility, I'd have to choose between going to Geoje or Sokcho on a given day.
So, I got pretty used to tactfully declining or rescheduling those requests.
Convenience store customers shouldn't be that different.
"Good to hear. I think I've covered the main things, but do you have any other questions?"
"To be honest, I'm not even sure what else to ask about."
"Don't worry too much. I've setup things properly. So, most of it just runs smoothly."
I wasn't sure what exactly was meant by "runs smoothly," but I didn't press the issue further.
I just headed home, needing to rest up before starting the night shift tomorrow.
As I lay in bed setting the alarm, various questions I hadn't asked during the orientation started occurring to me.
First of all, the manager didn't seem like a typical person.
Just how old was she, exactly?
She looks like someone who is 12 years younger than me.
How can she be a bit older than me?
And the way she spoke suggested she didn't really view this convenience store as a moneymaking venture.
She didn't even know the minimum wage - was this just a hobby for someone with a silver spoon?
Furthermore, I wondered why this high-paying part-time job had remained unfilled until I came along, and why the manager seemed so cheerful about having just one new employee.
Little did I know, I was about to find out the answer to that the moment the first customer walked in - this convenience store was somehow attracting vampires?!
Unbelievable.
And that was just the beginning.
"Uh, manager? About those problematic customers you mentioned earlier..."
Before I could even finish my question, the next customer who entered left me speechless.
In walked a green, goblin-like creature no taller than a meter, with a hunched posture and a pockmarked face.
The most striking feature was an unusually large nose - I couldn't help but think it resembled a goblin's.
The goblin's voice was a shrill, grating high-pitch.
"Where's the beer?"
And he was using informal speech, to boot.
Swallowing my displeasure, I simply pointed towards the alcohol section, but the goblin just scowled.
"Are you looking down on me because I'm short?"
"No, that's not it at all."
"Can I even see where you're pointing from down here? Are you boasting about your height?"
When dealing with difficult customers like this, it's best not to engage and just give them what they want to get them out of your hair quickly.
I came out from behind the counter and walked him all the way to the beer shelves, then returned to ring up their purchase.
Soon, the goblin placed four cans of beer on the counter, along with a hefty black envelope.
"Is 10,000 won for these four cans, right?"
"Yes."
As I replied, the goblin produced another envelope, this one thick with 100-won coins.
"There should be a bit more than 100 in here. Count it."
Muttering under my breath, I began counting the coins in stacks of 10.
In the meantime, the manager's call was still ongoing, the phone wedged between my shoulder and ear.
[Chan? Are you really going to quit?]
"Hold on, let me just finish this up..."
After I finished counting the 100 coins, the goblin brought out another envelope.
"Exchange these for 10,000-won bills. Two of them."
Ugh, what a pain in the neck...
I finished the exchange and saw the goblin off, then spoke into the phone.
"Manager, a green little goblin-like customer just came and left."
[Oh? Did they give you a hard time about the products or something?]
"Why are goblins and vampires coming to a convenience store as customers?"
[Ah, I set the coordinates to direct them here. More customers come when I do that.]
"This isn't some magical carriage, it's a convenience store! How are they even getting here?"
[With magic, of course. It would take way too many legs to move around like that.]
I couldn't shake the feeling that the conversation was veering completely off track. More importantly, what did the manager just say?
"Wait, did you say magic?"
[Yup.]
"Why is there magic on this convenience store?"
When asked, the manager answered calmly.
[Because I put it there.]
"Huh...?"
What on earth is going on here...?