Chapter 10: Part-Time (2)
— Boss…
“Boss? Who is this?” I asked. “Hello?”
— Oh, Dohoon, sorry for interrupting you but a student who worked part-time in the morning said that he had to go home for an emergency and left 2 hours earlier. If you have nothing to do today, would you mind replacing his shift? Is that possible?
The voice was that of a middle-aged woman. She seemed to have a good personality based on her voice alone.
“A part-time job? Is it that urgent?”
— Ah… yes.
I pondered for a moment. It seems that Lee Dohoon had been working a part-time job before returning to school. I thought it odd to work a job like this, but it can’t be helped. I have to live a normal life.
“What time do you want me to go to work?”
— Really? Thank you! It’s until 4 o’clock. I’m really sorry for bothering you. I’ll also call my daughter in to help you out if she’s not too busy.
“Okay, that’s fine. I’ll see you later.”
— Thank you, Dohoon!
After hanging up, I checked the time. I had about an hour left.
“Oh, right. Where does he work?”
「82NT Convenience Store. It’s a 20-minute walk.」
“He works part-time at a convenience store?”
「Yes. Working hours are from 6 pm to 2 am. He rests on the weekends.」
It’s a funny thing. To think that my first job after reincarnating would be at a convenience store. I’d actually never done any work like this. My life consisted of desk work. I had a smooth sailing ride to college with a full scholarship and then a decent salary as an office worker. Working at a convenience store? No experience.
“But if his parents live in the States, they should be living pretty well, right? Why does he work as a part-timer at a convenience store?”
「It’s because of Lee Dohoon’s parents. It’s their style of parenting.」
“Style?”
「Lee Dohoon’s father made sure not to spoil his children. He taught them the value of hard work and labor to make your own money. His goal was for their children to be self-reliant. His parents never gave him anything aside from his monthly allowance to pay for the studio and the tuition fee.」
“That’s… just an excuse to make their children work even harder.”
But, in a way, I had sort of agreed with them. Had my parents sent me to college and paid for my tuition, that would have been more than enough.
「After being discharged from the military, Lee Dohoon worked a part-time job for about 3 months. He should have saved enough money for the next semester.」
Ugh… how long do I have to do this part-time work?
「It is something that you will have to take care of yourself, Master.」
It’s whatever. I should go prepare now for my work.
I looked around, staring at the neatly arranged clothes near the hanger. I picked it up and changed into it. It was a sweatshirt with fleece lining and straight-fitted jeans, topping it off with a dark brown padded coat.
I looked in the mirror, my mouth falling flat on the floor. “Jesus. He looks like a model even in crude clothes?”
It was strange. Even wearing simple clothes gave off a radiant glow?
As expected, a beautiful face complements everything.
I then grabbed my phone and walked out of the studio. Opening the Maps app, I checked the location of the convenience store before heading to the nearest bus stop.
The walk to was a bit of a burden. It was chilly and I was freezing.
“Unnie, look at that Oppa over there. He’s so handsome.”
“Really? Where? Oh my… what a pretty face…”
As I stood at the bus stop, I could hear the whispering conversations between two high school girls passing me by.
Me? Handsome? Did I hear that right? Were they talking about me?
When I turned my head unconsciously, the two girls ran off shyly with a skip.
Unbelievable…
Pretty face… I’ve never heard that phrase directed towards me in my life.
I was handsome…
While living as Lee Jungwoo, not once in my 40 years of living had I ever received a compliment, but 10 minutes in after becoming Lee Dohoon did I hear a compliment for the first time.
It was at that moment that I truly felt that I’d been reborn.
Thank you, students. You will go to heaven. Heaven is real.
Encouraged by the positive gazes around me, I stood tall and proud.
So this was what it felt like to live like a pretty boy. Women smiled at me innocently while men glanced at me with a look of jealously. It was my first time feeling like this. I was in euphoria. The only moment’s where I had ever received people’s attention was when I went up to a podium to make a speech. Otherwise, I was always treated like an invisible human being.
I was trampled on because of my height nor was I considered a worthy partner for a woman. Whenever I walked down the street with my beautiful wife, I’d always hear insulting remarks from behind.
“Look, that guy must have a lot of money.”
“Money can buy you everything in life as long as you have it.”
That was far from the truth.
But not anymore. I won’t live like that anymore.
I’m no longer Lee Jungwoo, but Lee Dohoon.
A strong sense of confidence I never had before bloomed and filled me whole.
This was only the beginning. This is my time. My era.
As a sparkling smile crossed my lips, the bus arrived. When I got on, the ceiling felt a bit cramp. Standing had proven to be a bit uncomfortable. All I could see before my eyes were a sea of black hair and some slight balding. There was were no other men or women taller than me on the bus. Thinking so, a false sense of superiority crept up.
“The view from above is nice…” I smiled, getting off the bus.
At the corner was the convenience store. Did I arrive too early? I checked the time. I was 30 minutes early.
The cashier noticed my presence and greeted me warmly.
“Ah, Oppa, did you come early?”
She was a girl of small stature. Her round glasses suit her well. She wasn’t supermodel pretty, but she was cute—the kind of cute that made you want to smile.
I looked at her nametag. Jeon Sooyeon.
“Ah, yeah… I came a bit early since…”
“Thank you. You probably had other things to do…”
Sooyeon looked at me with a face full of regret. I don’t know her well, but she looked like one of those role model students.
“It’s fine,” I replied, waving my hand. “Things can happen. It’s okay.”
“I see. Then… you’ll be here until 4 o’clock. Here’s the uniform. Don’t mind the cost as I’ll be paying for the bill.”
Uniform?
Come to think of it, she was wearing a rustic outfit with the 82NT logo stitched on it. Am I supposed to wear it for work? I looked towards the place she pointed to. A uniform that was meant for me hung in the back corner.
“Thanks,” I said before grabbing the uniform.
I went to a private room and just as I was about to change, the watch made a sound.
「Mission activated.」