Seung Joo left the house in the suit Eun Seo had bought him, carrying his resume.

On the education section, he only wrote “Graduated from Korea High School”. He thought if he wrote “Graduated from Korea University, Business Administration Department”, they might not give him the job.

As soon as he stepped outside, his shoulders hunched involuntarily. To him, the current world was like the future. He was still anxious going out alone, and now thinking about working made him nervous, but he told himself he needed to adapt now.

He walked the distance of about two bus stops to reach his destination, the convenience store. Taking a deep breath, he went inside.

“Excuse me? You want to work here?”

When a model-like man in a stylish suit appeared and handed over his resume, the elderly convenience store owner looked skeptical.

“Yes.”

“We pay minimum wage, you know?”

“That’s fine. I just need the work.”

While talking to the owner, his wife was standing nearby, gaping at Seung Joo’s face.

Come to think of it, he hadn’t checked how much the minimum wage was. Seung Joo gathered his courage and asked.

“Um, how long would it take to earn 500,000 won working here?”

“Hm? Working six hours a day on weekdays… including weekends, two weeks should be enough.”

“Then could I just work for two weeks? I have some circumstances.”

The owner looked flustered.

“Well, that’s a bit… I’m sorry, but I don’t think it will work for our store.”

The owner’s wife, who had been staring blankly at Seung Joo’s face until then, suddenly seemed to come to her senses and glared at her husband.

“You fool, always so tactless!”

Then, as if nothing had happened, she smiled at Seung Joo.

“Two weeks is fine, come start tomorrow.”

Seung Joo cautiously asked further.

“Also, would it be possible to leave 30 minutes early? I’ll come in 30 minutes early instead.”

Eun Seo had strongly opposed Seung Joo getting a part-time job.

So he planned to work secretly without Eun Seo knowing.

The posted work hours were from 12 to 6. But Eun Seo comes home between 6:30 and 7, so he needs to leave by 5:30 at the latest to prepare dinner.

He thought it was a difficult request, but the owner’s wife nodded without hesitation.

“We’ll accommodate your schedule, don’t worry and just come. Don’t go anywhere else, okay?”

“Thank you so much!”

Seung Joo bowed his head joyfully.

“I’ll work really hard!”

*

Two hours earlier than usual, Eun Seo was on the bus heading home. Her field work had ended early, and she was told to go straight home instead of returning to the office.

She felt excited about the rare early return home.

‘Should I take Seung Joo out for dinner today?’

No matter how much she told him not to, she felt bad that Seung Joo always prepared dinner. She didn’t bring him to be a housekeeper.

The mature Seung Joo quickly became cheerful even after learning his mother had passed away. Of course, he said he was somewhat prepared since she had been missing for a long time, but still, there’s no way he could be okay so soon after his mother’s death. He must be pretending to be fine.

Thinking of Seung Joo made her heart ache. Eun Seo decided she would take him out and buy him something delicious today.

Suddenly, she overheard high school girls talking on the bus.

“Hey, did you see the new part-timer at the convenience store by the main gate?”

“Yeah. I went in without thinking the day before yesterday and nearly fainted when I saw him.”

“You could go in without thinking the day before yesterday? It’s been crazy yesterday and today, I couldn’t even go in. But is he really that handsome?”

“Insane, he’s soooo handsome.”

“I’m telling you, he’s incredibly good-looking. Why is someone who looks like that working at a convenience store instead of being a celebrity?”

Seeing them so excited made her curious. Just how handsome could he be to warrant five ‘so’s?

Looking at their uniforms, they were from Korea Girls’ High School, Eun Seo’s alma mater. It’s near her home.

‘Maybe I should go take a look, and visit the school while I’m at it?’

Eun Seo thought and got off the bus, heading towards the school.

However, the path to see the handsome man wasn’t so easy. There was a long line in front of the convenience store in question.

“Ugh, hurry up and buy your stuff and leave. So annoying, really.”

“Ah, crazy. They’re taking forever.”

The students in line complained one by one. Meanwhile, the faces of the students coming out of the convenience store were all flushed with smiles.

“Amazing. His voice is so good too.”

“I made eye contact while paying and thought my heart would stop.”

Eun Seo thought. Is this what the atmosphere at idol fan meetings, which she’d only heard about but never experienced, is like?

The students in line and those coming out exchanged information enthusiastically.

“He seems to be just under 190 cm tall.”

“Did you ask his name?”

“I was too nervous to ask. You go in and ask!”

People have their own preferences. So opinions could differ, but those who had seen him were unanimously praising him.

This made her really curious. Determined to see him out of stubbornness, Eun Seo quietly joined the line.

After waiting for nearly 20 minutes, it was finally her turn to enter the convenience store.

The store was packed with students pretending to choose items while sneaking glances at the counter. Eun Seo, already short, could barely see ahead, jostled by the students. How are all the kids nowadays so tall and slender?

Forcibly standing on tiptoes and craning her neck, she finally saw a tall man standing alone at the counter in the distance.

So that’s the handsome man in question!

She had to get a good look. Eun Seo swallowed and opened her eyes wide, but the next moment, a surprised sound escaped her lips.

“Seung Joo?”

Seung Joo, who was wearing a convenience store vest and ringing up purchases, looked up and saw Eun Seo. He was so startled he dropped the item he was holding.

“Elder sister Eun Seo?”

At that moment, the eyes of all the students in the store turned towards Eun Seo at once.

*

Seung Joo clasped his hands together and bowed his head deeply, like someone who had committed a great wrong.

“I’m sorry, elder sister. There’s something I really want to buy… I only need to work for two weeks.”

Hearing that, it immediately clicked. It must be that PlayStation thing or whatever. Eun Seo sighed.

“You’re working part-time just to buy a game console?”

Seung Joo flinched for a moment. Eun Seo thought she had hit the nail on the head.

“Forget it, just quit. I’ll buy it for you.”

She spoke while thinking about how much credit card limit she had left, but Seung Joo was adamant.

“No, I want to buy it with my own strength.”

“How do you have time for a part-time job right now? You should be studying hard to return to the company as soon as possible!”

“I promise it won’t interfere with my studies at all. You know I’m good at studying, elder sister.”

Seung Joo held out his palms and folded one finger. Using his 9th place national ranking at a time like this… Eun Seo was at a loss for words.

“What if someone recognizes you?”

“I’ll firmly say it’s someone who looks like me. Who would think the CEO of Daewon Construction is working part-time at a convenience store?”

“That’s true, but…”

In the end, she had no choice but to nod.

“Alright. But only for two weeks, okay?”

*

The next day, while working at the company, Eun Seo received a message from Seung Joo.

– Elder sister, is it okay if I come home late today? The owner asked if I could work two more hours.

After replying that it was fine, Eun Seo thought. Then the timing matches my get-off time, so I should go pick him up.

On her way home from work, Eun Seo headed to the convenience store where Seung Joo worked. Fortunately, with school dismissal time long past, the long line from before was nowhere to be seen.

Peeking through the glass door, she saw Seung Joo standing at the counter. But he wasn’t alone. A pretty girl who looked to be about high school age, also wearing a convenience store vest, was chattering away next to Seung Joo. She must be a new part-timer.

Wondering what they were talking about, Eun Seo listened carefully from outside.

“Our teacher… …did…”

“Oh, really? In the past, our homeroom teacher also…”

She couldn’t hear clearly what they were saying, but they seemed to be getting along well. Well, their mental ages are both high school students, so they’d communicate well.

Watching the two of them talk, she unconsciously let out a sigh. This is how it should be for someone Seung Joo’s age, hanging out with cute friends like that, instead of drinking soju with older women like herself and Sun Ah…

Eun Seo entered the convenience store.

“Elder sister!”

Seung Joo’s face lit up with joy at seeing Eun Seo.

“Did you come to pick me up?”

“Yes. You’re about done, right?”

“Just a moment, elder sister. Let me quickly restock the empty drink shelves before we go.”

Saying that, Seung Joo hurried to the storage room.

“Na Eun, I’m going to the storage room for a bit.”

“Okay, elder brother!”

The pretty part-timer replied with a smile.

While Seung Joo was in the storage room, Eun Seo looked around the store, browsing the items. She was considering whether to buy the 1+1 slice cakes when suddenly a voice came from behind her.

“Ahjumma.”

Not thinking it could be directed at her, she continued looking at the display case. Then the voice came again.

“Ahjumma, can’t you hear me?”

This time she was even poked in the back, making Eun Seo turn around in surprise.

The part-timer who had been smiling sweetly at Seung Joo earlier was now glaring at Eun Seo with fierce eyes. Na Eun, wasn’t that her name?

“Excuse me? Me…?”

Eun Seo was flustered. Being called ahjumma at 27. Even if the other person was young, this seemed a bit much.

“I’m not an ahjumma…”

“Elder brother Seung Joo said he’s 33, so if he calls you elder sister, you must be older than that. That makes you an ahjumma, doesn’t it?”

Only then did Eun Seo realize why Na Eun had misunderstood. With no way to explain, she hesitated for a moment. Na Eun stared at Eun Seo’s face and frowned.

“But ahjumma, what did you do to your face? Ugh, it’s unpleasant.”

She really has a talent for saying things in the most offensive way possible. As she listened, Eun Seo started to get annoyed too.

“What does it matter to our Na Eun what I do with my face?”

When she asked back with a smile, Na Eun’s face became combative.

“Ahjumma, what’s your relationship with elder brother Seung Joo?”

“What does that matter to Na Eun?”

The other person was a high school student. But being called ahjumma had made her lose her cool and become equally childish.

“You’re not dating, right? Right?”

“Why do you think we’re not?”

When Eun Seo calmly retorted while maintaining her smile, Na Eun made an indignant face.

“Why would our elder brother date an ahjumma like you!”

A vein popped on Eun Seo’s forehead.

Wait, why is Seung Joo “elder brother” while I’m “ahjumma” at the end of every sentence?