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It was another day in a local grocery store, and Infinite came into the world, living their lives as a bag of sliced bread.
They had just been freshly baked to perfection, well. Almost. But they were honestly the best batch that had ever been made.
The first sliced bread, the one after the one no one liked, was named Sunggyu. The one next to him was Dongwoo. They became good friends. Dongwoo then made friends with the neighbor next to him, Woohyun. Woohyun was already friends with Howon, who was placed right next to him. Howon…. was not sure where he was in terms of relationships with the slice of bread next to him, named Sungyeol. But they still managed to make it work. Sungyeol liked his friend Myungsoo’s company more than he liked Howon’s, which was why he mostly talked to him. But Myungsoo really liked Sungjong, who was always pressed up against him. He was warm and inviting and so gentle and kind.
A few hours after they were all put on the shelves, the lights went out. Dongwoo was the first one to freak out.
“Sunggyu, Woohyun, something’s wrong. Why is there no light?”
“I think it’s because we can’t see,” Sunggyu responded.
“Maybe someone put us in their bag to take us home!” Woohyun chattered excitedly.
“But I don’t feel any movements,” Dongwoo explained.
“Wait, let me ask Howon.” Woohyun leaned onto his friend to get his attention. Howon mostly kept to himself, but he liked when people talked to him, especially Woohyun. It was because he didn’t make Howon feel awkward.
“Howon,” Woohyun said. “My friend Dongwoo is asking why the lights are off.”
Howon pondered for a moment, and responded, “I don’t know.”
“Howon says he doesn’t know.” Great, now he felt stupid for not knowing. Why were the lights off though? Maybe if he asked Sungyeol, he would help him.
“Sungyeol. Why are the lights off.”
“What?”
“The lights. Why are they off.”
“I dunno. How can you tell? I can’t see anything.”
“That’s true…. Hey, Woohyun.”
“Yeah?”
“Sungyeol said he can’t see anything.”
“What does that have to do with the lights off?” Damn it.
“Sungyeol,” Howon tried again.
“What?”
“What does that have to do with the lights off.”
“Well… if you can’t see, then… how do you know the lights are off?”
“Oh… you’re right.” Howon leaned onto Woohyun to get his attention again. “Sungyeol said if you can’t see, then how do you know the lights are off?”
“Hmm. Let me ask Dongwoo,” Woohyun leaned onto Dongwoo.
“Oh, hey Woohyun.”
“Hey. Howon tells me that his friend Sungyeol says…. Wait what was it again? Howon. What did you say?”
“How can we see the light’s off if we can’t see at all.”
“Oh yeah. That,” Woohyun said. Dongwoo thought about it for a while.
“You’re right. Wow. I never thought of that.”
“That’s literally what I just said,” Sunggyu chimed in.
“I didn’t hear you,” Dongwoo replied. Sunggyu sighed. “But I still think the lights are off. I’ve heard things about this store. Like how we’re called Infinite Brand.”
“Are you sure it’s not Infinite Band?” Sunggyu chuckled at the thought. He dreamed to become a singer someday. The first bread singer.
“Nah, I think it’s Infinite Bread,” Woohyun said. Sunggyu’s dreams were instantly crushed.
“Dongwoo, what else have you heard?”
“I’ve heard… when we get chosen, we go off to a better place. Everyone’s been saying it.” Sunggyu perked up at this. Maybe his bread singing dreams would come true. “Except this grumpy mold bread. He’s not really nice.”
“Oh.”
Meanwhile, on the other end of the bread, Sungjong and Myungsoo were giggling about a joke Sungjong had made. Myungsoo really enjoyed Sungjong’s company. Sungyeol was really nice to be with too. He liked both of his neighbours, but especially Sungjong. He was the most beautiful slice of bread ever created.
After Sungyeol finished his conversation with Howon, he leaned onto Myungsoo but he didn’t notice Sungyeol trying to grab his attention.
“Hey, you piece of crust,” Sungyeol said, annoyed.
“Heyyyyy,” Myungsoo whined in a sad voice. “Don’t call me that.”
“It was just to get you to notice me. Sorry. Anyways, Howon was asking me things again.”
“Things like what?”
“Like why the lights are off.”
“I think it’s because the grocery store is closed,” Sungjong piped in.
“What are you talking about?” Sungyeol scoffed. “There’s no light because we can’t see.”
“Yeah, but you can hear, can’t you? Didn’t you hear the door chime? The store is closed for the day.”
“This is a store?”
“Duh.”
“Where are we?” Myungsoo asked.
“In a bag, obviously. Don’t you guys feel the plastic?” Sungjong asked. Was he the only one who noticed?
“Holy cheese. Sungyeol. Tell Howon what Sungjong’s saying. This is important stuff,” Myungsoo nudged him. Sungyeol sighed and leaned onto Howon.
“Hey, what are you doing!” Howon felt nervous when Sungyeol leaned on him. He’d never done it before.
“Myungsoo told me to tell you what Sungjong’s saying.”
“Who’s Sungjong. What is that person saying.”
“Sungjong is Myungsoo’s friend. He’s saying we’re in a bag and in a grocery store.”
“Which one is it.”
“What do you mean?”
“Are we in a bag or a grocery store.”
“Both.”
“How can we be in both.”
“I dunno! Just relay the message to your friend or whatever! It’s important.”
“Ok.” Howon leaned onto Woohyun. Woohyun took a while before leaning back.
“What’s up, Hobread?”
“Sungyeol tells me that his neighbor’s neighbor is saying we’re in a bag in a store.”
“In a Bagin Astore?”
“In a bag. In a store.”
“What? What is that?”
“I don’t know. He said to replay the message.”
“Reply to the message?”
“No, replay.”
“What’s replay?”
“It’s when you play something again,” Sunggyu said. He’s heard the word a few times by now. On the radio too. That’s where they played a lot of songs. Sunggyu really liked the songs. But sometimes it would be scratchy and someone would start talking about something and it got on his nerves. Then it would play the songs again and he would be happy again.
“So we have to play the message again?”
“Who do we need to play it to?”
“The Bread God,” the bitter moldy bread said from below. “You’re all so dumb!”
“See? I told you he was mean,” Dongwoo slumped. Both Sunggyu and Woohyun comforted their friend.
Howon felt awkward so he turned to Sungyeol.
“I replayed the message.”
“I didn’t tell you to rePLAY the message.” If Sungyeol had eyes, he would be rolling them.
“Then what.”
“I forgot.”
“Good job.”
“You wanna go, you ugly crust?”
“Yeah, let’s go, you disgusting crumb.” Sungyeol gasped.
“Crumb?! CRUMB?!” As Myungsoo heard the commotion coming from next to him, he stopped leaning onto Sungjong and tapped Sungyeol.
“WHAT?” Sungyeol’s rage made Myungsoo upset and he leaned into Sungjong for comfort. Sungyeol immediately felt bad for what he did.
“I’m so sorry Myung. It won’t happen again, I promise.” Howon saw it go down and he immediately felt responsible as well.
“I’m sorry too, Myung.”
“What are you sorry for?” Sungjong asked.
“It was kinda my fault for angering Sungyeol anyway.”
“Nah,” Sungyeol said. “It was my fault for getting angry. It wasn’t even that big of a deal. Sorry.”
“It’s okay.”
“We’re good now, right?”
“Yeah.”
Suddenly the ground shifted and everyone was squished together.
“What’s going on?!” Dongwoo yelped.
“I think we’re going off to the Better Place you were talking about Dongwoo,” Sunggyu said.
“IT’S AN EARTHQUAKE!” Woohyun yelled. This set the rest of Infinite into a panic and they all held onto each other, worried about what their future would bring.
Half an hour later, or so it seemed to the slices of Infinite Bread, they were set down again and everything was still.
And dark. Still dark.
“Guys, I’m really scared. Where’s Grumpy? I miss the moldy one,” Dongwoo said.
“I thought you didn’t like him?” Sunggyu replied.
“I don’t.”
“... then why do you miss him?”
“I don’t know. I just do.”
“Your feelings are valid, Dongwoo. Don’t let the first slice of bread tell you otherwise,” Woohyun comforted his friend.
“Technically, I’m the second slice of bread.”
“No one cares.” This time it was Sunggyu who needed comfort. Where was the music? That always helped calm him down.
“Are you bread slices okay?” Someone from the far end yelled.
Woohyun and Dongwoo responded with a loud yes as Sunggyu muttered a tiny no.
“Do you know what happened?” The voice called again.
“I think we got moved!” Howon responded to the voice. He couldn’t tell who it was.
“Who said it was an earthquake?” Sungyeol asked.
“Woohyun,” Howon responded. “I thought it was an earthquake too but it was like we were being put on the shelves again.”
“You’re right. Sorry guys, it was a false alarm! There was no earthquake,” Woohyun yelled so everyone could hear.
“Sunggyu what did you say before?” Dongwoo asked.
“Uh. I think we’re in the Better Place you talked about.”
“Oh. Awesome! Now what?”
“Now, I guess we wait.”
“But that’s so boring,” Woohyun whined.
“Then what do you suggest we do,” Howon asked.
“Uhh I don’t know.” The bag they were inside started moving.
“Guys, what’s going on?” Myungsoo whispered.
“I dunno,” Sungyeol whispered back. They waited until the crinkling stopped.
“OH MY GOD WHAT IS THAT,” Dongwoo exclaimed.
“It looks like a hand,” Sunggyu said.
“IT’S A CLAW!” Woohyun’s outburst had no effect this time.
“It’s a hand, Woohyun,” Dongwoo agreed.
“THANK YOU,” Sunggyu stated. Before long, he was picked up. “Goodbye!! I’ll see you on the other side!”
Dongwoo was next. He laughed when the hand touched him. “It tickles AHAHA!”
“My turn! My turn!” Woohyun bounced. But the hand never came. Instead, the bag they were in closed.
“Wait. WAIT! You forgot us!” Sungyeol yelled at the hand. “Come back!”
“Maybe it’s for the best,” Sungjong said bitterly.
“Whoa. Are you okay?” Sungyeol asked.
“Look.”
“Uh. I kinda can’t.”
“Then listen. The Hand is opening this weird door. It’s cold inside. He’s getting something out. Did you hear that so far?”
“Yeah….”
“HELP! HELP GUYS!” Everyone felt a wave of worry when their friend cried out.
“SUNGGYU, WHAT’S WRONG,” Woohyun yelled loud enough so Sunggyu could hear.
“WOOHYUN! WOOHYUN HELP! THE HAND PUT SOMETHING SLIMY UNDER ME!”
“Well. You’re drier than my Great Aunt Lorraine,” the sliced ham said underneath him.
“Ewww,” Woohyun said.
“Say goodbye to your friends, whoever you are,” the sliced ham sighed. “You’ll never see them again. Or me.”
“What? What does that mean?” Sungyeol asked.
“It means we’re all going to be eaten. Or become stale. Or even worse… become moldy,” Myungsoo said, shuddering at the thought.
“Dongwoo. DONGWOO! I LOVE YOU OKAY. YOU WERE THE GREATEST FRIEND I EVER HAD,” Woohyun cried out.
“What about me,” Howon asked, feeling a little hurt.
“Howon, I love you too, but Dongwoo is about to be eaten.”
“Oh. DONGWOO I’M GOING TO MISS YOU.”
“What about me?” Sunggyu sniffed a little. Obviously he was hurt that no one was giving their last goodbyes to him.
“SUNGGYU,” Woohyun yelled again. “I KNOW I ALWAYS MAKE FUN OF YOU BUT YOU ARE MADE OF THE MOST AMAZING GRAINS.” He paused, a little emotional. “I LOVE YOU. I’M SORRY FOR BEING MEAN TO YOU. I HOPE YOU REINCARNATE INTO A SINGER IN YOUR NEXT LIFE.”
“Holy dough. He’s crying, Woohyun,” Howon said. “You were made with the best yeast.”
“Thank you, my bagel,” Woohyun sniffed.
“I’m not a ba-”
“I know what I said. Just let me grieve, please.”
Howon became quiet for a few seconds before leaning onto Sungyeol.
“Hey, you okay?” he asked.
“I don’t know.”
Sungyeol sighed. “I guess we should say our goodbyes now, huh?”
“No. I don’t like goodbyes.”
Myungsoo started wailing. Sungjong tried to comfort him but he pushed him away.
“It’s best to leave him alone,” Sungyeol told Sungjong.
Sunggyu and Dongwoo were placed on a plate and taken to another room. The rest of Infinite Bread were left. Their future looked grim.
The next day, Woohyun, Howon, and Sungyeol were all taken. Myungsoo braced himself for the worst, but nothing happened to him. Instead, the three other were dipped in a weird mixture and then fried. French Toast. The most evil way of torture. And all they could do was watch as their friends sizzled on the pan.
“Sungjong.”
“What is it, Myung?”
He gathered all his strength before answering. “I just want you to know that I love you. And even though we only had a short time together, you mean so much to me. Never forget that.”
Sungjong was so close to drooping. And Myungsoo tipped the scale. He drooped onto him and they leaned onto each other until it was their turn.
A piece of turkey and some lettuce was placed in between them, separating them.
“Myungsoo.”
“Yeah?”
“I love you too. Let’s never forget each other. Even in our next lives, let’s see each other again. Promise?”
A pause. “I promise,” Myungsoo’s voice was pained. “I hope Infinite Bread meets again in another, more pleasant life.”
“Me too.”
The last of Infinite Bread was eaten that day. Their story was retold throughout the kitchen of the house they were left in. A salami had seen their journey from the moment they were placed on the shelves to when they were stolen from the grocery store and brought into the kitchen the salami itself was in now.