Chapter Text
Na-na-na-na, na-na-nan-na-na-na, na-na-nan~
Looky Mart’s doors are now open. We welcome our valued customers with bright smiles today!
His eyes flutter open. Ah, it’s here! His first day of work!
He’s admittedly a little nervous, but he’s fired up and ready to do his best! Around him, his new coworkers stretch and smile at each other, chattering away as they all prepare for a new day of hard work. Some of them come up to him and pat him on the back, giving him words of encouragement for his first day of work.
“Thank you!” He grins cheerfully at all of them as he pulls on his orange vest, fastening it securely just like the rest of theirs. “Thank you! Thank you!”
Alongside and surrounded by his new coworkers, he files out of the Staff Only doors amidst a sea of orange. Outside, customers mill around; families, friends, young and old alike… his heart pounds in excitement. There are so many people he can help!
For his first day of work, he’s assigned something simple: walking around the mall, helping customers when they have questions, and making sure that they’re all smiling and happy. Alright! He can do that!
Cheerful music floats through the speakers of the mall, punctuated by the murmur of the crowd and the merry laughter of happy shoppers. Joy bubbles its way through his body as he walks up and down the floors of the mall, soaking in the happiness of today’s customers-
Oh! A child is crying – can’t have that, can he? Not on his watch! Hurriedly, he heads over to the boy and blows up a long balloon. The boy stops crying, focusing on him in wonder. He twists and turns the balloon, pausing to create suspense before untwisting other parts, adds another balloon, then twists them again; soon enough, the boy is laughing happily and walking off with his new balloon sculpture, twisted into the shape of a decapitated human. His coworker, having observed the interaction, gives him a big thumbs up, and pride flickers in his chest!
At noon, he helps direct a family towards the food court on the second floor. In the afternoon, he assists his coworker with a demonstration of a blender currently on sale in the nearby appliance store. The captive audience gasps in wonder as the product smoothly blends through the crunch of bones and flesh, leaving a beautiful ruby mixture when it ends. He helps to direct the excited audience to the store once the demonstration finishes. He’s being helpful!
In the evening, customers slowly and steadily begin to trickle out. It’s getting late. He breathes out a sigh of relief and weariness both. He did it! He’s nearly completed his first day, and so far, his coworkers have given him nothing but good feedback and encouragement!
The mall has quietened drastically as compared to a few hours ago. The cheerful music playing over the speakers has died down, filling the air only with vague murmurs of the remaining customers. At the entrance of the food court on the second floor, he cheerfully waves goodbye to a family that’s just finished eating, and stretches, his gaze naturally turning upwards.
Moonlight drifts softly through the glass panels of the ceiling of the atrium, illuminating the figure of a customer standing on the third floor right by the top of the escalator, staring down at him with a troubled and decidedly unhappy expression.
He frowns. Can’t have that, can he?
Mind made up, he makes his way to the escalator, his every footstep thudding softly in the quietened mall.
The customer’s eyes track his every step. And while the customer’s grip on the railing seems to continuously tighten, knuckles bruisingly white even from a distance, the customer doesn’t move at all from his spot.
He reaches the top of the escalator. “Greetings, dear customer!” He smiles at the man cheerfully. “Welcome to Looky Mart! How can I help you? Do you need directions, perhaps?”
The man inhales sharply when he begins talking. When he finishes, the man doesn’t reply, and only stares at him with a wild and haunted look in his blue eyes.
Oh no… what can he say to reassure this man? “Did you lose something?” He tries. “Or someone?”
The man’s expression shifts closer and closer to heartbreak with his every word. Panicking, he tries harder. “Is that not it? Are you looking for something, perhaps? A gift? Or something for you?”
The man has a striking set of black hair and blue eyes, and he’s sure that there are coworkers who can choose appropriate clothing for the customer! “I’m sure that we can help you with your selection! Dear customer-”
“Jaekwan,” the man chokes out, eyes red-rimmed.
He pauses. “I’m sorry?”
“Jaekwan,” the man repeats, closing his eyes almost as if in regret of his outburst and breathing in shakily before opening them again. “My name is Ryu Jaekwan. Please… please call me by name.”
He pauses, turning over the rules in his head to make sure he’s allowed to do so.
RULE NUMBER ONE: KEEP THE CUSTOMERS HAPPY.
“Alright!” He smiles as soothingly as he can. “Ryu Jaekwan-ssi, how may I-”
“Not-” Ryu Jaekwan interrupts, his chest heaving, and swipes a hand over his eyes. “Not that. Just… just Jaekwan. Please just call me Jaekwan.”
“Alright, Jaekwan-ssi,” he says as comfortingly as possible. Jaekwan still flinches, and he holds his breath in case he’s done something wrong, but Jaekwan only exhales shakily and scrubs at his face once more.
“How may I help you, Jaekwan-ssi?” He asks gently. “You seem rather distressed, but I’ve unfortunately run out of balloons to make one for you.”
“... It’s alright,” Jaekwan rasps, looking a little more composed than before. “I’m… looking for a friend.”
Oh! He can help fix that! “A friend?” He prompts. “We can make an announcement to help you search for them!”
He thinks it’s a good idea, but Jaekwan only smiles sadly at him. “It’s okay. It seems like… it seems like he’s already gone.”
“I see,” he replies soothingly. “Should I bring you to the exit, then? So you can meet up with your friend again?”
Jaekwan’s smile turns even more pained. “... Thank you, but no need. I can make my way out myself.”
Theoretically, there’s not much more he can do at that point. But… he refuses to leave while a customer is still obviously down!
“In that case,” he decides, “I’ll keep you company until you feel better. Would that be okay with you?”
There’s a moment of silence from Jaekwan. He watches with concern as tears gather in Jaekwan’s eyes once more.
“Yes,” Jaekwan rasps. “That’s okay with me.”
He manages to cajole Jaekwan down the escalator and into the food court. Let’s see, what can help make a customer happy…?
“Would you like a drink, Jaekwan-ssi?” He suggests. “It might help you feel better!”
Jaekwan smiles at him bitterly. “I’m afraid that I’ve run out of money for today. But thank you.”
Ah, ahh, what can he do, what can he do?
“I’ll buy you one,” he declares. He needs to make the customer happy. He must, even if it’s deducted from his salary. “Do you have any preference for a drink, Jaekwan-ssi?”
Jaekwan stares at him, long and hard. “... Grapes,” he finally replies, looking at him intensely. “Something with grapes.”
Okay. Guess Jaekwan really likes grapes! He files that away for future reference, just in case Jaekwan ever visits again. “Got it!”
He returns soon after with a glass of grape juice. By now, it’s nearly closing hours, but he doesn’t quite want to chase Jaekwan out yet, not while the customer is still clearly upset! He wants to say something, but Jaekwan seems to be thinking about something long and hard, so he leaves him to it.
Eventually, Jaekwan finishes his grape juice. “Thank you,” he murmurs, looking more put together than before.
He smiles in relief. “No problem. I hope I could help you feel better!”
Jaekwan studies him carefully. “You’re very dedicated to this job, it seems. How long have you been working here?”
Scratching his head bashfully, he admits sheepishly. “Ah, this is my first day! I hope I didn’t come across as too incompetent.”
“Not at all,” Jaekwan reassures him. “I’d like to thank you, Mister…”
Jaekwan trails off, looking at him. He tilts his head back, confused.
“Your name?” Jaekwan prompts.
… Oh. A name. A name? An identifier? A unique symbol? Something his and only his? Something of his that doesn’t belong to the mall? Something tying him back to his past before Looky Mart something that’s tearing him apart from his beloved job something obstructing the important work he has to do something that transcends him into a being defined past an employee of Looky Mart something that he owns something that is his and so he says
“I don’t have a name.”
Jaekwan’s eyes furrow down, distressed. He hurriedly tacks on, “I don’t need one! I am an employee of Looky Mart, and that’s all that matters!”
“It matters to me,” Jaekwan replies, eyes still downcast. “You… you’ve helped me a lot today. I want to remember you. You’re someone who is special to me.”
He’s… done that? He’s made a positive impact on a customer?
Something glows in his chest. “I’m so happy to hear that! It is our top priority to ensure the happiness of customers, after all!” He beams at Jaekwan. “However, there truly is nothing I can give you. I really don’t have a name.”
Jaekwan mulls this over. “Then,” he suggests, “may I give you one?”
Give him a name? Give him a name? Give him a distinctive label that allows him to be perceived uniquely in a way more than just an employee of this wonderful mall-
“Please.” Jaekwan’s voice cuts desperately through his thoughts. “It would make me very happy.”
RULE NUMBER ONE: KEEP THE CUSTOMERS HAPPY.
“Okay, then,” he finally replies with a nod. “If that will make you happy, Jaekwan-ssi!’
Jaekwan smiles at him with such relief that it crystallises his hesitation into conviction. “Thank you so much. In that case, I’d like to call you Choi.”
Choi.
Something sifts in his chest, sitting right like his bones have shifted back into place.
“That’s my name, then,” Choi smiles at Jaekwan reassuringly. “I hope you are happy!”
Na-na-na-na, na-na-nan-na-na-na, na-na-nan~
Dear customers, thank you for shopping at Looky Mart today. We will be closing soon. Customers still in the store, please follow the employees to the exit.
Oh! He hadn’t even realised it’d gotten so late. Choi stands, gesturing at Jaekwan to do the same. “Jaekwan-ssi, it’s getting late. You have to head home before the mall hours end.”
Jaekwan rises as well. His eyes are still red-rimmed, his smile still bitter, but Choi thinks he looks somewhat better than before! “I can find my way out. And… thank you for taking care of me, Agent.”
Choi tilts his head at the sudden name change, confused. Jaekwan seems to realise his mistake. “Ah, my mistake. I apologise.”
Then, Jaekwan sweeps into a bow. Choi flounders, trying to wave him off, for no customer should be bowing to a mere employee! But Jaekwan remains steadfast.
“Thank you for everything,” Jaekwan says, his bow deep and formal. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for me, and for everything you’ve done for others. Thank you so, so much.”
“I haven’t done that much! Jaekwan-ssi, please stand up straight!” Choi hurriedly urges him to straighten up. Jaekwan doesn’t resist, and instead looks straight into his eyes.
At their full heights, Jaekwan is just a little taller than Choi. Choi has to tilt his head up to look Jaekwan in the eyes, but it’s a comfortable angle, one that feels vaguely familiar. Like restocking the shelf just above eye level, he supposes.
“Goodbye,” Jaekwan tells him, a heavy finality in his voice that Choi doesn’t quite understand.
“Goodbye!” Choi chirps back. “Thank you for shopping with us! If you ever return to Looky Mart, I would be happy to serve you again!”
Jaekwan smiles sadly at him, and with one final glance back, heads down the elevator and out of the mall.
… Wow. That was an incredibly eventful first day! Choi rests on the bench for a moment to catch his breath.
But he’d done it! He’d helped customers remain happy today! And even more so, in Jaekwan’s case. Choi springs up, suddenly full of energy as he helps the staff clean up the food court.
This truly is the best feeling in the world, he thinks.
Truly, Choi is so happy to be an employee at Looky Mart!
Na-na-na-na, na-na-nan-na-na-na, na-na-nan~
Looky Mart’s doors are now open. We welcome our valued customers with bright smiles today!
Choi’s eyes flutter open. It’s here! Another day of work!
He smiles and puts on his orange vest as he greets his coworkers, who all chat amicably together as they prepare for another wonderful day of making customers happy. He’s been at work for a few days at this point, and what wonderful, wonderful days they have been!
Alongside and surrounded by his coworkers, Choi files out of the Staff Only doors amidst a sea of orange. Outside, customers mill around; families, friends, young and old alike… his heart pounds in excitement. There are so many people he can help!
Today, he’s assigned to help with the restocking. Choi cheerfully flutters up and down the aisles of the supermarket, answering questions from customers and noting down which shelves need extra stock.
Yoghurt in aisle six, frozen pies in aisle eleven, nostalgia candy in aisle eight, the left eye of a male in his twenties in aisle one thousand and three… the hours seem to fly by as he busies himself with the restocking. Bananas in aisle two hundred, Snow White’s Apples in aisle three thousand, freshly chargrilled flesh in aisle seventy-
“...gent Choi…?”
“... Ah!” Choi startles a little at the sound of his given name, then brightens. If that name is being called, then surely it means…
And sure enough, when Choi turns to the sound of the voice, Jaekwan is there.
“Jaekwan-ssi!” Choi carefully places down the chargrilled flesh before heading over. “Welcome to Looky Mart! I see you’ve returned; it’s so wonderful to see you!”
Jaekwan stares back at him with an unsettled and slightly haunted look in his eyes. “Ah… thank you. I’m glad to see that you’re doing well too.”
“I have!” Choi beams, then turns slightly to the right. “And I see you’ve brought a friend along with you today!”
Sure enough, there’s a man standing next to Jaekwan, clad in a blue jacket identical to Jaekwan’s. Round glasses sit under a crown of messy hair, with thick shadows underlying the pair of eyes that peer at Choi with an unreadable expression in them.
At Choi’s address, the man bows towards him politely. “Hello. My name is Grapes. I’ve heard good things about you from Jaekwan-ssi and how he received help from you.”
Grapes, huh? What an unusual name, but who is Choi to judge a customer? Perhaps this was the friend that Jaekwan had been attempting to locate during their first meeting! Choi bows back, making sure his bow is angled deeper than Grapes’s. “Hello, Grapes-ssi, and welcome to Looky Mart! It’s nice to meet a friend of Jaekwan-ssi.”
As they straighten back up, Choi rubs the side of his neck over his barcode label sheepishly. “I’m beyond honoured to have received praise from Jaekwan-ssi, but I must admit, I don’t think I helped as much as I could have.”
“... No,” Jaekwan slowly shakes his head, his shoulders still tensed up. “You stayed with me and comforted me until I calmed down. Not everyone would be willing to do that for a stranger.”
“Oh, you’re not just a stranger. You’re a dear customer of Looky Mart!” Choi claps his hands together, beaming at them. “In any case, I’m very happy to see both of you here! I hope you have a wonderful time in Looky Mart today.”
“Ah, speaking of which,” Grapes pipes up. “Would you mind helping us out? We’re trying to look for an item, but the supermarket is quite big.”
Jaekwan shoots Grapes a bewildered glare. Choi straightens up, delighted at the opportunity to help. “Of course! What are you looking for?”
“Wrapping paper,” Grapes replies. “Specifically, 12B357NA.”
“Hm.” Choi ponders a little. “We have wrapping paper over at aisle 829. I’m not sure if we have that specific type, though…”
“No worries,” Grapes reassures. “Would you mind bringing us there?”
“Not at all!” Choi beams.
They’re at aisle seventy, so Choi begins to lead them further into the supermarket. As they walk, Grapes begins to strike up casual conversation. “I’ve heard that you’ve only recently started working here, Choi-ssi. How has work been so far?”
“It’s been wonderful!” Choi chirps. “Nothing brings me more joy than seeing smiles on customers’ faces!”
Grapes responds with a sound of interest. Choi’s eyes shift over to them, feeling bad for talking so much about himself. “If I may ask, how about the two of you? Both of you are wearing similar clothing, so do you perhaps work in the same company?”
Choi sees Jaekwan’s glare at Grapes deepen as if in warning, which Grapes passively ignores. “We do. Actually, we work with the government.”
Choi gasps in delight. Grapes continues, “It’s classified to talk about our exact roles, but we work very closely with civilians. We do our utmost best to protect them and help them maintain their daily lives as much as we can.”
“How admirable!” Choi breathes, stars in his eyes. “The fact that you two are helping people so selflessly… thank you so much for your hard work and effort in keeping us everyday folk happy!”
Grapes laughs sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck as if embarrassed. “We’re just a small part of a bigger picture, really. It wouldn’t be possible without everyone’s hard work and effort. But honestly, Choi-ssi,” he adds, looking up with a genuine smile, “I think you’d actually fit in very well in our line of work.”
Oh?
Oh?
Choi’s smile drops. He stares at Grapes.
“I am an employee of Looky Mart,” he murmurs. “I am an employee of Looky Mart. I am an employee of Looky Mart. I am an employee of the most wonderful mall-”
“Oh no, no, you misunderstood me,” Grapes hurriedly waves his arms, obviously flustered, but his eyes wide and sincere. “I wasn’t suggesting you change jobs. I just wanted to compliment you on how helpful you’ve been. You obviously like your job, and you’re good at it as well.”
“... It’s just as my coworker said,” Jaekwan chimes in, albeit fairly reluctantly. “You’re… very good at your job. You seem very intelligent and good at reading people. Those are all good qualities for a person to have.”
“... Oh! If you say so,” Choi smiles happily. “I’m honoured that you think so highly of me!”
Grapes nods. “If you think about it, you’re basically doing work similar to us in your own way. You’re making people happy and helping them to ensure they have a smooth and peaceful experience, aren’t you?”
“Oh, well, I try my absolute best to!” Choi laughs bashfully.
“Exactly.” Grapes smiles at him, honest and wholehearted. “Maybe we’re not so different after all.”
Something funny wells up in Choi’s chest. “Both of you are good people,” Choi smiles at them, softening to the same level as their sincerity. “I’m grateful that I got to meet wonderful customers like you while on the job!”
As they continue to walk, Grapes begins to regale Choi with stories from his and Jaekwan’s workplace, with Jaekwan occasionally grudgingly chiming in, albeit primarily to censor details when needed. Choi learns that Grapes is a newer addition to their work group, but Jaekwan has been there for years. He learns that Jaekwan is a highly respected member of their department, one that many juniors look up to. He learns that Grapes is just a code name, but one that he feels more comfortable with.
And Choi learns that there is another member in their group, a senior of whom they only ever refer to as “Agent”. He learns that this Agent is reckless, always causing them headaches. He learns that the Agent is one of the most senior members in their department, with even more years of experience than Jaekwan under his belt. And he learns from their exasperated smiles and crinkled eyes that even though this Agent seems to cause them regular stress, they’re obviously fond of their senior anyway.
Throughout their stories, Choi surprises himself by laughing and smiling for reasons unrelated to the mall. Grapes is a thoroughly entertaining storyteller, and it’s thrilling to hear tales where they’ve truly helped people, even if many details are censored or glossed over. And with the way they seem to love the third member of their group, he’s sure this Agent must be a good person as well!
They truly are good and admirable people, Choi thinks warmly as they reach aisle 829. “We’re here! Now, to search for the specific type of wrapping paper…”
“Ah, we don’t want to trouble you any further,” Jaekwan cuts in. “We must have taken up a lot of your time already. Thank you for bringing us this far.”
And Choi…
Choi hesitates. “Are you certain? It’s no trouble at all!”
“It’s really no trouble,” Grapes reassures. “Thank you very much.”
Choi hesitates a little more. Surely, surely he can…?
“... You’ve been very helpful,” Grapes says.
Well, he’s happy to hear that, but-
“Please allow us to thank you for your trouble,” Grapes says.
Oh no, it’s no trouble at-
“You’ve made us very happy,” Grapes says.
RULE NUMBER ONE: KEEP THE CUSTOMERS HAPPY.
“I’m happy to hear that!” Choi chirps, turning to leave. “Please enjoy your shopping then, dear customers!”
“When we come back next, would you help us again if we need it just like today?” Grapes asks, ignoring Jaekwan’s furious glare, then tacks on hurriedly, “It, ah, it would make us very happy!”
RULE NUMBER ONE: KEEP THE CUSTOMERS HAPPY.
“Of course!” Choi beams. “I look forward to seeing you again, Jaekwan-ssi and Grapes-ssi!”
Jaekwan nods, his countenance a little softer than before. Grapes returns his smile with pleased and satisfied eyes. “And us you, Choi-ssi.”
Choi bows back cheerfully and takes his leave. But as he heads back to the storage room, he can’t help but throw a glance backwards.
Jaekwan and Grapes are standing huddled by the aisle, facing away from him, two vivid splashes of blue against the bright white tiles of the floors and the ceiling of the supermarket. Somehow, the sight of their backs to him sends an... inexplicable feeling through his heart.
An image draws up unbidden in his head, one where he heads back to them and throws an arm around each of their shoulders, cheerfully asking what more they’re looking for, because while two is good, three is just right-
No.
Choi’s getting too carried away with a few friendly customers! A bolt of shame flashes through him, and he quickly fixes his eyes ahead of him to rush back towards the storage room. It’s because they’re such good people that he’d gotten distracted, but no more!
He’s an employee of Looky Mart, after all. He needs to give his best and his all!
Na-na-na-na, na-na-nan-na-na-na, na-na-nan~
Looky Mart’s doors are now open. We welcome our valued customers with bright smiles today!
Choi’s eyes flutter open. It’s here! Another day of work!
He smiles and puts on his orange vest as he greets his coworkers, who all chat amicably together as they prepare for another wonderful day of making customers happy. Really, everyone’s so nice here; even the customers are so friendly!
Alongside and surrounded by his coworkers, Choi files out of the Staff Only doors amidst a sea of orange. Outside, customers mill around; families, friends, young and old alike… his heart pounds in excitement. There are so many people he can help!
Today, he’s assigned to help hand out flyers and interact with the cute and friendly mascots who are planned to interact with customers! He happily spends the day chatting with customers, introducing the mascots, answering questions, and enthusiastically helping out wherever he can. He loves being an employee of Looky Mart!
Late in the day, the mall begins to wind down. A few of his coworkers begin to head back to the staff room for a rest, but since Choi only has a few more flyers left to hand out, he decides to finish handing them out first. Most customers take them with mild interest, if not completely ignoring him, but he has a duty to complete his job!
Finally, he reaches his last flyer. “Evening sale at Electrical Thrills! Special promotion for coloured hair at Curl Up and Dye!” Choi chirps, handing out the last piece of paper.
A man with a blue jacket and round glasses takes it.
Choi blinks, then grins. “Oh! Hello Grapes-ssi, is that you? Welcome to Looky Mart!”
Grapes smiles back at him, his eyes still thick with shadows as before. “Good evening, Choi-ssi, it’s nice to see you. You seem to be working hard.”
“Just doing my duty as an employee of this wonderful mall!” Choi says cheerfully. “I see you’re alone. Did Jaekwan-ssi not come today?”
Grapes shakes his head. “He’s tied up with some work right now, so he couldn’t make it. I came because I have a gift I’m trying to buy.” He sighs then, a tired and weary sound that pulls on Choi’s heartstrings. “I’ve been walking around the mall for ages, but I’ve had trouble finding an appropriate gift.”
Oh! A way he can help! Choi straightens. “Would you like some help, Grapes-ssi? I would be happy to help wherever I can!”
“Oh, no, I wouldn’t want to disturb you,” Grapes waves his hands, eyes wide. “You must be exhausted after a long day of work. I wouldn’t want to burden you any further.”
“Nonsense,” Choi declares, brushing off his hands. “Since you’ve taken the last flyer, I have some free time on my hands! Please allow me to help, if you’d accept my humble efforts.”
Scratching his head sheepishly, Grapes hesitates, then sighs with reluctant relief. “If you’re sure, then. Thank you, it would be a great help.”
Reaching into the breast pocket of his jacket, where a neat row of bells is clipped, Grapes takes out a pink bunny keychain from its depths.
“This is my friend whom I’ve recently reunited with,” Grapes explains, carefully cradling the keychain. “In celebration of our reunion, I’d like to pick out a gift for him.”
“Oh, how cute!” Choi coos, peering at the keychain. “Does your friend have a name?”
“Yeah. His name is Braun.”
Choi blinks. Braun? Like Brown? But the rabbit is pink, though?
Of course, he says none of that out loud. That would be rude to a friend of a dear customer! Choi smiles widely at the rabbit instead. “Hello Braun, nice to meet you! I’m happy to meet Grapes-ssi’s friend!”
Straightening back up, Choi looks at Grapes. “Now then, what sort of gift would you like to get for your friend?”
“Something like a bowtie for him would be nice,” Grapes muses. “It needs to be of a good quality as well.”
Choi hums contemplatively, mentally drawing up the layout of the mall. “Okay! I can think of a few shops that might be good!”
Just like last time at the supermarket, as Choi leads the way, Grapes strikes up conversation. It’s light and casual, easy chatter to fill the air as they visit a few stores. After three failed stores however, Choi decides to head to a fourth store, a higher-end leatherwork shop.
SQUEAK!
Halfway through the path to the fourth store, Grapes halts. Choi stops walking as well, looking at him curiously. “Is there an issue?”
Grapes is sweeping his gaze around in a confused wariness. “Ah, where is that sound coming from-?”
His sentence cuts off when his gaze falls to the right. Puzzled, Choi follows his line of sight.
Directly to their right, two metal doors that lead directly to the staff area sit innocently. And in one of their circular windows, a staff member stares back at them unblinkingly.
“Oh, that’s one of the night employees, I believe!” Choi remarks. “I’ve only caught a glimpse of them before. They’re usually only active at night to help and protect Looky Mart, so we daytime employees don’t typically run into them!”
“I… see. But that’s an awfully loud sound, isn’t it?” Grapes grimaces, continuing to walk again, but at a faster pace.
Choi matches his pace with his head tilted in confusion. “A loud sound? I’m afraid I don’t follow.”
“The… ah, nevermind, perhaps I’ve been working too hard lately. It’s fine now.” Grapes shakes his head at himself, then pauses.
He turns towards Choi slowly. “... It’s fine now. I don’t… hear anything anymore.”
Choi smiles brightly through his confusion. “I’m glad to hear that!”
Grapes looks Choi up and down as they continue to walk along, almost like he’s trying to figure out a puzzle. “You’ve only recently started working at this mall, right?”
“That’s right! I hope I haven’t come across as too incompetent,” Choi laughs sheepishly.
“Not at all,” Grapes immediately denies. “In fact, you’re such a natural at this that I would never have guessed it if Agent- if Jaekwan-ssi hadn’t told me. Did you work at retail as well before this job?”
“Before…?” Choi’s smile falters. Before this? Before Looky Mart? Before this wonderful mall? “Hm… it doesn’t matter! What matters is that I’m now working here! I promise to do my best every day!”
He feels Grapes’s eyes shift towards him. “I see. In that case, may I ask how you started working here? I have a friend who’s looking for jobs, you see, and since you enjoy working here so much, this might be a good place for my friend to work at.”
Oh! A potential new coworker? That would be wonderful! Let’s see, how did Choi start working at Looky Mart? Hm, if he thinks back to his initiation, the process was- before he started- before- his job- working- at the- started- before-
He’s a chosen employee of Looky Mart!
“I was chosen to work here!” Choi gushes. “As for the exact process… hm, I’d have to ask my manager about it!”
Sighing helplessly, Grapes shrugs his shoulders. “It’s fine, then. I’ve already troubled you enough.”
Finally, they reach the leatherwork store. The bell above the door chimes cheerfully as the two of them make their way in, a tired-looking employee greeting them as they do.
“Hello.” Grapes pulls out the pink bunny keychain from his pocket again. “I’m looking for a bowtie for my friend. Would you happen to have something that fits my friend here?”
Surprisingly enough, there is. Grapes examines the size and quality of the black leather bowtie and nods in satisfied approval. “This is exactly what I’ve been looking for. How much does this cost?”
At the quoted price of 20,000 won, Grapes grimaces, before fishing out two exact 10,000 won notes from his pocket and passing them to the employee. At his forlorn expression, Choi purses his lips. “Grapes-ssi, could that amount potentially… be all that you brought?”
“Ah…” Grapes rubs the back of his neck sheepishly. “It’s the end of the month, so… money is a little tight right now.”
These… these poor government workers! Is their pay really that low? Choi feels so terrible for him! But at the very least, there’s a small smile on Grapes’s lips as he takes the small leather bowtie and carefully fixes it onto the keychain.
The two of them leave the shop. “Thank you so much for your help, Choi-ssi,” Grapes flashes him a grateful smile. “You even accompanied me to four different stores. I’m truly grateful.”
“It’s no issue at all for a dear customer!” Choi chirps back. “I’m glad I could be of help!”
“No, it really means a lot to me.” Reaching into his jacket, Grapes pulls out a packet. It’s a candy bar with a blue wrapper. On the wrapper, the label Good Child Chocolate Bar is printed neatly above an illustration of a child wearing a suit and a mask with branches. “I don’t really have much on me right now, but I’d like to show my genuine appreciation somehow. Could I give you this candy, at the very least?”
But Choi is already shaking his head rapidly. “Oh no, no, no, I truly apologise, but I absolutely cannot accept gifts like this through non-official channels! Please rest assured that your gratitude has been conveyed in full, though!”
“Really? But it would make me very-” Grapes pauses, thinks through something, then sighs. “If you’re sure, then. Thank you very much again.”
They’re standing just by the escalators heading down to the first floor now. Grapes adjusts his glasses and looks up at Choi. “I’ll be heading back home now. Once again, thank you very much for today.”
“It’s my joy and pleasure!” Choi beams. “Thank you for shopping with us, and see you next time!”
“May I?” Grapes peers over his lenses. “Come and see you again next time, that is?”
The smile on Choi’s face freezes. “... I’m sorry?”
“You were very helpful, and you’re cheerful and fun to talk to as well. You’re quite an enjoyable person to be around.” A shy and slightly awkward smile flashes on Grapes’s face. “So, would you mind if Jaekwan-ssi and I bother you for more than just directions if we’re lucky enough to run into you again? Ah, I promise we won’t disturb you from your work, though.”
He’s just a humble employee of Looky Mart. He shouldn’t be separated and identified uniquely! He shouldn’t be searched for individually! All he is is one of the many wonderful employees in this wonderful mall-
“Please, at least give us this small means of gratitude?” Grapes asks with hope splashed across his face. “It would make us very happy to interact more with you.”
RULE NUMBER ONE: KEEP THE CUSTOMERS HAPPY.
“Alright then!” Choi smiles politely at him. “It would be my pleasure!”
Happiness lights up on Grapes’s face, and Choi knows he’s made the right decision. “I’m so happy to hear that. Then, see you next time, Choi-ssi.”
Choi waves happily at Grapes as he heads down the escalator. See you next time, huh? Choi muses to himself as he heads for his dinner break.
Thirty minutes before the mall closes, Jaekwan bursts through the doors, looking awfully dishevelled. Choi perks up from where he was escorting customers out. “Jaekwan-ssi, hello! Welcome to Looky Mart! I’m afraid we’re near closing time, however.”
To his surprise, Jaekwan beelines straight towards him. He makes a move like he wants to grab Choi’s shoulders, but stops himself just before the motion.
“... Choi-ssi. I heard that Grapes came by today,” Jaekwan says with gritted teeth.
“He did! He was here to pick out a gift for his friend.”
“Did he… say or do anything weird?” Jaekwan hedges.
“Hm? Weird? No, not that I can think of,” Choi immediately denies.
Jaekwan still looks fairly disgruntled, but eventually heaves a big sigh. “Fine. If you weren’t disturbed, then I guess he was okay.”
Grimacing, Jaekwan rubs a hand against his temple. “... Apologies for my behaviour. There were some, ah… some classified things going on.”
“No worries! Please rest assured that Grapes-ssi was completely fine,” Choi soothes. “Jaekwan-ssi, you’re looking rather harried. Would you like a drink to relax before the mall closes?”
Jaekwan slowly shakes his head. “No, it’s fine. I just… came here to confirm that. I don’t have much spare change with me right now.”
Again, these poor government workers! How low is their pay, truly? Choi’s heart clenches in pity. “I’ll buy you a drink, Jaekwan-ssi!”
Instead of answering, Jaekwan studies him carefully instead. “Why would you do that for a random customer?”
“Hm?” Choi tilts his head. What a silly question! “Because you’re dear customers of Looky Mart, of course!”
Jaekwan continues to stare inquisitively. Choi hums, then continues: “Without the customers, there would be no Looky Mart. Looky Mart should be a place for customers to enjoy themselves as a break from their regular lives! As a humble employee, I’d like to do my best to protect the smile on every single customer’s face.”
Choi beams brightly at Jaekwan. “Perhaps that’s a bit of a lofty goal! But it’s one that I’d like to do my best to uphold anyways. No matter who the customer is, they deserve to be happy when they’re in Looky Mart. And if all it takes for a customer to smile is a little bit of my salary, then so be it!”
Jaekwan is still closely studying him, but there’s a slight shine in his blue eyes that wasn’t there before. “I see. That’s certainly an admirable goal. And if it’s you… if it’s you, Choi-ssi, I think you can do it.”
Oh! Warmth floods into his chest. “That means a lot to me, Jaekwan-ssi! Thank you very much!”
Jaekwan nods firmly, his shoulders relaxing, like he’s made a decision on something. “I have to go for today, but I’ll be sure to come back with Grapes. We’ll see you next time.”
See you next time. Somehow, the words sound even better than before…! Choi waves happily. “See you next time, Jaekwan-ssi!”
As the rest of the day passes and Choi sees the last of the customers out, his heart feels light. Somehow… the thought of not just one, but two people looking forward to meeting him again fills him with more joy than he’d expected. He must be doing a better job than he’d thought!
Truly, another wonderful day spent at Looky Mart!
SQUEAK!
He curses silently, hauling the stumbling civilian along as they race along the darkened corridors of the mall. Behind them, mangled mashes of squealing balloons with bloodied joints and chunks of squelching flesh in grotesque mockups of human beings chase after them, more and more fumbling to join as they continue to run.
“We’re dead, we’re dead, we’re dead-” The civilian wheezes, tears streaming down their face.
“Heads up!” He calls. The door to their left flings open, and more employees stream out in a horrible cacophony of screeching balloons. He pushes the civilian to the side, changing the trajectory of their path. “I have a plan. You’re not going to die now, okay? We need to head upwards!”
They reach the escalator. Above, the food court on the second floor looms. As they rush up the halted escalator, he stops halfway and turns back to face the crowd of employees who are rushing and climbing over each other to get up the escalator.
“What are you doing?!” The civilian asks in a panic. “Are you trying to die, Agent?! Don’t you dare leave me alone!”
“Don’t worry,” he grins, pulling an item out of his pocket. “I have absolutely no intention of dying either. I have a junior to bother once he comes back from his vacation~”
Na-na-na-na, na-na-nan-na-na-na, na-na-nan~
Looky Mart’s doors are now open. We welcome our valued customers with bright smiles today!
Choi’s eyes flutter open. It’s here! Another day of work! There’s a lingering sense of confusion from his sleep, but he shakes it off quickly. There’s no time to dally!
He smiles and puts on his orange vest as he greets his coworkers, who all chat amicably together as they prepare for another wonderful day of making customers happy. He’s been at work for three weeks at this point, and what wonderful, wonderful days they have been.
Alongside and surrounded by his coworkers, Choi files out of the Staff Only doors amidst a sea of orange. Outside, customers mill around; families, friends, young and old alike… his heart pounds in excitement. There are so many people he can help!
Today, he’s assigned to perform demonstrations of various Looky Mart products. Choi is thrilled! Previously, he’s only ever assisted in demonstrations before, so while actually performing one by himself is a little nerve-wracking, he’s more than ready to do his absolute best!
At around eleven in the morning, he helps fellow employees to set up the space for a demonstration of various kitchen appliances and stationery sets, aimed broadly at parents and children both. Customers look over and murmur at the setup, but leave after a passing glance due to the venue still obviously being prepared.
That is, except for two figures.
Choi catches sight of them from the corner of his eyes, blinks, then brightens and heads over. “Jaekwan-ssi! Grapes-ssi! Welcome to Looky Mart!”
The two familiar faces smile and wave back at him. “Good morning, Choi-ssi,” Jaekwan greets.
Ever since meeting that day, the two of them have been coming back nearly every single day. And true to their word, they’ve greeted Choi every time they run into each other! “Good morning!” He chirps back.
Somewhere along the line, seeing Jaekwan and Grapes has become the highlight of Choi’s day. The two of them typically come in the later hours, presumably right after their working hours, and strike up conversation with him whenever they have the chance. Choi gets to hear about their work that day, even if it’s only the small, mundane things, such as the grateful responses of the civilians they’ve saved or the workout routine that Jaekwan did or the lunch that Jaekwan had to pull Grapes away from his work to eat. And even if Choi is too busy to talk, they tend to hang around his area, letting Choi steal glances at the duo.
It’s really nice. Admittedly, Choi shouldn’t be playing favourites with dear customers! But there’s something about the two that makes Choi’s usual happiness that comes from helping a customer turn a little softer, a little warmer. Perhaps it’s because they’re the only customers who are kind and attentive enough to repeatedly recognise and talk to him, a humble employee!
Today, however, they’re here in the morning. They aren’t in their usual blue uniforms either, though the bells that Grapes likes to attach to his jacket still hang on his sweater, along with his pink bunny keychain. “Since we weren’t assigned any work this weekend, we thought we’d drop by earlier today,” Grapes nods warmly at him.
So, does that mean… that Choi could potentially spend more time with them today? Choi beams back at them. “That’s wonderful! I’m so happy to see the two of you. You’re just in time, actually, for my first demonstration!”
“Oh?” Jaekwan hums, peering behind him. “What are you demonstrating?”
Choi turns his body a little to let them have a better view, looking back at the employees working quickly as well. “In around four minutes, we’ll be demonstrating our latest electronic mixer, available for sale in the hardware appliances store on the second level! Won’t you watch my demonstration-?”
As Choi speaks, he turns back to the two of them. But instead of the warm encouragement he’d somehow… come to have expected to see… the two of them look a little pale instead.
Choi frowns in concern. “Ah… Are you two alright?”
“... You said it’s a demonstration, correct?” Jaekwan asks. “Out of curiosity, what will you be demonstrating with?”
“Hm? The demonstration materials?” Choi gestures to a box near the mixer that had been fetched from Looky Mart’s storage room. “Just some generic store supplies!”
The two still don’t look very convinced, their gazes now fixed onto the box. Choi hums in contemplation and decides to elaborate a little to ease their worries. “Technically, I shouldn’t be telling a customer this, but I hope this will calm you down.” He lowers his voice to a whisper. “Honestly… Looky Mart occasionally has a few rats.”
“... Rats, you say,” Grapes murmurs faintly.
“But don’t worry!” Choi waves off their concerns quickly. “Our mall absolutely does not tolerate rats! We catch them as soon as we learn of their existence, and we even repurpose them into demonstration supplies!” Choi’s hands go to his hips, smiling proudly. “Honestly, I’m not too bad at catching rats myself. I even caught the supplies that we’re using today!”
The two are deathly silent.
Choi hesitates. “What seems to be the problem? I promise you, dear customers, that our mall is perfectly sanitary, and your experience will not be hindered whatsoever by these minor issues.”
“... That’s good to hear,” Grapes finally says, his composure returning. Choi breathes a sigh of relief. “But ah, it seems like your demonstration is starting soon?”
As if on cue, there’s a call for him. Choi startles, and quickly begins to jog off. “I hope you’ll enjoy the demonstration!” He calls back, then hurries to take his place.
The demonstration soon kicks off. Choi sweeps the gathered crowd with a lively energy, demonstrating the power and the pure efficiency of the mixer. He pours in the store supplies he caught himself, supplying witty quips and friendly jokes to the captive audience. The end result is a smooth and velvety crimson. Perfect, just the way he’d intended it to be!
But try as he might, in the middle of his demonstration, Choi’s focus keeps drawing itself back to the two figures hanging near the back of the crowd. Though he can’t hear their words over the mixer and the sound of his own voice, he can still make out bits and pieces by reading their lips.
… Too contaminated? Give up… leave for good…
Choi’s blood runs cold.
When the demonstration is over, the crowd of people rush over to the appliance store to get their hands on an electric mixer themselves. With a quick word to his fellow employees that he urgently needs to attend to a few customers, Choi quickly makes his way to the two.
“Jaekwan-ssi, Grapes-ssi, what did you two think of the demonstration?” Choi smiles at them as calmly as he can.
“You did great,” Grapes smiles at him, and Jaekwan nods in agreement. “You were an incredible host. You really know how to connect to people and get a crowd excited.” This, at least, doesn’t seem to be fake. Choi’s shoulders settle a little in relief.
Choi takes a deep breath, drawing his shoulders back up. “Thank you! But to continue our conversation from before, I feel like I might have given you the wrong idea about Looky Mart.”
Their brows furrow, but Choi rushes on. “Our mall is completely sanitary, I promise! Hygiene is very important to us, as is the safety of our customers. The rats I previously mentioned have never gone unchecked, and always get caught as soon as they’re found! Please don’t worry about viruses, or contaminated food, or anything of the sort! The halls will always be clean, as will our stores, our food, and everything in our mall.”
They’re quiet as they process his words. And for the first time, Choi feels a true sense of anxiety.
Perhaps… perhaps he’d come to enjoy their company more than he’d realised. And perhaps he’d even come to rely on their presence, on the warm and seemingly infinite encouragement they always provide him. That’s highly unprofessional of him, he knows, and many conflicting emotions war in his chest. But despite everything, there’s one thing that all sides of him can wholeheartedly agree on: that he wants Jaekwan and Grapes to stay, and to continue their patronage at Looky Mart.
… Ah! Choi claps his hands. “How about this? Why don’t I take you on a tour of Looky Mart itself? That way I can show you for sure that our mall is perfectly safe and clean!”
Jaekwan and Grapes exchange glances, and Choi holds his breath.
“Sure, lead the way,” Grapes nods, and Choi sighs in relief. “But can you afford the time to show us around like this?”
“Yes, don’t worry!” Choi beams, leading them down the atrium. “My next demonstration is scheduled at three in the afternoon. So long as I get back before then, I have the time to show you around!”
And for the next three hours, Choi takes the two of them around Looky Mart. Though it begins with Choi’s repeated emphasis on the cleanliness of the mall, it quickly becomes more of a tour than anything. And somewhere along the way, while weaving through the crowds being prodded by Grapes and Jaekwan’s constant questions, Choi begins to tell them his own stories about his various adventures in the mall as well.
Whenever the two of them visit, he typically only listens to them regale him with stories. Being on the other side doesn’t feel bad at all, he finds. Not when he has such a captive audience, smiling at his stories and probing him for more information and tales. Not when they look at him like they genuinely care about… about him.
When they reach the third floor, however, both of them seem fairly uncomfortable for whatever reason. Choi tilts his head curiously. “There are many stores on the third floor! There are many wonderful flash deals as well, and it’s an exciting place to explore overall.”
“We’ll explore it at our own leisure,” Grapes reassures, repeatedly glancing at the escalator heading down. “We don’t have much time left with you, after all. And we’ll be much happier that way.”
RULE NUMBER ONE: KEEP THE CUSTOMERS HAPPY.
Choi hums, then nods. “Sure, if you two insist. Let’s head back down.”
As they ride the escalator down, Choi checks the time. “Oh, it’s just about time for me to head back and help with setting up the next demonstration! Will the two of you-”
“It’s mine!”
A high-pitched scream rings out in the mall above the din of the crowd. Alarmed, Choi turns towards the sound of the noise.
At a toy shop just at the base of the escalator, two children are fighting over an expensive looking plush toy. Each child holds one end as they glare at each other fiercely, faces streaming with angry tears, accompanied by screams of: mine! No, it’s mine! But the noise and chaos aside, perhaps most worryingly of all, the children are fighting dangerously close to the edge of the escalator and the railing.
Oh dear, oh dear. Choi rushes down the last few steps of the escalator, hearing the footsteps of Jaekwan and Grapes following closely behind. He needs to break up the fight and get them away from the edge-
Riiiiip.
The plush toy rips into two. Startled by the imbalance of force, the child closest to the edge teeters and falls through the gap between the escalator and the railing.
And Choi
PROPERTY DAMAGE HAS OCCURRED. A CUSTOMER HAS DAMAGED LOOKY MART PROPERTY!
needs to rush
A CUSTOMER HAS DAMAGED LOOKY MART PROPERTY! COMPENSATION REQUIRED!
to the child, because
PLEASE COMPENSATE FOR DAMAGED LOOKY MART PROPERTY. COMPENSATION REQUIRED!
if he doesn’t catch the child
PLEASE COMPENSATE! PAY COMPENSATION! COMPENSATION REQUIRED! COMPENSATION REQUIRED! COMPENSATION REQUIRED!
the child will fall
COMPENSATIONREQUIREDCOMPENSATIONREQUIREDCOMPENSATIONREQUUREDCOMPENSATIONREQUIREDCOMPENSATIONREQUIREDCOMPENSATIONREQUIREDCOMPENSATIONREQUIRED
and a dear customer an innocent civilian will diecompensationrequireecompensationrequiredcompensationrequiredcompensationrequired
Riiiing!
The bells attached to Grapes’s sweater ring cheerfully as he sprints past.
Choi’s breath hitches.
Turning on his heel, Choi runs and leaps.
Without hesitation, he vaults over the railing and throws himself down. Just as he wraps his arms around the child, something coils around his ankle and hauls him back up.
In quick succession, Choi sprawls safely onto a heap on the floor, the child wailing but alive in his arms. The crowd gasps, and the parents of the children rush over with trembling arms to pick up the child in his grasp.
“Dear customer, you have damaged Looky Mart property,” Choi says in a daze. “Please pay compensation. Compensation required: 120,829 won.”
The child’s parents nod frantically, rushing to the counter to pay. Around him, claps and cheers fill the air from both customers and his coworkers alike.
But they all stay a distance away from him – except for Jaekwan and Grapes.
“Are you alright?” Jaekwan demands as they rush up to him.
“I… yeah, I’m alright,” Choi tries to reassure as Jaekwan kneels down next to him and begins patting him down with a startlingly familiar ease, like he’s done it a thousand times before. Around them, the crowd slowly begins to disperse, leaving the three of them alone. “Really, Jaekwan-ssi, you don’t have to be so worried-”
“I do!” Jaekwan interrupts fiercely, his words and actions laced with an intensity that stuns Choi. “You jumped off the side with no backup plan whatsoever! Really, why do you always have to be this reckless-”
“The point is,” Grapes cuts in. “You scared us. We’re worried about you.”
Choi stares at them. “About… me?”
“Yes, about you,” Jaekwan stresses, finally satisfied with his check and resting his hands on Choi’s shoulders with an exhale of relief.
It’s heartwarming. It’s uncomfortable. It’s confusing. Choi quietly removes Jaekwan’s hands from his shoulders. “All I am is a humble employee of Looky Mart! I should not receive any form of special attention or compensation! I was just doing my job as an employee of Looky Mart!”
“And yet,” Grapes counters softly, “did any of your coworkers jump in to save the child like you did?”
Choi remains silent. Grapes marches on. “It’s not your coworkers who jumped to save that child. Neither was it any of your coworkers who went out of their way to help Jaekwan-ssi when he was struggling, or when we were lost in that supermarket, or showed us around the mall so enthusiastically like you did. It was all you, Choi-ssi.”
Choi averts his gaze from Grapes’s eyes which are too genuine, too sincere. “It’s you who keeps us coming back to this mall, you know. Not any of your other coworkers, but you. You make us very happy.”
RULE NUMBER ONE: KEEP THE CUSTOMERS HAPPY.
Ah. Even Choi can’t deny the thrill that goes through him at the words.
“I’m glad that the two of you keep coming back,” Choi finally says with a smile, getting to his feet and gently pulling Jaekwan up with him. “It’s always a pleasure to see happy customers in Looky Mart.”
But as he pulls Jaekwan to his feet, he pauses, feeling something solid snaking around Jaekwan’s arm under his jacket. “Hm…?”
Jaekwan pauses.
“Ah,” he says slowly, almost warily. Angling his wrist downwards, he rolls down the top of his sleeve slightly to show a line of rope tucked just underneath his clothes. “It’s… what I used to pull you back up.”
RULE ONE RULE TWO RULE THREE RULE FOUR RULE FIVE RULE SIX RULE SEVEN RULE EIGHT RULE NINE
ALL CLEAR. NO RULES BROKEN.
“Oh, you saved me, Jaekwan-ssi!” Choi beams, patting Jaekwan’s back in thanks. “Thank you so much!”
“It’s no issue at all,” Jaekwan replies with relief. “I’m glad to have been given the chance to repay you for all the help you’ve given us.”
Just then, a fellow employee hurriedly gestures at Choi, pointing at the time. Choi startles. “Right! My demonstration! I have to hurry!”
As Choi begins to head to the demonstration site – walking quickly but not running, as that might cause unease in customers – Jaekwan and Grapes fall naturally into step with him. The bells on Grapes’s sweater chime gently as they walk. Choi glances at them and asks, “Will you two be staying for the demonstration again?”
Jaekwan shakes his head, eliciting a feeling of disappointment that Choi can’t quite suppress in time. “We have to get going now. Best of luck with your demonstration; I’m sure you’ll do well.”
As they reach the demonstration site, just as the two of them are about to wave goodbye, something odd wells up in Choi; it bubbles down his throat and into his hands, which impulsively reach out by themselves to grab onto Jaekwan and Grapes’s arms.
They look back, surprised. Choi’s surprised too, at his action, looking down at where he’s holding on to them in confused shock, before looking back up at them.
“Choi-ssi…?”
“Ah, I…” Choi falters, then picks up. “I hope that you were convinced of the cleanliness of our mall! I hope that you’ll still come back next time!”
They don’t even hesitate. Jaekwan smiles softly at him. “How could we leave you after what you did? We have to ensure that you don’t do anything too reckless again, don’t we?”
“If you’re free, please bring us to the bibimbap stall you were recommending, okay?” Grapes adds. “It would make us very happy.”
They’re not talking about Looky Mart. They’re talking about him. But even so, Choi’s shoulders sag with relief.
He beams at them, letting go of their arms. “I’m glad to hear that. Thank you for shopping with us, and see you next time~”
Na-na-na-na, na-na-nan-na-na-na, na-na-nan~
Looky Mart’s doors are now open. We welcome our valued customers with bright smiles today!
Choi’s eyes flutter open. It’s here! Another day of work!
He smiles and puts on his orange vest as he greets his coworkers, who all chat amicably together as they prepare for another wonderful day of making customers happy. Choi has been getting more recognition lately, and now that he’s saved the child, word of his actions has spread. All his coworkers are still buzzing about it this morning, with more than a few of them coming up to him and cheerfully patting him on the back.
Alongside and surrounded by his coworkers, Choi files out of the Staff Only doors amidst a sea of orange. Outside, customers mill around; families, friends, young and old alike… his heart pounds in excitement. There are so many people he can help! And there will be more people too, later in the day, when the workday ends and white-collar workers come to visit their wonderful mall!
Today, he’s assigned to walk around the mall, helping customers when they have questions, and making sure that they’re all smiling and happy, similar to his first day of work. Alright! He can do that!
Time flies by almost in a blur as he works to put smiles on customers’ faces. He entertains a group of children with silly jokes and games, stops a child from leaning too far over a railing, and chases down a pickpocket. Later on in the evening, he finds himself at the food court on the second floor, just having helped reunite a couple and their lost child.
And as he waves them goodbye, he looks up and sees two splashes of vibrant blue facing away from him amongst the evening dinner crowd, their backs to him.
Choi grins.
Heading up to them, Choi throws an arm across either of their shoulders. “Welcome to Looky Mart! What are you two looking at?” He asks cheerfully through their startled jumps.
Jaekwan’s eyes are wide. Grapes has his shoulders hunched like a startled cat. Choi can’t help but snort. “Welcome back! I hope you two had a good day at work today~”
“We did,” Grapes exhales, relaxing his shoulders. “We were just trying to decide what to eat. Didn’t you say there was a stall that sells good bibimbap?”
“I did!” Choi chirps. “I’ll bring you there.”
“Why don’t you join us?” Jaekwan suggests.
Choi hesitates.
“It’d… it’d make us really happy,” Jaekwan tacks on quickly, though a little hesitantly.
Hm. It’d make them happy, huh? Well, who is Choi to say no, then?
“Sure, shall we?” Choi grins, herding them towards the direction of the food stall. “It’s just around my dinner break anyways.”
They sit and eat. Though Jaekwan and Grapes order the cheapest portions only, saying that their budget was fairly tight this month, Choi insists on at least buying them a drink each. And now that he thinks about it, aside from Grapes’s 20,000 won purchase, he doesn’t actually think he remembers seeing them buy anything from the mall at all. Their pay must really be low, poor Jaekwan and Grapes… Choi resolves to surprise them with occasional little treats to ensure they have a good time. So they can keep coming back to the mall, of course!
As they eat, they talk and chat and laugh. Choi idly thinks that this might be the happiest he’s been all day.
“You know, you two always talk about this Agent in your workplace,” Choi muses as the dinner winds down, sipping his drink. Their senior had been the center of their stories again tonight, constantly being referred to in fond exasperation. “Why don’t you bring him to Looky Mart one of these days?”
Jaekwan’s hand stiffens around his cup, but Grapes just hums. “Hm. We’d really like for him to come out with us, but he’s a bit of a workaholic. He’ll probably refuse us if we ask him to leave his work.”
“That sounds awfully unhealthy,” Choi notes in concern. “No one should be working that many hours. Have you tried asking him yet?”
Grapes shrugs. “We can try, I suppose. Would you like to come with us?”
RULE NUMBER THREE: DO NOT LEAVE THE WORKPLACE.
He misses the way Jaekwan stiffens even further due to how rapidly he shakes his head. “Ah, I shouldn’t leave Looky Mart. I have a duty to this wonderful mall! I think you two will be more convincing than me anyways!”
“Right,” Grapes smiles exasperatedly, like he knew Choi would say that. “I think that’s what he’d say too. You know, now that I think about it, the two of you are pretty similar.”
Ah? Flustered, Choi points at himself. “Me? And your respected teammate?”
“Yeah,” Grapes nods. “Both of you are friendly and good with people. You both know how to make people feel safe, and you prioritise people’s happiness and way of life. You both are… good people.”
“And both reckless too,” Jaekwan chimes in with a glint in his eyes. “Both of you can give us headaches.”
“You even give off the same sort of older brother feeling that he likes to try and project,” Grapes adds on with dry amusement, to Jaekwan’s involuntary twitch of the lips.
Ah. Choi is a Looky Mart employee, completely separate from whatever entity they’re thinking of, from the achingly fond edge to their tone whenever they recount tales of this other complete stranger. They never quite look at Choi with the same glint in their eyes.
And why should they? Even though Choi has become friendly with them, the two of them still live such vivid and vibrant lives outside of the walls of this mall. And Choi loves working at Looky Mart, would never even think of ever leaving Looky Mart, but there’s an undeniable urge in his chest that wants to see them more often than what their jobs allow for.
Choi props up his chin on his hand and grins cheekily at them. “Grapes-ie~ Jaekwan-ie~ Like that?”
Grapes freezes, his breath stuttering. Jaekwan chokes on his drink, sputtering as he hurriedly puts down his cup. Choi cackles, patting Jaekwan on the back soothingly.
“.... Yes,” Jaekwan recomposes himself. “Like that. Exactly like that.”
“Down to the exact names in the exact same tone too,” Grapes mutters, taking a swig of his honey tea.
“Eh?” Choi tilts his head curiously. “Grapes-ssi, isn’t that your code name? Do you not get called by your real name?”
“Ah, I do,” Grapes replies. “It’s just that my senior likes to call me by my code name instead.”
Choi perks up in interest. “Ooh, does Jaekwan-ssi have a code name too?”
“Yes, I do,” Jaekwan affirms. “My code name is Bronze.”
“Bronze, huh?” Choi grins, and without thinking too much about it, he raises a hand and lazily ruffles Jaekwan’s hair. “Bronze-ah… that code name fits you well.”
Jaekwan is stiff under his touch. “... Yes,” he mumbles, eyes fixed down at the table. Choi falters a little, then quickly withdraws his hand. They're still customers, after all. He can’t forget that.
“Choi-ssi,” Grapes says, pulling Choi’s attention back to him. “Would you like to know my real name?”
Choi inahles with shining eyes. “Sure, if you’re okay with it.”
Grapes smiles at him, and Choi feels warm, feels right while he’s here, between the two of them. “Sure, I’m okay with it. My name is-”
Na-na-na-na, na-na-nan-na-na-na, na-na-nan~
Hello, dear customers. Thank you for shopping at Looky Mart today. Due to internal inspections of the mall, our store will be closing at 8:30 PM. We promise to bring the best possible experience to our customers.
Customers still in the store, please follow the employees to the exit.
Oh! Choi stands quickly, not realising that time has flown by so quickly. “Jaekwan-ssi, Grapes-ssi, allow me to escort you out!”
“No need,” Jaekwan reassures, the two of them standing as well. “We don’t want to burden you. Instead, could you help us return our trays instead?”
You’re not burdening me. I want to escort you to the door.
“Mmh, okay,” Choi nods. It’s more logical, anyways. “In that case, I hope you had an enjoyable meal today! I hope to see both of you again soon.”
They bid goodbyes, and by the time Choi has returned their trays and finds his way to the railing, Jaekwan and Grapes are almost out the door. Choi watches from a level above as the two splashes of blue with their backs to him, glaringly prominent even in the midst of the evening crowd, walk away without a glance back and vanish outside the doors.
Hm… maybe Choi should convince them to become Looky Mart employees as well?
No. The two lead incredibly important jobs as government workers. The least he can do is help them relax as much as possible after a long day of work. That way, they can keep coming back to this wonderful mall, and he can keep doing his best to make them happy!
It’s only later at night, crammed into the shelves with all his fellow employees per usual in a world of orange, that Choi realises he hadn’t gotten Grapes’s real name after all.
He clasps a hand over the civilian’s mouth, stifling the sound of panicked and frenzied gasps as dozens of footsteps thunder outside the corner of the bibimbap stall they’re hiding in.
It’s only when the footsteps finally quiet down that he removes his hand. The civilian gasps deep breaths, trembling from the effort of keeping as quiet as possible.
“Feeling better?” He probes after a little. When the civilian nods, he continues, “Good. Listen up closely, okay? We need to head up one more floor. And on the third floor, we’re going to search for the ■■■■■.”
The civilian’s head whips to him in horror. “B-But the pamphlets-!”
“I know, but don’t worry,” he reassures. “The situation’s changed recently, and there’s a way to safely utilise it. My junior was the one who found it, so I’m confident that it’s reliable.”
The civilian glares at him warily as if wanting to argue, but remains quiet.
“Let’s rest here for a little while,” he soothes. “We’ll continue on when you’re ready.”
Na-na-na-na, na-na-nan-na-na-na, na-na-nan~
Looky Mart’s doors are now open. We welcome our valued customers with bright smiles today!
Choi’s eyes flutter open. It’s here, another day of work!
He smiles and puts on his orange vest as he greets his coworkers, who all chat amicably together as they prepare for another wonderful day of making customers happy. After yesterday’s internal inspection, they were told that the monthly Looky Mart award ceremony for internal staff would be held today! This is Choi’s first time attending one since starting work, and he’s excited for it.
Alongside and surrounded by his coworkers, Choi files out of the Staff Only doors amidst a sea of orange. Outside, customers mill around; families, friends, young and old alike… none of them are familiar faces, but that’s alright. There are so many people he can help!
Today, he’s assigned to one of the usual tasks around the mall. As Choi works with a constant smile on his face, the day flies by.
He checks the clock. 3:30 PM.
Time flies by.
He checks the clock. 6:52 PM.
Hours fly by.
He checks the clock. 8:43 PM.
Minutes fly by.
He checks the clock. 9:13 PM.
Seconds crawl into a stagnant halt as Choi glances up at the clock yet again. It’s now ten at night, and the mall is one hour away from closing. He’s standing near the exit, waving goodbye to customers, but his eyes keep scanning around of their own accord.
There’s a range of pastels from the paper bags that customers carry out with them as they go, there’s signage with glowing neon colours, there’s a starry sky shining through the glass windows on the ceiling of the atrium. There’s the bright orange of fellow employees as they bustle around helping to serve dear customers, the red of the stains vaguely visible at the corners of his vision, the white of the LED strip lights overhead.
And then there’s blue, walking in through the doors.
Choi beams. “Jaekwan-ssi, Grapes-ssi, you came!”
“Hi, Choi-ssi,” Grapes waves. “Sorry we were late. Work took longer than expected today.”
“That’s okay! Though we’re about to close soon, I hope we can provide you with a refreshing experience today– wait.”
Choi marches up to them. They flinch, but Choi is already rolling up Grapes’s left sleeve, and turning Jaekwan’s cheek.
Wounds and bruises. They’re injured.
“... Come with me, you two.” Abruptly, Choi turns them around by their shoulders to push their backs towards a nook leading to a Staff Only area on the left. Steadily ignoring any of their sputtered protests, he continues herding them there. He needs to patch them up, to help them, protect them-
“Choi-ssi,” Jaekwan hisses and grabs his wrist almost bruisingly tight right before they reach the doors. “Stop.”
Choi flinches.
“... Sorry,” he mutters, letting go of them.
Jaekwan’s gaze softens, and he gently lets go of Choi’s wrist. “We can take care of ourselves. Don’t worry about us.”
As if to prove his point, Grapes brings out a roll of bandages and begins to wrap it around his arm. Jaekwan similarly fishes out gauze. Choi leans back against the wall of the quiet nook, arms folded across his chest as he watches them silently but efficiently patch themselves up with deft and familiar motions.
Customers chat faintly in the distance. The cheerful jingle announcing the end of the day plays over the speakers. Footsteps sound distantly on tiled floors. Bandages pull and shift in front of him. There’s a muffled, stifled hiss from Grapes as antiseptic is dabbed.
“You shouldn’t have come today,” Choi says quietly. “You two should have gone straight home.”
“We wanted to see you,” Grapes replies easily as he puts away the roll of bandages, like it’s just that simple. “Besides, we have something to tell you.”
Choi raises an eyebrow. “And it’s desperate enough for you two to come in such a state?”
“Yes.” Grapes stands up straight, Jaekwan at his side, and takes a deep breath. Choi subconsciously straightens as well, recognising the serious edge in his actions. “Look, after you showed us around the mall, we browsed through the third floor, just like you recommended us to do. But when we were there, there was something… weird.”
Choi’s brow furrows. “Weird how?”
From behind his glasses, Grapes’s eyes, still lined thick with shadows, stare directly into Choi’s own with a sharp and piercing gaze. “Well… even though you mentioned that there are only three floors on this mall, while exploring the third floor, we came across a staircase going up towards a fourth flo-”
BAM!
The staff door to their side slams open. All of them jump.
In the middle of the doorway stands his manager, who smiles pleasantly at Jaekwan and Grapes.
Dear customers! Welcome to Looky Mart!
And then, to him:
Employee! Our special award ceremony is starting in a few minutes! Please make your way to the atrium now!
“Ah, yes sir!” Choi says cheerfully with a playful salute. His manager nods, smiles again at Jaekwan and Grapes, and walks briskly towards the atrium.
Pushing himself off the marbled wall, Choi flashes a cheeky smile at the two. “Sorry, you two, I have to go! You’re free to come and watch the award ceremony if you’d like, though. It’s a secret, but I might just be winning something~”
Grapes reaches out with his injured arm in an almost panicked motion. Choi almost reaches back instinctively to support him as Grapes says in a rush, “Wait, Choi-ssi-”
Let’s go!
A group of fellow employees come up to him, urging him on. Choi sinks into the middle of the group and walks with them, waving cheerfully back at the two. “Come and watch!”
In the middle of the atrium, a small area has been cleared for this event. Swathes of employees gather around, and a few stray customers linger near the fringes of the crowd. Choi is near the very front, watching excitedly with his fellow employees.
The ceremony isn’t a very large one, nor is it admittedly particularly grand, with it being a monthly occurrence. And yet, Choi cheers alongside his employees through the few awards all the same.
And finally, employee of the month!
Choi perks up, looking up at the mall’s manager, who’s smiling back down at him.
For this month’s employee of the month… please give a round of applause to our newest and incredibly hardworking employee, who even jumped off the second floor to save a customer!
Cheers and whistles resound around him. Choi makes his way onto the stage, doing his best mantain appropriate humility and not appear too pleased. “Thank you! Thank you so much!” he grins and bows and smiles. “This is all thanks to all of my fellow employees’ guidance and support, along with the smiles on customers’ faces!”
There’s blue at the very edge of the orange sea. Choi shoots a secretive yet blinding smile at the two of them.
Amidst the cheers, the mall manager passes him a certificate. Choi takes it happily and scans it in a quick once-over.
He pauses.
It’s a fairly typical certificate with the title Employee Of The Month printed neatly at the top, along with the date lining the bottom. In the middle however, where a name would typically be printed, a black-underlined blank rests humbly instead, empty and coated with the off-white of the paper.
Hm. It makes sense, since all of them, including himself, are just humble employees of Looky Mart. But since Choi was given this name by a dear customer…
“Manager, sir!” Choi looks up cheerfully. “I have a suggestion! Actually, it just so happens that one of the customers gave me a name-"