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Jaekwan didn't like shopping at Looky Mart. It seemed like there was something wrong in the air, something that just set off all the warning bells in his head. Then again, maybe it was that something in the air that made it far easier for him to shop for his supplies there. They didn't seem as inclined to report him for the assortment of items he would buy, at the very least.
The neon sign blinked at him tauntingly, beckoning him inside. Despite the late hour, he could still see people bustling around from beyond the glass sliding doors. They were still about an hour and a half from close, which Jaekwan figured should give him enough time to find everything he needed.
He wouldn't want to overstay his welcome, after all. Certainly not here. Nothing good would come of that.
In any case, walking into the store felt more akin to walking into a war zone. Nonetheless, it was something he'd have to do sooner or later. Preferably before the day's end, given he still had plans for the night that he needed the supplies for.
He approached the sliding doors, and they opened to make way for him. Several eyes in the store turned to him simultaneously, immediately putting Jaekwan on his guard.
"Welcome!" The tension leaked from his shoulders. Right, they were like this, weren't they? So full of energy that it bordered on being fanatical. So welcoming even when it was clear that they were, at the very least, starting to get ready to close. It was unnatural, but Jaekwan could bear with it.
He nodded his head in greeting, briskly walking past. In and out.
At this point, he'd come to this particular store often enough that he knew pretty well where the stuff he needed was kept. Though, they seemed to have moved something that he needed to a different part of the store, which left him wandering around for longer than he cared to admit.
He must have looked a little bit too lost, because something moved toward him out of the corner of his eye, approaching fast. He jolted, turning to "greet" his new guest. A uniform. An employee. He had those same fanatical eyes that all of the employees seemed to have along with a curious scar running across the circumference of his neck. Jaekwan glanced at his nametag, which simply read "Choi."
"Do you need help finding something, dear customer?" "Choi" asked, tone way too bright for the late hour. Jaekwan watched his eyes scan over his cart before lighting up as if in realization. He clapped his hands together. "Ah, I see what you must be looking for."
Jaekwan felt his hairs stand on end. This employee was something dangerous, something he felt he'd have to take care of soon.
"Gardening is a difficult thing, isn't it?" Gardening? Jaekwan looked into his cart. Well, certainly, some of the items did make him look like he was taking up gardening as a hobby. The shovel and tarp, maybe, but the bleach at least… No, he could justify that, too, but now he was just confused. "You must be looking for rope!"
…Yes. Yes, he was. But what the hell did that have to do with gardening?
Jaekwan was still trying to fit his entire cart into a garden-shaped box when Choi just began walking off, dragging his cart behind and leaving him with no choice but to follow. What kind of employee just takes the cart without waiting for a confirmation?
This employee, apparently.
Choi dutifully led him around the store, to a corner of it that Jaekwan had yet to check. He had to admit, at the very least, that the employee was helpful. Still, he remained cautious.
"Would you like any recommendations, dear customer?" Choi released the cart before scrutinizing the selection of ropes, not waiting for Jaekwan's input. After a few moments, he finally grabbed a bundle of rope and yanked slightly at it as if to test its strength. "Hm, I think this one might suit your preferences quite nicely. Quite difficult to break through." Jaekwan twitched. "Would you like this one?"
"…Sure." Jaekwan needed to figure out just what this guy was thinking. Choi placed the rope into the cart with a bright smile before looking as though he were in thought once more.
"A mop, perhaps?" Jaekwan narrowed his eyes at the employee in suspicion. Choi didn't seem to notice. Or, if he did, he just didn't show it. "Gardening is messy. Would be troublesome if you tracked mud into your house, right?"
Yes. He needed to figure out this employee's intentions.
That was the plan, at least, but he ended up getting dragged around the store for an extra thirty minutes, various supplies that could be for either gardening or his hobby thrown into his cart. For the life of him, he could not figure Choi out. Did the employee truly think Jaekwan was a gardener? Who would buy gardening supplies so late at night? His head spun with unanswered questions.
"Would you like assistance checking out?" Choi finally asked him. "We will be closing soon, after all, haha."
Jaekwan opened his mouth to reject him, because at this point he wanted nothing more than to get away from this man, but he didn't get the choice to. Choi was already walking him off, clearly leading him towards one of the cash registers. Jaekwan took a moment to stare at the ceiling and contemplate his life choices before accepting his fate and following the employee.
Choi waited patiently as he unloaded his items before beginning to scan them one by one. Jaekwan pulled the cart forward so that he could load his items back onto it as they were scanned.
"There's been a lot of talk about serial killers recently," Choi said, far too cheerful for the subject matter. "Scary news. I've been worried about getting home safe, aigoo…"
"I know," Jaekwan replied simply. "I've been keeping an eye on it."
Choi nodded solemnly. "You stay safe out there, alright? Wouldn't want a serial killer after you, haha…"
"Don't worry." Should Jaekwan deal with this guy? No, no, he'd much rather never have to see his face again, even if it was to get rid of him permanently. "I'll be fine."
"Oh, I'm sure, dear customer." Choi finished ringing up his items. Jaekwan paid, and before leaving, Choi stopped him to ask a question. "How would you rate your experience today?"
Jaekwan furrowed his eyebrows. "Five stars." I'm never coming here again for as long as you're here.
Choi beamed, waving as Jaekwan left as fast as he could. He turned back for a moment to consider if it was a problem he should deal with before shaking his head. No, he thought. This is something far above my paygrade. He wasn't even getting paid…