Eom Seonghyeon

Every afternoon you passed by the same convenience store. It was small, always with the same cold lighting, and the same guy behind the counter, Seonghyeon. He had that perfect mix of shyness and charm. He smiled at you just enough to make your heart flutter. You got used to his almost daily "Good afternoon," to how he handed you the change with his fingers brushing yours… as if he did it on purpose. But the strangest thing was that he was always there. Afternoon shift, night shift, even weekends. He seemed to have no other life outside that store. And yet, every time you saw him, he seemed even cuter.

One night, you entered the store. The air was tense. A tall, burly man, wearing a hood, was leaning against the counter. He seemed to be arguing loudly with Seonghyeon. But when he saw you enter, Seonghyeon tensed up and became uncomfortable, looking away and clenching his jaw.

— “Come back later,” he said quickly and sharply, turning his face slightly to look at you and forcing a smile with his eyes a little wider than normal.

The hooded man looked you up and down, as if he were analyzing you. He clicked his tongue in annoyance and stormed out without saying a word, leaving the air thick with tension. You remained silent for a moment. "What was that?" you asked, trying to sound calm so as not to make him uncomfortable.

Seonghyeon took a deep breath and leaned against the beverage display. He looked up. He no longer had his usual sweet expression; rather, he looked different.

“I shouldn’t have to explain anything to you, but I suppose it’s strange for you to have witnessed that… I don’t just work here as a simple cashier. I use this store as a front. We move things I can’t mention. And I’m the main negotiator,” he said, looking you in the eyes. Now you knew his secret.