Rainbow Bridge World isn’t as big as its name tends to make people believe.  

The small grocery shop is packed full with produce, bright packages of snack foods, bottled drinks.  

Surprisingly enough, even in their small town, Rainbow Bridge World is often full, people bringing a constant flow of traffic in the mornings and afternoons.  

There’s only enough room for four check out lanes in the store.  One an express lane, lined with glass cases full cosmetics, candies, cigarettes.  

Byulyi sighs as she leans over her counter, fingers pushing a stray coin gone out of her cash register.  It’s the middle of the afternoon, the store gone quiet, almost deserted.  

Out the window, in between their promotional posters for the week’s specials (boxes of pasta only 50 cents, 1 litres bottles of soda only $1!) she can see the way Hyunkyu is pushing carts around, running around the empty parking lot, jumping on the metal bar of the under basket.  

The music playing over the speakers is the only other noise in the grocery store.  Hyejin walks towards her, her hair done neatly into a low twist.  Byulyi sits up pressing the coin between the cold counter and her palm.  

Hyejin is a little nerve inducing.  Byulyi has always had a hard time talking to the younger girl, if only because there seems to be something dangerous, overly sharp about her.

“Byulyi-ssi,” Hyejin stops a couple of steps in front of her.  She’s the only one she doesn’t talk comfortably with, “Nara unnie says she’s pushing back our break,” Hyejin offers a smile, “is that ok?”

Byulyi nods without much thinking.

“We have to go before the afternoon rush hits us,” Hyejin adds on.

“Ok,” Byulyi says, “you can take it first,” she clears , “that’s why you came to tell me, right?”

Hyejin smiles at her again, someone coughs awkwardly from one of the the check out lane, Byulyi’s gaze flickers enough to see Chandong trying to suppress a grin, coughing into his closed fist.  

“Yeah, actually,” Hyejin takes a step back, “can I?”

“Yeah,” Byulyi shrugs, “um yeah.”

“Thanks,” Hyejin says brightly, turning around, walking away before Byulyi can make it any more awkward.

Chandong snorts once Hyejin leaves past the sliding doors, eyes teasing as they look at Byulyi.

Yongsun gives Chandong a look, tapping her pen against the cashier counter, turning to look at Byulyi with another unimpressed look.

“She’s actually not as scary as you think,” Yongsun reaches for a chocolate bar, peeling it carefully before pointing at Byulyi with it, “you’re just a loser.”

Chandong snorts again, Byuilyi glares at him.

“I’m going to go uh stock things,” Chandong offers, “over there...aisle 3…”

"You'll have to pay for that," Byulyi says, voice sounding annoyed.

Yongsun shrugs.

There’s a loud crash outside, They both look out the window, watching as cars roll in all directions, Hyunkyu in the middle of the mess.  

Cheoljoo runs out of the office, eyes already set into deep disappointment.  There’s only two reasons for a crash like that.  Some sort of freak accident by the quiet road or Hyunkyu.  The amount of times Cheoljoo has had to deal with Hyunkyu has resulted in nothing but anger and some sort of half baked fondness.

“Park Hyunkyu,” his voice rises, pushing the button for the sliding door.

Wheein’s loud braying laugh starts once the door closes behind Cheoljoo, palms hitting the conveyor belt loudly.  Hyunseok, who is usually quiet, has a small smile on his lips, idly spinning around the bag dispenser on his station.

“Again?” Janghyun mutters, on his spot covering Hyejin’s cash register, "can we go a week without an accident?”

“Not if it involves Hyunkyu,” Yongsun answers, “magnet for disaster.”

“Yeah,” Janghyun sighs, “just yeah.”

They all watch as Cheoljoo picks Hyunkyu up from the ground, watching as Cheoljoo’s mouth moves rapidly with his scolding.

They don’t say anything when they walk into the store, all looking at them.

“Hi,” Hyunkyu waves, smile cheeky, “did you all catch the show?”

“Be quiet” Cheoljoo snaps, “someone get Chandong to clean up the mess.”

Yongsun picks up the phone from her station, clearing , “Chandong,” she starts, sighs, “you’re needed outside to push carts.”

Wheein’s laugh has stifled down to giggles.

-

The rush comes earlier than expected and Byulyi’s break seems impossible to reach.  Time passes by with scanning too many pasta boxes, the sound of the boys ripping bags from the holder, the music muffled with the sound of pushing carts, conversations, children crying.  

Hyejin pushes in codes for produce quickly, nails clicking against the keys, sharp eyes scanning for any other produce she has to key in.  

“That’ll be twenty three eighty nine,” she says, waiting patiently as the customer pulls out bills from her purse, eyes glancing at the way Janghyun carefully and quickly bags her groceries.

She counts the bills deftly, pushing in the value, watching as the register blinks back the amount for change.

“Here you go,” she says she picks up a dime and penny from her tray, ripping the receipt from her machine, “have a nice day.”

The next customer in line is a family, car full of a week’s worth of grocery.  She takes a deep breath.

Byulyi mostly gets teenagers in her lane.  Students buying snacks.  Girls purchasing the small cosmetic supplies they sell.  University students asking for cigarettes.  The busy hours for her is mostly a nonstop stream of small purchases.  It gets tedious, watching from the corner of her eye as Yongsun scans jars of food, calls on her phone for price checks.  

Sometimes Hyunkyu helps her bag groceries but with the ten items or less policy she never really needs the help.  

During busy hours Hyunkyu stays outside, offering to carry groceries to cars, smiling sweetly at the old lady customers, collecting stray carts.  

Sometimes he helps Taeseok in the meat department, holding trays of cooked meat as samples.  Or Yoonseok, cutting fruit and vegetables into neat squares offering them to the customers.  

Now, even with his crash, a band-aid on his scratched cheek, Byulyi sees the way Hyunkyu carries bags for an elderly couple, wobbling a little towards their van.

The last of the customers leave out of Wheein’s lane.  Many of the people that gravitate to Wheein’s cash register are either in it to get a look at the adorable girl, guys a little older than her.  Or girls who find themselves trying to figure out what has Hyunseok being so silent and mysterious.  

Nara approaches her once the rush is gone, clipboard against her hip.  Hyunkyu walks back through the doors, making a beeline to Chandong, Yongsun counting the money from her register.

“You can take your break now,” Nara says, looking at the register, “or you can leave early...I’ll make sure it’s paid for.”

“Can I really?” Byulyi asks in awe, holding her hands together.

Nara smiles at her, motioning for Hyunkyu to come over to them “of course,” she says, “Hyunkyu will work your register.”

Hyunkyu offers Byulyi as brisk salute, wide smile spreading on his lips, “I’ll do my best, captain.”

"Don't start now," Nara rolls her eyes, but fond nonetheless, "don't make me regret this."

"Yes, ma'am," Hyunkyu says, salute up again.

Her feet hurt when she walks into the employees’ room, slipping on her coat, frowning when her bag feels heavier than usual, she fixes the strap of it before opening it, pulling out a brown paper bag.  Inside Byulyi finds a still warm burger, a curling sticky note.

sorry about your break.

-ahj

-

Hyejin watches Byulyi leave early, waving when Byulyi says her goodbye to them all.

Wheein leans forward, catching Hyunseok’s attention, “what did you do to her?” she asks in disbelief, “she’s looks at you like you’re going to eat her whole.”

Janghyun’s attention peaks at that.  Although looking a bit shy and focused, Janghyun has a curious side, playful at times.

“It’s the same as Hyunseok,” he says, butting in, “everyone thinks he’s a mysterious bad boy but none of them have seen him cry watching Titanic.”

“Good movie,” Hyunseok says, not denying it.

“I don’t cry watching Titanic,” Hyejin huffs.

“We know,” Wheein sticks her tongue out, smiling.

A customer walks through the door, and with Hyunkyu’s bright greeting the conversation is dropped.