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Nail Shop Paradise
Out the corner of her eye Sohyun could spot Changsub flashing her a dirty look from his wall locker again. She had changed in the women's latrine but decided to use an available locker in the changing room for her personal belongings. The boys were unnerved around her; Eunkwang was caught pulling up his pants just as she walked in but she ignored him as if she saw nothing.
"She doesn't even know how to apologize."
Mainly it was Hyunsik, Eunkwang and Changsub (The Anti Trinity) who copped an attitude with her while the other three, Ilhoon, Peniel and Sungjae hadn't said much since Minhyuk made the deal with her. They weren't mean but they weren't kind either. She accepted that reality since she was a female. She threw off every dynamic they had going for them and not only that, she would have to get through to their female customers as well.
"Kwon Sohyun, HWAITING!" She encouraged herself and lined up with the other males as they waited in the foyer for their first customers to arrive. Minhyuk went down the line and checked their uniforms, made Peniel wash his face and told Eunkwang that he needed to re-dye his roots.
"They're begging for a touch up."
Sohyun would have laughed had she not been the next one Minhyuk stood in front off, seemingly a lot taller than her compared to their first meet even though he only towered her by a few inches. He looked at her differently as well, meaner and somewhat annoyed. He was intimidating and a hard ; there was no doubt in her mind that he was both her enemy and best friend on that day.
"Your hair..." He started, trying to find his next choice of words although Sohyun thought it wasn't to be careful. "I don't like it."
Changsub laughed out loud, blatantly agreeing with the statement and Sohyun sheepishly touched her bushy faded cotton candy colored hair which was down and on her shoulders.
"What's wrong with it?" She asked.
Minhyuk put it simply, "It looks like someone threw up on you."
More of the males laughed, Sohyun couldn't tell who, she knew Ilhoon took no part in the mockery. She gathered that he was the most mature co-worker of the six and valued his opinion over the others. Still, it barely came as a surprise to her that she was getting gigged over her hair. She kept the same dye in and would only have more color put into it when she could afford it. Her color had lasted her a few months ago, the pink was nearly washed away, but still made her hair bright. Some of it had even bleached her hair blond which she was for certain, as well as in denial about, that it was damaged. There was nothing much she could do about it now, except take Minhyuk's insult and roll with the punch. By the time he gave out his dislikes towards everyone, which were excessive, the customers began to spill in right at the opening hour. The stations were prepped and ready to go, the routine taking place like clockwork. Sohyun was discombobulated and out of place; the customers seemed to know what to do and where to be better than she did.No one was willing to go to her desk, even when directed by Peniel. Eunkwang and Changsub were most amused. With a smug smile they gladly offered their services to every customer that rejected Sohyun. She was livid.
A young woman came in asking to have her eyebrows done. Sohyun immediately swerved into the scene.
"I can do them!" She knew right away that she came off too eager and explained herself, "I know the threading technique, and I'm really good at it." The customer looked reluctant but more over annoyed. Sohyun felt she may had have a chance. "Threading is actually really healthy! You can get a better and more natural look, let me show you." She grabbed the customer's forearm but soon after met with a smack on her hands.
"Don't touch me." She warned and Sohyun bowed apologetically several times, confused at the reaction when she saw the other males doing it to customers so naturally. She could hear snickering and then Eunkwang's voice.
"Miss, I'll take care of you as soon as I'm done here." Sohyun could picture his ugly face grinning at her for failing to get another customer. She literally had nothing to do so she went to the front desk and stood next to Peniel.
"Are you trying to take my job too?" He joked but the playful banter went over her head and Sohyun apologized to him, feeling embarrassed and hopeless. "Relax. I was just kidding." Sohyun still felt apologetic and guilty. She imagined that working at Paradise Nails may have been hard, but not to this extent. Simply being female was her biggest disadvantage when she thought that her skills would be able to overrule that. "Do you know why I stand at the cash register everyday?"
Sohyun shook her head.
"I used to work at the massage station, the eyebrow station, the eyelash station and of course the pedi and mani station. I was terrible at all of it. I got yelled at by my customers and worse yet, the manager scolded me many times. I was useless and a burden. People told me I was too. Useless. Unreliable. Troublemaker. I heard all these things. But instead of getting fired Mr. Lee told me to stand at the front desk. I was actually good at talking to customers and remembering all the variations of prices. So this is the only thing that I do. I say hi and bye to the customers. I serve them coffee when they're waiting for a station to be open. I entertain them with silly stories they're not that interested in. I like being the cashier. I like being good at something, even when the rest of the world could do what I do, maybe even better."
At the conclusion of his story Sohyun squinted her eyes and failed to see the point in all of it. "How does that help out my situation?" She pleaded, seeking for answers in now the most unreliable person in the shop.
"It doesn't." He said confirming that his tale was indeed irrelevant. "But Ms. Kwon or...Sunbae, you're very talented. I've yet to see any of your work, but I know you are, so you have a better shot at proving yourselves to the customers, co-workers and Mr. Lee than I ever did. You're just not trying hard enough." Sohyun could barely believe the words coming out of his mouth but then another customer came into the shop asking for an acrylic set. "She can do them for you." Both females provided Peniel with an estranged look, and then the customer glances her eyes up and down at Sohyun, also making a face.
"I only trust Ilhoon oppa to do my nails." She strictly stated. Peniel nudged Sohyun's side who seemingly forgotten her career was on the line. Not only did she want the job, she needed the job.
"I really am good at what I do." She urged. "You won't have any complaints once you've seen the result of my work." Still refusing but now reluctant, the customer asked Sohyun what will she do if she doesn't like her result.
"I'll personally see to it that it doesn't happen." Ilhoon's voice came from his work station where he had paused to interject. "If there are any discrepancies I'll immediately fix them for you."
It was almost insulting but for the most part it allowed Sohyun to work on her first customer. She quickly sat at the empty desk next to Ilhoon's who didn't even look up to acknowledge her existence. She worked diligently and quickly, the acrylic set was neatly performed and Sohyun threw in a free design the customers gawked at.
"Oppa could have done this just as good, if not better." The customer doesn't fail to mention as she and Ilhoon look on to Sohyun's handiwork impressed. Ilhoon smiled, the first time Sohyun ever saw him smile and confirming her first customer as a success.
After closing the workers Toe the Line, as Minhyuk put, or as Peniel so frighteningly explained that it was the worse part of the day. They stood side by side, neatly and silently waiting for Minhyuk to finish staring at his notes for what seemed like an eternity to Sohyun. Her knees were wobbly, more or less so due to the Anti Trinity failing to hold back their satisfied smiles, but mainly due to the reason behind them. She had only served a total of five customers, which was less than their below average rate. The manager finally started.
"Hyunsik, good work." Everyone knew by his brief pause that something was off. "I've told you to stop being so flirtatious to the women you're massaging. What's wrong with you? Are you a ert?" Sohyun's heart sank. "It's inappropriate to sweet talk them while touching them. Don't do that, it only garners more sasaengs. Speaking of which, Changsub, I thought I told you to apologize to the ahjumma you rejected last month."
Changsub had looked up at the manager as if uninterested or offended. "What do you want me to do? Actually marry that crazy ?" Sohyun's jaw had dropped.
"If marrying her will stop her from updating her Paradise Nails anti-cafe then by all means." At the word anti-cafe Minhyuk had thrown his pen at Changsub, annoyed that he even had to bring it up in order for it to be addressed and dealt with. Eunkwang laughed. "You don't get to laugh. What's up with your hands lately? Why did every other customer who got her eyebrows done today look like Rock Lee from Naruto?"
Changsub teased, "Yah, gorilla Hyung, you're supposed to make our customers look pretty."
"That's hard to do when they look like you!" Eunkwang shot back throwing the hairpen in his hair at Changsub.
"Is it throw our at Changsub day?" He roared. They shouted over each other and got into an habitual tiff that drew out laughs and interjects from the others. Sohyun said and did nothing. She stood stiffly waiting for her verdict. Minhyuk noticed and cleared his throat, settling the room down.
"Ms. Kwon."
"Yes?" Her voice cracked and she finally realized that was dry and she couldn't manage to swallow a thing.
"You did an excellent job on all of your customers today."
"All five." Changsub mouthed out the words nastily and stretched his fingers out.
"I'm afraid that despite the effort and hard work you put in today, the result was just as I expected. The customers weren't willing to work with you. It's a shame, but this is a business, and from a business standpoint you won't be needed."
She let out a sigh. It was the lump inher throat that prevented her from swallowing, the weakness in her knees, the sickness in her stomach. It was all let out, and Sohyun nodded, already anticipating as much, but still defeated from the reality. She went on to bow and quietly thanked Minhyuk for the chance to prove herself. She went to go change into her clothes and then leave the shop.
✮✮✮
Minhyuk pulled his key from the shop's locked door. He stood outside in the dark, wondering why he kept sighing and feeling guilty.
"You shouldn't have fired her." Ilhoon told him, seated on his bike while the rest of the males had already made their departure.
"You know me well more than anyone." Minhyuk said defensively, "If I could I would have kept her. She would have only effected business and you know it."
Ilhoon shook his head while pulling his helmet over it. "Nope. I don't." And he rode off.
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