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Kim Soleum rarely ventured outside the studio. It wasn’t that Mr. Host forbade him from leaving. Rather, Kim Soleum was too afraid to step beyond its walls.
After watching him workday after day Braun had eventually suggested that Kim Soleum take the opportunity to go out while he still could. If his popularity continued to soar, he might find himself unable to travel freely without having to dodge his fans.
Kim Soleum had wanted to argue that he wasn’t exactly a famous host, but saying so would be no different from implying that Braun’s talk show wasn’t popular enough to boost his own fame. So, he had wisely kept his mouth shut and refrained from objecting.
The problem was, he didn’t particularly want to go anywhere in the first place…
Every destination the production crew suggested seemed to require a considerable amount of travel time, followed by another stretch of time spent sightseeing. Which, of course, was perfectly normal for a day out. But Kim Soleum didn’t particularly want to stay away from Braun for too long.
“It’s a shame there aren’t any cafes in the Darkness,” Kim Soleum complained wistfully while chatting with the crew. “Or at least somewhere like a shopping mall…”
—There is a place like that.
“Where…? No, wait. If it’s too far away or takes too much time, then never mind…”
—It’s not far. You just want somewhere to wander around, don’t you?
—Why not try Looky Mart? We get our props from there!
And that was how Kim Soleum found himself standing in front of a supermarket.
They said Looky Mart wasn’t the sort of place that opened every day. Sometimes it would open for a while, only to shut down for an extended period afterward, forcing the production crew to stock up on supplies in bulk whenever they got the chance. Recently, it seemed to have changed owners, and the store had resumed its daily operations.
The lights shining from the storefront in the middle of the night… What a familiar sight!
Kim Soleum looked at the tall, broad-shouldered man in a raincoat before following him inside. He glanced around at the various signs hanging above the aisles, unable to decide where he ought to start.
“Is this your first time here?”
Kim Soleum turned toward the voice and found himself facing another man, one with a large scar running across his neck. The man flashed him a wide smile before approaching. “Is there anything in particular you’re looking for?”
“I… I’d like to look around first.”
“Oh, is there anything that catches your eye, dear customer? Our store has just undergone a major renovation, so things are still a little out of place. First-time visitors might get lost.”
Kim Soleum didn’t want to trouble the employee too much, especially since he hadn’t actually intended to buy anything. But surely he couldn’t just turn down someone who had greeted him with such a friendly smile, could he? Besides, being too dismissive might give rise to unpleasant rumors…
Even if he wasn’t famous enough for people to recognize him, Kim Soleum still had to maintain his image.
Just like the ever-graceful Mr. Host.
…I want to go back to Mr. Host already.
“So, what sort of items are you interested in? Or perhaps you’re looking for a gift for someone? If you haven’t decided what to buy yet, just tell me a little about that person’s personality. I’ll be happy to help you find something suitable!”
A gift?
The words of the employee Choi, according to the name tag on his chest reminded Kim Soleum of something.
That was right. He had received so much from Braun, yet he had hardly ever given anything in return. Apart from the Blood Bathtub, that was.
But would Mr. Host even like something from a local store?
“That’s true… A gift for a friend…”
“Ah! Looks like I guessed right. So, what kind of person is your friend, dear customer?”
My good friend, the legendary host of the most famous talk show—
How could Kim Soleum possibly say something like that out loud?
He fell silent for a moment before turning back to Choi with a smile.
“A pink rabbit plushie!”
Choi led Soleum to the children’s toy section, then spoke with a hint of regret. “Um… I’m afraid it’s a little embarrassing, but we don’t have a very wide selection at the moment. Once we finish restructuring the store, we’ll have more room for stock. For now, this is all we have…”
“That’s perfectly fine. There’s plenty to choose from already.”
Kim Soleum reassured the employee before looking over the piles of plushies arranged on the shelves.
Had employee Choi misunderstood something?
Perhaps… But Kim Soleum hadn’t been looking for anything in particular anyway. Besides, having an employee show him around meant he wouldn’t have to wander the aisles alone and worry about wasting too much time.
And there was something strangely familiar about Choi, too.
So surely it would be fine!
Kim Soleum stared at a white lizard plushie that gave him an inexplicable sense of familiarity, then picked it up.
He still remembered how Mr. Host had once taken the form of a plushie to cheer him up. Thinking back on that poor little rabbit always brought him a surprising amount of comfort…
Although rabbits and lizards looked nothing alike, there was something about this little lizard that made him feel strangely safe.
How odd.
Kim Soleum placed the plushie into the basket Choi offered him, then bowed his head slightly.
“Thank you.”
The service here is pretty good.
He glanced at the other toys but wasn’t particularly interested in any of them. If they weren’t anatomical models, then they were… well…
Kim Soleum would rather not think about those things. Nor the objects floating inside jars, or the dolls whose expressions seemed to change every time he looked away and back again.
He glanced at the lizard plushie, which still wore the same cheerful grin as before, and nodded to himself.
This one will do.
It wasn’t exactly a suitable gift for Braun. Noticing that Choi hadn’t gone far, Soleum called out to him. “Excuse me, do you happen to sell wine here?”
“Oh, of course we do! But it’s quite a distance from here… Would you mind if I—”
“Hey.”
A deep voice, edged with unmistakable authority, interrupted them.
Both Soleum and Choi turned toward the speaker.
It was the customer in the raincoat whom Soleum had noticed at the entrance. He was pushing a shopping cart piled high with hunting equipment and cleaning supplies.
Suspicious red stains dripped from the cart onto the supermarket floor.
“Why didn’t you wait?”
“Eh~? When did our regular customer arrive? I must have missed you while I was taking a little break! Have you finished shopping already? But the cashier isn’t here, is it? Got lost again, have we? Oh, dear… Should I call another employee for you? No, wait. I should call the one who was helping you find your way, shouldn’t I? Did you happen to get separated earlier?”
“No.”
Kim Soleum blinked as he watched the two of them.
The man in the raincoat didn’t seem particularly friendly, but Kim Soleum offered him a polite smile anyway.
The raincoat man appeared to recoil slightly. “I’ll follow you quietly.”
“Uh…” Employee Choi shot Soleum a sideways glance, his eyes filled with questions.
“Of course. I don’t mind.”
Kim Soleum figured that once he had finished looking at the wine, he would be heading to the checkout anyway.
So surely, it wouldn’t be a problem.
The paths inside Looky Mart really were terribly complicated. Fortunately, Choi was excellent at keeping a conversation going, so walking around with a complete stranger wasn’t nearly as awkward as it might have been.
When they finally reached the alcohol section, Choi turned and bowed to Kim Soleum.
“Dear customer… This might sound a little bad coming from me, but I don’t know anything about wine.” He paused, then brightened. “But! Since our regular customer is here, I’m sure everything will be fine!”
“Why’s that?” Soleum asked curiously.
“Well, he runs a vacation lodge. How could a place like that possibly get by without wine?”
“Oh…”
Kim Soleum turned to look at the man in the raincoat, who was glaring at him with an intimidating stare. Then he glanced at the contents of his shopping cart. Judging by all the hunting equipment and cleaning supplies, Kim Soleum had mistaken him for a hunter rather than someone who ran his own business…
“I don’t know.”
“Ah, is that so?” Choi sounded disappointed, his expression visibly falling. He looked so genuinely dejected that Kim Soleum thought he might have comforted the man if they hadn’t only just met.
“…But I can still make some recommendations.”
At those words, Choi’s blue eyes lit up.
Kim Soleum watched as Choi launched into an enthusiastic conversation about wine with that frightening man.
…Or are they talking about something more personal?
“Have you eaten yet?”
“Of course I have~! But why do you ask, dear regular customer? Could it be that you’re asking me out to dinner~?”
“…Don’t act so familiar.”
“What a shame~”
“But if you want to come, then come.”
Kim Soleum didn’t particularly mind that the employee seemed to have forgotten all about him. After all, every time Choi turned his attention back to Soleum, the raincoat man would shoot him another strange look.
Oh… Have I accidentally become third wheel in their relationship?
Having reached this conclusion, Kim Soleum decided to speak up.
“I’ve made my choice.”
“Eh?”
“Listening to the two of you has actually taught me quite a bit, so I think I’ve figured out what kind of wine my friend would like.”
Now that he knew he was getting in the way of someone else’s relationship, staying any longer would be downright shameless.
Besides, watching the two men stand together like this had somehow made Kim Soleum think of Mr. Host.
“My goodness… To think I made you choose everything yourself, dear customer! In that case, let’s head to the cashier.”
Choi resumed guiding Soleum through the store. This time, Kim Soleum deliberately slowed down to let the man in the raincoat walk closer to the employee. They clearly still had plenty to talk about.
At first, the raincoat man seemed confused by Kim Soleum’s gesture. But after Choi turned to him and said something, he finally looked back at Kim Soleum and gave him a nod.
That intimidating gaze had softened so much that he almost seemed like a completely different person!
There was just one little incident before they reached the cashier.
The regular customer had somehow procured a price tag from who knew where, stuck it onto Choi, and attempted to buy him.
“My, my, dear customer! I’ve told you so many times that you can’t do that!”
“Then quit your job.”
“How could I possibly do that? Hahaha! Why don’t you try working here with me instead?”
“…Not a chance.”
Choi chuckled as he peeled the price tag off himself. “Haha! I told you, didn’t I? If you want to buy me, you’ll have to offer a lot more than that!”
“You can buy the employees here, too?” Kim Soleum asked curiously.
“Of course! Or are you interested in buying me, dear customer?”
Wow! This place is even more entertaining than I thought!
Kim Soleum finally understood why the production crew liked shopping here so much. They really did sell everything!
The moment Choi finished speaking, Kim Soleum was met with a piercing glare.
It’s not like I enjoy competing with anyone.
It was a little disappointing, considering how cheerful Choi was and how well he might have fit into a talk show. But… he would probably be much better suited to working at a vacation lodge.
The studio only needed Kim Soleum and Mr. Host.
Soleum shook his head at the employee, and the three of them continued toward the cashier.
Taking advantage of the moment when employee Choi stepped away, Kim Soleum patted the man in the raincoat on the shoulder.
“I hope your business flourishes!”
The raincoat man continued staring at him with that same peculiar expression, but Kim Soleum didn’t think much of it. Judging by the way the man acted, Choi seemed to be the only person in the world he paid any attention to.
“And I hope the two of you get together soon!”
“…Who would ever want to get together with that guy?”
The raincoat man stared at Kim Soleum, who was beaming at him, for a moment before sticking a price tag onto his cheek.
“Hey, hey, hey! Don’t go teasing our new customer!” Choi hurried over as soon as he noticed what was happening. He peeled the tag off Kim Soleum’s cheek before turning to the man in the raincoat. “Other customers aren’t merchandise!”
“I can’t leave people like you out there. If both of you keep acting like this… sigh.” The man in the raincoat gave an irritated snort before finally looking away from Kim Soleum.
…Hmm. So this is what Mr. Host meant when he told me to be careful even though I don’t really have any fame to speak of!
Once the purchases had been paid for, Choi escorted Kim Soleum out of the store alongside the man in the raincoat.
“Here! This is an apology for what happened, dear customer!” Choi handed Soleum a grape-shaped keychain.
Upon closer inspection Kim Soleum realized that although it resembled a bunch of grapes, the inside was filled with dozens of tiny eyes.
Apart from the fact that it was shaped like a bunch of grapes, it wasn’t particularly to Soleum’s taste. Since it was an apology, he supposed he ought to accept it.
“It’s all right. Don’t worry about it.”
“What about mine?” the man in the raincoat asked Choi.
Choi ignored him completely and shouted at the top of his lungs instead. “Thank you for shopping with us! Looky Mart looks forward to seeing you again!”
Kim Soleum nodded before taking his leave as well.
Even after he had walked quite a distance away, Choi remained at the entrance, seeing him off while continuing his conversation with the raincoat man as though nothing had happened.
Kim Soleum found himself wanting to quicken his pace.
I’d better hurry back to Mr. Host!
Kim Soleum wanted to tell Braun about everything that had happened today, give him the wine, and show off this little lizard doll to his good friend as soon as possible.
- fin -