|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sun Jun 17, 2007 12:35 am
Sam yawned and slumped against the rough wooden counter. It was a slow afternoon in the store. He ran a hand through his hair and glanced around. There wasn't much left to do. He'd done all the things he compulsively did when there were no customers at least twice that day, and he'd swept the floor three times. He was tempted to go and see if any of the jars in the back needed re-organizing, but he knew that they didn't. Sighing, the lanky man leaned back against his chair and propped his feet up on the counter, tilting his head back to stare at the ceiling. Oh how he HATED the slow days.
Seung ambled about the streets outside, the sweltering heat too much for his normal attire. Peeling off the flannel shirt he normally wore, Seung breathed a sigh of relief. He tossed it into his shopping cart, and tried to brush off his ratty green shirt underneath. He left the cart behind a building, lodged between two dumpsters, and inched into the closest store. He sighed again, happy to feel the air conditioner against his skin. Trying to make himself small and invisible, Seung skulked in, and hoped whoever was manning the counter didn't think he was shoplifting. Because he wasn't, really. Really. Normally he would, but right now Seung was content to be in the cool, despite the hunger pangs his stomach kept sending at him angrily. To distract he, looked at all the foods, and kept fantasizing what he could cook if he had the money for it. It didn't help.
Sam lifted his eyebrows as the small man inched into his store. He scratched his head and sat up, giving Seung a once-over. Huh, didn't look like his usual customers. "Hey, need any help?" he asked, standing and stepping out from behind the counter. Lookin' for anything specific?" As he got closer, he realized that there was an odd smell about the scraggly kid, and he wrinkled his nose a bit. Ah, Christ. The destitute always made him feel vaguely guilty.
Seung turned to look at Sam, a little bit of shock etched on his face. "Uhm. Uhm, I'm fine, really. Not lookin' for anything, really." He smiled weakly. "No money," he said, honesty written on his face, watching Sam's face shift to disgust, "But I guess you gathered that already." He looked back at the item in his hand he had been salivating over a moment ago, and carefully put it back in place. "I can uhm. Go. If you want. I'll probably scare away all your customers."
"Ah. No, no, it's fine." Sam responded awkwardly, running a hand through his hair. "Don't have any customers anyway. Slow day." He looked at Seung again. Poor kid. He stumped back to the counter, falling into his chair with an "oof" and dug around under it for a moment, reappearing with a badly-wrapped sandwich. "Want half?" He asked, peeling at the saran wrap. "It's ham."
Seung looked at the ground, and nodded. "Okay." Wandering towards the drinks, he picked through his pockets in an attempt to find enough for a pop, to no avail. Feeling stupid and kind of guilty, Seung looked up when Sam asked him a question. Half of what--? Ohh. "Uhm. If you're sure. I ate just yesterday morning, so I'll be okay for a few hours yet." Seung shrugged, coloring slightly. Way to let him know you're desperate, Seung. You are an hero, retard.
Sam shrugged and held out half of the rather manky sandwich. The bread was a bit soggy and it had some sad-looking ham dangling out the side. "It's cool, I don't really like ham that much." he said, attempting a smile and failing heroically. "'Sides, I can use the company. It's ******** boring here today." He placed Seung's half of the sandwich on the counter and unwrapped the other half, giving it a bit of a derisive look.
Seung looked at the sandwich, and debated with himself whether or not he should take it. As much as he hated charity, most of the time he did need it. It may not have looked like much to Sam, but the last thing Seung had eaten was a half a pack of saltines he had found while dumpster diving. Sidling up to the counter, the Korean gratefully took the sandwich and chomped into it. With a bright smile he didn't even realize he had, Seung finished it in a few seconds, and was licking his fingers for the mustard before he realized how fast he ate it. Biting his lip, he tried not to died from embarrassment. "Uhm. Thank you," he said, somewhat abashed.
Taking a seat on an empty shelf, where beef jerky and sour candies normally went (or so said the signs) Seung looked up at the gruff man at the counter. He wasn't so bad, really The man had kind of scared him at first, but Seung figured he couldn't be too bad if he was helping a homeless bum like himself for no reason at all.
Sam looked rather shocked at how fast Seung had bolted his half of the sandwich, and took a bite out of his own, thoughtfully. "Christ, you must've been really hungry." he observed, words muffled as he chewed and spoke at the same time. He finished the bite, swallowed, and picked a bit of rind off of the ham. "So, what's your name?"
Seung tried to hide the flush that creeped up his neck, and failed miserably. With pink tinged cheekbones, Seung nodded miserably and murmured quietly "Yea. I usually am," refusing to look up. 'Uhm. I'm Seung. Seung Pak." he finished, still not looking him in the eye. Seung wanted to leave so he wouldn't burden this guy, but he had nowhere to go. He had used up his last card yesterday, after a twelve hour raid in his guild, before saying goodbye to them. He had no idea how long it would take this time before he got another thirty dollars together, because the hunger was getting worse as he spent less and less on food. "What's yours?" he asked, finally looking up at the other through glasses with one cracked lens.
Sam studied Seung for a minute, appeared to remember his sandwich, and took another bite. "Sam," he replied, again talking with his mouth full. Sam clearly didn't put too much stock in manners. "Boring name, huh?" he added, cracking a lopsided grin and swallowing the last of the sandwich. He stretched his arms over his head. "God, s'been so slow today. Only customer I had was Mrs. Stevenson, and she always comes in at seven, every damn day, to get the paper. Dunno why she doesn't just have it delivered," he said, leaning his chin on his hand. He frowned a bit at Seung. "Have I seen you around here before? Uh... out back?" he added, feeling a bit odd about asking the other man if he'd been raiding the store's dumpster.
Seung snickered quietly to himself as Sam talked with his mouth open, and tried to hide it behind a gloved hand. "Are you the only one who works here?" he asked, curious. Most had other people and stuff, but maybe he self owned. Or something. "Some people need a little uhm. Routine, I guess, in their life." Seung shrugged. "To keep 'em from goin' crazy." When Sam asked, Seung knew immediately what he meant. He had to. It was what he did to eat, survive. "Yea. Uh, Probably. I generally uh... run this block and the next one over," the homeless man said, almost mumbling. He looked back down at his lap, and scratched at his khakis. Damn. He would have to move blocks again soon, if people were recognizing him.
"Yeah, it's not a big business or anything," Sam replied, looking up at the ceiling. "Don't really make enough to afford to employ anyone, anyway." He chewed on his bottom lip absently.
"It's cool, really." He said finally, looking a little uncomfortable. He hadn't meant to embarrass the kid, after all. "Not like I mind, I mean... that's why the stuff is out there, 'cause I haven't got a use for it." He paused, as if considering what to say next. "I uhh.. had to chuck a shipment of bagels yesterday, 'cause a couple of 'em had some mold on, but.. most of 'em are probably okay," he offered hesitantly. "Still in th' packages an' all."
The Korean said nothing, just nodded, looking a little downcast still. At the mentioning of the bagels, however, Seung brightened up almost immediately. "Do...do you mind then if I went and got some, after I get out of your hair?" he said, trying to contain his excitement. It had been a bit too long since the pizza places stopped putting out pizzas and the local McDonalds all started ruining the burgers they put out back. He planned on getting them all, and just cutting the mold off the ones that had it. It could last him ages! He could maybe start WoWing again within just a few weeks--! Biting his lip, Seung awkwardly shifted. "Uh. Sorry. But my luck is never that good, and that could feed me a while. And stuff."
"Wouldn't have mentioned it if it wasn't okay," Sam murmured, looking awkward in the face of such enthusiasm. "Y'can get whatever you want out of there. S'not like I'm using it. You can go look now, if you're still hungry," he added, aware that the slimy half-a-ham-sandwich probably hadn't sated Seung's hunger.
Seung grinned, entirely oblivious to Sam's unease. "Thank you," he said, and it came from the heart. "No one is ever this nice. Uh, most of the time...people sort of look and then look away really fast. Like I uh. Can't see," his smile was pained, "Like I'm not real." He stood, and left through the front door, excited to get food. He returned to where his shopping cart was, and pried open a dumpster. It didn't even smell bad, the bagels were still on top. He just reached in and grabbed out, before dumping half of them into the cart and covering them up with his coat. He picked through the ones in his arm, and grabbed two that were still immaculate. Returning in, he ripped open one and giddily took a bite of a bagel. "Mm. I forget sometimes how good real food tastes."
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2007 11:24 pm
"No problem." Sam responded, leaning on the counter and running a hand through his hair as Seung disappeared out the back door. He watched the skinny kid wolf down one of the stale bagels, frowning slightly. He'd never been a well-off guy, but his family had always had the store, which provided shelter and just enough money to live relatively comfortably. He'd never really considered himself lucky, though. Though it was obvious he was, in comparison to Seung.
"You can.. you know," he waved a hand vaguely at the door leading to the back. "Whenever you want. I mean.. it's not a problem with me. Really."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2007 12:07 am
Seung licked his fingers, and tore open another package. "I haven't had bagels in a while, and these are even one of my fav," Seung said, positively beaming, "cinnamon and raisin swirl, eff tee dubya!" He took a seat on another shelf, glancing up at Sam.
"You sure?" he asked, the cautious tone in his voice overtaking the excitement. "Don't want to give your shop a..." The teen trailed off, trying to articulate his words. "...You know. Bad rep. Losing honor, all that." Seung waved his hands, bagel in his mouth, trying to articulate after he had already spoken.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2007 12:49 pm
"Eff tee what?" Sam asked, blinking and leaning his forearms on the counter.
"Oh, yeah. I mean, it's not like anyone but me goes round back anyway." He replied, shrugging. 'Sides, it's not like my store is.. you know, classy, or anything." he added with a short barked laugh.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2007 1:56 pm
"Uh. Eff tee double you. For the win," Seung explained, slightly boggled that Sam didn't know that basic slang. "Common internet acronym," he said patiently.
Seung glanced at the ground, smiling a bit. "If you're sure. That'd help more than you can know." Seung's smile was slightly pained. "Even homey stores don't look good with a bum outside," he said, tone gravely serious.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
![[ seung ]'s avatar](https://a1cdn.gaiaonline.com/dress-up/avatar/ava/74/e2/5d9dd74053e274_flip.png?t=1198194731_6.00_01)
Reply
