Leveling Up From Rank F

ded to go to the labor administration with my colleagues.
I think I can get paid there somehow, but the price of the product is going to be a problem.”

Yongha asked him when he needed the money.
He said he’d also borrow some money to help him out.
However, his friend couldn’t come up with a solution either.
He was a good guy, but Jiwoo and Yongha were the same when it came to their lack of capabilities.

Afterwards, Jiwoo called around here and there to ask for help.
Sadly, everyone gave him only unfavorable responses.

Jiwoo hesitated several times before calling Chun Kijeong.
Before he moved to Lim Corporation, Jiwoo briefly worked at a company where Kijeong supervised him.

During the call, Jiwoo couldn’t get to the point even after hearing Kijeong’s voice.
He scratched the surface for a long time.

“I don’t have much time.
I would like to hear what you’re getting at.” Chun Kijeong said.

“About that…”

“If you need money, you can simply say so.”

“What?”

Chun Kijeong asked him how much money he needed.

“Sorry?”

Jiwoo paused, now knowing what to say.

“I was in a meeting right now, but I briefly came out.
Please text me your account number and the amount you require.
I don’t know when my meeting will end, but I’ll deposit the money within an hour.” Chun Kijeong said.

“Sir.”

“Let’s talk later then.”

A knife held up to his throat couldn’t give him as many goosebumps as the conversation he just had with Chun Kijeong.

He didn’t know if he could really ask Kijeong for such a favor, but Jiwoo had no other choice.
He sent Kijeong the text, saying he’ll never forget to repay his kindness and so on.

There was no reply from him.
About 15 minutes later, a text message came in telling him to check if the money was deposited.
Sure enough, it was.

Chun Kijeong wasn’t someone who lived a comfortable life either.
There was one time when Kijeong had gotten drunk at a company dinner and Jiwoo had to take a taxi to bring him back home.

Kijeong lived near a town known to have the lowest rent in Seoul.
His unit was a small one-bedroom, down in the basement of a run-down building.

It was unlikely he had moved out of the place.
Jiwoo thought he had to somehow pay back his money as soon as possible and never borrow from him again.
He thought he shouldn’t disappoint someone who placed his trust in him and gave him a second chance.

Jiwoo was determined to find a job even if he had to lower his standards.
He went browsing on recruitment sites.
Among the various sites he went into, there were many in particular that were looking to hire Hunters.

He felt jealous and sad at the same time.
Hunters made a lot of money and they had plenty of jobs to go around.
He couldn’t stop thinking about how unfair life was and why he couldn’t be a Hunter.
However, this was not the time to be distracted on such things.

Being a day worker would be better if he wanted to earn quick cash in a short amount of time.
However, he didn’t know how long it would take for him to find a job again.

While preparing for his job search, he focused on the places that could earn him money.
It would be nice if they gave breaks so he could read some books too.

In his entire life, Jiwoo had never considered himself as someone with luck.
But for the first time ever, he felt lucky.
His eyes caught onto a position that perfectly matched the conditions he was looking for.
When he hit the refresh button, it was shown as a new posting with 0 views.

Just as Jiwoo was searching on the site, a new job was listed.
It was recruiting a part-timer for a night shift at a convenience store.

Jiwoo called the owner’s phone number immediately.
While it was ringing, he was worried that someone else would snatch the position before him.

“Hello? I hope I’m not bothering you at a late time.
I saw your help-wanted ad so I’m contacting you about that.
I would like to apply if you haven’t found anyone yet.”

“Oh wow, that’s surprising.
It hasn’t been 10 seconds since I posted it.” The person said with a shocked tone.
They had not expected to hear a reply so quickly.

“Yes, I just opened the site and the ad popped up.”

“You’re lucky.
It seems like it’s fate.
Well for starters, why don’t we hold an interview tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow? Yes, that’s fine.”

“Then please prepare a resume and bring it with you tomorrow.”

Hearing the owner’s voice, Jiwoo guessed they were in their mid-30s.
They told him the location of the convenience store and the time of the interview, then ended the call by saying, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Things went smoothly from there.
When the owner heard that Jiwoo was a former salesperson for Lim Corporation, they said he would do well.
Since Jiwoo’s line of work was persuading people to buy products, a job like this would be a piece of cake.

Jiwoo explained the tight situation he was in and asked if he could work both the day and night shifts.

“You’re going to die if you work that much.
You don’t know it while you’re young, but your body is going to be worn out by the time you‘re old.” The boss didn’t seem old enough to say that, but Jiwoo felt no animosity from them.

“Even so, things aren’t looking too good for me right now.”

“Then how about we do this? I’ll find someone to work part-time for about three hours, so rest during that period.
People have to take responsibility for their future selves too.
If you overwork your body now, you’re going to hear a lot of bitter complaints from yourself in the future.
Even if you lose three hours, you’re already working hard enough.”

“Thank you.
I’ll try my best.”

With the weight off his shoulders, Jiwoo bowed to him.

***

Although it was a temporary job at a convenience store, he felt more comfortable than staying home and doing nothing.

Jiwoo was good at memorizing people’s faces.
He was able to gain regulars quickly.
He remembered the faces of the people who came in once and greeted them amicably.