Chapter 33: Clickety-Clack, Convenience Store Exterior Renovation

Hyejin was sitting quietly in front of the counter.

Suho and Eunwoo, who were organizing the goods, kept glancing at Hyejin. 

It was because her face was full of worry. 

As Eunwoo organized the items in the lingering silence, he couldn’t stand the atmosphere and asked Hyejin.

“Do you have some worry, Manager? If it’s something like needing money, it’s fine if you don’t pay me a salary.”

Eunwoo’s perceptiveness was spot-on, but even if he didn’t take a salary, it wouldn’t solve the fundamental problem.

At that moment, Seojun, who had been preparing ingredients for omelets in the staff room kitchen, walked over to Hyejin and said.

“I think we can start business now.”

“Ah, yes. Seojun. Just a moment.”

Hyejin snapped out of it and looked at them.

“I’ve been thinking, and I think we need to change the convenience store’s exterior design. It’s creepy and tacky, so there are a lot of problems as it is.”

“Isn’t the inside of a dungeon originally gloomy with screams everywhere? The current convenience store exterior does fit a dungeon convenience store. Of course, the ‘Welcome’ doormat at the entrance is a bit tacky.”

Suho looked at the convenience store entrance and then back at Hyejin.

“I thought it was a bit unexpected that the manager had this taste.”

“Huh? It’s not made to my taste? I like bright things. Bright, warm, and sentimental vibes. Completely different from this convenience store.”

“Then whose taste is this interior?”

Hyejin couldn’t say whose taste it was. 

According to Seungseok, there was a separate owner who made the convenience store in the dungeon, and Asha hadn’t told her about it. Though Seungseok said he’d met them.

Hyejin was also curious about the person who was the owner that did this interior. 

If they were going to make a convenience store anyway, it would’ve been nice if they’d made it a bit more cozy and comfortable. 

She thought.

“Anyway, it’s not my taste. Absolutely not.”

A convenience store like a haunted mountain lodge surrounded by rugged rocks and weeds.

Plus the tacky mat and the dim exterior.

The inside of the dungeon was always dark, but the convenience store’s exterior and interior needed to be fresh. 

At least it was fortunate that the interior was brightly and neatly organized like a normal convenience store.

“Anyway, I hope you know that.”

Hyejin said firmly and abruptly stood up, moving to the staff room.

She immediately opened the system window, but hesitated, unsure what to check first.

Then, Hyejin’s eyes caught a small blinking microphone icon at the bottom left of the system. What is that? 

When she cautiously pressed the button, a large microphone popped up filling the system window.

“Wh-what? Is it telling me to speak?”

Hyejin tilted her head in confusion and continued, figuring she had nothing to lose.

“Show me the manager-exclusive shop.”

The manager-exclusive shop she had wanted to see earlier but couldn’t.

The shop would have interior items. Since no external contractor would come, she had to use the manager-exclusive shop.

This is the Manager-Exclusive Shop. Please state the category you want.

“Wow, it’s a microphone search function. It’ll be convenient when my hands are busy. Um, then show me the interior category.”

Moving to the Interior category.

As soon as the system finished speaking, the interior window appeared.

Showing interior products suitable for your level. 

However, for exterior interiors, it will take more than a day, and workers will be dispatched to change the convenience store’s interior.

“What? Workers mean like construction ahjussis?”

If installing a new sign, please note that there will be expenses for travel, meals, and various fees.

It was something she hadn’t thought of. But it didn’t matter.

She still had over 60 million gold left. Succeeding in the hidden mission was fortunate, even thinking about it again.

What Hyejin needed to worry about now was the convenience store level.

Since level 2 wasn’t that high, a beginner stage, the desired products might not be there.

I hope there’s something I like.

Hyejin anxiously examined the window the system showed.

The first window that appeared was signs.

Convenience Store Signs

The first convenience store sign that appeared had black letters on a white background. 

It was a sign that stood out for being clean and modern.

The price was 5 million gold.

The next, second sign was a chick-like yellow sign commonly used at kimbap shops and real estate offices.

This too was priced at 5 million gold.

Next, the third sign was a fixed awning sign that reminded her of a sunshade, and Hyejin immediately liked this third one, the fixed awning sign.

This fixed awning sign was one often seen at flower shops or cafes, reminiscent of foreign stores. 

Since the convenience store’s exterior wall was white, she decided to buy the blue fixed awning sign.

The fixed awning sign’s price was 4 million gold.

It was relatively cheaper than the other signs.

“This fixed awning sign.”

Hyejin quickly put the fixed awning sign in her shopping cart and returned to the previous screen.

The next item to buy was exactly that.

The entrance mat.

Not the red tacky mat, but a clean and sophisticated one.

“There’s no need to buy an expensive, fancy entrance mat, so show me a clean gray mat with no patterns.”

Then a new window popped up, and Hyejin immediately found a decent mat on the first screen.

It said ‘WELCOME’ and was even slip-resistant.

“This one, I’ll go with this.”

Purchased Items

1. Fixed Awning Sign

2. Clean Gray ‘WELCOME’ Mat

1 set each entered.

Do you want to purchase the above items?

YES/NO

Hyejin was about to press YES but hesitated for a moment. Might as well do everything while at it.

“It’d be nice to do exterior wall construction too. Is that possible?”

Exterior wall construction is possible from convenience store level 5 or higher.

“As expected. I figured.”

She shouldn’t be too greedy with a low level. After pondering for a moment, Hyejin lightly clapped her hands and said.

“A weed trimmer! I need a weed trimmer to cut the grass. That’ll make weeding easier. Using a sickle is dangerous, and pulling by hand takes too long. Suho seems to be cutting the weeds outside with his sword right now, but it looks dangerous too, so a weed trimmer would be good. Show me weed trimmers.”

Weed trimmers range from 100,000 gold to 300,000 gold. Which product would you like to see first?

“First, show me one for 200,000 gold. One with sturdy blades and that won’t hurt the user would be good.”

A weed trimmer. Hyejin was dumbfounded even as she said it. 

Who normally sets up a weed trimmer at a convenience store?

Cutting weeds at a convenience store was by no means ordinary.

While the system was booting, Hyejin thought deeply and then exclaimed, Ah! Suddenly remembering that thing, namely disinfectant supplies.

“Does the shop have cleanliness-related products?”

Since hygiene was most important for making food, and there were many small flying insects in the dungeon. 

There were also many crawling bugs, and they sometimes crawled into the convenience store.

It wasn’t a restaurant, but since they were selling and making food, the convenience store needed to be clean and tidy.

It seemed like cleanliness-related items were needed. Ones that disinfect would be good.

The system opened a new window showing a list of weed trimmers and items for cleanliness.

First, Hyejin put a reasonably priced, lightweight-looking weed trimmer in her cart and browsed the list for a while before stopping at one screen.

Convenience Store Cleanliness Item ‘Hesco’

Price: 5,000,000 Gold

Product Description: Helps maintain the 24-hour convenience store cleanly. 

Through thorough management, it performs pest extermination, interior disinfection, dust removal, etc. Please refer to the manual for detailed functions!

Free Gift: Automatic Robot Vacuum Cleaner

“24-hour cleanliness maintenance? Ah, it’s a bit expensive, but the functions are too overpowered. I have to buy this.”

After hesitating at the price for a moment, Hyejin soon made up her mind and pressed the purchase button.

The sign will be fixed by workers visiting tonight.

The purchased mat, weed trimmer, and free gift automatic robot vacuum cleaner will be delivered immediately, and the ‘Hesco’ system will be installed in 10 minutes.

“Yeah, thanks.”

As soon as Hyejin’s greeting ended, there was a thud sound of items falling in the staff room again.

“There must be a way to deliver them softly without a big noise.”

At the sound of items falling, the three part-timers immediately ran to the staff room.

“What happened……! Huh?”

“Wow, is this the entrance mat?”

“A weed trimmer? At a convenience store……?”

“Haha, I thought it’d be needed for cutting weeds.”

“What’s this ball-like thing here?”

“Ah, that’s a robot vacuum cleaner!”

Hyejin scratched her head and answered awkwardly, then continued.

“People will come around evening today to fix the exterior sign. I want to change the sign first.”

“The rainbow-colored sign was pretty in its own way.”

When Eunwoo said it regretfully, Hyejin replied to him.

“It looked too much like a fishing shop sign.”

“I can’t deny that.”

“I’ll handle the trimming work from now on, Manager.”

Following Eunwoo’s mischievous reply, when Suho raised his hand and spoke, Hyejin smiled at him.

“Yes, thank you.”

“Then I’ll manage the robot vacuum cleaner.”

Seojun hugged the cute ball-like robot vacuum cleaner and said to Hyejin.

“Then what should I do?”

Eunwoo folded his arms for a moment, lost in thought, and soon said to the others.

“I’ll promote the convenience store—”

“Don’t do unnecessary things, Eunwoo.”

“I’ve only seen you today, but I want to say this. Staying still gets you at least average.”

At Seojun and Suho’s words, Eunwoo made a wronged expression and huffily asked Hyejin.

“Isn’t it good for you if the convenience store does well, Manager?”

It was somewhat right, but also immature.

Imagining his 5 million SNS followers becoming customers here, Hyejin shook her head.

It was horrifying just to think about.

Troublesome situations would definitely arise. Hyejin said to him as if patting him.

“Promotion is fine. Now that we’ve touched up the exterior sign, I plan to earn a bit more money and do expansion construction too. To make a cafe-like space where Seojun can comfortably make and sell food.”

“Why not do it now?”

At Suho’s words, when the other part-timers looked at Hyejin with sparkling eyes, she couldn’t tell the truth, so she made up something appropriate.

“Construction like that costs a lot of money, and running the convenience store during construction would be hard, so I plan to do it later when there’s time and leisure for expansion.”

“Ah, I see. Whatever. Then when that space is made, you’ll let me sell potions too, right?”

“Of course.”

Hyejin answered without realizing. Hearing Hyejin’s answer, Eunwoo smiled brightly and said.

“I did well coming to the convenience store. Meeting fun hyungs, and the work is fun too.”

It was then. A cheerful notification sound came from somewhere.

Happy and Clean System, Hesco Starting Operation.

“Wow, this convenience store is really the best?”

Hyejin burst into a soft laugh. Now, all the urgent problems seemed solved. Except for just one.

Hyejin silently looked down at her phone.

The time Seungseok mentioned was two days.

Somehow, it felt like she’d be staring endlessly at her phone until the contact came.