[BTS FF] i work at a convenience store

EP: 02 - Meeting Kim Namjoon

“Ahnie?” 

“Ahnie. Hey, ya goober. Snap out of it!” 

“I’m here. Sorry ‘bout that.” I tuck a lock of hair around my ear (knowing it was barely long enough to do so) and smile up at my friend from my spot behind the counter. 

“You good?” He asks. “Seemed like you were far into space this time. Did you find a new star? Maybe a planet for the humans to-” 

“I swear to god, Cisco.” I laugh slapping him. “What do you need?” 

“Oh not much. You were spacing out pretty hard. I was getting worried.” He leans against his broom looking at me. He was busy sweeping the linoleum floors but now he’s talking to me.

Figures.

“Ah, don’t worry about me. I’m fine.” I reply. “But seriously though, do you need something? I feel like you need me to do something.” 

“Umm…” he giggles, nervously spinning the broom. “I need you to go run an errand for me.”

“Like what?” I ask. “You know I don’t mind doing whatever.”

“You gotta go stock the vending machines at the elementary school today.” 

“Oh. Shit.” 

“Told you.” He sighed returning to his sweeping. “The van’s already packed up for you. I would recommend you leave now. Then you don’t have to fight the go home rush.” 

“Yeah. Wish Maryn was here. She always does this stuff.” I whine. 

“Well she’s sick so get your ass moving.” Cisco retorts. 

“Fine.” I say flopping into the counter. “Just make sure you don’t blow anything up.”

Cisco laughs. “I know. We won’t have another Dorito accident.” 

“Mmhhh.” I glare at him. “The whole store had Cheeto dust on it for ages.” 

“Just get going already!” He complains. I grab the van keys and slip on my slides that were waiting patiently under the counter. I grab my phone, kiss Cisco’s cheek (we’re practically siblings, calm down) and run out the back door. 

Like Cisco said, the van was sitting there, patiently waiting. I looked at what the elementary school wanted. Surprisingly, there was a lot of healthy stuff. Organic juice boxes, those really good veggie straws, string cheese, etc. “We carry all of this?” I asked myself. Finally, I closed the back doors, looking at Cisco and I’s stupid stickers we begged Maryn to attach to the back of the van: anime stickers, memes, sayings and of course the t-Rex eating the stick family. I jumped in the van, pulled out of the parking lot behind the store and headed on my way. 

The store is on the border of the city and the city - city. It wasn’t everyday to hear a gunshot or two and it wasn’t everyday that I would see a beautiful car driving down the street. It kept things interesting and I really enjoyed it. Plus the area where the store resides looks like a little village. Well, it’s in the town square so, figures. 

I knew where the elementary school was. Maryn and I went there a few times together but it’s usually her job to do the school runs and other big places like that. We’re one of the only convenience stores around (I honestly don’t know why, Cisco and I think the mayor is up to something) but it keeps us surprisingly busy. Thankfully the school wasn’t that far away and I’d be there in just a few minutes, if that. I could’ve made a nice walk out of it but, you know, the whole food thing, yeah. 

I reached my destination and saw the playground before the school. I will admit, I wish I could’ve gone here when I was younger. The playground was nice: made of wood that apparently the art department helped create. Swings, a climbing area, a slide that looked like it would burn in the summertime, you know, all that good kid stuff. I wished I could swing right now, but obviously I don’t have time for that.

I had work to do. 

I stopped the van at the correct door number. I got out of the van and heard a little bit of commotion at the playground. 

“White van! White van!”

“Wait, is that a lady?” 

“What’s in the van?” 

The children gathered at the gate parallel to the mysterious van. I waved to them, walking over to the gate.

“Hi guys! I’m just here to deliver food to your vending machines.” I reached the gate and bent down so I was on their level. 

A little girl with light blonde hair and a pink dress spoke up. 

“Do you have juice boxes?” Her blue eyes and polite demeanor made me smile. 

“Yeah of course! Actually, is there a teacher out here with you? You guys look like you’ve been playing hard. If your teacher’s fine with it I’ll give you all juice boxes.”

To put the next event into a nutshell, they practically dragged their teacher over to me.

The children practically chanted. “Mr.Kim! Mr.Kim! She has juice boxes! She has juice boxes!” 

“Really?” He asks them. “And how do you know that?” 

“The pretty lady told us.” A young boy pointed at me, still crouched on the ground. 

“The pretty...lady…?”

The teacher could barely finish his sentence and we locked eyes. And I won’t lie. He’s handsome. He’s tall and is built well. His thick framed glasses add a cute factor to his striking dark brown eyes. When he smiles at the kids, dimples show up. The kids seemed to naturally enjoy him. I hope I look okay. I barely even bothered to look decent on runs like this. I don’t know I would meet someone like him today! 

I clear my throat. “Umm.. hi! My name is Ahn Honja. You can call me Ahnie.” I quickly stand up and reach out my hand to shake his. 

“Oh!” He says. “Another Korean! I’m Kim Namjoon. You can call me Namjoon.” We shake hands, his large hands practically drowning mine. 

“I thought the same thing when I heard the kids saying your name.” I smile at the children gathered around Namjoon. “What grade are they all in?” 

Namjoon’s face lights up. “They’re kindergarten through third grade but in the gifted class. I teach gifted children.” 

“Oh my gosh that’s great!” I say. I bounce a little on my toes when I’m excited. “When I was in school I should have been in the gifted program but we didn’t have one.” 

“Aww I’m sorry about that.” Namjoon replies. 

A child speaks. “Can we get juice boxes or are you guys going to give googley eyes at each other the whole time?” 

I blush and Namjoon turns around. “Of course you can get juice boxes. Just please be nice.” The kid smirks. 

“Is it okay if we go inside? I have more stuff to put away anyways.” I ask.

“Yeah sure!” Namjoon says. “We have to go in as well.” 

We get inside and the children go to their respective classroom with Namjoon. They walk in a sort of line but look like little ducks following their dad. I hear a few of the kids talking to him as they walk down a hallway. But what’s so endearing is the fact he answers all of them. 

Child: “Do you have a crush on her?” 

Namjoon: “You don’t just ask people that in public. Remember your manners.”

Child: “Why isn’t her hair long?”

Namjoon: “She is allowed to look any way she wants. And that goes for all of you too. You all can look however you want.”

Child: “What kind of juice is it?”

Namjoon: “Whatever is in the vending machines.”

I laugh to myself and then realize I’m supposed to be doing something. I quickly fill the two vending machines (all healthy stuff) and take the large box of juice boxes to Namjoon’s classroom: room #127

After I shift the box to my hip I knock on the door. A bunch of kids run up to the door for me. 

“She’s here! She’s here!” They chant. I giggle. 

“Yep! I’m here with your juice boxes.” 

A calm but loud voice suddenly fills the air. “Alright class!” It’s Namjoon. “Go sit in your assigned seats.” 

The class quickly files to their seats and Namjoon rushes over to me.

“Hey that looks heavy. Do you need help?” He reaches out to the box and his fingers grace mine. He seems to realize that happened but doesn’t move his hands from mine.

“I’m fine, it’s just awkwardly heavy, you know?” I can sense the flush in my cheeks. 

Namjoon blinks and then replies. “Oh, yeah, right. You can sit it on my desk.” 

I turn and sit the box on his desk. I open the box and inside we’re the holy juice boxes, flavored with organic, non gmo, practically screaming healthy, apple flavored juice boxes. 

“You just want me to pass them out?” I ask Namjoon. He nods his head.

“Raise your hand if you want a juice box!” Namjoon tells the class. “And keep them up so Miss. Ahnie can get to you.” 

I pick up as many of the coveted juice boxes as I can carry and run around to all of the kids that have their hands up. Only one or two didn’t have their hand up but that’s only because I saw them reach into their desk and pull out a Capri-sun. 

Smooth.

Once the children were happy, and I was happily consuming a juice box and sitting in the chair next to Namjoon’s desk, I got a chance to look around the room. 

It was smaller than I had expected. Definitely smaller than the average classroom. There were lots of different places to sit in the room: traditional desks and chairs, yoga balls, bar stools sitting with a tall desk next to the window, a small trampoline, etc. There were tons of books. And with the books there were lots of pillows. The walls were littered with posters, mostly educational, but I did see a couple music posters and other stuff like that. In the corner of the room there is a flat screen tv. There was a mood board where the kids could tell Namjoon their moods for the day without even verbally speaking to him. One wall was a whole chalkboard. And the wall behind Namjoon and I was a whiteboard. I was shocked. I knew he had spent a lot of his money making sure the kids were comfortable. He spent a lot of his time making sure they could learn in the best way possible. My school never had any of this. I was definitely smart enough to be in a gifted program but my school didn’t think children should be able to learn past their grade. They wanted everyone to follow the curriculum. Because it was easier for the teachers and the students. But they didn’t realize the toll it had on the children. I acted out and got detention a lot despite the fact I had practically perfect grades because I was so bored. The children who learned slower were struggling and barely passed each grade. This room makes me happy to see that someone is caring about children’s education. 

BRIIIIINNNGGG

The children all loudly got up from their seats, grabbed their belongings and left. I had beat the go-home bell! I continued drinking my juice box because Namjoon didn’t move from his spot at his desk which probably meant I could stay a little longer. 

And I mean who wouldn't? He's gorgeous. 

“I want to thank you.” Namjoon said to me after a silence hovered over the room. “You didn’t have to do that. The kids are often very curious and I-“

“No, I totally get that, honestly.” I accidentally talked over him but turned to look at him. “This is amazing what you’re offering these kids.”

“Oh, uh, thank you.” He smiled at me and his dimples showed up. I looked at his hands. No ring. And I didn’t see any pictures of a significant other or even family pictures sitting on his desk. 

“Here. I owe you money.” He said and he handed me a $20. 

“Oh no no no no no. I can’t accept that.” I replied. “This is on me, trust me. I want to thank you. Teachers don’t get paid enough or thanked enough.” I take the money from his fingertips and open one of his hands. I place the money in his palm and close it back up. I smile, “There. It’s like I paid you now!” 

He looks at me for a second. But it’s like he’s analyzing me, wondering why I would do such a thing. He finally speaks. 

“Do you want to get coffee sometime?” 

Now it was my turn to speak. “Oh! Sure, I’d love to.” 

“Great. Here, let me give you my phone number.” He tells me.

And that’s how I met Namjoon.