“Han Jeheon, a little help over here.”
The moment I stepped into the department store for work, my colleague McQueen called out to me with a desperate look on his face.
This usually meant one thing… a seriously difficult customer had appeared. In other words, a “customer from hell.”
“I haven’t even changed into my uniform yet.”
“You’re already wearing black pants, so just throw on your blazer and get out here, quick.”
“Is it that urgent?”
“The manager was practically in tears asking when you’d be in.”
“If it’s that bad, shouldn’t we be calling security instead of me?”
Our manager wasn’t exactly known for having a weak constitution.
What on earth could someone do to make that person break down and fall apart?
“It’s not that he’s being violent… anyway, you’ll see for yourself. We need you right now. I don’t think anyone but you and your silver tongue can get rid of this guy.”
“Hmm.”
I pulled off the hoodie I’d arrived in and slid my arms into my shirt sleeves.
“Alright, okay. I’ll see what I can do.”
At those words, the anxious expression on McQueen’s face, who had been pacing back and forth, instantly brightened.
Seeing that reaction, it really must have been a tough opponent.
The person I faced, guided by McQueen, was an elderly Caucasian male.
Contrary to my expectations, he was a rather neatly dressed gentleman, with impressive dull-blonde hair slicked back with mousse.
I approached him with a bright smile.
“I apologize for the delay in my arrival. My name is Han Jeheon, the representative in charge.”
“Gabe Dawson.”
He accepts the greeting well enough.
I had been tense because they called him a difficult customer, but isn’t he actually on the communicative side?
The moment I thought that, the customer drove a blade in with a bright smile.
“Your eye colors are quite unique. Is it congenital heterochromia?”
“It’s simply a change in iris color due to an accident. My vision is unaffected.”
“I see. However, heterochromia does stand out. It would be best to use contact lenses while working. There may be customers who feel uncomfortable around employees with disabilities.”
Ah, so he’s this type.
That’s why the manager was so fed up.
Someone who pours out cruel words so effortlessly without a hint of malice.
‘Normally, this is where someone’s expression would stiffen, or they’d lose their cool and start getting angry.’
But I was an employee hired specifically to deal with such difficult people.
This was easy.
I smiled back at the beaming customer and spoke.
“Thank you for the advice. How may I assist you today?”
“I’m here because there’s an issue with the suit I purchased here.”
“I see. May I ask what kind of resolution you would prefer? I can assist you with an exchange, a repair, or a refund.”
Hearing that, the customer looked me up and down with a peculiar expression.
Then, ignoring the question about the after-sales service, he began to chatter away about other things.
“By the way, your face is quite pretty. How long has it been since you came to San Diego?”
“I was born and raised in San Diego, so it’s been as long as I’ve been alive.”
“I never would have guessed you were from San Diego!”
The man laughed refreshingly and asked.
“It’s quite fascinating because I haven’t seen many Asians who carry themselves so well… You look to be about 6 feet tall, and your build is quite good, too. Other than the different eye colors, there’s nothing flawed about your appearance, so you must have been quite popular. No, perhaps you gained a niche popularity because of those different colored eyes.”
Listening to the subtle harassment he spewed, I thought, ‘So this is why Calvin, the manager, was crying.’
‘But Manager, people like this are usually just looking for someone to talk to.’
Seeing how he constantly observed his counterpart and tried to strike up a conversation, this wasn’t exactly a ‘difficult customer’ in the traditional sense, but rather… that.
‘The type who lacks tact but loves to talk.’
A free spirit wandering here and there in need of an audience.
And usually, these types become docile once you let them say everything they want to say.
I began to actively agree with his stories.
“Thank you for the compliment. You also have such wonderful blonde hair and a very sharp style, so I imagine you were quite popular yourself, sir.”
“Ah! It’s embarrassing to say, but I was indeed quite popular during my college days. Back when I was on the rugby team…”
The result?
After two and a half hours of chatting, the customer left in a great mood, having spent an additional $3,000 as if possessed, and even left feedback for the manager saying, ‘This employee is so kind!’
I watched the back of his head as he left and thought to myself.
‘Go home and scream when you see the receipt. If you’re going to make my manager cry, you should at least pay that much.’
After seeing the customer off, I popped a mint candy into my mouth.
My throat felt scratchy from talking so much.
It was around then that the manager ran over and pulled me into a tight hug.
“You’re truly the best!”
“Ugh.”
“Han, there’s really no one better than you when it comes to dealing with people!”
Well, of course.
I’ve been working here for three years solely handling difficult customers because I’m good at this.
‘Even though they hired me specifically for the difficult ones, they still shower me with praise every time.’
There probably aren’t many managers as good-natured as this one.
“Thanks for the praise, Calvin. Now you can focus on your other work.”
“Oh, where are my manners? I have to go process some reports.”
“Go ahead. I’ll contact you if anything comes up.”
“Would you? Please!”
“Yes, Calvin.”
Receiving my farewell, the manager headed straight for the office.
I then returned to the staff lounge, as I hadn’t properly changed my pants and shoes yet.
While I was changing, McQueen, whom I had met earlier, came back.
“I heard you handled another one today?”
“He was just a talkative customer.”
“I can’t believe you even call him a customer; you’ve got a strong stomach. He was picking you apart piece by piece.”
“He does that to find common ground. He scrutinizes people like that to find something to talk about. It’s not a good habit, but I can see why he developed it.”
McQueen responded with a hum, seemingly uninterested in that explanation.
Then, he suddenly threw out a question.
“So, how much did you get out of him this time?”
“Three thousand dollars.”
“Good job! You got rid of the nuisance and boosted sales! Your incentives this month are going to be sweet.”
“Thanks for the compliment.”
I gave McQueen a smile and turned back toward my locker to finish changing.
Then, McQueen pulled out his smartphone and shoved an image in front of my eyes.
“More importantly, look at this. I bought this.”
An image of a man appeared on the screen.
A face crafted as if it were a sculpture.
Dark ashen hair, and silver eyes that sparkled enough to be blinding.
Was there anyone who wouldn’t recognize this man?
‘Caesar Ohon.’
This man with the unique surname was a famous fitness model, the second son of the Ohon family, and their representative face.
‘I heard he recently poured $200 million into a medical foundation, perhaps because he lost an eye when he was young.’
It was a fortune on par with a local government’s budget.
Thanks to that, patients who couldn’t afford surgery or those who needed sudden emergency operations received immense help.
Among them were the parents of the man standing before me, McCauley McQueen.
“Are you trying to pay Caesar back? Is that why you chose a product he models for?”
“I didn’t think that far into it; it’s just, you know, it’s nice.”
McQueen said with a shy smile.
“When the surgery bill came out to $300,000, and the insurance claim was denied because they said it was my parents’ fault… I really felt like the world was ending.”
“Anyone would have been shocked.”
“But the Caesar Foundation covered that money. How could I not feel fond of this person?”
He turned the phone back to look at the screen and smiled.
“This person must be a messenger sent by God. An angel.”
It was excessive praise, but considering what McQueen had gone through, it was understandable.
I gave McQueen a light pat on the shoulder and smiled.
“So, what did you buy? I was too busy looking at the face to see the actual product.”
“Ah! It’s this. A waterproof smartwatch. I ordered it to use when I go surfing this summer. I happened to need a fully waterproof watch, and since Caesar is advertising it, I bought it immediately.”
“Does it work even when submerged? Then I’m interested too.”
Since I was planning to try snorkeling, I became interested in McQueen’s story.
Seeing my interest, McQueen began to excitedly explain the product Caesar advertised in great detail.
“I heard it was built to withstand quite high water pressure. I saw the product test video, and…”
And that was how I was swayed by McQueen’s brilliant sales pitch and ended up purchasing a waterproof smartwatch.
Yes, that product Caesar advertised.
…At the time I bought it, I never imagined I’d end up getting tangled with the model himself rather than the product to a tedious degree.
What on earth did I do wrong?
So, let’s start retracing my memories from here.
