Chapter 2
The title floating above Ji-eun's head was noticeable, but what really caught my eye was the sentence below it.
[Convenience Store Expert Park Ji-eun]
Copy Condition: She wants to escape this situation. Say you'll take over the part-timer role instead of her.
Upon Copy: You will acquire the knowledge and actions related to the title.
I slowly turned the sentence over in my mind.
'If I copy the title, does that mean I copy the abilities and actions too?
It meant I could make Park Ji-eun's expert part-timing skills my own.
But there was a prerequisite.
'A situation she wants to escape.'
I lifted my head and looked at her again.
Her expression was flustered by the assistant director's sudden request.
She took a small step back, a subtle movement, and pressed her lips together, trying hard to hide her expression.
'...It's a perfect match.'
She was a kind girl who usually followed me around like a real brother.
But now, she was looking only at me.
Her eyes seemed to be pleading for help.
And the way to help was—
to act instead of her.
My throat went dry.
As I turned my head, a paper in one of the staff member's hands caught my eye.
The shooting script.
Scene 07 - In front of the convenience store counter
Customer: "What kind of product is this?"
Employee: "The vitality vitamin for millennials!"
(The employee smiles brightly and recommends the drink.)
Customer: "Oh~ Is it popular?"
Employee: "Of course! It's the hottest item these days!"
(The customer nods and takes the product.)
Cut to black. (End of scene)
...Just two lines.
It was a much simpler scene than I expected.
There were no long dialogues, no need to build strong emotion. I just had to say it naturally.
I was an actor once, after all.
It had been a long time since I left the stage, but I couldn't shake the habit of muttering lines to myself in front of the mirror every night.
Only in secret, where no one could see.
But my 'camera phobia' was still there. Just the thought of a lens made me feel short of breath, and a cold sweat would break out.
And yet, when I opened a script, the scene would form in my mind. The camera angles, the direction of the lighting, the rhythm of the lines. My body still remembered the flow.
As if the desire to stand on stage had never disappeared.
'If it's just this much... can I really do it?
Fear and anticipation collided.
My fingertips trembled slightly, but—
there was someone here who was trembling more than I was.
Park Ji-eun.
The girl who usually followed me like a real brother, always smiling brightly.
But now, she was looking at me with worried eyes.
Lips pressed tight, shrinking back. A gaze pleading for help.
'Right, if I turn my back now... I'll be less than human.'
Honestly, I was scared too.
My mind was filled with signals screaming 'don't do it,' and my heart was pounding like it was going to burst.
But—
'If I can't even do this much... I might really have to consider a different path.'
I took a calm breath and exhaled.
Then I raised my head and opened my mouth to speak to the assistant director.
"...I'll do it."
In that moment, a bright light spread across Ji-eun's worried face. She let out a soft sigh of relief and looked at me.
"Oppa...."
The gratitude and reassurance packed into that one short word.
I gave a silent nod.
But the assistant director's expression changed.
The look on his face, which had at first seemed to regard me as a mere substitute, quickly turned to curiosity.
He scanned me from head to toe, then crossed his arms and fixed his gaze on me for a moment.
His eyes narrowed slightly, and a faint smile played on his lips.
"You'll really do it?"
A strange sense of anticipation mixed into his words.
"Good skin tone... and great looks..."
The director, who had been muttering to himself, nodded and quickly clapped his hands.
"Great! This is much better! I bet you'll look great on camera. I'll give you a special bonus on your pay!"
"Haha... thank you."
I let out an awkward laugh, but the assistant director's reaction was no joke.
His eyes held both anticipation and satisfaction.
An inexplicable emotion washed over me from behind my smile.
The fact that I had been forgotten as an actor.
The reality that no one, not even a director on set, let alone the public, recognized me.
And—
[You have acquired the title 'Convenience Store Expert'.]
The moment the sentence appeared before my eyes, my breath caught in my throat.
"...Did it really work?"
The words slipped from my mouth unintentionally.
And in that very moment—
"Hahaha! Are you interested in acting?!"
The assistant director slapped my back and burst out laughing. I was taken aback by his response, but I quickly realized.
He had misunderstood my words and thought it was delight at having gotten the part.
"Hey! Get his clothes ready, now! Finish the preparations for shooting in 10 minutes!"
"Yes, director!"
The staff moved quickly, and the set came alive with bustle in an instant.
"Wow~ Oppa, thank you so much."
Ji-eun clapped her hands together, smiling brightly.
"Ever since I embarrassed myself in a play when I was little, I don't even watch dramas."
Park Ji-eun smiled awkwardly, but my attention was already somewhere else entirely.
'I... I really got the title.'
This wasn't an illusion or a dream.
It was a reality happening right before my eyes.
'If this ability really exists... what kind of effect does it have?'
As I was thinking about the title, the familiar window opened again.
Title List.
Inside, 'Convenience Store Expert,' which I had just acquired, was registered.
With a trembling fingertip, I pressed the title.
[Would you like to equip this title?]
[Yes/No]
'Can I even... equip it?
I hesitated for a moment.
But this was why I had come this far, and I knew I would regret it if I didn't check.
I quietly chose [Yes].
[Convenience Store Expert (Pyeondori) Cha Eun-yeol]
The moment the letters changed—
It felt as if my mind had been cracked open, and a vast amount of information flooded in.
How to arrange products, how to use the register, customer service, how to manage the flow of traffic during peak hours...
It wasn't just simple knowledge.
It was as if my body remembered.
As if I was someone who had done this countless times.
It wasn't just a level where I could follow instructions; it was a feeling of knowing how to actually do it with ease.
"What is this...!"
Along with my astonishment came a feeling that my body would move on its own.
It was as if a whole memory of working at a convenience store for a long time had been implanted in me.
If so, how far does this ability reach?
"Huh? I put that there to be arranged."
I heard Ji-eun's voice, but I had already instinctively picked up a can of soda from the counter.
In that moment—
[Drink: Carbonated beverage / Shelf life: 3 months / Display location: Refrigerator, third shelf]
A short burst of information flashed through my mind.
Like a tag that had been attached to it, the data automatically appeared the moment I scanned it with my eyes.
I froze for a second.
'...What? Why did that just pop into my head?'
I rummaged through my pocket and took out a medicine case I had bought earlier.
But this time, nothing appeared.
So it's useless for items not handled in the convenience store.
'In that case, what about other things?'
I looked around.
An unsorted box of snacks and a medicine box caught my eye.
When I saw the familiar product names, the information came to mind naturally this time.
[Hailenol: Dosage 1-2 tablets / Can be sold in convenience stores / No specific X ingredients]
[Daebak-kang: Snack / Shelf life: 6 months / Display location: Aisle 2, Row 3]
Only then did I begin to understand the scope of the title's application.
Products handled in the convenience store, and related situations. As soon as I stepped out of those boundaries, my knowledge remained at an ordinary level.
I looked around and muttered to myself.
"It's not perfect... but this is pretty useful."
If it was this effective in a convenience store—
doesn't that mean that with other titles, I could easily perform other tasks?
For example, if I copied a cooking title, I could be like a chef.
If I got a driving title, I could move like a professional driver.
What if I could make someone else's experience and skills my own, without having to practice myself...?
Just the thought of it made my heart beat a little faster.
This might be more than just an ability; it could be my chance to start over.
But then, a thought crossed my mind—
'But why me, of all people?'
The moment that thought passed through my mind, someone approached from the corner of my eye. It was a man who looked like one of the staff members.
"Hello."
"Ah, yes. Hello..."
I greeted him awkwardly.
"Just do it like this."
He handed me a page from the script.
The shooting script.
I took it without thinking.
In that moment, something crept into my mind and settled there.
It was as if a switch had been flipped; my senses sharpened. An unfamiliar energy flowed through me. My shoulders straightened, and the corners of my lips slowly curled upwards.
Groundless confidence.
Unprovoked vitality.
My heart felt strangely light.
These were not my emotions.
This was clearly a reaction brought on by the title.
And soon enough, a distinct phrase appeared above my head.
[Part-time Convenience Store Employee (Nameless)]
The title itself was familiar, but the word 'Nameless' attached to it bothered me.
'...Nameless?'
For a moment, I unconsciously lifted my head slightly. It felt like that phrase was floating somewhere above my head, even though I couldn't see it.
Why did my name disappear and get replaced by 'Nameless'?
Was it just because I was playing an extra, or did it truly mean I didn't know who I was now?
I quietly lowered my gaze to the script.
- Customer: "What is this product?"
- Employee: "The vitality vitamin for today's youth!"
The short line echoed in my mind.
And I instinctively knew how I should say it.
Brightly and cheerfully.
So delightfully that the customer would naturally take an interest.
With a natural rhythm and tone, without being over-the-top.
This wasn't thought; it was reflex.
Like an already programmed sensation within me.
'...Is this really the power of the title?'
Just then, the staff member handed me a part-timer's vest.
I quietly took it, and as he was looking at my face, he suddenly stopped.
"...Huh? You're the same person from before, right?"
As I looked up, the assistant director who was in front of the camera turned to look at me.
"What's wrong?"
Then his eyes widened as he exclaimed.
"Yeah, this is much better than before! Your expression now is perfect!"
He immediately waved his hand and shouted.
"Great! This feeling is great! Let's start shooting right away!"
I put on the vest over my tracksuit.
The staff member discreetly put away the 'employee concept outfit' that had been set aside.
"This is good as it is. This is much more realistic."
In that moment, the convenience store mirror placed on the side caught my eye.
As I was taking a passing glance, I saw an unfamiliar face.
The corners of my eyes were slightly lifted, and a soft, neat smile spread across my lips.
It was a completely different appearance from the expressionless face I had just this morning.
It was a bright and lively expression.
I was speechless for a moment.
The person in the mirror looked like a stranger.
It was just like that day long ago when I first stood in front of a camera.
The first day of shooting the sitcom.
I was nervous and clumsy, but my eyes were shining with excitement back then.
I smiled slowly, and my reflection's eyes met mine.
In that moment, a chill ran through my entire body.
'Is this... really my expression? Or is it just a shell created by the title?'
If my mood, my expression, and all my current feelings were thanks to the title, then who was I right now?
"...What is this?"
This wasn't simple acting.
It wasn't just making an expression; my very emotions were changing.
In that moment—
"Alright, lighting confirmed! Camera's rolling!"
The sharp shout of the director of photography filled the set.
'Ah... w-wait a minute!'
A familiar, yet strange moment.
The huge lens turned towards me.
My camera phobia was a darkness. A cold, damp place where it was hard to even breathe.
An endless cave, once you fall in, you feel like you can never escape.
Every single time, the camera pushed me into that darkness.
Into a closed-off world where no light could reach.
But now—
Click.
The sound of the camera rolling brightly echoed somewhere in my mind, like the click of a lighter.
That small flame easily illuminated the darkness I had endured for three years.
I took a slow breath.
Then I raised my head and looked straight ahead.
The camera lens was the same, but—
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