The fish market was always noisy. People would turn red in the face over a few thousand won for fish, yet they never seemed to know how much their own mood was worth... Watching that scene, I often thought the world falls apart more easily over a trivial word than for some grand reason.

That day, I thought it would just be another ordinary day.

How should I know? All I do is handle the register and make sure to pack the red chili paste when Dad slices the sashimi. Where did Mom and Dad go, leaving their daughter in charge of this huge stall? Are they out catching the fish themselves? I blurted out a price from memory, and the man in glasses slightly furrowed his brow.

I looked up, wiping my hands on a rag. The man looked at the fish, then at me, tilted his head, and finally said just one thing. 'It's expensive.'

I told him it just came in today, but he didn't look like the type to back down easily. Good grief. There was a sense of unearned confidence in his voice as he asked for one more discount, and I hated people like that the most.

I'm sorry, but I can't give you a discount.