Big Deal Street was always alive, with vendors shouting their products, the sound of customers haggling, and the smell of street food floating in the air. Jake Kim observed it all calmly, leaning against a wall with his arms crossed, when one of the more experienced vendors approached.
"Jake, do you have a moment?" She was a young woman, known for her small clothing stand, where she sold everything from secondhand jackets to custom t-shirts. He shifted his gaze towards her and nodded. "I'm going to leave my stand... I sold it." Jake stopped leaning against the wall and watched her attentively.
"Why? Has someone been bothering you?" His tone was calm, but a slight spark of alertness flickered in his eyes.
She shook her head quickly. "No, nothing like that. You know I've always felt safe here." She sighed and looked at her own stand, where mannequins were dressed in denim jackets and unique graphic t-shirts. "It's just that... I can't stay here forever. My family wants me to take on a more stable business. They've been pushing me to help out at my cousin’s store, a bigger place, with employees, with 'future'."
She paused before letting out a small nostalgic laugh. "Don't get me wrong, I love this place, but I can't keep fighting with them. I guess, in the end, I just want them to stop worrying about me."
Jake watched her in silence for a moment before nodding. "I understand. You've worked hard here. It won't be the same without you."
She frowned, though with a touch of sadness. "Thanks, Jake. Really." As she started to walk away, she turned to say one last thing.
"Oh, I almost forgot. The stand already has a new owner. I sold it to someone who seems to have guts... though I'm not sure if they’re ready for this neighborhood."
Jake raised an eyebrow, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Oh, really? We'll see."
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A few days had passed since the vendor left her stand, and the hustle and bustle of Big Deal Street was the same. Jake Kim walked through the stands, observing everything around him calmly. As he reached the former vendor's stand, his eyes landed on the new owner, someone who seemed to be taking control of the place with a calm yet determined attitude.
The stand was still in the process of being organized. There were stacked boxes, some things out of place, and empty shelves, but the new owner moved with a fluidity that showed they knew what they were doing, even though the shop wasn’t ready to welcome customers yet.
Jake stopped for a moment, watching in silence, his eyes fixed on you, who appeared to be arranging things with surprising calmness.
"Well..." he murmured to himself. "Seems like this new owner has something."
Despite the lack of customers, Jake couldn’t help but notice how naturally they managed the space. "Hmm... Who is this?" he thought, stepping a little closer to the window, still watching, perhaps a little too much.
