The Inconvenient Convenience Store
Tags
Summary
Then one day, after wresting a stranger's wallet back from a pickpocket, the woman drags him to her own convenience store to work the night shift.
This little shop, called "always," is always short of goods, always short-staffed, and the neighborhood has nicknamed it the "Inconvenient Convenience Store."
By a twist of fate, he goes from homeless man to working man—helping a college-student clerk become a convenience-store internet sensation, helping the fake detective who was tailing him find a new job, and even getting the sharp-tongued auntie, whose temper is as foul as her mouth, to lower her guard... The secret weapon behind it all is the seemingly ordinary convenience-store food—
· Triangular rice balls that wrap up worries
· A land-and-sea bento that summons inspiration
· Corn-silk tea that keeps a drunkard drinking more and more
· A "Golden Triangle" set that quickly recharges late-night workers
...
On winter nights the convenience store is warm; every item of food steams, the heater hums beside the outdoor table, and now and then the night clerk's clumsy, friendly greeting rings out. Standing alone at the edge of his own life, he fishes up one sinking soul after another and shelters countless wandering hearts.
Editor's review
As an editor, I believe the book's core appeal lies in its anti-formula narrative. It has no grand heroic epic; instead, its lens is trained on ordinary people squeezed by life: a white-collar worker who quit, a frustrated writer, a middle-aged man estranged from his family, a designated driver rushing to make a living... The 24-hour cramped space of the convenience store becomes a miniature of the modern city and a temporary haven for all lonely souls. Kim Ho-yeon's writing is restrained and precise; he excels at unearthing unnoticed kindness and the longing for connection deep in human nature from trivial daily conversations and inconvenient service details. The setup of Dokgo, a man with amnesia, is especially ingenious: his "blankness" becomes a mirror that reflects each customer's inner troubles and true needs.
The value of this book goes far beyond a warm story. It is a gentle reflection on a highly convenient, efficiency-first modern society. When everything pursues "click-and-get," those seemingly inefficient "inconveniences"—a patient listen, a superfluous connection, a clumsy act of care—become precious media for repairing human fractures and recovering a sense of real life. The book's explorations of the meaning of work, family bonds, and self-worth will resonate strongly with urban readers. It is not a self-help book that offers answers but a mirror in which you see yourself in others' stories and draw some comfort and courage.
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Readers worn out and alienated by city life who crave emotional resonance
- Literary lovers who enjoy observing the details of human nature and savor everyday warmth
- Readers interested in contemporary Korean society and culture who want to understand the real circumstances of ordinary people
- Young people searching for meaning in life who need to be healed by a simple story
Not a good fit for
- Fans of suspense or action novels who want strong plots, fast pacing, and intense conflict
- Practical-minded readers hoping for concrete methods or success-guidance
Reading tips
- Read it alone or when relaxing before bed; it is easier to enter that quiet, focused "convenience store" atmosphere
- Pay attention to how the storylines of different customers intertwine, and appreciate the author's ingenuity in structuring the story
- After finishing, you might ask yourself: is there a corner or relationship in my life that offers "inconvenient" yet precious warmth?
About the publisher
Zhejiang Education Publishing House is a professional publisher focusing on educational publishing while also serving general readers and academic accumulation, with publications covering textbooks, educational readers, popular science, and academic works. Judging from the more than 1,000 titles in the database, the press places considerable emphasis on classics and traditional culture for general readers: modern literature includes Lao She's Camel Xiangzi, Lu Xun's Call to Arms and Wandering and Wild Grass, Xiao Hong's The Story of Hulan River, and Zhu Ziqing's Back View; classical poetry includes Three Hundred Tang Poems and selections from the "Good Chinese Poetry" series, such as the Chu Ci and Qing ci anthologies. Related authors include modern writers such as Lao She, Lu Xun, Xiao Hong, and Zhu Ziqing, as well as classical literature selectors and annotators such as Hengtang Tuishi, Jin Xingyao, Jin Kaicheng, and Qian Zhonglian. Common categories in the database also include social novels, classic works, prose and miscellaneous writings, popular science, and inspirational growth, reflecting a publishing orientation that balances educational service with the popularization of public culture.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 第一章 “山珍海味”便当
- 第二章 极品中的极品
- 第三章 三角饭团的用途
- 第四章 买一赠一
- 第五章 不便的便利店
- 第六章 四罐一万块
- 第七章 虽然是下架商品，但还能吃
- 第八章 ALWAYS
- 致谢
FAQ
How is this book different from ordinary healing fiction?
Isn't the amnesia setup for the protagonist Dokgo a bit clichéd?
What exactly does the "inconvenience" in the book refer to?
Comments
Find this book
This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.
About the author
Kim Ho-yeon is a foreign-literature author about whom limited public information is available. The library currently holds only one work by this author, The Inconvenient Convenience Store. Judging from the available information, this work is classified under foreign literature and serves as the main entry point for readers to learn about the author. Since the author's nationality, dates of birth and death, English name, and personal background are not clearly recorded, no speculation is made here. As for the work itself, The Inconvenient Convenience Store takes the everyday space of a convenience store as its starting point; its subject matter stays close to ordinary people's lives and carries the readability and slice-of-life flavor of popular fiction, making it suitable for readers interested in foreign literature, especially works of everyday narrative. Overall, Kim Ho-yeon's creative profile still awaits further material, and the author's writing style and literary influence will depend on future translation and critical reception of more works.
Public information about Zhu Xuan is limited, and details such as her nationality, dates of birth and death, and English name remain unknown. Judging from the four works held in the collection, her writing spans different genres: on the one hand, foreign-literature works such as Welcome to the Hunandong Bookstore and The Inconvenient Convenience Store, which are set in bookstores and convenience stores; on the other, computer-science titles, including A Guide to the Metaverse: New Opportunities in the Virtual World. In addition, the title If You Fall, Just Lie There for a While suggests a light, comforting style of life writing. Overall, Zhu Xuan moves between fictional narrative and technological topics, showing an interest in everyday spaces and emerging technologies. Her subjects are varied, and her style is best appreciated by reading the works themselves.
