It is Penny’s first day of work, and she’s already running late, gasping and panting, with beads of sweat on the bridge of her nose. She had a celebratory dinner with her family yesterday before chatting the night away with her friends, hence the oversleeping.
Today, the city is especially busy with locals and out-of-town sleep customers. Penny quickly pushes through the crowd, knocking shoulders and apologizing. She finally catches her breath when she arrives at the back alley of the Dallergut Department Store. She might just make it on time.
As she steps inside the department store, she is greeted by an enormous throng of customers. At the lobby’s front desk, an employee is making announcements into a microphone. It is the same middle-aged woman Penny saw yesterday, who was busy on the phone.
“Attention, new out-of-town customers. All costs are deferred! You may leave once you receive your dream! Hey, Dojicom siblings! That doesn’t apply to you. You guys come and pay first!” A young, freckled brother and sister get caught trying to sneak through the back door. They trudge toward the front desk.
Penny is confused about whether she should go to Dallergut’s office first or just change into her employee apron. In her waffling, someone yanks her by the hem and pulls her behind the front desk.
“You’re new today, right? Nice to meet you. Now stay on your toes. We have a busy day today.” The middle-aged woman who was just giving announcements smiles at Penny. “My name is Weather,” she continues. “I’m the first-floor manager. But forget the title, just call me Weather. I have a daughter around your age and a baby boy. Been working here for thirty years. That’s pretty much all you need to know about me.”
She seems bright and cool but looks exhausted. Her red curly hair is drooping, and her voice has gone raspy.
“Hi, Weather. I’m Penny. And you’re right. Today’s my first day. And so… What should I do first?”
“Dallergut asked me to give you a tour. As you know, each of our five floors sells different genres of dreams. You don’t need to worry about the first floor—Dallergut and myself, with other veteran employees, handle the customers here. From the second to the fifth floor, you’ll go upstairs and meet each floor manager. They’ll explain their floors to you. Then, you can tell us which floor you want to work on. But if none of the managers like you, well, you may have to go home…”
Penny blinks her large eyes in shock.
“I was just joking.” Weather shakes her hand. She looks hot, and as she takes off her jacket, her shirt is drenched with sweat, even with the air-conditioning. “Now, off you go. I gotta get back to work. So many customers today.”
Penny departs, and Weather quickly disappears behind a flock of customers pushing toward the front desk. She can hear her yelling, “What about ‘The Reunion with an Old Friend’ product? There’s only one left in stock on the second floor! Were you asking what kind of old friend it would be? I have no idea! Possibly a childhood friend that you still remember?”
“‘Three Nights in the Maldives’ was out of stock as soon as they came in.”
“I’m sorry, but this dream is already reserved. No ripping the package!”
“Chuck Dale’s ‘Five Senses of Sensual Dream Series’ was just taken a minute ago by a group of teenage customers.”
“All floors will be sold out soon. ALL DREAMS WILL BE SOLD OUT SOON!”
Away from Weather’s desperate calls, Penny turns toward the elevator. There’s already a long line forming, so she decides to take the staircase next to Dallergut’s office. She wonders if she should stop by and say hello, but after seeing a handwritten sign that reads Temporarily Away she decides to return later. Dallergut’s printer must still be broken. The wooden staircases are so steep that by the time Penny reaches the second floor, her thighs already feel numb. At least she won’t need additional workouts.
At first glance, the second floor looks clean, without a speck of dust. A simple wooden interior and evenly placed lighting fixtures. Even the product tags look as consistent as clockwork. Most of the display stands are empty, but the few items still in stock are placed at exactly the same angle, each with the same ribbon tied to them. The employees in their aprons walk around the display stands, conscientious and anxious as they look after the prospective buyers, who inspect various products and put them back in a disorderly fashion.
While the first floor sells only a handful of high-end, popular or limited-edition, preordered products, the second floor sells more generic dreams. Also known as “The Daily” corner, the second floor displays dreams of simplicity. Dreams of quick getaways, hanging out with friends, and enjoying good food.
In front of the staircase where Penny stands is a display case marked Memories. Inside it is a luxurious leather case labeled No Refund Once Unsealed. Only a few dreams remain.
“What is this dream about?” a woman calls after examining a product.
“It replays a favorite childhood memory in your dream! The stories differ depending on the dreamer. In my case, I had a dream where I lay on my mother’s lap while she cleaned my ears. Her scent and the languid atmosphere—it was all so real. It was wonderful.” The employee stares into space, daydreaming.
“I’ll have it, then. Can I buy a few?”
“Of course. Lots of customers buy two or three a night.”
Penny stands on her tiptoes to get a better look at the second floor. A middle-aged man who seems to be the floor manager is talking to a customer in a corner that has been decorated like a modern bedroom. Penny carefully approaches him so as not to interrupt their conversation.
His look really does scream “Manager.” While all other employees wear aprons and a brooch carved with the number “2,” he flaunts a lavish jacket, the brooch on his left lapel. He seems wiry and shrewd.
“Why can’t I buy it?” asks a young male customer, confused.
“I’m sorry, but how about you come by another time? I’m afraid you’re too distracted right now, which only obscures the clarity of the dream. It’s better to have a good night’s sleep first. I’ve seen countless customers like yourself whose thoughts creep in and alter their dreams entirely. There’s some amazing onion milk on the next street. It helps with sleep. I’d recommend that you come back when you’re well-rested.”
The customer grumbles and goes off toward the elevator. The man who looks like the manager picks up the product the customer left behind, wipes it with his handkerchief, and places it back on the shelf, carefully straightening the angle.
“Excuse me… Are you the manager for the second floor?” Penny asks cautiously. He’s wearing pristinely ironed trousers, his shoes are spotless, and his mustache is neatly trimmed. His cropped hair is pulled back with oily wax. Penny finds him intimidating.
“Yes, I am. Vigo Myers is my name. First day of work here?”
“Er, yes. I’m Penny. How did you know?” Penny covers her cheeks to hide any indication of “amateur” or “newbie” on her face.
“Customers rarely come to me first. They usually call for other employees. They say I’m not easy to talk to, which I don’t mind. So that gave you away, and you didn’t look familiar. It was a natural deduction.” Myers folds his arms and gives Penny a stern look. “You must be on a floor tour. I remember the boss mentioning you.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Good. Any questions about my floor?”
Penny’s biggest question is how they can tie all those ribbons into such perfect bows atop every single product, but she asks her second-biggest question instead.
“Why didn’t you sell the dream to that customer?”
“Good question.” Myers stretches his arms and strokes one of the display stands. “I’ve meticulously inspected and curated all the dreams on this floor. They’re some of the store’s best products. The last thing I want is for a customer to come back complaining that the dream didn’t live up to expectations. Remember—you shouldn’t sell dreams to just anybody, or you won’t get the compensation each dream deserves.”
Penny knows the store takes deferred payments from out-of-town customers, but that’s all she knows. She nods, pretending she understands, but Myers senses otherwise.
“Newbies these days. I heard all they do is bring a cover letter and have a quick interview with Dallergut. And just like that, they’re in!” Myers scoffs sotto voce.
“Yes… I mean, that’s how I got in, too.”
“Well, that’s preposterous! I’m thinking of requiring another round of tests for the employees on my floor. The instability of dreams, and their malleable and perilous nature, cannot be grasped with moderate knowledge. No, sir! Did you know I double-majored in Dreamatography and Dream Neuroscience? My thesis was published in more academic journals than I can count. My knowledge has been enormously helpful in my work here. Weather may have gotten her manager position on the first floor because she’s worked with Dallergut longer, but I’ve earned my place purely by talent. You don’t think I’m here by luck, do you?”
“Of course not. That’s amazing!”
Penny doesn’t want to take extra tests just to work on the second floor. It seems that Myers realizes this, as he steps back to shout at his employees. “All right, everyone! All remaining items on the third display be consolidated to the first! Let’s move. Chop-chop!”
“Yes, manager!”
The employees activate at Myers’s command. Their smooth linen aprons make Penny keenly aware of the wrinkled edges of her blouse, which she struggles to pull straight as she heads upstairs.
The third floor is merrier by comparison. The product posters adorning the wall are artfully arranged, forming a colorful, eye-catching wallpaper. A recent hit song plays through the speakers.
The excitement among dream buyers, not to mention the employees, is palpable. One staffer is in full sales mode with a customer, intent on selling a fancy dream box with powder-pink, heart-shaped ornaments dangling from it.
“Chuck Dale’s Sensual Dream Series is always out of stock. How about this one by Keith Gruer? If you’re lucky enough, you might go on a dream date with your dream date in your dream!” As the customer nods with interest, the employee adds, almost inaudibly, “The caveat is that depending on your condition, the person you go on a date with may be completely random.”
From THE DALLERGUT DREAM DEPARTMENT STORE by Miye Lee. Translated by Sandy Joosun Lee. Published by Hanover Square Press, an imprint of HarperCollins (2024). Copyright 2020 Miye Lee.
THE #1 KOREAN BESTSELLER WITH OVER A MILLION COPIES SOLD
For fans of magical realism and the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series by Toshikazu Kawaguchi comes this cozy fantasy debut.
What if there was a store that sold dreams? Which would you buy? And who might you become when you wake up?
In a mysterious town hidden in our collective subconscious there's a department store that sells dreams. Day and night, visitors both human and animal shuffle in to purchase their latest adventure. Each floor specializes in a specific type of dream: childhood memories, food dreams, ice skating, dreams of stardom. Flying dreams are almost always sold out. Some seek dreams of loved ones who have died.
For Penny, an enthusiastic new hire, working at Dallergut is the opportunity of a lifetime. As she uncovers the workings of this whimsical world, she bonds with a cast of unforgettable characters, including Dallergut, the flamboyant and wise owner, Babynap Rockabye, a famous dream designer, Maxim, a nightmare producer, and the many customers who dream to heal, dream to grow, and dream to flourish.
A captivating story that will leave a lingering magical feeling in readers' minds, this is the first book in a bestselling duology for anyone exhausted from the reality of their daily life.
Fantasy Magical Realism [Hanover Square Press, On Sale: July 9, 2024, Hardcover / e-Book, ISBN: 9781335081179 / eISBN: 9780369749352]
MIYE LEE was born in Busan in 1990. After graduating from the Busan National University School of Materials Science and Engineering, she worked as a semiconductor engineer at Samsung Electronics. Her debut novel, The Dallergut Dream Department Store, was published entirely funded through a crowdfunding service in Korea in 2020 and has since drawn many enthusiastic responses and favorable reviews.
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