SHORELINE, Wash. — For 17-year-old Livi Herman, the walk to The Little Store in Shoreline has been a constant in her life for the past decade. It's the same path she's taken since her parents first deemed her old enough to make the as a 10-year-old — a rite of passage that generations of local children have experienced.

"For me it's just a kind and welcoming space to be in," Herman said. "Go buy water balloons and make a day out of it."

The Gwak family has operated The Little Store for 19 years, opening 12 hours a day, every day. They closed for just three hours when their son Andy graduated from college — nearly the only break they've taken in two decades.

The Korean immigrants never expected to get rich selling everything from candy to candles. They simply wanted to contribute to thei

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