Love Shot - Exo Mafia AU (1/4)

3

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Kim Yeo-Reom' s POV.
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There should be a limit to the amount of karma a person should be allowed to suffer. I'd had enough run-ins with karma to know her on a personal level, we had mani-pedi sessions weekly. Still, I couldn't help but wonder if all my encounters with her stemmed from sheer bad luck or because of some weird karma magnet I carried around, absorbing everyone else's shitty luck as I passed them. Probably the latter.

My superstitious thinking followed me as I dug my way through the steadily busying streets of Itaewon, the sun was only just setting over the horizon, the orange hues turning to purple. Business owners were readying for the night ahead, their restaurants bursting to life with lights and music and taxis pulled up along both ends of the street, preparing for customers. Itaewon was known for its busy night life and while so many people flocked there to enjoy the noise and bustle...I was less of a fan. After working on the main street for three years now, I'd had more than one unfortunate encounter with perverted drunk men, nosey police officers and even, on one occasion, cult members trying to hire.

I worked at a bar, a place so rundown that when the sign fell down years ago nobody bothered to put it back up so now all the new workers had to guess the bar's name when they started working. I had settled on Rad Toad after three weeks of guessing and my co-workers had agreed that it was the most likely option.

Though the bar wasn't the best place to work, we didn't have to present any qualifications or identification to work there and for the most part, it covered my rent. Did it bother me particularly that the owner was an angry, little, old man with a tendency to steal the tips that were left at the bar? Not really. He was the best of all the bosses I'd had so far, at least this boss never asked any of the female staff for sexual favours, all he did was threaten to fire us every three seconds of the day, for any mistake. I'd made a mistake; I didn't show up for my shift after passing out at home after returning from the hospital.

Which was why I walked into the bar holding my breath, trying to creep into the backroom without being spotted. I blanched as I caught sight of the bar owner leaning against the bar, talking to the bartender currently on shift, Han-Gui, a glass of whiskey in his hand.

Han-Gui raised his head to me, a smirk covering his face and the owner quickly turned as well, glaring at my attempts of sneaking away.

I bowed quickly, trying to force the most believable smile I possibly could, "Good afternoon, Sir, I hope you're—"

"Save the bullshit, kid," The owner slammed his glass down the bar, his thick brows furrowing together, "Do you know how much you inconvenienced us all here last night? I had to ask Mi-Jin to come in for overtime! Do you know how much that cost me?"

Probably about thirty dollars give or take, he'd probably stole Mi-Jin's tips anyway. 

I bowed again, fiddling with the skin around my thumb, picking at it, "I'm sorry, I know I caused a big inconvenience and I promise it will never happen again—"

The owner scoffed, "You're damn right it won't because you're fired."

I snapped my head up, straightening out sharply, my nail accidently going too deep and digging into my finger, drawing blood, "What? No! I need this job."

The owner was barely listening already, pulling out his phone, "You should have thought about that before you wanted to miss a shift."

I swung the bag that was resting on my shoulders around, looking inside it for the medical letter I had been given at the hospital, "I didn't miss a shift by choice, I was in the hospital! I nearly died; I have the proof right here—"