Saeron stood outside the little pharmaceutics store on the edge of town, arms crossed, and wondering if she should go in.
Her head was pounding. It had been pounding non-stop for almost a week. She had emptied a bottle of Advil, developed a tolerance for Tylenol, and raided Kahi's bathroom cabinet for prescription painkillers.
It was getting so bad, Saeron was considering attacking the hospital and stealing their entire store of morphine.
Mark was across the street at the gas station, pumping some air into his flat tire. Earlier he'd ridden his bike over a sharp rock, bursting the tire and causing him to go sprawling all over the road.
It had been really funny, and normally Saeron would have laughed at him. But she felt too queasy to laugh.
It wasn't fair to Mark. He was starting to notice, no matter how hard Saeron tried to keep it hidden. But with the pills wearing off, she was quickly becoming the world's worst person to go on a date with. So she told him she was popping across the street to the little store to find something to eat.
Closing her eyes, Saeron tried to think.
How had this started?
Had there been any indications?
When did her first headache come?
Wednesday?
Nothing special had happened on Wednesday.
Now that she thought about it, though, Tuesday night had been a little odd. Raven's Day came to visit again.
As far as Saeron knew, they'd stopped pressing to buy out their shop. But last Tuesday Yeon was in again, talking in hushed tones to Kahi over the counter. Saeron had been putting some new flowers on the shelf before closing.
"You know you can't afford to stay open by yourselves," Yeon hissed.
"I think you have it backwards," Kahi replied calmly. "We are perfectly fine. It's you who needs us to keep your business afloat."
Yeon was without her loyal employees that day. Saeron remembered, because the one with the tongue piercings always creeped her out.
"Now, get out of my shop before I have my brother throw you out," Kahi said coldly. "Or better yet, I'll throw you out myself."
Yeon barked in laughter. "You couldn't throw me out of you tried," she said cruelly.
Saeron stifled a laugh. Clearly Yeon knew nothing if she thought that. Kahi still held the leading softball champion position in Seoul. She could probably lift all three of them over her head at once if she tried.
Unfortunately, she didn't stifle her laughter enough. Silence fell across the two women at the counter. Then the sound of heels started, and suddenly Yeon whipped around the aisle Saeron was standing in.
"Something funny?" She seethed, red with anger.
"Yeon!" Kahi came storming behind her, but the woman wasn't done.
"You don't get to laugh at me," she threatened, voice hissing like a rattlesnake. "I'm going to tear this company down brick by ugly brick, so I suggest you start showing me some respect, little girl."
"Nam Yeon!" Kahi's voice was dangerous. "Leave. Now."
Saeron tensed. She was ready to put up a fight if necessary. But Yeon had stopped paying attention to her, and was now flicking her eyes back and forth between the two. Finally, she gave Saeron a withering look.
