Underground Hatred - My Hero Origins (MHO)

7: The Magic of a Brick Against a Coworker

Word Count: 3660

TW: Slight Blood, Violence

(Kat)

"You seem to be in a good mood."

While Kat slung her purse over her shoulder, she peered over to where the person who spoke stood. A man was gathering his wallet and keys from a locker, throwing the apron with the supermarket's logo on it into the cubby. He had a bit of a heavy set, but held a friendly, permanent smile that warmed the room wherever he went. His eyes sparkled with curiosity Kat's way, intrigued with the girl's good mood.

"Yeah," Kat breathed out, her own smile against her lips. She reached back and tied her auburn hair into a low, loose ponytail with a hair tie on her wrist. Her hands mindlessly fluffed the ends slightly and fixed the front to let a few small strands escape. "I'm meeting up with a friend after work. I haven't had a break lately, so I'm excited."

Her chest fluttered with her stomach. A tickle ate at the base of her brain, but she pushed away the odd feeling, too focused on her mission to pay any mind to it.

"'A friend?'" the man laughed slightly, his voice jingling like soft bells, eyes crinkling at the sides. "You look like you're getting ready for a date."

Kat paused for a brief second, staring blankly at the man with her mouth open. Her brain attempted to compute his comment, which took a good minute. An awkward laugh exploded out. "N—No, it's just with a friend! I'm pretty sure if I was dating anyone, word would get around quick, Sean."

"I'm teasing you, Kat," Sean reassured with a small laugh. He closed his locker with a slight slam, echoing in the staff room. "I'm glad to see you in a good mood. For once someone has high spirits when leaving this place."

"What do you mean? You're always in a good mood when you leave," Kat pointed out. She closed her locker, but her push was a little more forceful; the cabinet tended to be finicky.

Sean shook his head in return. "I'm apathetic at best. I keep a smile to hopefully make someone else smile. Gotta keep the crew engaged, right?"

Her teeth bit down on her, chapped bottom lip as Kat thought over that. She bounced her head from side to side, considering the fact. "You've got a point. It feels like I'm dragging my feet at points."

"Try giving someone a smile and a goodnight when you leave. It can cheer them up." His eyes peeked at the phone in left hand, glancing at the lock screen. With his shoulders bobbing once up and down, he gave a wave to Kat and took a step back towards the door. "I'll see you tomorrow, Kat. I need to go see the boss-man for a few minutes. Take care."

As Sean spun on his heel to meander out of the staff room, Kat said, "Goodnight Sean."

The door closed behind the man, leaving Kat to herself in the small room. The curtained windows hid a darkening world, where cold swirled in gusts of wind from the north. The northern breeze banged the glass, the fluorescent lights above blinding with their hum to accompany them. An open, unused candle was on the table of the break area, wafting a citrus-like smell to circulate the room. The room had an industrial vibe, but was clean and sleek to give a professional clash with the industry.

Kat slid on her brown cardigan over the deep green t-shirt she adopted from the thrift store before tragedy struck. She slid it over her purse to avoid battling with the strap that was labeled as annoying anyways. Even with the cardigan, she continued to be slightly chilly. She peered down to her worn, black sneakers and black leggings, beginning to blame the lack of insulated clothing. Though, one of her hands snaked up and grabbed a stray piece of hair that had been freed from its ponytail and examined it between her fingertips.