Hooked ◇ L.Jeno

◇8

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Standing in front of the store, she read the name of the place she worked at over and over again. Hesitation filled her mind as she worried about what her manager would do considering the fact that she was over an hour late for her shift.

She pushed open the heavy door, hoping it didn't make any noise. She couldn't be more wrong. The bell above her head that had slipped her mind rang through her ears, startling her. 

It was a weekday, and the grocery store was usually empty, the customers busy with work at the time. And that's exactly what it was. No soul in sight, not even her manager was around which made the anxious feeling disappear from her mind.

A breath that she held escaped her lips, and she made her way to the counter, trying to blend in and make it seem like she had been there the whole time. 

Throwing her bag on the seat at behind the counter, the screech of the chair legs dragging on the floor resonated through the empty place, she couldn't help but feel lonely.

Sure she preferred to be alone most of the time, but experiencing some kind of companionship in the morning with the boy, her trainer, she realised how friendless she was for the past few years.

She went over her conversations with Jeno that morning, something she always happened to overthink about.

What if he didn't want to talk to me?

What if he was just making small talk for formality's sake?

Maybe he just wanted to be alone.

Oh god was I annoying with all those questions?

He's probably going to avoid me now. 

Way to go Damhee, you ruined it. You ruin everything.

Her mind flooded with what ifs and maybes, a small voice in the sidelines scolding her for over analysing a simple conversation that went unheard.

Anyone who was looking at her could easily tell she was deep in thought and unresponsive to others. Her eyes stared at a random snack in front of her, mind finally going blank from the invasive thoughts as she snapped out of the trance.

Looking down, she played with the lighter she always had with her. The cheap metal covering it riddled with scratches, years of manhandling ruining its state. 

She flipped it open, closed it, flipped it open and closed it again.

The clink of metal snapping out and back into place resonated along the walls of the small store, her habit so annoying she could hear the voice of her mom scolding her in the background. 

Wow that was so long ago.

It amazed her how quickly she was able to switch topics to worry or over think about. Now her thoughts were filled with her mother, someone she had tried to forget about for almost two years now. 

But here she was, still thinking about the woman who unfortunately seemed to have some kind of control on her. 

Damhee shook her head, trying to rid herself of the image of her mother looming in her subconscious, clinging like ivy to the back of her mind.

" Hello Damhee- how have you been?"

Damhee strained her neck to lay her eyes on the owner of the disembodied voice that had startled her, the sound of the bell at the door going unheard.

Her vision displayed a woman and of course it had to be her mother. Speak of the devil.

The instinct to roll her eyes hard enough to make them fall off the back of her head was so powerful yet Damhee pulled through.