𝖠𝗅𝗅 𝖳𝗈𝗈 𝖶𝖾𝗅𝗅 | 𝖢𝗁𝗈𝗂 𝖡𝖾𝗈𝗆𝗀𝗒𝗎

𝗂𝗂𝗂. 𝖲𝗍𝖺𝗋𝗍 𝖮𝖿 𝖲𝗈𝗆𝖾𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖭𝖾𝗐

2nd of November.

Sunrise gradually lit the grey skies of Beverly. Cloudy as ever, the streets reeked an odd, earthy smell. Orange glow from the lampposts diminished as mist and fog swept over the town. It was freezing. Drizzle-light rain still showered, cascading faint, white streaks upon the early passersby. One could sniff the freshly baked buns, the newly displayed flowers, and the usual morning brews of Americano and espresso.

Beomgyu emerged from Inks & Blotts Publications, exhausted from a 6-hour shift. His eyes yielded prominent, dark circles. He hadn't had enough rest for days as he busied himself tweaking images and writing captions for the magazine.

"You sure you don't want to stop by a cafe?" His coworker, Kevin, tailed. "Come on, you deserve a nice, little bagel."

"I'm fine," Beomgyu waved to discard him. "I'd rather go home and sleep. I'm awfully tired, man."

"Alright then. Suit yourself." Kevin pocketed his hands. "Got the harddrive?"

"Yep. I'll finish the rest of the file later."

"See ya, buddy."

"Sure."

Beomgyu heaved the strap of his slingbag and turned. As Kevin headed north, Beomgyu trodded the west lane. He belted a wide yawn. His eyes watered in drowsiness; never did he take them off the computer screen for hours as he desperately tried to nail his checklist. The cold morning breeze blew while he walked, making him slouch forward to maintain balance. God, just the thought of his bed alone made him want to faint. The pavement was dull and tree leaves rained on his frame. Beomgyu shivered. His stomach churned, begging to be filled. He could totally smell the mixture of delicacies lingering in the air.

"A cup of noodles will do.." He yawned again. ".. once I get home."

Beomgyu lazily ruffled his hair. He noticed his breath fogging amidst the weak sunlight. He rubbed his palms together and blew. He forgot to bring his coat. Disgruntled and hungry, Beomgyu fastened his pace. People began to flock around as Tuesday kick-started. It had just been two days since Halloween, yet the spooky decorations remained salient. Beomgyu felt stupid.

"Oh no," he slapped his forehead. "I missed the grand sale. Shit, I've always wanted that sweater."

While he ranted on how he could've rushed to the mall to grab his desire, Beomgyu mindlessly headed right around the corner of an avenue where a pedestrian lane laid across a busy road. The lights were green, hence he was forced to wait in queue.

"Maybe I can still avail their online voucher." He mumbled, head still grasping on the sweater. "Please, it's the closest I could ever get to wearing Gucci."

Ring!

Ring!

Beomgyu anxiously scrolled through his phone. Brows fixed into an unpleasant furrow, he turned a blind eye to the world.

Ring!

Ring!

He blinked at the sound. He looked over to his left and saw a bike wobbling to his direction. His mind failed to register the chaos unfolding, so he stood frozen in shock. A voice of a girl screamed as the vehicle crashed, taking Beomgyu underneath with a nasty thud.