The Value of Tears (En- JayWon) ✔

XVIII

Jungwon

I smiled as I handed the janitor the water bottle. Why dont I see a water bottle here anyway?

"Oh . .thank you, I am thirsty"

"You're welcome.  .  . thank you for keeping the place clean"

He smiled before chugging down all the contents of the water bottle. Wow he's that thirsty.

"Ah. . yeah that's my job . . and you're welcome. I am not really noticed by anyone in here. . I am only noticed when something is dirty"

"Well you should be noticed more for the clean environment you made possible. . . anyway, I have to go. . and keep up the good work"

He waved to me before I ran back to Jay who's already ready to drive.

"What did he say?"

"Oh he thanked me and he's really thirsty. . . do they make big money?"

"Not too much but enough. . . they get paid enough"

"Hmm, they should be paid for their work tho. . What they do is so tiring. . oh can we get some tteokboki on the way? Sunoo hyung said they taste so amazing. . and maybe we can eat them with some curry and carrots"

"Yeah sure. . you seem to be learning a lot from Sunoo . ."

"Mhmm. . . he's amazing. ."

Sunoo hyung asked me to have some tteokboki before but I am so full that I passed so maybe it will be good to have something tasty to share with Jay.

"Ok do you want to come with me to the store?"

"Oh sure . . ."

I stepped out the car and we walk into a store where they sell many foods that I haven't seen before.

We walked towards the aisle for the tteokboki as Jay grab some bags and place it in our shopping cart. He also grab some curry powder making me smile as he went on and grab more carrots and many more.

We passed by some huge boxes, oh wait, they're freezers and I got curious so I looked in and I almost faint that I wished I hadn't looked into it.

These are fishes. Dead fishes that are frozen. Why are they here? What is the purpose?

Different kinds of fishes are inside with different price tags. I want to cry. These fishes went through so much trouble and pain just to die and be frozen. Then what?

"Hey, what are you doing here? Oh you want some fish too?"

No! I won't eat them!

"What are these fishes doing here?"

"Ah, they're frozen there to not get rotten before they're cooked and served"

"So they're dead a long time ago?"

"I don't think so. . I think they're here for like a few days ago. But I don't know, maybe the shop is stingy and place rotten fishes here"

I can feel my stomach churning and I feel like throwing up so I ran towards a door marked CR and immediately let out my lunch into the toilet bowl.

"Carrots? . . are you alright?"

"Those fishes are so pitiful. . . although fishes are many but I can't imagine what they went through"

Tears fell from my eyes as I heard them fall on the tiled floor of the comfort room.

I heard the toilet flush before I slowly composed myself and stood up before walking to the sink and rinse my mouth. Goodness that's gross.