⭑ MAMAMOO one shots

Late Hours : wheebyul

Wheein POV
°.✩┈┈┈┈∘*┈┈୨♡୧┈┈*∘┈┈┈┈✩.°

The bell in the store rang as a customer entered.

"Welcome!" as I was restocking the groceries on the shelf, I quickly walked to the checkout counter. I was the only one working the night shift today. The convenience store where I've been working was located in small town, so there weren't many people who visited the store at this hour.

"Hello." A tired voice replied. The voice belonged to a woman, I heard.
The customer walked to the back of the small store. The groceries, I thought.
I was feeling so tired; I couldn't even remember how long I've been working by now.
I need to work the night shift 6 days a week, on Wednesdays I was free.
I looked at the clock. 02.27 AM.
Working in a store that's opened 24/7 sure is tiring. In a half hour my colleague Soyeon will take over my shift, I knew.

The customer placed her items on the counter.
"I'll take this." The woman said.
I was sure that I recognized her voice from somewhere, but I couldn't figure out from what. The woman was wearing a dark face mask and a matching cap, with only her eyes showing.
I scanned her items.

"A red bean paste bun and a bottle of water will be ₩7,000 together."
"Alright."
Her hand reached down to her bag, giving me a ₩10,000 bill. Whilst I handed over her change, her eyes made contact with mine.

"Also tired?" She suddenly asked me.
I nodded. "Yes. I've been working since 6 PM."
"Aishhh. Can't you just take a nap?"
"If my boss finds out, I'd be fired immediately. It's really difficult to find a job in this rural area." I sighed.
"Yeah, I was really surprised to find a store that's opened 24/7 around here. I'm currently staying over at my family for a some time, before I'll head back to Seoul."
"You live in Seoul?" I asked.
"Mhm, I live there for my job. This place will always be my hometown, though."

She grabbed her groceries and placed them in her bag. "What's your name?"
"I'm Jung Whee-in." I replied.
"Nice to meet you, Wheein. You can call me Byul, if you'd like."

°.✩┈┈┈┈∘*┈┈୨♡୧┈┈*∘┈┈┈┈✩.°

It was only Tuesday and it already felt like it'll take an eternity before this week finally ends.
Working at this convenience store really messed up my sleeping schedule. I get home by 03:15 AM and wake up around 1 PM, only to go back to the store 5 hours later. It was exhausting, but I knew that this was my only way to make money in this town.
As I was organizing the tobacco products that the store sold behind the counters, I heard the familiar tingle again. A customer.

"Welcome!"
"Hey, Wheein! Working the night shift again?"
It was Byul. The girl who was also at the store yesterday.
Before she left, we talked a lot.
I found out that she was 25 years old, only two years older than me. She also has 3 corgis which she brought with her all the way from Seoul.
However, I still had no idea what she looked like behind her face mask, or what kind of job she has in Seoul. It made me really curious.

"I'll take this."
She placed a pack of yellow pickled radish on the counter.
"That'll be ₩4.000."
After paying, I was sure that it wasn't her plan to leave already.
"Why do you always come to the shop at this hour?" I asked.
I pointed at the clock, which said 02:34 AM.

Byul sighed.
"I'm suffering from insomnia."
"Ah.. that really isn't nice." I replied.
She nodded.

"I used to take sleeping pills regularly, but the side effects really hit me in the face." She laughed nervously. "My muscles started getting weaker and it was impossible for me to continue working like this. So, my agency told me that I should rest, which sounds very ironic considering I'm an insomniac."