cursed⭐︎ᵐⁱⁿˢᵘⁿᵍ

two

The day finally came. I somehow woke up early which meant I had some time to spare, it was great.

The sun was lazily peeking through the grey curtains, so I decided to wear some grey sweatpants with a plain white shirt.

Skipping breakfast, I made my way to the cafe, plugging my headphones in. 

I walked, and even though I was exhausted, mostly because of the lack of sleep I got, my legs kept on moving.

Even if my body did need to stop, I couldn't. It was like I was on autopilot, something was controlling me.

I encountered a garden with various flowers planted. The colours and the immense diversity of design combinations, fragrances and sounds from insects attracted to the plants and variety of textures defined its true beauty.

A rare sight these days.

Taking a deep breath, I walked inside the small place and went straight to the counter, avoiding any form of contact with unneeded people.

The interior of the cafe was warm and cozy, with rustic and vintage decor. The walls were exposed brick, and the floors were made of polished wood whilst the lighting was soft and yellowish, with small lamps and overhead fixtures casting a warm glow over the space.

The furniture was a mix of antique and modern pieces, with comfortable chairs and small tables scattered throughout the room.

Not to mention the counter where customers place their orders was made of dark wood, and behind it, shelves were stocked with coffee beans and other supplies.

Also the menu displayed on a chalkboard above the counter, written in beautiful cursive lettering.

Scattered on the walls were various art pieces, such as paintings and photographs which added to the cozy and inviting atmosphere.

I walked towards the counter to the girl who had an apron with the name 'Manager Son.' on. "Hello! I..I'm Han Jisung." I stuttered, feeling nervous.

"Hello there, Han! I believe you're here for the interview so I'm gonna ask you some questions, don't be too timid. You'll be fine." the lady said.

Following her, she led me upstairs into a small room, or more like an office. She sat down at the desk as she opened her laptop, I supposed.

"So, Han, how old are you?"

"I'm eighteen."

"I see. Why do you want to work here?" she asked.

"I'm in need of some money so I thought applying for a part-time job would help. Plus..I've always wanted to work in a small cafe."

That was a lie. It was my mother's wish, not mine.

I liked rapping and writing. It helped me cope. Producing music had always been my favourite thing since I was a kid. But neither my parents nor brother supported me.

Although I still wrote songs from time to time— It relieved stress and it was easier for me to express my emotions, to open up.

"I understand. Well then.."

★

The interview ended.

Tomorrow was going to be my first day working here, yet my anxiety was over the roof. Of course, I was happy I got accepted, but at the same time, this was not what I wanted.

I exited the building, not before bidding my goodbyes.

As I planned to myself last night, I was on my way to get some stuff for my room.

But where should I go? I didn't know the place. I had no acknowledgment of any stores nearby.

And so I decided to just wander around. The phone showed 6:23 in the afternoon, the roads were now darkening and the sky was clear, no clouds were spotted.

It's perfect.

I decided to take a turn to the right and tried to remember certain spots: a tree cut in half, a dead bird helplessly laying on the ground and now I was standing right next to a café, fifteen minutes away from my job and thirty minutes away from my house.
(I calculated everything).

There was a park which had many trees and a playground. The trees looked quite old— especially this one I have laid my eyes on. Maybe I should come here more often.

The tracks, fortunately, weren't unnoticed by me so I looked to the left and then to the right in case a train passed by. I didn't want to get run over hence that would have been extremely painful. Though that was kind of ironic coming from me.

A suicidal person is scared of dying? Pathetic.

I shook my head and walked till I saw some stores. Some were for groceries, others for electronics and decorations.

Then I quickly headed up to one and went inside. The bell, on the top of the door, rang, alerting the worker. She looked and welcomed me with a warm smile.

My eyes roamed around the store, looking for all kinds of ornaments and stuff that would give a nice vibe to my room.

Not like anyone would see it, though. I don't really.. have friends. It's quite hard to be friendly when so many people had wronged me. 

Anyways, I grabbed all the useful decorations.

The cart was now full of vines, artificial plants, blankets and whatever my eyes landed on.

"44,19$" said the cashier, handing me the bag.

I gave her the money and left, going home.

★

"I got in! I'm starting tomorrow."

"Nice, Jisung. Good Job. Dinner is ready in ten, come down then!"

"I'm not hungry." I said, running upstairs to my room.
I didn't have time to eat, I had to decorate the bedroom.

And so I did. As hours passed I grew more and more tired, my body barely moving. I decided to give up and continue tomorrow.

I jumped on the bed, being a bit scared of whatever could hide under it.

Too comfortable and unmotivated to get up, I set up an alarm and threw my phone, too unbothered to actually change into some comfortable clothes.

And so my body immediately shut down, probably because of the tiredness.