Crepuscular Clocksmith

1. The Shop in the Rain

Tick-tock.

Ticktock.

Tick....

....

...

-TOCK.

Yunho startled up in his chair, frantic eyes flying to the clock mounted on the wall. How many beats had passed? Had he fallen asleep? For a minute? Two?

No, the pallid blue hue of his computer screen still illuminated his desk. Less than two minutes.

Yunho rubbed his eyes, straining his doubling view to concentrate on the numbers of his document. They blurred between his eyes, becoming one in a mess of grey and white.

He needed some coffee.

With a groan, Yunho pushed his chair back. He was alone in the spacious office area, perched in the single lit cubicle. When he stretched, his spine cracked with a satisfying feeling but a disgusting noise.

A hand rubbed his face, trying to wipe off sleep's lure as he stumbled towards the kitchen. The rain thrummed against the windows with dancing thumbs. It hadn't let up the entire day, but Yunho's umbrella long dried since the morning. He had spent his lunch break at his desk, too stressed with his final bill of conveyance to join his colleagues for their team dinner.

Sluggish fingers pressed the buttons on the machine. The milk dispenser had stopped working earlier, and he was too lazy to pour his own. Black coffee would wake him quicker, anyway.

Yunho yawned as he leaned his hip against the kitchen counter. Tears sprung into his eyes and he wiped them, unbothered, for he was so used to their companionship at work. As the coffee machine whirred behind him, he watched the rain trail down the window, lulling his eyes to flutter shut once more.

Tick-tock.

He had to finish that bill. He could go home as soon as he did. The sweet imagination of his soft bed and the warmth that awaited him there ruffled him back awake.

8 pm. He had planned to bring his grandfather's watch to the watchmaker today since it gave up its duty out of the blue a few days ago.

Another matter for tomorrow. Today, he had to finish his documents and fall right into bed once he was home.

Impatient fingers thrummed on the countertop. He glanced at the watch that he wore out of routine rather than need. He disliked the nakedness of his wrist without it. It had no cracks or blemishes, but the hands stood frozen in time.

Once his coffee was done, Yunho returned to his desk. He took a sip of the appalling brew, loosened his black tie that matched his grey suit, and got back to typing.

He ended up leaving the building after sunset when the last twilight of the day blended into the night. The rain had let up to a sizzle, and he carried his jacket over his arm to relish in the warm evening air of late summer.

Since the last direct bus in his direction just missed him and he might as well walk instead of transferring twice, he strolled down the wet pavement. The rain played a lullaby on his umbrella and he prayed he had sent every e-mail off properly since he was ready to fall asleep standing up.

The dark shop windows of downtown flickered past him. He was in a hurry to get away from the main street since the cars rushing past splashed up the puddles on the streets and stabbed at his eyes with their bright lights.

Yunho took a left and exhaled. Tucked into the narrow alley that he often passed when he got some proper coffee in the morning, peace engulfed him. It was dark here, scary enough that lone people wanted to avoid this street at night, but not a soul was near and he looked too worn to have anything of value.