𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗸𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 | Park Seonghwa

two.

"Anything else?" You maintained your polite attitude, patiently waiting for any sign from him. Instead, he reached inside his pocket, only to freeze in realization that his wallet was missing. It took a few seconds for the gravity of the situation to sink in, and the deep sigh and silent curse you overheard confirmed your assumptions. Raising his head for the first time since entering the store, he finally met your gaze, his eyes red and slightly glassy, with a crease in his eyebrows.

"I... ugh, sorry to have wasted your time. I don't have any money on me," his words were slurred, but you managed to catch what he was saying. In his current state, he wasn't being cautious, and a hiss escaped his clenched teeth as he accidentally collided with a shelf situated behind him.

Without hesitation, you dashed from behind the checkout counter to wrap your arm around his waist, lifting his arm over your shoulder to prevent the barely conscious boy from potentially cracking his skull open. In such close proximity, the unmistakable scent of marijuana assailed your nostrils. Your initial guess was right; he was indeed high. But there seemed to be something more to the situation.

With this new information, you realized there wasn't much you could do, like calling an ambulance or someone for help. So, you decided to lead him to a more discreet location, away from unwanted attention. Navigating carefully through the items scattered on the floor due to his earlier accident, you helped him to the back of the store.

Entering the small breakroom, your knees almost buckled under the weight of the much larger boy. Moving swiftly, you guided him to a chair in one of the corners, placed right against the wall. You gently urged him to sit and insisted that he remain still until you returned. You needed to make it quick.

Returning to the front of the store, you were relieved to find it empty. This gave you a chance to flip the open sign over to indicate that the store was closed and to clean up the mess at lightning speed. As you worked, five minutes felt like an eternity, and you couldn't help but worry about the boy waiting behind the closed door.