The Painting

Chapter 7

North was not here yet. He probably went to meet with his boss to hand over whatever shady thing that man from yesterday had given him. Well, whatever—at least I didn’t feel like I was being watched anymore.

“You, Night, right? Come help me put this up and take it to the back storeroom,” one of the seniors called out.

“Got it.” I walked over to help him. He handed me a box full of fancy towels and asked me to stash it in the back storeroom. After asking him for directions, I headed there, and he said he’d follow once he finished grabbing the rest of the stuff.

The storeroom was huge, and by "back storeroom," I figured he meant the smaller room behind it. I spotted a door and went straight in. The room was smaller, filled with metal racks and neatly sealed boxes. No towels in sight, though. I scanned for an empty space to drop off the heavy box because, GOD DAMN THESE BOXES ARE HEAVY AS FUCK.

As I moved deeper into the room, I heard footsteps. Probably the senior coming in, so I got ready to ask where I should leave the box.

“Ah, P’Jack, where should—”

The door creaked open, and instead of the senior, a man stepped inside. Middle-aged, wearing an all-black suit—just like the guy I met the other day. He even had shades on But his aura... it was something else entirely. Intimidating.

Before I could process anything, North’s voice cut through the room. “Would you fucking move and not get in my way,” he muttered, making his way through the door with his hands in his pockets, not having seen me yet.

But the other guy—his eyes were fixed on me. A chill ran down my spine. I froze, praying North would notice me so I could figure out what the fuck was going on.

As soon as North’s eyes landed on me, he stopped dead. His face went blank, like ice. The silence that followed only made my anxiety worse. It was like I had just dug my own damn grave.

“He, uh… he works for me,” North said. “I told him to put some stuff here.”

“Only officials are allowed in here, didn’t I tell you?” the man said, his tone cold as he began walking toward me, eyes locked on mine. Hands still in his pockets, he asked, “What was your name again?”

“Night,” North replied before I could answer.

The man didn’t even glance at him. “Get out of the way, North.”

North stepped forward, grabbing the man’s wrist. “What do you want from him?”

“You tell me. If he’s here illegally and working for you, does that mean you’re betraying me? Or are you planning to kill me?”

“If that were the case, I would’ve done it years ago, while you slept,” North replied, with rising tension.

The intensity between them was suffocating, and I could feel the weight of the situation pressing down on me. I wanted to run—now.

“He’s just a waitstaff,” North continued, trying to defuse the situation. “He probably got lost and ended up here.”

“It was your responsibility, wasn’t it? To train them to stay out of our internal business.”

“Yeah, man, whatever. I screwed up, okay? It’s on me. Just let him go.” North replied.

The man’s voice dropped low. “There’s a condition. Either I kill him right here and now for the reason bring ‘threat to the company’s sensitive information’ or I kill you.”

My heart dropped, and by the look on the man’s face, I knew he meant every word.

“Kill me?” North said in a sarcastic tone, stepping closer to him. “Yeah??, go ahead. Try me.”

I couldn’t stay silent any longer. “I’m so sorry! I thought this was the storeroom—I made a mistake. I’ll do whatever you ask, just don’t kill anyone!”

The man’s attention shifted to me. “How about I buy you instead, you know to be on a safer side that you are not a bug, in return for your life, you work for me.”

“What the fuck are you playing at?” North snapped, stepping between me and the man.

“Look how concerned you are, Take him under your wing. You wanted a partner anyway. We could use a pretty boy on the team.” He said, I personally object but I think I lost that privilege few seconds ago, my life is done for, I should probably burn my bucket list and cut my ties with Leo, Lilly, mom and dad.

North grabbed the man by the collar, staring him down with a cold, expressionless gaze. For once, he looked like he had no words left. The man simply took his hands off him and waked off by saying “let’s have the meeting tomorrow”

“Where the fuck was your brain when I clearly told you never to enter this room?” North snapped as soon as the man left.

“I was not listening” I said in a lower, guilty voice while looking at the ground.

“You have the audacity to fucking admit that?”

“Well, why isn’t the damn room locked if it’s got your nuclear codes and shit” I said, now in a frustrating voice.

“Because I had business in there today, and of course, you just had to show up at the perfect fucking time!”

“I don’t get you ahhhhhhhhhhhgfddcvft” I said, running my hands through my hair.

“DON’T FUCKING SCREAM AT ME, ASSHOLEEEE-----” “YOU THE ONE TO TALKKK-----"

After we both tried to kill each other by screaming our lungs out, we finally crashed onto the couch, sitting in silence, completely zoned out and staring at the ceiling.

“He’s the one you mentioned yesterday, right? Your boss?? He’s gonna kill me?? Isn’t it???/?//?” I said coming back to reality

“He wish, Not happening on my watch.” North said firmly, and somehow, just hearing that made me feel a little relieved, knowing he was here. I’m somehow getting used to North’s presence. He feels like the hometown I grew up in—especially when it rained. There’s a calmness about him, but he also whines, teases, and never shuts up. Yet, the way he looks at me…it’s like wrapping myself in my favorite blanket on a cold night. I don’t know what to make of any of this.

“so uhhhhhhhhh—what kind of work do I have to do?”

“Don’t worry about it. For now, just stay out of it. I’ll pretend you’re working for me, but you don’t actually have to do anything. Just carry on with your life.”

“Why are you doing this for a guy like me? All I’ve ever done is hurt your ego.” I said with a question mark expression on my face.

“Well, I’m glad you’re at least aware of it,” North said, ruffling my hair. “Hey! I just realized—we’re like partners, like… Achilles and Patroclus.”

“Why? You wanna die?” I said, glaring at him.

“Why do we have to die? We can give them a happy ending.”

“Comparing yourself to a god now? You’re soooo full of yourself.”

“I’ll be Patroclus, I don’t mind—as long as you’re my Achilles,” he said with a smirk.

“Fuck off,” I muttered, getting up to walk away. I could hear him laughing as I did, so I flipped him off without turning around.