Wonwoo was sure he was seeing things outside his dad's store.
It isn't everyday he had customers at midnight. Especially those who pick fights right in front of the glass doors.
Wonwoo wonders if he's too drained to register the sight at first. He's just about to close up the shop, seeing how he'd napped at the counter again — way past actual closing time.
That is when his eyes tiredly flicker over, looking — or rather searching — beyond the glass panes. There's a boy, standing outside, leaning against the wooden bench Wonwoo's dad had installed earlier in the year. At first, the figure's just a regular human he sees everywhere, clothing seeming dark due to the dimly flickering yellow street light on the other side of the pavement.
Wonwoo stares, genuinely intrigued by the unexpected presence that has its back turned to the store. He lingers around inside the glass panes, hands glued to the chain he is supposed to fit with a lock, and tuck in for the night.
A small flicker of something golden lighting up the flap of the figure's baseball hat makes Wonwoo stay. The flicker soon disappears, leaving an ashy grey wisp in its wake, which travels up with a breeze that seems to be blowing outside.
Smoke, Wonwoo's mind speaks before he does. The person's smoking, and Wonwoo doesn't understand why he's so fascinated by the fact. It's not like he hasn't seen anybody smoke before — he's twenty three, and has seen a respectable fraction of the world. Heck, his dad was a chronic smoker too, but that doesn't make Wonwoo turn his head away from the figure.
He startles a bit when the figure moves, more of staggers around, but Wonwoo doubts his mind is in place to properly identify what kind of motion that is. The person sways back and forth, and manages to reach all the way across the pavement, which seems like a task considering his mismatched feet.
That is the moment Wonwoo gets to action. Well, not really, seeing how he's too sluggish to even mind his own business and lock in for the night.
Another briskly walking figure straight-on slams into Smoker Guy, and it's clear they'd done it deliberately. Wonwoo feels a flare of anger flash through him, when the man brusquely rams his shoulder into Smoker Guy, and then has the audacity to halt in his way and shove the poor guy even more. A low string of words reach Wonwoo's ears, and before he can make a better decision, he pushes past the glass door instead of locking it, and is within earshot in a few seconds.
The man is spitting rough words to a clueless Smoker Guy, and is a pinch away from landing a fist on his jaw — and Wonwoo just has to intervene.
"Hey!" he exclaims, making the man pause for a moment. "What do you think you're doing?"
The shameless man scoffs in Wonwoo's face, and it's clear he likes to pick fights unprovoked. "Teaching this druggie a lesson for not watching where he walks,"
"Cut the crap, sir," Wonwoo spits, pulling said druggie away, shielding him. "I've been at that door for the past ten minutes," He points to the shop. "This guy right here, has just been minding his own business,"
The man's eyes widen for a split second, before narrowing, and he scoffs in acceptance, walking away in the next second.
Wonwoo glances at Smoker Guy behind him, eventually turning to take a proper look. He's tall — taller than Wonwoo, and that's something — and reeks of alcohol, smoke and dope. This guy sure had hit the forbidden jackpot this night.
With fall fading, the air outdoors is merciless, and billows sharply around him. Wonwoo shivers, looking over to check if Smoker Guy has the same reaction. He's surprised to see him as still as a rock — he isn't even swaying like he was earlier. He's numb, and Wonwoo feels it when he touches his fingers to gauge his condition — they're cold and stiff as ice, competing with the weather around. Gangwon-do already houses freezing, thick weather, and the winter is the unwanted cherry on top each year.
