Unfriended | Taekook

20 - Shutdown

During the day, this street was alive. Cars squeezed through narrow lanes, delivery trucks honked impatiently and people bustled in and out it. It felt like any other busy corner of Seoul, tucked into a neighborhood of aging residential buildings. But at night? At night, it felt like a completely different place.

The street emptied out, replaced by an eerie stillness. The air felt heavier, the silence almost oppressive. The convenience store stood alone, glowing brightly in the dark, its glass walls turning it into a stage where everything was on display. Around it, the buildings were dark and lifeless, their windows blacked out as if the residents had vanished.

The few people who wandered the street at this hour didn't belong to the daytime crowd. They walked with quick, jerky movements, their faces shadowed by hoodies or caps. A man paced near the corner, his head snapping back every few steps as if he expected someone to follow. A woman hurried past the store, clutching her bag like it was her lifeline.

Hidden in the shadows across the street, someone stood still, leaning against a wall out of sight. His dark hoodie blended into the darkness, making it almost impossible to tell he was there. He watched the street with sharp eyes, tracking everyone who walked by. Who they were, how they walked, where they were headed.

His focus, however, always returned to the convenience store—and to the boy inside.

Taehyung.

Through the glass walls, he was clearly visible. His faded blue hair caught the fluorescent lights, making it look almost silver when he moved. He adjusted a shelf here, rang up a customer there. Every so often, he'd pause, rolling his shoulder or massaging the back of his neck, his face briefly scrunching in discomfort before smoothing out again.

The watcher's eyes darted away for a second when a couple of people walked past the store, their footsteps echoing down the street. But they weren't the focus. His gaze snapped back to Taehyung inside, just in time to see the glass doors slide open as a guy in a hoodie walked in.

The watcher is alert now. He watched as the guy wandered the aisles, moving way too slow, like he was trying to kill time or something. He picked up random stuff, studied it, then tossed it into his basket.

Taehyung waited at the counter, his expression relaxed, fingers drumming lightly on the surface. When the guy finally came up, Taehyung scanned the stuff, bagged it up and nodded as the guy paid. No smiles, no small talk. It was over in seconds. The hooded guy left without a glance back.

Still, the watcher's eyes followed him, tracking him all the way down the street. He memorized everything—his face, the way he walked, even the color of his sneakers. Only when he disappeared around the corner he went back to watch the store.

Taehyung grabbed a mop, moving lazily as he wiped the floor. He looked exhausted but still managed to smile faintly, probably thinking about something good that happened to him. The watcher's chest felt tight at the sight, he's precious.

When he finished, the young man inside adjusted a display near the counter, his delicate fingers deftly arranging snack bags. His hoodie was loose on his lean frame, the sleeves pushed up to reveal his slim veiny forearms.

He rubbed the back of his neck absently, glancing at the clock above the register. 9:45. A long sigh escaped him, visible even from a distance, before he returned to wiping the counter, his movements slower now, more fatigued.

The worker leaned against the counter for a moment, his eyes drifting to the windows, scanning the darkness beyond. For a second, it looked like he was staring right at him, his eyes scanning the dark street outside. The watcher held his breath, staying completely still. But Taehyung's eyes drifted away, probably looking at nothing in particular, and he went back to work.