𝗨𝗡𝗦𝗣𝗢𝗞𝗘𝗡 | park sunghoon. ✓

▎030

☂︎

Sarim leaned against the counter, her arms folded tightly across her chest, her eyelids heavy with fatigue. It had been another long day at the karaoke club, her energy completely drained from the moment she clocked in. The hum of music from the private rooms and the faint chatter of customers blurred together, only adding to the haze in her mind.

Her shift felt endless, and the exhaustion was unbearable. Sleep tugged at her relentlessly, and despite her best efforts to fight it, her head dipped forward. Just for a second, she thought. Just for a second, i'll close my eyes.

But seconds turned to minutes.

"Yah, " A sharp, angry voice startled her awake, jerking her upright. Sarim's eyes flew open, panic shooting through her as she took in the furious face of a man standing on the other side of the counter. He slammed his palm down hard, causing her to flinch.

"Are you seriously sleeping on the job?" the man barked. His voice was loud enough to make heads turn from the nearby rooms. "I've been waiting here since forever! What kind of service is this?"

"I-I'm sorry," Sarim stammered, scrambling to her feet. She bowed repeatedly, her voice trembling as she tried to fix the situation. "I really didn't mean to fall asleep—"

"Sorry?" he spat, his tone dripping with disdain. "You think sorry is good enough? You're supposed to be working, not lazing around like some useless kid! What's wrong with you?"

Sarim's cheeks burned with shame, her throat tightening as she tried to form a coherent response. But her words wouldn't come. Her hands gripped the counter so tightly her knuckles turned white.

He wasn't done.

"If you can't do your job properly, then quit," the man snarled, his voice rising with every word. "People like you shouldn't even be employed!"

She bit the inside of her cheek, forcing herself not to cry. Her vision blurred, and all she could do was bow her head in silence. She couldn't defend herself - not when she was already walking on eggshells at work, not when she desperately needed the money.

Unbeknownst to her, Sunghoon had wandered into the karaoke club at that exact moment.

He hadn't planned to. The last place he wanted to be was some loud, crowded venue, but tonight he was restless. The ache in his chest.
The one, that came whenever he thought about Sarim, had driven him out of his house. He told himself he just needed a distraction, anything to stop thinking about her.

And then he saw her.

Sarim, standing behind the counter, looking small and fragile as some customer yelled at her. Her hands trembled visibly, and her head was bowed, as if she wanted to disappear.

Sunghoon's jaw tightened.

She looked scared.

And he hated it.