graveyard shift // pjm [completed]

ugly sunglasses

Nari.

The name sounded almost boring now, as Jimin had been replaying the name over and over in his head the entire day.

The way she said her name, it sounded smooth as silk. Jimin didn't know how one person could have so much grace yet be a complete mess at the same time.

Who even comes to a convenience store at 2am anyway? Jimin thought as he put his uniform on, the familiar red making him frown.

Jimin stared at his bathroom mirror into his reflection.

He didn't even understand himself.

He didn't understand how he gets so attached so quickly and easily, even though the person isn't even right for him. Jimin sighed and pulled at his hair. He was angry at himself because he wanted to chase a girl whom he'd barely met, and to top it all off, she wasn't even on the market.

Nari had a boyfriend.

Nari had a boyfriend.

Nari had a boyfriend.

He couldn't fall for her.

But he wanted to.

Maybe he even needed to.

---

Work never seemed to go quickly. Jimin just wanted to sit in his room and sulk. He had been working everyday since he got the job, so it left him no time to actually think. All of the time was spent thinking of her.

As Jimin stocked shelves, he grew anxious for her arrival. He usually felt this nervousness, but this time was different. He almost didn't want her to show up, but he knew she would. She seemed like the type of girl who never broke her word.

At 1:48 am, she walked through the door. Jimin more or less hid behind the shelves. But right behind Nari, came another body. Jimin perked up to see a boy, he would have to guess around the age of Jimin, maybe a little older.

He was holding Nari's hand.

Her boyfriend.

Jimin felt his chest tighten. He felt sick to his stomach. Did she want to just flaunt him to make Jimin jealous? Everything he once thought of Nari seemed to fly out the window as he glared at her, flabbergasted.

He returned to the counter, wanting nothing more than to disappear behind the register. He heard Nari's melodic laugh erupt from the back of the store, following two pairs of footsteps towards Jimin. It took Jimin a few seconds to raise his head and meet her gaze. He almost felt ashamed that he thought of Nari in a way that he shouldn't have been, but he also felt too rejected to even look at her. They were gleaming brightly, which made Jimin's heart ache along with the fire of anger in his body grow larger.

He wanted to be the cause of her lively eyes.

He took a short moment to examine the boyfriend. He was slightly taller than Nari and Jimin. His shoulders were broader and his face was slimmer. He was everything Jimin wasn't, in a better sense.

Jimin's face felt like it was burning. He tore his eyes from him and onto the items on the counter.

Lying before him were 2 pairs of the ugliest, brightest, most colorful sunglasses Jimin had ever seen. He remembered stocking them last week, feeling pity for whoever would willingly wear them in public.

"It's nighttime, why do you need sunglasses?" Jimin blurted out.

Nari's eyes widened, but tried shrugging it off by giggling uncomfortably as she was still shooting daggers at Jimin. Her boyfriend chuckled, "I just saw them and thought they'd be hilarious for pictures and stuff."

"Well, they're ugly." Jimin let his tongue slip. At this point, he didn't care. This guy was pissing him off, big time. Just by being in his presence made his blood boil.

"Jimin!" Nari exclaimed, shocked at his outburst.

Her boyfriend looked confused, his sharp features crinkling. "Are you guys friends?"

"Yes." Jimin stated, looking him in the eyes.

"Joowon, can you wait for me at home? I wanted to talk to Jimin for a minute."

He looked between us like he was assessing the situation. He told Nari that he'd wait outside instead. Nari rolled her eyes as he left.

"What's your deal?!" She asked him, crossing her arms, her eyebrows furrowed.

"My deal? You come in here with your stupid boyfriend on display like it's a damn museum." He said bitterly, now instantly regretting what he said.

Nari gasped. "What the hell? He is my boyfriend Jimin, am I not allowed to bring him places? Besides, you don't even know me, we're barely friends." She spat the words acidly as she rolled her eyes.

Jimin had no other words. He didn't even feel like he was on the earth as he scanned her ridiculous sunglasses, bagged them, and handed them to her. Without saying another word, she stormed out, leaving Jimin alone in the thick silence.