"Where's the other guy?" The young woman smiled, zipping up her purse and taking her cup of tea.
"The other guy?" The man working at the counter shrugged. "I don't know where he is, he hasn't been to work in the past week."
"That's a shame," the woman sighed.
"I'm sure he's probably just sick... or something. He'll be back soon."
"A sweet one you are, Junmyeon." The regular customer slides him a tip. "Tell him I say hello if you get the chance, alright?"
"I'll be glad to give him the message," Junmyeon smiles. Stuffing the tip in his pocket, he makes his way toward the back of the cafe. His shift was almost over.
Junmyeon wipes down the counters and equipment with a wet cloth. He hangs up his apron and takes off his cap.
"Good work out there, kid," the supervisor pats him on the back. "Mind if I show you something before you leave?"
The manager leads Junmyeon to his office. Unopened boxes were piled up against the far wall and the small space smelled of paper and day-old tuna.
"I want you to watch this," the manager goes over to his desk and turns the computer monitor around.
He plays the tape recording, and Junmyeon couldn't believe his eyes.
The tape showed his coworker, quietly closing up the shop. He swept the floors, pushed in chairs, and wiped the tables down.
Not even two minutes into the tape, and a black vehicle pulled into the parking lot. Three men in black stepped foot into the cafe.
Junmyeon winced as he watched his coworker politely asked the men what they needed. The man up front picked the coworker off the floor and nearly strangled him. Junmyeon watched as the men beat him and continued to drag him out of the cafe. The most horrifying part was that no one was there to save him.
Junmyeon didn't know what to say. He thought the city was supposed to be a simple, quiet place. He would've never imagined things like this to happen, and why this coffee shop? There was nothing special about it except that it was located across the city hospital.
"I don't know what do to, kid." His manager turns the monitor back around. "Any thoughts?"
Junmyeon shakes his head. Thinking back on the night of the incident, Sunday, Junmyeon remembers that his coworker was working a shift for him. This uneasy feeling began to dwell inside his chest, knowing that if he had been at the cafe that night, the incident wouldn't have occurred. Junmyeon just wanted to go home, lock himself up in his room and fall asleep.
"You don't have to get involved with of this, alright?" The supervisor reassures. "I'm just showing you this because I don't want anything happening to you or the other guys."
"Did you call the police?"
"Yeah, they said they're 'working on it'. But knowing the police here, I honestly don't think they're going to do anything."
"Thanks for... showing me that," Junmyeon still doesn't know how to fully react. "Hopefully it doesn't happen again,"
"From now on, I won't make anyone do any night shifts. We're going to close before it gets dark. I don't want... that to happen again."
Junmyeon nods as he imagines what that night would've looked like if he were working instead of the other worker.
"You get home safe, ok kid?" The supervisor gets up and walks Junmyeon out of his office.
"Thanks, you too."
---
Junmyeon enters his apartment and shrugs off his brown overcoat. He hangs up his bag and tries to get the sound of his coworker screaming out of his head. No one deserves to be treated like that.
He takes off his clothes and steps into the shower. As he closes his eyes, he thinks of where they might've taken his coworker. Even if he did know, what could he do? Where would he go and who would he tell? The police wouldn't do anything. Junmyeon lowered his head, letting the water trickle through his hair and down his back. He stood still, enjoying the welcoming sensation of the cold liquid on his skin. Water felt so natural to him.
He soon lost track of the time. It had been several minutes of him just standing there, thinking to himself, when he heard a knock on his apartment door.
He carefully turned off the shower and wrapped a warm towel around his waist. Combing his wet hair through his fingers, he dresses into some sweatpants and grabs a clean sweatshirt. He slips on his glasses, then goes to open his door.
There stood Lee Park, bundled up in a long coat, holding a container of food. Her cheeks began to feel warm, seeing Junmyeon half naked in front of her.
"Oh, I'm sorry," he wriggled his way into the sweatshirt. "Come in,"
He closes the door behind her, and she steps into the homey apartment.
"I'm sorry," he laughs shyly. "I ..."
"No... it's alright," Lee laughs, setting the container on the kitchen counter. "Are you alright? You seem... stressed."
"Yeah, I'm fine," Junmyeon nods.
Lee shrugs off her coat and he hangs it up on the coat rack. "Did you get here ok?"
"Yeah," She smiles, and Junmyeon follows her into the living room.
"What about you?" She asks. "Are you sure you're alright?"
"Don't... worry about me," he replied nonchalantly. "I'm ok, trust me."
Lee knew he wasn't telling her something and frowned. "What's wrong?"
"It's just something at work," he shrugs. "No big deal,"
"Well, if you say it like that, it does seem like a big deal," Lee leans closer to him. "I'm listening,"
"It's all a blur," Junmyeon admits, his face getting warm. "Sometimes I wish... people wouldn't get hurt. I should be the one getting hurt, not them."
"What the hell happened? Why are you so depressed all of a sudden?"
"This footage from Saturday night..." he began. "My coworker..." he felt a lump forming in his throat.
Why was he like this all of a sudden?
"Don't cry," Lee comforts him. "You don't have to tell me right now,"
"I don't know what's going on," he lowers his head, all types of thoughts and emotions swarming into his mind.
"It's alright," Lee wraps her arms around him. "You don't have to know everything."
"Thanks, Lee," Junmyeon says hours later at his doorstep. It was time for her to head home.
"No biggie," she gives a warm, reassuring smile. "Are you sure you're going to hold up okay?"
"I don't know." Junmyeon takes her hand suddenly. "Can you stay with me tonight? Just for tonight."
"Will that make you feel better?"
He nods his head yes.
Lee steps back into his apartment. "Fine. I'll stay. I know you would do the same for me."
e)(o
