chapter 1 ; 𝓽𝓪𝓫𝓵𝓮 𝓯𝓸𝓻𝓽𝔂-𝓽𝔀𝓸

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Table 42 was hopefully the last table Yunhee had to be serving that night. After ten o'clock she got so tired, she felt like fainting, as she approached those three guests which the bottle of soju on her tray was for. However, she still forced herself to stay focused as she kept up the balance of their new order, banning her way through the whole restaurant in her tiny black shoes that slowly started to hurt – back to the tables in the back.
Greeted by multiple pair of eyes that did not only enjoy the appearance of her face but even trailed down her fragile body, she placed their bottles and glasses well-behaved in front of those already dunk men, ignoring the feeling of insecurity that was rising inside of her due to that uncomfortable observation. Even as she could feel the hint of a touch on her upper leg, she didn't react to that hand which was making its way underneath her skirt.

Internally she was crying – crying out for help, for a break, for someone she wouldn't be used by but how could one possibly see her pain through that pretty smile.

"Enjoy your drinks," her sweet voice made everyone feel warm inside, just as she was taught to do, whenever talking to guests of this noble restaurant – yes, even if they were proven to be complete jerks. Her boss wouldn't allow her to do another mistake, she would surely not get away with this.

Also this night, she had to be very careful. Even more careful than the nights before.

After her shift ended, she went straight for the toilets as soon as she changed her permissive uniform into her oversized hoodie and a pair of jeans.
"See ya tomorrow, Yunhee-ah", the voices of her co-workers called after her, followed by some giggling.
"Hush, she's working hard," Yunhee could still hear a suppressed voice as someone smacked his neighbour's back. "She's truly not to admire. I don't wanna be in her shoes," the other one was answering before Yunhee disappeared behind the corner without them knowing she wasn't going to leave the restaurant for the rest of the night.

Hiding in the bathroom stall for two more hours was a painful boring thing to sit through. But Yunhee had to wait for the last person to leave the building before she dared to walk around freely. She didn't even arise from the toilet seat before the lights went out, leaving her behind in complete darkness.

Only now she felt safe.

The hinges scrunched as Yunhee slowly pushed the door of the bathroom stall open. Although she was convinced no one was watching her, her eyes scanned the room nervously. Just to be sure, she even checked the other stalls before leaving the bathroom again.
Sneaking through the hallway like a criminal, she received the familiar uneasy feeling when wandering around an abandoned place like this.
Only the small flashlight of her phone led her way towards the light switch. Always short on battery, she relied on the light source of the restaurant to get the hang of this place. Everything looked so different when it was dark and although she was fine with that, she didn't want to risk anything breaking by her force. At least she wasn't working here for so long that she was capable of finding her way around blindfolded.

Letting her eyes shift through the room – now as the light was on – was a much better feeling.

For sure she wasn't actually planning on doing a crime this night although sleeping at her workplace was actually already considered a crime. But when her eyes landed on the cash register, she was automatically thinking about taking advantage of this possibility. Unconsciously her feet carried her behind the counter as her eyes did not move from her point of interest. Her fingertips traced along the side of the cash register aiming for the tight drawer as she was thinking about all the doors this cash would open for her. She wouldn't have any problems anymore. She would be able to pay for an apartment – to get all the essentials she needed. Unlike her minimum wage, this could pay so much more. This could be a chance once in a lifetime.

However, Yunhee decided not to steal the money as she remembered her main goal. Top priority: Not to get into trouble again.

Leaving the cash register behind with a sense of disappointment, she passed the counter and walked into the dining area to look for a place – maybe a little bench – to lay down for a while. Table 42 already looked like a suitable option, that's why she had served those guys earlier with more pleasure than usual.
In her eyes, the bench in the corner made a quite comfortable sleeping place – and it seemed to be safe, so she walked over to finally get some rest while forgetting about one important thing.

The lights were still on.

Yunhee was drawn into a deep sleep, almost losing consciousness as she had to caught up the past sleepless nights. She had pushed her body way too far just because she was still too ignorant to accept what had happened to her – how much her life had changed in one single night.

It was a night like this, cold and clear, the stars were out there dancing on the black sky as she was standing on the balcony, smoking a cigarette.

"Are you coming inside, babe? I'm getting cold." a boy's voice had sounded from behind her back, before she put her smoking stick out and returned into the living room.
"You're getting cold while I'm the one standing outside? You're covered with a blanket," Yunhee remembered her soft chuckle before she approached the boy on her couch.
Although the TV was on, he had placed his eyes on her, smiled at her in a loving way and opened his arms wide for you to crawl on top of him.
"I'm not looking for any warmth. I only want your warmth," he breathed against her lips, as she had took her place and leaned over him to give him a gentle kiss – followed by a bright smile. At this time she was the happiest person alive. She could still remember the feelings inside of her as if that day was only yesterday.

"Hello? Somebody in here?" a warning voice penetrated her hearing shortly before her internal alarm bells started ringing. Immediately by a rush of adrenaline, Yunhee shot up from her dream, wide awake like no morning before. In fact, it wasn't morning, it was still night and it didn't take her long to figure out that she was still at the restaurant where she shouldn't be.

"I know there is someone. Lay down your weapon and show yourself or I'll call the police!" the voice echoed in Yunhee's ear followed by the aggressive barking of a big dog. She knew she had to do something about this situation but she couldn't think clearly. She didn't know what to do. All she knew was not to panic but exactly this was what she was doing now.
Her head started to flush in a light shade of red, as she looked for a way out of this corner. There was a backdoor she could possibly reach, but would she be able to escape?

Pulling the hood of her hoodie deep into her face to remain unknown, Yunhee didn't hesitate to jump from behind the table, over a few chairs and then started running as fast as she could. Without looking back, she ran for the door – the only thing in her sight.
She didn't even hear the warning words anymore of this familiar voice that used to scold her for so many things before. She ignored completely everything to get out of here.

But just as she was able to reach for the door handle, a strong pain pierced through her calf and made her leg weak. Followed by a scream, her knee broke down beneath her body and she crashed onto the ground.

***

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