The next morning, y/n woke up as usual and went to school as early as possible because the instructor had chosen to move the exam time earlier so everyone could enjoy a good summer break.
Y/n texted Suga that she wouldn't be able to meet at the front gate this morning due to the instructor moving the exam early, and asked if they could meet later during her shift.
When y/n got to class, she noticed everyone was panicking about what to study, and their tired faces showed they hadn't slept well. The whole class tried to study before the instructor arrived.
The exam lasted 1 hour and 40 minutes. When the time was up, everyone submitted their exams and hurried to the door to kick off their summer vacation.
Y/n, still in the classroom, checked her bag to ensure she had her work clothes and the food her mom had prepared the day before. After confirming everything was there, she stood up and walked to the door.
Y/n decided to call the manager of the 7-Eleven to see if she could come in an hour earlier for her shift instead of the original time. The manager agreed, so with a smile on her face, y/n went into the ladies' restroom to change into her work clothes. Before she could finish changing, she overheard a group of girls entering the ladies' restroom and speaking poorly about her.
"Did you see Suga's LIVE last night?" "I definitely did." "I can't believe Suga is dating that self-centered y/n." "I know, right? Why couldn't he pick someone else to date?" "We fans can't decide who he dates; besides, y/n has been close with the whole group, right?" "You're right! But still, Suga and y/n as a couple—I hope they break up. I don't think they will last long." "Even if they do break up, how would Suga feel about it?"
Y/n, who was listening to the whole conversation from one of the stalls, was about to come out until she heard one of her friends stepping in to defend her.
For the next few minutes, y/n couldn't hear what was being said because it was so noisy, so she waited for things to calm down.
"Okay, it's quiet now; it appears they've left, so let me slowly leave," y/n said as she exited the restroom stall, just before she heard a whisper that sent chills down her spine. "Going somewhere?" Namjoon asked. "Namjoon? What are you doing in the ladies' restroom?" y/n asked, feeling fidgety.
"What a good question! You see, I was just passing by when I heard all the commotion. When I opened the door, I saw one of your friends yelling at a random girl, and then she started pulling her hair. It looked like the random girl wasn't alone, so a fight was going on. Then the random girl noticed me and tried to get away, but she couldn't. I had to step in and tell both groups to stop messing around and return to their classrooms. The second group of girls quickly gathered their things and left without shame, while the first group, your friends, took their time to leave. One of your friends whispered to me before exiting the restroom that you were in one of the stalls, so she asked me to keep quiet until you came out of the stall," Namjoon said, leaning against the door.
"No wonder they stopped talking. Since you're here, here's the green book back," y/n said, pulling out the green book and thanking him.
Y/n informed Namjoon that she was finished for the semester and was heading to her first shift. Namjoon steps to the side and allows y/n to pass through.
Y/n reached the 7-Eleven close to her home, and the manager was there waiting for her.
"You must be y/n, right?" "Yes, that's me." "Great! Since today is your first day, I'll have you work with another coworker to learn the ropes. Don't hesitate to ask him for assistance. He'll be here this week to assist you if you look lost."
The manager left the 7-Eleven after finishing her explanation.
"Don't worry, you'll do great. Plus, I'm one of the best coworkers here at the store. You can begin by stocking items on the aisle. It's a slow day today."
The coworker guided her on how to stock the items in each aisle properly and showed her around the store to point out where everything is.
Y/n, still feeling a bit anxious from earlier, shrugged it off and returned her mind to what she had come for.
Four hours go by; y/n has figured everything out in the store because she is a quick learner. She managed to learn how to operate the cash register but was still having some difficulties. The coworker chose to take his lunch break before y/n's early shift was over.
"Whenever you take lunch breaks, always pay attention to who comes in and greet them. You can leave your lunch in the same place or move it elsewhere. Hospitality and customer service are very important here," the coworker advised. "Thanks for the information; you're really helpful," answered y/n.
For the next two hours, the store became busy and crowded, and y/n was moving around, unable to catch her breath until the manager arrived. The manager informed y/n that she was ready to end her shift for today.
"Since you signed up for the night shift, you can officially start the night shift with him tomorrow, but only for this week. He mentioned to me, 'You're still having trouble at the cash register; I'm sure you'll master it in less than a week.' "Before I go, ma'am, can I warm up the food my mom made for me? I was supposed to eat this before coming here but didn't have time; I only had water." "Oh my, of course you can heat up your food anytime; we don't want any issues."
Y/n thanked the manager for letting her use the microwave in the break room to warm up her food.
"I won't disturb you; I'll eat something and take my leave." "Don't say that; enjoy your meal. You won't be bothering me."
Y/n chose to purchase a kimbap and an iced tea. She paid for them and began preparing her DIY mango-flavored iced tea.
"Alright, I've warmed up the food my mom made for me today, my homemade iced tea, and my kimbap for lunch/dinner. Let me snap a photo of this and share it," y/n thought as she took a picture of her food. After sharing it, she starts to eat her meal peacefully.
"Oh no, I was meant to meet my girlfriend today at the 7-Eleven, but something came up," Suga said, feeling anxious. He sent a text to y/n saying he couldn't meet her today, and she replied that it was okay if he couldn't make it.
While looking at his phone, Suga received a message from Namjoon that read, "I'm here with y/n at the 7-Eleven; don't worry about her, I'll look after her. If it makes you feel better, I'll walk her home to keep her safe."
Reading this made Suga feel relieved but also a bit suspicious. "Why does his message sound so odd? I will take care of it? Does he mean y/n? Taking care of her? At least she won't be walking home alone today," Suga thought to himself while on his phone.
"Hey, what did Suga say in the end?" y/n asked as she threw away her trash. "Suga said he's fine with me walking you home," Namjoon replied, waiting by the door.
"Hey y/n, before you leave, could you give me your phone number? This is not a flirting invitation; I just need a coworker's number in case of an emergency happens." "Uh sure." Y/n and the coworker ended up exchanging phone numbers.
After saving each other's numbers, y/n walked to the door, and the coworker called out, "Take care and see you tomorrow night," to which y/n waved back.
Namjoon and y/n then began walking towards her house.
"Is that boy your coworker?" "Yeah, more like a trainee." "So it was just you and him this whole time?" "Yes. Is there an issue?" "I have no issue, but I wonder how Suga would feel about this, especially that boy who asked for your number." "I need to tell Suga about him soon, especially this week since I work the night shift; he will be training me, particularly on the cash register. I'm still making errors." "You? Making errors at something so easy, wow."
Namjoon burst out laughing, which annoyed y/n. Y/n ended up hitting his shoulder to make him stop laughing.
"Stop laughing; it's not funny." "It's funny to me." Namjoon continued to laugh uncontrollably, making y/n angrier; y/n kept hitting his shoulder until Namjoon held her wrist.
"Y/n, you can stop hitting me. It's just a joke. Friends can mess around and joke. You really can't take a joke, can you?" Namjoon said with an intense stare. "Okay, I understand; it's a joke. You're hurting my wrist; could you please let go now?" y/n said nervously. "What if I don't want to let go? If I let go, you'll run away, just like you did on Jeju Island six years ago when you rejected me." "I won't run away, I promise; just please let go, it's hurting me."
Y/n's tears streamed down from her cheeks. Namjoon let go of y/n's wrist, his intense gaze softening as he noticed y/n's crying.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring up the past," he murmured softly. "It's fine, just please don't grip me like that again," y/n murmured, wiping her face to get rid of her tears.
Namjoon nodded, a look of remorse appearing on his face as he recognized the consequences of his actions. They both stood quietly for a moment, the heaviness of their shared past lingering in the air between them.