❝ thanks for stopping by ❞

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Taeil knew you for a while. He worked at a convenient store in your town. He could always recognize you when you came in.

He would be at the register when you were checking-out. Though, he never seemed to be able to say anything more than "that'll be..." and "thanks for stopping by."

You came in one night, almost midnight. The fluorescent lights in the store were bright and harsh compared to the dark sky. You came in wearing a sweatshirt with the hood up, squinting and covering your eyes because of the change in lighting. Was it really because of the lighting?

You went directly to the back, but didn't move from one spot. Taeil cautiously left his position behind the register to look in your direction. You had a drink and a bag of some kind of snack on the floor next to where you were sitting.

"Excuse me?" Taeil started hesitantly. "Are you okay?"

Your eyes glistened like crystals and were a shade of pink like you had been crying for a while.

Taeil sat down on the floor across from you. "Whatever happened, just know that things are going to get better."

You just nodded. "They will now."

   And the two of you talked for hours in the back of the convenient store.