"So, come here with the dishcloth and cleansing product."

I do not let her do it but grab the stuff, head towards him, and throw it on the table. "There. You got a free hand, don't you?"

"Are you serious, right now? I asked that of her. If she can't do two things at once, she can go and apply for a different job," he moves to another table to put the glasses down. "Then why didn't you do it yourself?"

"Because I'm not the one applying for a job here," he finishes his sentence but gets caught up by her. She grabs the dishcloth and sprays the table to clean it.

"See, making a scene for nothing when she can do it," he adds a provoking comment to make me react. I let him walk away and look at you. "If Luca told you to do something, don't listen to anyone else."

"It takes five seconds." She goes back behind the counter but seems upset. She has been pretty moody since this morning, but she has not told me anything about it, so I wonder what is going on.

I walk up to her as Thomas comes back, and I check what is wrong as discreetly as possible. I stand right next to her and place the paper cups properly on the counter. "Are you mad?"

She turns her head towards me and looks at me. "I had a nightmare; I've been in pain since I woke up, but I'm still not on my period, and this guy's been getting on my nerves since I got here. So, yes, I am."

"Did you take a pill for the pain?" I understand where her behavior comes from. "Yes, I did."

"And why is he getting on your nerves? What else did he do?" I pretend to not be done yet and rotate all the cups to put the logo in the front. "I just don't like him." She drinks some water and takes a chocolate out of the front pocket of her apron.

"Just ignore him, and if you're still in pain, take a break. Okay? Luca won't mind?" I make sure she does not push herself too far. "Hm," she heaves the tea pitcher up and walks behind me to put it down on my left, but I lay one hand over her lower back. "Why is your period so late though? Has it already happened?"

"Yes, don't worry." She does not show any fear about this as if there were no risk, so I trust her and believe this is not what I think it could be. "What was your nightmare about, though?" I talk to her, feeling the need to hear her get her anger off her chest.

"I'll talk about it during the break." She takes care of the coffee machine, making it clear she needs some time alone. It is hard to see her act that way, but I guess it is one of those days.

•••

11:40 pm.

"Y/N," Thomas pronounces my name again as I am washing one of the pitchers. Before I could turn around, he gets near and drops a few glasses next to me. "Wash that."

"But I-"

"You forgot what I said this morning?" He speaks near my face as he lowers his voice. "Wash that," he repeats himself, and I listen. "Alright," I bite my inner cheek and do it, despite what I have been told. I know it's better to just follow his instructions and not argue.

I hurry to clean what I have in my hands—the people, music, and sounds stressing me out. I rinse the pitcher and put it down, but hear Luca speak to me. Before I could even realize it, the pitcher collides with two of the glasses Thomas left next to me. Luca bumps into me as he tried to catch them, and my heart instantly sinks as I hear the sound of breaking glass.

For a few seconds, I am frozen in shock and disbelief, terrified of the consequences. Then, Luca pulls me in and takes me away from the shattered glass. I apologize right away and squat down to pick up the pieces, but he grabs my wrist and pulls me up. "I'm the one who broke it, hm? Take your break," he says, staring into my eyes. "But-"

"Take your break. It's okay," he reassures me, but Jungkook joins instead of serving the customers like he has been assigned to. "What's wrong?" he asks, and Luca sighs at him, seeming disappointed and bothered. "Jungkook. Go back to that customer's table and stop getting distracted. I'm taking care of this."

Not understanding why he is reacting that way for sure, Jungkook looks at me and grabs one of my hands. "Are you hu-"

"Jungkook. I'm not going to repeat myself." Luca fixes his eyes on him, giving him a warning look that makes Jungkook let go of my hand. He expresses his discontent with a heavy sigh and walks away.

"I want to help, Luca." I try to not worsen the situation by insisting too much but feel too guilty to leave. "No, I'm fine. Take a break, y/n. Please," he speaks to me in a softer voice, so I nod and listen.

I leave this room and get in the lockers to remove my apron, feeling all the anxiety heavily weigh on me. I keep messing up and being slow; there is no way the boss is going to hire me.

All the pressure suffocating me since this morning, I cover my face as some tears start growing into my eyes. I do not know what is going on today, but this is the worst day ever.

I get out of the lockers and make my way up to the restrooms to try and calm down. I need a moment alone. I let out a deep breath, feeling overwhelmed by everything that happened, remembering this morning's events.

/ flashback \

My hair looking fine enough to start the shift, I walk away from the mirror, but hear somebody enter the restroom. I look up to see Thomas staring at me from the door.

This is the women's restroom; he should not be here.

Not knowing how to react, I lower my gaze and walk towards him to make him understand I want to go out, but he does not move.

He stays with his back against the door and crosses his arms. "You're Jungkook's girlfriend, right?"

"I want to go out, move out of the way." I do not make eye contact with him, feeling too uncomfortable.

However, my head moves backward as an instinctive response as he lifts one hand up to my chin. He smiles at my reaction, finding it amusing. "I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to talk."

"I don't want to," I reply, averting my eyes from him as much as possible. "And you shouldn't be here."

"Oh, really?" he retorts, taking a step closer. "What are you going to do about it? Hm? You're going to tell your fragile boyfriend about it?" He sneers and gets my eyes to dart up to his. "What's your problem?"

"Your relationship. There's no way you fell in love with this dude. Have you?" he dares to ask. "I won't answer your stupid question." I step away from him, my heart racing with anger and fear. I attempt to get to the door, but he gets right before me. "You'll answer me," he asserts, blocking my way. "You're his girl, aren't you?"

"I'm not. Why are you so interested in knowing that?" I tell a lie, looking into his eyes. "You're not? Oh, good. I was hoping you weren't."

I attempt to leave for the second time, and he grabs my arm firmly, not allowing me to go. "It's sad to see you feel the need to lie to me, you know. 'Cause I've got some things to tell you that you might want to hear and not forget."

The fear taking the upper hand on any other emotion inside of me, I stand there without fighting and stare at him in silence.

"That son of a bitch is the reason why Emilia cheated on me. Do you have any idea how fucking infuriating this is?" he says, his voice trembling with anger. I take a deep breath and try to keep my cool, knowing that reacting in anger will only make things worse.

I watch him take a step closer, and he cups my face in one hand. "Ruining what he has and taking you away from him would only be fair, wouldn't it?"

I push him away but feel my body hit the wall behind me. "Leave him alone."

"I wasn't planning on doing anything to him. I just want to make him regret what he did to me by giving him a taste of his own medicine." He keeps shrinking the gap between us, no matter how many times I move away. "Do not ever compare us to what you had with that girl. She never liked you, she just wanted to have sex with every guy here."

"You shut the fuck up and do not talk about something you don't know, you bitch," he replies angrily, punching the stall he keeps me against. "I do know more than you think. You just got fooled, and you're mad."

"Holy fuck, you've got some nerves," he scoffs, straightening up and glaring down at me. "I've never met a girl like you before. You really think I can't see how scared you are?"

"I'm not scared of you. What are you going to do? Hurt me and walk out? Luca and Jungkook will know it's you," I say, voice shaking but determined. "The thing is that if I rape you right now and threaten to hurt Jungkook if you tell anyone, I know you won't say anything. You love him way too much."

My heart pounds in my chest as his words sink in, realizing he is right. If he is capable of such a vile act, he would not hesitate to harm Jungkook. He knows that I will not call the police either, they never care about this type of crime.

"Cat got your tongue, baby?" he smirks and brushes the back of his hand over my cheek. "Those words always work so well on you, girls. We men can destroy you so easily, it's not even funny, but no matter how much I'd love to fuck you in one of those stalls right now. I'll wait. It's too soon."

"Stop, please," I turn my head and try to push him away, but he grabs my wrists tightly. "You want me to stop?" He turns his voice into a riduculous one. "You're just a weak little girl. You couldn't stop me even if you tried. So, what you're going to do is listen to me, uh?" he presses his hips against mine, pinning me against the stall. "Whenever I tell you to do something, you obey. When I want to touch you, you shut up and take it. If you don't, Jungkook will be the one to take the hit. Got it?"

"Yes," I reply, barely above a whisper, shaking and tearing up. "Good girl. Your boyfriend will be happy to know he got such a loving girl. Now, be a good little slut and do as you're told," he forcefully lets go of me and walks out of the room.

/ end of flashback \

My tears stream down my face as I try to compose myself but cannot forget all the words I heard. I can still feel his hands on me, the fear still lingering in my mind.

I need to talk about it to someone, but I am so scared of the consequences if I speak up.

As my mind is being consumed with thoughts of what could happen if I revealed the truth, the vibration of my phone grasps my attention.

It is a message from Luca.

< Can you meet me in my office if you haven't had lunch yet?

I agree to meet him in his office and send him a reply. I try my best to dry my tears and erase any signs of distress from my face, catching my breath. I walk out of the restroom and head towards his office to meet him.

As I approach it, my heart races with anticipation and anxiety, unsure of what awaits me behind the closed door. I take a deep breath and steel myself for whatever conversation is about to unfold with Luca.

I knock on the door, my hand slightly trembling. As the door swings open, I am greeted by Luca's warm smile and inviting eyes. "Hey, come in."

I step inside, trying to push aside the nerves that are still lingering in my stomach. "I was looking for you but couldn't find you," he says as he closes the door behind me. "I was in the restroom; I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay. Stop saying sorry," he smiles and sits down at his desk, inviting me to do so. I take a seat in front of him. "You seem a little dazed and nervous since this morning. Are you alright?"

I pause for a moment, trying to think of how to respond. "Yeah, I'm just, I don't know. A bit more stressed out today for whatever reason."

He nods to me without seeming convinced. I remain silent and meet his gaze as he looks into my eyes. I feel the pressure building inside me, wondering if I should just spill everything that has been bothering me.

"Were you crying?" he asks softly, making me break down instantly. "No, I'm sorry." I hide my face in my hands, feeling embarrassed. "Hey, what's wrong?" He stands up and comes up to me. "Is it about earlier? It's okay. I'm not mad, and no one's going to be. This can happen, so you don't have to worry about it," he lays one hand over my back.

I shake my head. "No, it's not that. It's just...I can't talk about it..."

"Do you want me to bring Jungkook here?" He sits down next to me and brings the chair closer to mine. "No, I don't want him to know. I think it's better if I leave. I'm only going to cause issues if I stay."

"No, you won't. What are you talking about, y/n?" He takes my hands away from my face and hands me some tissues. "What happened for you to feel like that? You can tell me about it. The last thing I want is for you to feel like you're a burden, because you're not."

"But I don't want Jungkook to get hurt again. Everyone is trying to hurt him. I wipe my tears away and keep my eyes low. "No one's going to hurt him. There's no need to be scared."

I take a deep breath and try to believe those words, even though doubt lingers in my heart. I peek at him, the look in his eyes calming me down. "I need you to promise me you won't talk about it."

"What is it about-"

"Promise me, Luca. Please," I ask pleadingly. "Fine. I won't talk about it if that's what you want," he replies and gives me his word, so I tell him. "It's Thomas."

"Thomas? What did he do to you?" He rests his forearms on his thighs and holds his hands together, being attentive. In a few words, and without leaving a detail out, I explain what happened in the restroom this morning and the words he used to threaten me. However, the more I speak, the more his eyes seem to darken with a sense of rage.

I have never seen him express that emotion before.

"How can I keep quiet about it, y/n? He needs to get fired." He does not understand the risks of speaking out and the potential consequences. "If you speak about it, Jungkook will be the one to get hurt. You can't, Luca. I'm begging you."

He does not respond but sighs and looks away. He runs his fingers through his hair and stands up to walk around the room, clearly conflicted. "You can't tell Jungkook about it either. You know he is; he's going to lose his mind and get hurt because he still hasn't recovered entirely. You're the only one I can talk about this with."

"I know," he rubs his face, not knowing how to deal with this situation either. "I'm sorry..." I apologize, feeling guilty for putting him in this position. "No, you're not at fault," he says reassuringly and comes near me. "Listen," he leans back on his desk and lays eyes on me. "I won't say anything, but you're going to have to tell me everything that happens with him from now on. And I won't let you stay alone. If you need to get into a room, you tell me first so that I can make sure he doesn't get near, alright?"

"Yes," I promise him to not keep anything to myself. "Okay," he nods but sounds unsure. I hope this is not adding more trouble to the ones he must already have. He raises his eyes up to mine, pain and worry etched in them. "Don't ever be afraid around him again. I'm here when Jungkook isn't. Nothing's going to happen-" someone knocking on the door interrupts us.

Luca moves away and heads to the door. He slightly opens it but keeps a hand on the handle, and as soon as I hear the voice of the person behind it, I feel much better.

"She's here. No need to worry. I was just having a talk with her." Luca speaks to Jungkook, who sounds worried about my absence. "A talk? She's been here for so long. What do you mean a talk?"

"Jungkook. Please, I told you something about that behavior," he reminds him of something I do not know about. "She's an intern. I take care of her. So I need to have some talks with her, and it will take as long as needed."

"But-" Jungkook sighs, not agreeing with Luca. "I'm sorry. She's been having a bad day. I just want to make sure she's alright. You're not scolding her for those glasses, right?"

"I'm not, stop worrying. She's okay," he reassures him. "She'll be out in five minutes, but I'll have to talk to you about what you did earlier. Alright?"

"Yeah, I knew you'd want to," he understands calmly, and Luca ends the talk to close the door and comes back to me.

He goes back on his chair and heaves a sigh. He sets his eyes on me and says, "Do you not want to work here anymore because of what happened?"

"I don't know. I can't stand having him around me anymore, but I want to be near Jungkook," I reply with a heavy heart. "I see. I want you to focus on your job. Do not listen to Thomas. I'm always gonna stay around from now on, so he won't be able to order you around or lay a finger on you. So there's no need to be worried. Enjoy the job you like doing with Jungkook, and nothing else. Okay?"

I nod to him. "Thank you, Luca."

"No need to thank me, I just want to make sure you feel safe and comfortable while working with us," he says with a reassuring smile. "And I'll find a way to get him fired without you being involved in any way. He always acts like a jerk anyway, so that'll be easy to make him mess up even more. I promise you won't have to deal with him much longer."

I smile at him, feeling relieved and so much less stressed about the situation. I am very lucky to have him and Jungkook there for me.

"We should join Jungkook and eat something now," he stands up and heads towards the door, so I follow him but ask him a question. "Wait...Am I a bad girlfriend for not telling Jungkook about this?"

He pauses, steps in front of me, and lowers his chin to meet my gaze. "You're not. Jungkook's very protective and impulsive, which means he'll try to take matters into his own hands if he knows about it, and kill that guy. But literally. That's kinda why I knew this wouldn't be a good idea to show PDA here," he explains. "So, I understand this might be difficult to keep it to yourself, but it's the best thing to do for now. You're not doing anything wrong. You're the best girl he could ever have asked for."

"I hope he won't be mad," I say, worried about Jungkook's reaction when he finds out the truth at some point. "Don't worry about it," he pats the back of my head gently. "Oh, and I forgot," he heads back to his desk and plunges his hand in the bowl of chocolate candies. Then, he comes back and takes my hand to put everything in it. "Here. I know you like them," he finds the best way to brighten up my mood, and I thank him and put all the chocolate balls in my pockets.

"Is there anything more you'd like to talk about?" he asks, taking all the time needed to listen to me with genuine interest and care.

"Not really," I shake my head, and he smiles. "Alright, just know that you can always come in my office if you need to talk about anything."

"Alright, thank you," I express my gratitude, and then he opens the door for me. He lets me go out first and I grab a chocolate ball in my pocket out of hunger, but as soon as I step out, Jungkook comes to me.

He grabs my hand to take me towards the direction of the back door, but Luca reacts. "Just take your break, Jungkook. Please."

"You've been keeping her in your office for almost half an hour. Don't act like you care about our break," Jungkook retorts, his grip tightening on my hand as I can tell he is letting his anger and jealousy take over. "It barely took ten minutes. She's alright. You both need to eat something before we go back to work. Stop acting that way."

"We're free to do what we want during the break," he does not listen but drags me away, ignoring his best friend's advice. He brings me outside the shop and faces me once we are alone.

"What happened in his office?"