Jangmi was about to doze off when a ringtone blared so loud she jumped to her feet. A quick peek at her phone on the cashier counter told her it wasn’t hers. Getting back to her senses, she soon registered her surroundings – she was still working part-time at 7-Eleven with her partner, Sora, and it was five minutes to midnight.

“It’s mine. Sorry!” Sora squeaked the word sorry and proceeded to answer the call – it was a video call. Holding her phone in front of her face, she whined, “Mom! You don’t need to video call me every day!”

“Are you at work?” The caller – which must be her mother – ignored her nagging.

Jangmi recognized Sora’s mother on the screen and squeezed herself to fit inside the field of the camera view. “Hello, Mrs. Kang!”

Sora’s mother replaced her irritated expression with a bright, cheerful one, as if Jangmi was her mood booster. “Jangmi! Sora didn’t sneak out to the club in the middle of work, right?”

“Mom!” Sora exclaimed in annoyance, jutting her lower lip out in a sulky pout. “Why won’t you trust your own daughter? I’ve never been to any clubs, Mom! Why do you assume I go clubbing every night?”

“Who knows?” Sora’s mother argued, raising her brow at her. “You’re in a far bigger city than Gwangju now. The lifestyle there must be a lot more…” She hesitated, looking for the right word, “modern. And you’re the type of girl who likes to follow the trend! How can I not worry?”

Indeed, Jangmi agreed with Sora’s mother on this one remark. Sora liked to wear stylish clothes, charming makeup, and fancy bags. Her nails were also prettily painted, making her look more beautiful and fashionable. People would have thought she had been into most clubs in Seoul, but Jangmi knew her better.

“But it’s not like every person in Seoul goes clubbing all the time! And I’m no longer a girl!” Sora jerked her head towards Jangmi who was standing beside her. “Jangmi is from Busan and she doesn’t like to go clubbing!”

“Busan is the second largest city in South Korea! And I can see she’s not easily influenced with bad lifestyle!”

Before a big quarrel broke out, Jangmi interfered with their intense debate, smiling as she leaned closer to the screen. “Sora has been working her shift with me and she didn’t leave my side at all.”

Her decision to interrupt their conversation was right because right then, Sora’s mother stopped nagging and started talking about other things.

Jangmi couldn’t help but envy her friend. Her own parents rarely called her since they were busy with their own work – her mother owned a small restaurant in Busan. Although she always blamed her parents for them being poor, she couldn’t bring herself to hate them. No matter what, they’re still her family.

“What a bother.” Sora sighed, hanging up the phone, slumping down into one of the uncomfortable plastic chairs – the only seats available for 7-Eleven’s workers. “Mom is too much sometimes.”

Stifling a yawn, Jangmi sat down on her chair and said sleepily, “At least your mother is worried about you. Mine probably only cares about her restaurant.” Not that she could do anything about it. Her parents were already working very hard to pay their debts – her father had gone bankrupt and borrowed a large sum of money – that they didn’t even had enough time to rest. She obviously wouldn’t let trivial things such as asking them to call her every single day bother them.

Jangmi had even chosen to drop out from high school six years ago to help them earn money.

Sora groaned. “Now you make me feel like a horrible daughter.” She then reached out her hand to open the beverage refrigerator near her and took out a canned coffee, giving it to Jangmi. “Drink this. You look awfully sleepy. I don’t get why you’re taking so many exhausting part-time works here when you can always go back to Busan and help your parents manage your mother’s restaurant.” Before Jangmi could turn down the coffee, Sora opened the can and continued, “My treat. Trust me. You need it.” She took out her money and put it into the cash counter, processing with the payment herself.

“Thanks,” Jangmi mumbled and accepted the canned drink, taking a few sips of it. “I tried, Sora. After I dropped out from school at seventeen, I went back to Busan to help them out with the restaurant. But I couldn’t stand it. The situation is getting worse. They fight over small things. Everyone has become more sensitive after my father’s company went bankrupt. So I decided to work somewhere else, away from them.” She paused to let out a sigh and then lifted a brow at her friend. “And Sora, it’s nearly midnight. It’s normal to get sleepy at this hour. You’re the one who’s nocturnal.”

Jangmi actually didn’t like to talk about her family, but Sora was her close friend despite their three years gap – Sora was younger than her – so she felt comfortable with telling her anything.

Sora chuckled and waved her hand at her, as though she found her statement ridiculous. “It’s only twelve, but whatever. The most important thing now is our shift has ended.” She tapped something on her phone. “I’m calling a taxi. Do you want me to call one for you, too?”

Jangmi shook her head, throwing her empty can into the garbage bin. “No need. I’m taking the bus today.”

A customer – a man wearing black hoodie and trouser jeans, hands in pockets – walked into the store while Sora was on the phone. Since her partner was busy, Jangmi stood up from her seat to take on the job as the man hurriedly approached the counter with a can of coke. “Goodnight, Sir. Is this everything you—?”

He slammed the can on the counter so loud Jangmi flinched at the sound and forgot to finish her question. Taking out his wallet from the back pocket of his trousers, he threw his money onto the counter and snatched his can, rushing