“Yes, Ningning, auntie has bought all your favorite snacks,” Juhyun said through the phone as it was sandwiched on her cheeks and shoulders as she put all the groceries she had one by one on the cashier's table.

Juhyun looked through the window and saw that the rain hadn't calmed down a bit. She did watch the weather forecast and it didn’t show that it is going to rain today. Perhaps it’s her fault for believing the news too much. Or she just wants to blame someone, and she just wants to blame herself instead. But here she is, paying for the groceries for her apartment and her niece’s favorite foods. Once she was finished paying, she smiled at the cashier who was also smiling at her and uttered a “Have a nice day, Ma’am!” She grabbed the plastic bags with her small hands and started walking through the parking lot. And oh god, a renovation is going through and the parking lot was like an open lot instead. Juhyun cursed quietly at the situation, and thought that maybe this is her unluckiest day in her 32 years of living.

She tried to run to her car even though is carrying plastic bags which were heavy. She was soaked with how heavy the rain was. If only her 8 year old niece had someone with her in their apartment, she would not get soaked in the rain like this, but now, the only thing she could do is pray that she won't get sick.

She opened the trunk of her car and put all the plastic bags inside. Then she ran to the driver’s seat and put the keys inside to open it, she tried pulling the door but luck was not indeed on her side. She pursed her lips and tried pulling the door a little harder this time. Did she open it? No, it didn’t open.

“Damn you, you stupid old car, Open up!” she screamed a little louder as she tried to pull the door again and again.

Yeah, having an old rusty car might get you into trouble like this, but Juhyun is still saving up for a new car. So she just needs to work for a few years and she should be able to buy her new car.

“Yes!” Juhyun cheered as she opened her car, finally. She quickly sat inside and rubbed her hands. She was freezing because she was all soaked, especially her trench coat. So she immediately removed it, revealing her fitted crop top white shirt. She was cold but she was fine with this instead of being soaked in the wet coat all through her drive home.

She rubbed her hands again and placed it on her cheeks, after that she started her car and drove on her way home.

She was driving fine and was swaying her head on the music she was listening to. But scoffed as the song secret santa by Gwen Steffani played. She remembered the get-together party tomorrow. And she wants to slap herself for forgetting to buy something for their exchange gift tomorrow. She cursed for the nth time today. She can’t drive back, it will take her almost an hour to go back to the store. The only store that is near from where she is driving from is a stationary store a few blocks from here, so she prayed that she can find something decent for her to give. She drove straight as she prayed along.

She was inside the store and was looking for something useful. But blame her indecisive now, because she can’t decide which one is best that she could give as a gift. She doesn’t know, and she wants to slap herself, for not observing her co-worker named Son Wendy. It was not her fault for not interacting and talking too much at the girl, because the girl has a wet blanket personality, or that is anyone is saying about her, so she stayed away because she doesn’t want to be involved in her schemes to kill the joy in the company. So she looked around to find something that she thinks that Wendy would like. She was stopped in her thoughts when she heard her phone ring, so she quickly grabbed it and answered her phone. The first thing she heard was her niece, crying. So she asked her niece why she was crying.

“Ning, baby, why are you crying?” She asked with her sweetest voice.

“ Because you are not here yet. I need you auntie Hyunnie” Ningning said in between sobs.

Juhyun bit her lips as she worried about the gift for tomorrow.

She looked around and once again and something caught her eye. A set of pens, which Wendy uses. Or perhaps the brand. So she quickly told her niece to wait for her for a little bit and ran to get the pen set. But before she could grab it, a little hand quickly grabbed it. She looked at the kid who only looked at her innocently. But she needed the pen, so she tried to talk to the kid.

“Hey, baby, can I get the pen instead, because I need it?” She tried to pull her puppy eyes with the action, but she did not expect the little girl to cry. She panicked when her parents came over and asked her what happened. She explained and apologized to her parents, but still, the kid hasn’t stopped from crying, but then she remembered she had some candy in her pocket, so she quickly fished some and gave it to the kid, who quickly stopped from crying. She was thankful and took a deep breath, but she remembered that she didn’t get the pen set, and the girl was already on the cashier with her mommy.

“I hate myself,” she muttered as watch the girl jumping happily with the pen set.

She looked at the table and saw another pen and pencil set. It was just like the same but not the same brand as what Wendy uses. Also, the remaining pen and pencil set are a little cheaper than the other one. But she just grabbed it and went to the cashier.

She was looking for her card inside her wallet but she felt someone’s hand on her shoulders and looked at the hand and saw the baby blue towel that was placed on her back and shoulders. She was surprised but was thankful at the action, but before she could thank the person, she walked to the cashier area and beeped the pen set on the machine for total.

“That’ll be 65 bucks” She said. Juhyun swear she looks and sounds familiar, she was just wearing a face mask that is why she can’t really recognize her. Juhyun observed that the cashier has the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen, she was not going to lie at that, but she didn’t tell him that, no way in the world she is going to spill that one. So she still thanked the cashier for the action earlier.

“Thank you, for the kind gesture” Juhyun said with a smile and the cashier just bowed her head and responded to Juhyun.

“No problem, Ma’am”

Juhyun then kindly gave her card to the cashier and went through the payment process.

Once she was ready to leave the store, she was stopped when someone pulled her wrist, so she looked at where the person was coming from and saw that it was the same cashier.

“Uhm, can I help you?” Juhyun asked and the cashier just extended her arm to show the umbrella to Juhyun.

“Take this” The cashier shook her hand carrying the umbrella and Juhyun could swear she could melt at how caring this cashier was.

“Uhm, no it’s okay, that’s yours” Juhyun tried to reject the offer but the cashier was persistent.

“Okay, how about, let me walk you outside instead” The cashier said and Juhyun looked outside and saw that the rain was still heavy. So she agreed to the offer.

It was a short walk to her car as it was just outside the shop, but still, Juhyun appreciated the offer very much. The cashier holding the umbrella for her is something she could not expect would happen. It was actually…sweet. And Juhyun loves every second of it.

When Juhyun was inside her car, she thanked the cashier again.

“Thank you, really. For the towel and for walking me out of the store”

“Don’t mention it. Take care. Well, my work is calling for me, See you around” The cashier said and ran inside t