Hey awesome guys~
I'm back after a looooong hiatus and I'm sorry for not even telling you but the hiatus was unexpected...

I won't try to find an excuse cause the reason consists of several happenings that caused me to not update for about a year and even though I didn't update I always remembered you all and told myself to write a new chapter. I already started on this one a long time ago but didn't feel like it was finished yet.
You're probably totally out of this story so it would be better to read the last chapter again or at least skim over it before you continue with this one.

Love you all from the bottom of my heart <3

"You're going to regret it."

She hissed quietly, her words laced with so much hate, it was like some inky black liquid oozing out of her veins. That moment I knew, I had to run...

Before I could even move I found myself being thrown in the air before I smacked against the wall behind me. The impact was so strong I felt all the air getting knocked out of my lungs at once.

I groaned as I landed on top of a closed waste container. I rolled a little to my side in pain just to fall off and land on the hard concrete.
I hissed when my head hit the ground, my sight now hazy and my head pounding.

I took a few seconds before I slowly pulled myself up. I looked around, holding onto the container. I couldn't really make out much of my surroundings, I was way too dizzy. But through my blurred sight I noticed that Min-ah wasn't there anymore. Thank god.

I turned my head to the open door of the rear entrance and gulped. I was still dizzy but I'd rather get away from here. So I straightened up and ran, holding my breath for a few seconds, not daring to turn my head. I breathed out again and when I ran back inside I gasped loudly before hurriedly closing the back door. I planted my palms on the door and slowly stepped away, panting but not because I just had to run a little. 

I sighed a little and turned around to return, but I froze in my place.
'Damn! I forgot the ing bin! How could I be so damn stupid?!'

I cursed myself for being so damn brainless, slowly turning back to the door with a sigh. I walked over to it and hesitantly opened it.
I would walk out, take the bin and walk back inside. No need to feel scared.
I could only pray to god and hope that my life wouldn't end in this dark alley.

I opened the door and rushed to the container, picking up the bin next to it and then ran back, fortunately without having to encounter her again.
I slammed the door shut and hurried to the others, forgetting to check my appearance.

I walked to the kitchen, they were all quite busy, so they didn't notice me, which was good because I would rather not face anyone in the state I was in.
So I placed the bin down at it's rightful place and went to the break room, which was kind of used like a relaxation room, with some comfortable couches, a TV, a small coffee table, as well as a big table with enough seats, a bookshelf and a corner that was the kitchen. There was another door right across from the door I had entered through, which led to the 'locker room' as Chen called it.

I dragged myself to one of the big couches while taking the apron off, tossing it over the backrest, and let myself fall into the soft cushion.
I sighed out in bliss and closed my eyes.

Opening them again I stared at the ceiling before I decided to make sure that I don't look like somebody just pushed me down a cliff. I had to find out what it was about that monster following me, going to the extend of hurting me means that this ghost is freaking serious. And somehow I can't shake off the feeling that she has something to do with the rumors about this place.

"Oh, you finally came." came a male voice from the other side of the door. It belonged to one of the guys and it must've been the other worker, named Jongin,
"Yeah, sorry that I'm late. I thought I'd make it in time. Were you alright without me?" replied another, not all too unfamiliar, voice.
'So I was right.'

I decided that I should go back outside and go back to work since I didn't have anything to do and I'd just waste my time sitting around. On top of that I needed to get my mind free from the anxiety of the moment I just had with that... no way to describe what she is. I no longer wanted to stay in a room by myself.
I moved over to the couch and picked up my apron before putting it on, tying the ends together behind my back. And just as I made a move for the door my eyes caught the reflection of her deformed face, her dead eyes watching my move and I refused to turn my head and look at her - that's how scared I was knowing she was the most dangerous thing I crossed paths with.

I hurried to get out and as I was right in front of the door it swung open. I looked up, not halting, until I noticed the tall figure that had opened it and when I recognized his face everything slowly made sense to me.
He was the cause of everything and yet of nothing. He was the reason of it all but had nothing to do with anything.

The rumors, the lack of customers, the reason why Min-ah has been following me, why she tried to hurt me after I started working at this place...
It all made goddamn sense now after just one look at the person in front of me.
Jongin, I had met him as Kai, worked here and Min-ah was trying anything to keep him out of any girl's reach, keeping him only for herself.

I noticed he had frozen just like I did the moment our eyes met but it didn't take long for us break it when we simultaneously turned our attention to the guys behind him, even if not for the same reason, at least the awkwardness was gone.
"Did I miss something?" he asked confused, only the slightest frown was visible on his handsome face while he seemed rather amused about this situation.
I dared to take a quick look behind me to see whether she was still there and she was, waiting there with her furious eyes glaring at me to not get any closer to him. But me being the person I am I decided to confirm my theory by getting just a tad bit closer.

"Hey, nice to see you again. Do you remember me?" I said and stretched out my hand to shake his.
He turned back to me with a polite smile and shook it while nodding his head. "Yes, I do. I was just surprised since I didn't expect to see you here."
I nodded at his explanation and let my arm fall back to my side.
"Well, same." I replied before Xiumin came closer with a smile.
"She's part of our team now. Andy hired her and she agreed on working here. Good you know each other."
"Ah, so that's it. Well, it turned out we two have the same friends." he shrugged before looking at me with a small smile while his eyes told a totally different story.
"Welcome, I guess. I'm gonna start my shift now." he said before he passed by me, to change into his working clothes and I noticed from the corner of my eyes how his smile faltered and immediately vanished after he had passed by me, thinking that he was safe to let down his guard and show his true feelings.
But I wasn't one to be easily fooled. I could see that he was wearing a mask. But it wasn't that he hid how much he despised me... I couldn't see any of that emotion in his eyes. It was rather the fact that he hid his sadness and grief behind a big toothy smile and kindness that once belonged to his personality and probably still did.

He wasn't being fake or pretentious - he was trying to hide the fact that he wasn't okay at all and it was a challenge that took a toll on him, mentally and physically.
I remembered the first time we met, when we bumped into each other and he mistook me for Min-ah. I remember the tears that welled in his eyes as soon as he laid his eyes on me and the fact that I witnessed that moment gave me the ability to see the cracks in his cheerful behavior.

I slightly turned my head in his direction and took a small glance at him, my eyes only shortly bouncing to the 'person' now standing next to him before I narrowed my eyes at him. "He should put a lash on that thing, it's acting up too much." I mumbled to myself, not meaning for anybody to hear. But luck preferred not to be on my side, it barely ever was. So when I turned back to walk out I got questioning looks and felt eyes bore into my skull.

"I'll be going back to work. The shop is going to close soon anyway." I told Xiumin, standing in front of him and the rest of the boys. He gazed at me and nodded with a smile.
"Alright. But take it easy, okay? You look like you're barely standing."
After telling him not to worry I walked out and left the group to return to my job.

A few minutes passed with ease and minutes turned into a few hours. I felt consciousness slipping away from me even more. Twice did I accidently let the tray slip out of my hand, luckily not while I had orders on it, and I discarded it as simply me being clumsy. But I noticed that it was getting harder to focus on my surroundings and my limbs felt even heavier to move, the soles of my feet grinding the floor. There was a pulsing pain on my back and sometimes it felt like my spine was stuck before it would make a small cracking noise when I moved, it felt worse than when I got hit with the wooden beam.
The boys would sometimes notice my awkward movements and asked whether everything was alright and I'd only reassure them that I was doing fine.

It was only after the last customers had left and Xiumin locked the door that I leaned on the counter when I started seeing black dots and I tried hard to snap myself out of it. My confusion grew as I didn't know what was going on with me and I just needed to finish up and head home to relax. But thinking about going home brought nothing but terror to me since I would be all alone once again and I didn't like the idea of meeting her again.

"Nice! We're all done." Chen cheered as he grabbed my arm and raised it up in the air to high-five me.
I was way too beat and tired to care and just now noticed that Kai was not once near me while working. I wondered whether he was avoiding me on purpose.
Shrugging the thoughts off I went to take my apron off and get my bag from the locker room, the others following suit.
I realized we would have to take the back door out and decided to take the trash out.
My sight got even blurrier as we escaped and I struggled to take a deep breath of the cold air.

I threw the trash away and together we walked out of the alley. At the crossroad around the corner we parted ways and went home but as I was walking down the already dark street my sight suddenly turned pitch black and all I remember is knocking out cold.

Happy Birthday to me~

Hey guys, took me long enough. I know. But I decided ro surprise you all with a new update ^-^

I hope it was to your liking and I promise that I'll update more often (I know I say that a lot but hey, I'll try). I also apologize for past chapters which make me wanna cry because I wrote so much unrealistic bull... Won't change it though.

Hugs n' Kisses <3<3<3

- Lemlouma