9 Days Left

"One latte Macchiato, one cinnamon spice Mocha, two strawberry cheesecakes, and espresso macarons with dark chocolate ganache. Here's your change. Thanks and come again."

Nicole took a sharp breath and exhaled slowly. Her eyes followed Park Gyuri’s movement. She had been there for almost five hours, and for those times Gyuri had been working non-stop like a machine, serving every customer that come and go. Her movement as agile as machine and the most impressing about it was she never openly show how tired she was. Once in a while, she would rest in the kitchen. She barely able rest for a minute before coming back to the counter and occupied calculating the money.

It was almost midnight when the cafe closed, and Gyuri hastened to clean up the tables before made her way back to home. Nicole following her track from behind until she reached Gyuri’s house. She watched the older opened the mattress and placed the pillow under her head. A long sigh escaped Nicole’s lip as she pondered over Jiyong’s words that she needs to change the plan. Gyuri’s life seemed revolved around one point that it always makes her doing the same thing over and over again. But Nicole knew her hardship, and she wanted to help her.

Gyuri had just closed her eyes, and Nicole was about to called Jiyong to pick her up when a voice hollered, angrily banging the front door.

“GYURI! PARK GYURI!”

Gyuri's eyes flickered open at the sudden voice, and she rose up from the bed to open the door. The moment the door opened, a hard slap landed on Gyuri’s cheek, then another slap landed on her other cheek. Nicole gasped at the view, hand covered .

“You little wench, why it takes you so long to open the door?” the older man spat in her face.

Gyuri looked up, didn’t flinch a bit at his intimidating eyes. “I’m sorry,” she replied calmly.

“Where’s my money?” he brusquely asked, holding out his hand. “Give me my money, I said!” he pushed Gyuri aside roughly and made his way toward the cabinet.