Kring... Kring... Kring...

Thud.

I groaned in pain when I accidentally rolled off my bed only to land on my hard floor in terms of searching for my ringing alarm clock. I sat up despite my aching body's protest and reached out a thin arm to my bedside table to turn it off. I huffed out a sigh of relief when the noise finally disappeared, though upon smelling my not-so-pleasant morning breath, my face scrunched up in distaste. I groaned again. The world is so unfair, I thought bitterly before forcing myself to wake up already by sitting up, a hand rubbing my sore back. Yesterday had been my work shift at the pet store, and my boss, unfortunately for me, had given me the job of cleaning the cages—which of course required me bending down from daylight until the sunset, or in short, until my long hours of shift ended.

Peeking an eye open after rubbing it, I squinted at the time.

5:30 A.M.

I groggily stood up, dragging my feet to the bathroom knowing that I only have 30 minutes left to get ready for my first shift on the part-time job I work at during weekdays. Stupid Mondays, I frowned in irritation, though when I looked at myself in the mirror, it was mostly a tired girl that stared back at me. Right, as if anything in my normal, dull, and exhausting life would change. As I have said, the world is stupidly unfair. Sighing, I stripped down my clothes—knowing that I can't be late for work.

~

I hurriedly made the coffee of the customer, mindful of the ticking time as I glanced at the wall clock inside the café. Grabbing some napkins under the counter, I gave them to the customer alongside the cup of hot coffee with the best smile I could plaster to my sweaty face. Not the best sight, but it works at least. Turning my head and seeing the empty tray of coffee atop a nearby table to the counter where I stood at, I took it and went back to the counter where Mrs. So—a co-worker of mine here in the café who I treat as a motherly figure in my life already—took my place.

She smiled understandingly at me, the wrinkles that appeared in her face not quite making her younger as she really is but instead older and tired. It’s the reason why even though some work here in the café isn’t mine to do anymore, I still insist to do them for her place. Life isn’t only unfair to me it turned out, but to motherly and kind Mrs. So as well. "Go now, Jung Ah-yah. You will be late for your class." she told me with her familiar warm eyes, dismissing me with a wave of a hand.

I smiled apologetically at her, taking off my apron. I went to the back room and returned to Mrs. So now clad in my school uniform, my bag secured on my back. "I'm off now, Mrs. So. See you later!" I informed her with a short beam as I turned to leave the shop.

I heard her laugh behind me. "Take care, my dear! Be good at school!" she shouted back at me as she always does. I didn't reply back anymore, running to catch the bus as I do not want to be late for school.

My shift at the coffee shop starts from 6:00 in the morning to 10:00 before noon but because my first class starts at 10:00 also, the owner of the shop was kind enough to give me permission to finish by 9:45 so I could go to school at the right time. By the time my school ends at 4:00 in the afternoon, I either go to the library to take a nap for 30 minutes to catch some sleep or read books to pass time. Before 5:00, I will go back to the coffee shop to continue my shift until 8:00 in the evening.

So, yeah. This is my normal day.

The bus stopped at my place and I entered inside, panting slightly because of the running I had done. I pocketed my card after beeping it for the bus fare. I looked around the bus, finding an empty space at the back with the familiar guy with black hair beside the window—watching the scenery outside as usual.

I don't know his name, but we are schoolmates. He's always my seatmate on this bus—in fact, if my memory wouldn’t fail me, I could guess that it has been more than a year already since I saw him with this empty seat. Since then, I just found myself sitting here every school day, and as if the familiar people on the bus have gotten used to it too, no one had ever taken the place except me. I walked up to him and sat at the empty space beside him, leaning back my head at the headrest as I let out a breath of relief like I always do.

The guy didn't spare me even a glance, but he turned his body towards the window more as if he didn't want me to see his face. Though, I know that he knows it was me again.

All along the ride to my school, I was closing my eyes. I always feel sleepy during them. I will only open my eyes again when I feel the mysterious guy beside me standing up from his seat to leave the bus. Like every day, when we finally reached the school, he will leave first and I just follow behind. I lost sight of him at the entrance of the school, his slightly broad back disappearing amongst the crowd of students hanging around the long hallways. Looking around, the classes haven't started yet. I always make it to school before the bell rings.

On my side, a crowd was there again, as if there's a celebrity. It was full of girls, though. I rolled my eyes at their squeals, walking past them. I don't know what's that all about nor had I ever been interested to care in knowing either.

I’m too busy by myself alone, hating my exhausting and unfair life, to even bat an eyelid anyways.

~

The bell rang when I entered the coffee shop, the familiar sound tinkling my ear in a pleasant way with a touch of homey feeling into it. Our café is quite known around the area, and sometimes I really do think that three workers for it is not enough manpower to handle the rush of customers during mornings and late afternoons, but I’ll take what I already have. My boss is considerate, I get to help Mrs. So, and it helps me feed myself with just enough food and gets me a roof above my head to survive.

I beamed at the sight of Mrs. So who looked like she was waiting for me to come back from school. She hugged me once I came closer and I realized then that this is why I stay here—it’s because this café is my family already.

"How was school, Jung Ah-yah?" Mrs. So asked as she watched me smoothen the wrinkles of my shirt after I had changed out of my school uniform. I reached out to my apron and turned around to the counter.

"Loads of homework and such. The usual." I answered w