Another day at work was beginning to end. It was currently 4:40 PM, the busiest time in the grocery store. It’s when parents buy food for dinner last minute after getting off of work. Sakura was yet again at the cashier, mentally exhausted from having to fake smiles to customers. Her feet were aching from standing up all day and the last thing she could use is a rude customer.

She waved her hand to the next customer in line and a lady approached her. Sakura was startled. The woman looked too much like her favorite singer from Red Velvet, Irene. Way too similar. Except, the woman was carrying a baby in her right arm which showed that she was probably much older than her. Sakura ignored her thoughts and proceeded to work.

“Hello, found everything you were looking for today?” She greeted joyfully. The woman just nodded and gave her the fakest smile in the world. Sakura discretely rolled her eyes and timidly nodded back. Her attitude is unlike my bias… as expected, I have the right taste in women.

“M... Mom..”

Eunbi froze. She did not expect to hear her baby’s first words in a public space. This wasn't the ideal setting she had imagined, but all of a sudden her exhaustion from work disappeared and she wanted to jump out of joy. However, as soon as she glanced at her daughter, she realized the words weren’t said to her.

Nako grinned at Sakura and spoke again.

“Mom!”

“W-WHAT? HEY! SHE’S NOT YOUR MOM!” 

Eunbi yelled pretty loudly, gaining stares from all directions. However, the most confused and bewildered person here wasn’t the one causing a scene. It was Sakura. The girl was also frozen and speechless. She opened and made eye contact with Eunbi, but she was too shocked to say anything.

The line for checkout was only getting longer and thus, Sakura’s supervisor made her way to the flustered girl. 

“Everything okay here, Sakura?” Ms. Kang Seulgi asked with concern. The line of customers was starting to show impatience. Sakura cleared and nodded, instantly directing back to Eunbi.

“Total is $43.76 today-”

Eunbi huffed, “I can’t believe… out of all people, my daughter mistakes you for her mom…” She slides her card in frustration and Sakura maintains calm even though her pride is starting to get hurt.

As the receipt started to print, Sakura felt the need to comfort Eunbi. “Miss, it’s okay, I’m sure there will be more chances for you to be called mom-”

“I don’t need your comfort.  Also, you don’t understand… That was her first word and it wasn’t said to me! It was said to an inexperienced teenager like you!”

Seulgi reached out to stop Sakura from responding, but it was too late. Sakura has had enough.

“I… I may be inexperienced but at least I’m not rude!” She slammed the receipt on the tiny table in front of her where the card swipe was and stormed out. 

Seulgi placed her palm on her forehead and groaned, “H-Have a good night.”

Eunbi huffed without a word and left without taking her receipt.

“NEXT CUSTOMER!”

~~~

Sakura was fired that day. She had already been late to work two times before she lashed out on a customer. This was the final strike. She didn’t love her work that much anyway, but as a college student, this was the most she could get. It didn’t help that her family was in another country and here she was trying to fend for herself. She began to wonder if her parents were right. What if she couldn’t make it after all? Sometimes her stubbornness and love for independence got the best of her. 

She had no plan to work after getting fired. Until suddenly her phone rang.

“Hello?”

“Is this you, Ms. Sakura?”

Sakura could recognize that voice.

“Y-You? Is this… you’re the customer who picked a fight with me!”

/ The night before /

“MOM!”

Eunbi blankly stared at Nako, not understanding what has gotten into her. Nako had been crying ever since they left the store which was about 4 hours ago. She knew Nako wasn’t hungry because she had just fed her (after much difficulty). She also knew that she didn’t need to go to the toilet because she had just changed her diaper.

Her baby genuinely wanted to see Sakura, the girl she never wanted to see again.

She bit her lip and pulled out her phone to call her best friend, Yena.

“Hey, Yena… I have a wild story to tell you.”

(after Eunbi tells the story of her encounter with Sakura)

“WHAT?! AHAHA!! That is hilarious! You should post that on twitter, you could go viral.”

“Ya… It isn’t funny, I’m serious… I don’t know what to do. Should I just wait until tomorrow? Maybe she’ll forget about that girl.”

Yena stopped laughing and sighed, “Well… aren’t you looking for a babysitter anyway? You’ve been looking for three months and no woman has satisfied you. You have high standards, unnie. Maybe this Sakura girl could be the one? Considering that Nako likes her-"

“NO! What if she loves her more and actually starts to think that she’s her mom?”

“Eiii… She won’t. You’re overthinking it. Also, you said she’s a part-time worker? Then she’ll truly consider it! She obviously needs the money.”

Eunbi thought about it and the more she did, the more convinced she felt that Yena was right. Never did she think that she could listen to this girl who only knew how to joke around. 

“Fine, I’ll let you know how it goes.”
 

/ Present /

“Y-You? Is this… you’re the customer who picked a fight with me!”

Eunbi gulped. This is not going well already. “Y-Yes, um… let me explain-”

The line got cut off and she got anxious. She expected this to happen, but she had no backup plan other than to keep calling her. After the fifth try, she knew Sakura wouldn’t budge if she didn’t change her strategy.

Ah, I got her number from her company. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say I got her address there too right?

Eunbi went to the Messages app.

To: (xxx)- xxx-xxxx

“I know your address too so pick up or else I’m coming to your house.”

Does that sound too aggressive? What if she shows this police for violation of privacy?

She erased the message.

“Hello, this is Kwon Eunbi. I’m sorry about what happened. I just want to make it up to you.”

Perfect. 

Sakura looked at the message and scoffed. More like you want to ruin my life even more.

Eunbi called again and Sakura finally answered.

“What do you want?”

“I’m sorry. It was unreasonable of me to humiliate you in public.”

“Okay, forgiven. Is that all? Because I have other things to do-”

“No… um, the thing is… since Nako, my daughter,” She paused and glanced at Nako who was still wailing in the background, “... likes you, I want to hire you to be my babysitter.”

Sakura raised both of her eyebrows. Heol. She didn’t expect that at all. She even stood up as a reflex and started to pace around. The opportunity was tempting, considering she desperately needed a job and recently got fired.

Right, I got fired because of this woman.

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