“She came again today,” says Yewon, her tone indifferent. It has become a norm for her that she stopped questioning herself why the very same patron kept coming to get the same sandwich almost every day— or at least on days that she was working on.

“She probably likes Subway a lot for her to keep coming over,” Sinb, her best friend, shrugs. “Or maybe someone has taken a liking to you?”

“Who is this she the two of you are talking about?”

Another figure enters the room and takes a seat on Sinb's lap, earning a groan from the latter. It amuses Yewon how the two actually got together knowing how Sinb is not one to like a lot of skinships while her girlfriend, Yerin, is one to initiate lots of touching and kissing. (Maybe, Yerin's an exception for her. Yewon can tell that her best friend is extremely whipped for the older girl. She doesn't have to say it aloud for her to know. Sinb is just that easy to read.)

“There's this someone who keeps buying the same sandwich every time I'm on shift. When I asked one or two of my other co-workers, they told me she doesn't come on days I'm not working,” Yewon answers.

“It seems like our Yewon has an admirer,” Yerin wiggles her brows.

“I admit that she's pretty but I doubt she likes me. It might only be a coincidence that she comes over whenever I'm working.”

“Anyway,” Sinb says, changing the topic in an instant which Yewon is silently thankful for. “Have you received a letter from the university yet?”

“Not yet. Why?”

“I just wanted to ask. I know how bad you want to enter the university so I got curious. It's been almost 3 months since you applied for the school, hasn't it? You ought to get a letter soon.”

“I hope I get it soon,” Yewon sighs. It's nerve-wracking not knowing whether she got accepted into the university or not. “I can finally quit my job if I do get accepted. I swear some workers there hate me and I don't know why.”

The only reason why Yewon wants to be accepted into the prestigious university is because her siblings did so. Not wanting to be the black sheep of the family (her parents have high standards for her), she worked her hardest to do well in the CSAT. A part of her youth was gone when she chose to study more instead of hanging out with friends after school when it came to the last year of high school. Out of everyone she knew, Sinb was the only real friend she had who motivated her constantly through text or in person and accompanied her for night classes as much as she hated them. That's probably why their friendship is still going strong. 

“Do I have to go there and beat someone up?” Yerin asks, looking serious.

It's also because of Sinb that Yewon has a new friend.

“I rarely have the same shift with them so it's fine,” she laughs lightly. “But thanks for having my back, Yerin unnie.”

“Sinb and I will always have your back. That's what friends are for, right?”

Yewon smiles. 

She is glad she has good friends whom she can rely on a lot.

-

Yewon spoke too soon. Way too soon. 

She's dreading to go to work the next day. 

She had agreed blindly to pick up the shift forgetting that the people whom she's sure dislike her are working for that shift as well. If it was only one of them, she wouldn't have minded. (She doesn't have to talk to her unless it's work related.) However, having two of them on the same shift as her is already a nightmare in the making. Why did she not second think before replying to her manager? She had the whole night to do so before giving an answer. It isn't like she needed money badly as well. She only works to pass time while waiting for the university acceptance letter to be mailed. (Also, why did her manager want three people on shift when two are more than enough to run the store? It's a tad odd the more she thought about the bad decision she has made.)

Should she pretend to suddenly fall ill? She could probably boil water and insert the thermometer there to fake her fever and send a picture of it to her manager. However, she knows guilt would slowly eat her up if she did so. She isn't one to lie just to escape from something. She's always truthful because her parents raised her that way and doing so would only go against her morals. 

‘You just have to deal with it, Yewon,’ she tells herself. ‘Just don't interact with them and you'll surely get through the shift.’

Looking at the time on her phone, she has an hour and a half to get ready and leave her house for work. It's more than enough for her since the Subway she's working at is only five bus stops away— approximately twenty minutes— from her house.

‘I really can't wait to quit this job already,’ Yewon thinks as she finally gets off her bed to prepare for work.

-

It's obvious that her two co-workers are making her do most of the work but Yewon doesn't mind. As long as she doesn't get on their bad side, she's sure she can breeze through the day. Besides, she finds joy in serving the customers and preparing their sandwiches so she's only going to focus on those throughout her shift. 

Hearing the bell chime at the entrance, Yewon presses her lips into a thin line when she sees an all too familiar person entering the store. 

It's her again.

How did she know she's on shift for the day?

Noticing how bright her smile is when their eyes meet, Yewon tries her best to mirror that smile, not wanting to seem like she is unhappy with the former's appearance.

“The usual?” she asks when the patron gets closer to the counter. 

A part of her badly wants to ask the frequent customer what her purpose is for coming down every single shift of hers but she can't let her curiosity get the best of her when two pairs of eyes are looking intently at her from the back. She's positive that they would snitch on her to their manager if she were to ask a question irrelevant to their work. (Maybe she should snitch on them for not helping her out but their manager favours them too much and Yewon still needs this job.)

“I think I would like to get something different today,” the customer replies, looking at the menu board. “Why don't you recommend me your favourite?”

“W-what?”

At this point, Yewon's mind has turned blank.

“Who knows your favourite might end up being my new favourite.” The smile on the woman's face doesn't falter as she returns her gaze on Yewon. “Besides, you're not on the menu so I can't possibly take you out, can I?”

a/n. it felt like i was on crack writing this chapter. comments are very much appreciated. :D