RING RING RING

The loud beeping of the alarm woke Asher up who was sleeping on his old sofa. Opening his eyes, he saw the soft light from the ceiling.

CLICK!

He turned off the alarm.

The noise was replaced by the squeaky sounds of the old apartment floor as he walked to the bathroom still a little groggy .

Turning on the faucet, the water flowed with a bit of a rusty sound. He splashed his face, feeling the lukewarm water waking him up. After a hasty tooth brushing, the minty smell lingered in the air.

He walked to his closet and glanced at his small collection of old clothes, choosing an outfit that showed signs of wear but still did the job. Dressing himself, he felt the familiar touch of the fabric that had been through many days with him.

After that he left his room, he locked the door with a sound that echoed in the concrete hallway.

However, when looked outside, he was greeted not by the morning sun but by the darkness of the night sky.

It wasn't because of anything strange or magical; he simply woke up around 9:30 pm because he has a part-time job at a convenience store That was his routine – working from 10:00 pm until 4:00 am each night.

Then, after finishing his late-night shift, he would rush back home and catch some sleep until around 9:00 am. As expected, he would always find himself consistently running late for his early morning classes, becoming an unintentional part of his routine.

In truth, Asher held a strong reluctance about attending school, but he had made a promise to his mother that he wouldn't give up on his education, no matter the challenges he faced.

***

CREAK

The glass door of the small convenience store creaked open.

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"Asher, you're here," the store owner greeted with a warm smile.

He was fond of Asher. Since the young man began working here, he had never been late. Even on the rare occasions when he couldn't make it, it was always due to some genuine emergency.

Asher also had built quite a reputation for himself. After working here, he had successfully stopped over a dozen troublemakers attempting to steal stuff.

In fact, the word had spread, and the store had become virtually crime-free as people quickly learned that messing with Asher was not a wise choice.

"Hey boss," Asher said, giving a nod. He quickly put on his green blazer with the store logo on it.

His boss just smiled at Asher's not-so-excited reaction. Knowing his employee wasn't much of a talker, he counted the money in the cash register and left some change for Asher to use.

As usual, Asher spent his time in this dull place. There weren't many customers—mostly just guys looking to buy some alcohol and cigarettes. However, the pay was fair, so he couldn't really complain.

However, tonight was different.

His attention was grabbed when someone unfamiliar entered .The clock was nearing midnight as a captivating girl with sleek black hair, falling to her shoulders, and eyes as dark as the night strolled into the store.

Her outfit was all black, like a school uniform, but with a special accessories . She wore a black skirt and top, and a red ribbon added a pop of color in the dark mix. It made her stand out.

She also had long socks that went up to her knees. They weren't thick but rather thin, allowing Asher to catch a glimpse of her fair white skin.

Seeing a uniform like hers for the first time, Asher assumed that this girl must be from another area.

Other guys might have drooled at the sight of such a girl, but for Asher, he just found her attractive without overthinking it. He was a good-looking guy too, with plenty of women interested in him.

He simply let her be, observing as she went through the aisles like any other customer.

After about 5 minutes, she approached the counter, carrying a basket filled with essentials—food, drinks, and various other items.

BEEP

BEEP

BEEP

The beeping of the barcode scanner echoed in the store as Asher helped her out.

She looked a bit distant and kept watching him, any men would get all flustered because of her looks.

But Asher didn't even bat an eye. He had too many problems in life to be bothered about impressing a pretty woman. He just scanned her items one by one.

"That's 1525 credits," Asher said after scanning the items.

The girl didn't say anything; she just paid.

Once he got the payment, he put everything in a plastic bag and handed it to her.

Asher's eyes trailed as the girl walked away.

He had thought it was safe since she was already leaving.

However, he was caught off guard when she turned around . Her expression remained nonchalant, but he could tell she was glancing his way before leaving the store completely.

'What a weird girl,' Asher thought to himself.