7-eleven ; sapnap

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She smiled out of nervousness, sliding the bill back towards the man's direction. "The total's $13.70, I'm afraid I'm unable to accept any less".

His expression hardened quick. "Come on man, I heard you talking to your friend over there, it's not like you get payed enough to be here.. so just, take the money and let me go, yeah?" His tone was stern, sliding back the 5 dollar bill once more.

"I'm sorry sir but it's completely against our code of conduct. You can just leave the beer here and we'll put it back for you!" Y/n tried to explain, guarding a gentle tone, weary of the potential harm the man in front of her could inflict with his size.

He was now irritated. "Look man, I'm tired of playing nice. This isn't gonna get prettier, so I suggest you just accept my deal" He whispered under his breath.

"I legally cannot do that, sir." She smiled empathetically, but he did not return the same energy.

"Listen here you little shit, you better watch who you're talking to." He shoved the 5 dollars back in his wallet, but continued to stare down the girl, projecting a dark shadow that covered all of her.

She turned to her right, looking for Kai in search of reassurance but he had been occupied with a phone call, an apologetic look plastered accros his face.

"This is getting out of hand. I'm gonna have to kindly ask you to leave." She tried to remain calm, but it was evident that she was slowly cracking under pressure, and the man across the counter would happily take advantage of this fact.

Kai quickly shimmied around y/n, "It's an emergency" he whispered before swiftly slipping to the back room.

Y/n was seriously questioning if it was in fact an emergency, or if Kai was looking for a selfish excuse to escape this ordeal. Frustration quickly built inside of her. The past week she's found it harder and harder to tolerate her friend.

"You don't tell me what to do." The man reached into the rack of candy bars below the counter, tossing some toward y/n before slowly stumbling his way to the other side.

"You fucking psychopath, leave me alone" y/n pleaded, drawing the attention of the 3 other customers in the store. Unfortunately, it didn't seem like anyone cared enough to step in.

Mumbles travelled across the store, following the departure of anyone who may have been in sight

"You bitch" The drunk man in front of her lifted up a closed fist with one hand, the other clasping onto her white apron. "No one's here to save you now. You're going to let me take the beer on the go, no complaints, no police, no nothing, or else I swear I will-"

"Or else what?" A voice rebutted from behind, belonging to a brunette almost as tall as the drunk man, with a muscular build. He wrapped one hand around the man's wrist. Caught off guard and being too unstable, he let go of the girl's apron.

"I don't know who you think you are to be getting wasted and harassing innocent people for fucking alcohol to feed your selfish and pathetic needs, but I'd say it's a good idea for you to get the hell out of here before I do something you and I will both regret." The stranger whispered under his breath, grip still tight around the man's wrist, other arm now secured around his neck.

"Another challenger huh? You better watch yourself kid, you have no idea what you're talking about" he managed to choke out,

"Yeah, you say that, and then you're gonna swing at me." The boy took a second to inhale, collecting his thoughts, "I'm gonna weave your shit and knock you out with the meanest uppercut you've ever seen in your life" His hold around the man's neck only got stronger.

A spur of energy came out of nowhere into the drunk man's body, escaping from the boy's grip. He grabbed the case of beer and violently smashed it on the ground. In the midst of distraction, he raided the cash register before running off.

"Fucking hell" y/n exclaimed, looking at multiple glass shards scattered all across the floor, and the broken candy bars thrown over the counter.

"Are you alright?"

She looked up to face the brunette, now being able to get a good look at him. Pale complexion, round face, lightly grown beard and dark eyes—indistinguishable from a dark brown or a dark green.

"Yeah, I think" her eyes darted down,  to examine the floor again, not wanting to process anything that just happened..

The boy quickly followed her gaze, "Oh, oh god, I can pay for all of this, well probably not for the entire cash register but" he frantically blurted, digging through his pockets for his wallet but before he had the chance to take it out, y/n quickly turned down the offer

"It's okay, I-" she paused for a second, regaining composure. "Thank you."

"I can help clean up" the nameless boy offered, but before y/n could answer, Kai threw open the door, running to the scene.

"Y/n, are you alright? I heard a large crash" Kai ran to his friend, pushing the boy aside, engulfing her into a hug in which she did not return.

"I'm alright, no thanks to you" she scoffed, in reference to Kai's sudden departure.

Kai turned around, eyeing down the boy standing awkwardly behind the two, not knowing what to do.

He once again offered to help, but Kai had dismissed his offer this time, "We're good, thanks".

The boy chewed on the inside of his cheek, locking eyes with the girl. He simply nodded before walking out the store. It was empty now, just Kai, and y/n alone.

"God, I'm so happy you're safe. Did he hurt you?"

"You really needed to leave, huh?"

She refused to talk to the black haired boy during the 15 minutes that remained, taking a 5 step procedure she learned from her 8th grade culinary course to clean all the glass on the floor in silence.

Despite Kai's many attempts to strike conversation, y/n's mind was only fixated on the man who had been harassing her prior to the present, and how disappointed she was that her close friend really left her to fend for herself.

It's almost as if the nerves in her body remember the genuine fear stricken throughout her, even if it was a short-yet-violent encounter.

if she had the choice, she'd leave this place in a heartbeat

Once again, silence filled the air,

15 minutes 'til she gets out of this shithole