dark side | minsung

08

"Thank you, have a nice day."

Jisung flashed the girl a fabricated smile as she packed her snacks into her bag. She didn't smile back, nor did she say anything in return. She simply walked away from the checkout, flipping her hair over her shoulder as she went.

The male shook his head with a sigh. People came here bearing all sorts of attitudes, and it was always a surprise what he would find when someone approached the checkout. Today, the general mood seemed to be sour, for no one returned his polite smile. Not that he cared, it just stood out to Jisung.

He rested his chin on his hand, as there was no one else in the Seven-Eleven but Chan, Felix, and himself. The two others were busy stocking the shelves, while Jisung was stuck behind the checkout – again. Why did he always end up there, even though he despised it so much? He had no idea.

It was pretty warm outside, and the airconditioner inside the store was old and malfunctional. As a result, Jisung's palms were sweaty and he kept wiping his palms on his jeans while he felt like he was melting on the spot even though he was doing the bare minimum. Okay, maybe it wasn't that bad to sit still and do nothing behind the checkout. Chan and Felix were probably even more overheated, as they had to walk around carrying heavy boxes with products that needed a restocking. Compared to them, Jisung didn't have much right to complain.

He heard the two talking. Or more like, he heard Felix's deep voice resonating amd simply assumed he was talking to the older Australian. They were too far away for Jisung to comprehend any words, and it was hardly audible over the creaking and stuttering of the airco – that made a lot of noise for something that barely even worked.

Honestly, the blue-haired superhuman was bored out of his mind, much like every time he had a checkout shift. It was strange; quiet moments were his favorite since he enjoyed the lack of people, but at the same time he found it incredibly dull and longed for someone to show up and end his boredom, even if it was only for a minute.

As if his wish had been heard, the store entrance slid open and someone came in, but as Jisung laid his eyes on the new customer, he instantly shot up.

Even though the male was wearing regular clothes now – a pair of ripped skinny jeans and a simple tee – he still went for all black, much like the suit he wore during their previous encounters. He had paired it with black-and-white checkered Vans, and only his cameo backpack brought some color to his monochrome palette. His ebony hair shone under the overhead lighting, and Jisung only realized that he was staring when the boy looked in his direction and offered him a hesitant smile.

The hero's heart was thumping rapidly and he almost smiled back out of habit. Almost. But he was too busy panicking to remember the Seven-Eleven's policy and he averted his gaze, eyes wide.

He looked so normal, so handsome in his every-day attire. But that guy was the Black Blur, his newfound nemesis.

What on Earth was he doing here? Did he find out about Jisung's real identity? No, probably not, it didn't seem like he recognized him when their eyes met. Was it merely coincidence that the guy showed up at Jisung's work while he was there? He surely hoped it was. It made more sense than anything else Jisung came up with, though.

The hero's mind went haywire as he got up, swiftly abandoning the checkout. It was pretty obvious that he couldn't just stay there; his mask may hide his face, it did little to nothing to obscure his voice. One word was enough to possibly out his identity, and that's why he could not help the guy at the checkout.

Jisung went through the isles in search of his co-workers while making sure to avoid the Black Blur. He found the two in the hygiene isle, and quickly tapped Chan's shoulder.

"Hyung, can you take the checkout for a bit?" he asked, almost whispering as he glanced around nervously.

The oldest looked at him in confusion, but abandoned the shampoo flasks and rose to his feet nevertheless. He gazed around the store, his eyes stalling for a moment when he found the Black Blur entering the hygiene isle. He seemed to realize something, as he quickly looked between Jisung and the boy in black.

Panic swirled in Jisung's stomach as the Black Blur inched closer to where they were standing, and he prayed for Chan to hurry up.

"Yeah, sure," he said after what felt like ages, dusting off his pants and making his way over to the checkout.

Felix looked at Jisung questioningly, but didn't ask any questions and the hero was grateful for that. He walked out of the isle and got away safely, fleeing to the back of the store where he flopped down on a chair while shakily releasing a deep breath. His palms were sweaty for entirely different reasons now, and he wiped them on his jeans for the nth time that day.

God, he felt like he barely got away from his own demise. Who knew what the Black Blur would do if he were to find out about Jisung's real identity? He didn't trust him one bit. It was already bad enough that the superhuman found him as the nameless hero donning a mask and navy blue nanotech suit.

Jisung was anxious, his mind playing worst-case scenarios over and over. But his rational side knew he was safe; the Black Blur obviously hadn't recognized him. He repeated that to himself, and it became a mantra in his mind.

The Black Blur didn't recognize me.

The Black Blur didn't recognize me.

The Black Blur didn't recognize me.

I'm good.

He sucked in a deep breath, glancing at the clock on the wall. According to the clock's arms, he had been there for around twenty minutes now, and he knew it was time to head back to the checkout. He couldn't occupy Chan any longer, since he had his own job.

His body was rigid with nervousness as he got up and made his way over to the door that separated the back and front of the store. For a moment, he let his hand hover over the door handle as he hesitated, but then he firmly pressed it down and headed inside. Refusing to look around, he beelined towards the checkout, where he found his hyung.

"Hey," Jisung greeted him, smiling apologetically. "I'm sorry for asking you to take over so out of the blue. I hope it wasn't too much of a bother."

"It's nothing, don't worry about it," Chan reassured him. "Are you okay? You're really pale all of a sudden."

"Yeah, I'm fine," the blue-haired boy said dismissively. "I, uh, just needed a quick little break."

"It was about that guy, wasn't it?" the older inquired, eyeing Jisung intently. "Got a crush on him or something?"

Jisung forgot to breathe for a second and blood rushed to his cheeks as he suddenly thought about the guy's pretty face and oh-so attractive smile. But he resolutely shook his head. The Black Blur was his enemy, of course he didn't have a crush on him.

"It's... complicated," he answered.

Chan only nodded, not commenting on it any further. The older Australian was always so considerate, and Jisung was very thankful for that. He never pried, he never involved himself in business that weren't his, he never pressed on when Jisung was being vague about his cuts and bruises.

"Well, the guy's gone," he simply stated. "Ready to take over checkout again?"

"Yep, I am," Jisung mumbled. "Thanks, hyung. I'm sorry for bothering you."

"As I said, don't worry about it." Chan got up, lightly ruffling Jisung's midnight blue hair as he walked by. "Just let me know if you need me again, hm?"

Jisung mustered a smile as he sat down behind the checkout, watching how the older disappeared into the hygiene isle. His heartbeat remained uneven for the rest of his shift, for it accelerated every time the door slid open. As if he really was expecting his fellow superhuman to walk in once more.

Fortunately he didn't, and what still remained of Jisung's shift went by pretty uneventful. It was boring, but for once the hero was glad it was. He wasn't sure if he could handle another heart attack anytime soon.