𝙻𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚊𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚛𝚗𝚎𝚛 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚎

Ｃｈａｐｔｅｒ １

You've never had any monster culinary treats before but, according to your coworker, they were filled with magic. It was some sort of element monsters used to express themselves and, in some cases, can heal you when ingested.

As magical as it sounded, you were pretty amazed about the capabilities of such simple things.

A variety of butterscotch cinnamon pies, monster candies, and cinnamon Bunnies were coming in. Even that popular brand of MTT burgers and packaged food managed to hit local shopping shelves. Yet that wasn't all that was listed in the order descriptions. They all look so appetizing. You probably would snag a bag of the new orders before your shift ends.

The woman caught your attention, calling out your name. You hummed in response, flattening the last box.

"How long have you been working here?"

You raised a brow. "Two years...?"

"And you still haven't found a partner during that time?! Outrageous!" She shrieked in shock. You were suddenly grabbed by the shoulders, or well her tip-toeing to reach them since she was half your height. Pure terror washed over her eyes as if she'd seen a ghost. In exhilaration, you felt your body sway back and forth. Her yelling filled the empty store.

"How can someone as cool and level-headed as you not bagged anyone yet?!?!" Your eyebrow quirked in irritation at her wording. "You like to tick all the green flags people look for. You have a steady job, a good sense of humour, and good date ideas. Even with that one guy-!"

With a gentle smile, you placed your hands on top of hers, realising you from her deadly grip. You can tell that Jessabell was trying her best to butter you up, it was making you a bit embarrassed, but she had good intentions.

You explained to her it never really occurred to you since you've been so busy with work. Dropping in your two cents into the mix about the really friendly guy was harmless. It only lets a loud breath of frustration out of your hyper friend.

"I appreciate your words, but..." You bit your lip for a moment, thinking about the words you said at the park. You did embark on change from now on, so was this the way to go? Seek out a new relationship. Fall in love? Settle down? Did the loud sound come from the humming lights or was your heart thumping rapidly out of your chest?

To be fair, the thought of you seeing someone was never out of the question. Again, it wasn't a main priority. But this could be a gateway to having some fun. Learning new experiences.

And possibly finding your soulmate...?

To ease her questioning stare, more like nosey intentions, you leaned in and whispered an answer.

"If I find someone you'll be the first to know, 'kay?" You squeezed her hands to reassure her curious appetite. Jessabell looked at indifference but nodded in understanding nonetheless.

Slowly, yet surely, letting go of your hands. You felt a wave of relief wash over you. Now that your tormenter was at bay you could happily go on about the few remaining tasks in the store.

This is what you could have done before the doors slid open followed by the iconic bell.

"Hello and welcome!" The woman greeted. What you didn't expect was a booming voice to return her words. It honestly startled you, almost causing you to drop the flattened boxes under your arm. You couldn't catch a good glimpse at the customer(s) walking into the store. Only a blur of a tall and short figure flashed by your sight before disappearing into the aisles.

Jessabell caught sight of your frozen body before taking the cardboard into her hands. "Here, I'll take care of this. Attend to the new customers while I'm out." You tilted your head in confusion. It was already strange she was willing to help out with restocking, normally she slacks off and goes on her phone as you manoeuvred through the aisles. But the words new customers piqued your interest. Jessabell left with a wink before disappearing to the backrooms.