Help Me To Trust

Chapter 16- Fiend or Friend

[warning: long chapter ahead]

The trust that was once broken, can be healed by time or by that perfect person(s) that will lead you to a good path.

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  Aera was waiting for any other customer to attend the cashier but it seemed to be a very empty day. She looked around the store, mostly everything was white. White tiled floor, white walls, and a white ceiling. The only color in the store was the things that people needed to buy if they needed clothes, food, shoes, etc. She grabbed the store phone and dialed a number in.

"Hello, this is Aera from Jun's market. Can you attend me in this lonely store?" She said sweetly through the phone and the male on the other line chuckled and hung up the line.

"You don't have to be a lazy butt to call me, child." Her boss came and sat next to her. He's an old kind man that offered her a job without hesitation.

"Yeah, I know. But it's much more fun talking on the phone." She smiled at him and his chuckle was rather weak. "What's wrong, pops?" She questioned. His brown dull eyes adverted to her.

"No, it's nothing. You just remind me of someone very much." He patted her back softly and slowly as he looked at nothingness.

"Is it that someone again?" Aera moved her body to face him properly.

"Yes." He stood up and started to walk around the shop to stretch his legs and the lad followed.

"You always tell me, that person is very similar to me. But you never even told me the person's name." She kept up with the pace of the older and looked at him with curiosity.

"Well, his name is Jin. He used to work here a long time ago and I miss him very much. He used to talk to me over the phone so I could come over just like you did. He will always like to converse with me and always told me about his problems. He's a kind person. But he's in a better place now." Jun said. His hands were behind his back and he looked at the dirty tiled floor.

"Ahh. I'm sorry." They unpacked some goods and placed them neatly on the shelves. Her eyes seemed to be concentrating but her mind was elsewhere.

"Why do you look lost, child?" He stopped unpacking the boxes and looked at her. She blinked many times before returning to reality.

"It's this note," She handed the folded pink paper to him and he read the note. "She used to be one of my best friends. But she...let's just say that she wasn't the best friend ever." Her gaze slowly landed on the floor not wanting to remember those bad moments that haunted her mind.

"Why did she give you this then?" He wiggled the paper on his fingers before returning it to the owner.

"She said that she wanted to 'amend' things between us. That she knew she did wrong after all those years." She took the paper and tucked it into her back-pocket of the jeans.

"Well, if she meant anything but good, then you should go! People change over time. People deserve a second chance." He explained as Aera looked at him sadly.

"Even if I wanted to go, I don't even have a dress." She tried to avoid the conversation and went back to order the containers of food.

"Take one from the store! On the house!" He anticipated for her to go. He knew how hard she worked and how she needed a break.

"Pops, I can't do that. You've given a lot of things to me and are 'on the house'. I can't take more things. What will you sell if you keep giving me the whole store to me?" She was a little bit irritated but he was just too kind.