GODSPEED ❯ LOONA PURGE!AU

4: Chaewon

2 AM. JULY 2.

I can't believe you're making me do this with you.

♔

9 AM. JULY 1.

Chaewon exited her small apartment with a sigh. She was hoping that the coffee shop was still open but a lot of businesses closed very early on the day of the purge. Chaewon liked to play it safe most times, so after her coffee and grabbing some snacks at the grocery store, she planned on boarding up windows, doors, shutting off all of the lights and hiding under her blankets until 7 in the morning, when it was all over.

It's what she did last year when she was in the same apartment as well, she'd probably make it a tradition or something.

The blonde entered the cafe with a faked smile on her face.

"Hello, Chaewon," the barista, Yerim, greeted the older girl. Chaewon was a local at this coffee shop, everyone knew her. She was also close with Yerim.

Yeojin, the high schooler who also liked to dine here, was also close with the two of them. They had an unspoken of meeting time every day. On weekends, it was in the night. On weekdays, it was in the late morning. "Hi, Chaewon!"

"Hi," the blonde replied softly.

Chaewon sat on the bar stool and leaned on the counter, placing her head in her hand.

"How are you?" Yerim asked, her lips tilting upwards into a smile as she made Chaewon's usual order of coffee.

"Honestly, not so good." Chaewon admitted. "I'm so worried. It's my second year alone in my apartment, I'm frightened someone might be out to get me tonight."

Yerim slid the coffee over the counter and into Chaewon's hands. The younger brunette raised an eyebrow. "Out to get you? Why would you think that?"

Chaewon sighed. "That's how the person that previously lived in my apartment died. Owed someone money or something." Yerim nodded and leaned against the counter.

"You don't owe anyone money, do you? I can give you money, I just got my allowance..." Yeojin rambled but was cut off by a giggle from her older friend.

"Yeojin, it's fine. I don't owe anyone anything. At least I don't think I do." Chaewon replied with a quiet sigh to herself.

"What time are you off tonight?" Chaewon asked Yerim.

Yerim looked at the clock behind her which read 10:18AM.

"About three hours from now. I'm just going to run home as fast as I can. You never know, customers could get angry with me and think that, 'Hey, it's the Purge, I can kill her tonight!', you know? I'm being very careful with my words." Yerim chuckled awkwardly.

Chaewon had a worried look in her eyes as she fiddled with the lid of her coffee.

"It could happen."

The older blonde sighed. "It's going to be fine. Don't get too worked up about it."

Yerim looked around the room. "I try. It's just that my dad was killed the same way last year, you know? Pissed off a customer at his hardware store and then six hours later got shot in the head, along with my mom."

Chaewon lowered her voice as she held onto her barista friend's hand. "Hey, don't think about it. Tonight's going to be okay."

Yerim nodded and looked up along with Yeojin when she heard the bell from the front door ring. Hyejoo, Chaewon's girlfriend of almost a year, walked in the coffee shop with a smile and a bag in her hand.

"Hyejoo," Chaewon smiled excitedly. The blonde hopped off the stool and went to embrace her girlfriend. "What are you doing here? I thought you were out of town tonight."

Hyejoo grinned and held Chaewon's hand. "I wanted to see you." Yerim awkwardly turned around as she washed a few coffee cups with a cloth, making small talk with her high school friend.

"Hyejoo, you do know what night it is, right?" Chaewon leaned forward and said this in a whisper, as if she didn't want anyone else to hear.

Her girlfriend nodded. "Of course I do. Part of the reason I didn't go was to be with you tonight. You know," Hyejoo shrugged, "protect you," she grinned.

Chaewon squeezed her girlfriend's hand. "What was the other reason?" She smiled, unknowingly. Hyejoo tensed for a split second. To anyone else it'd seem normal, but Chaewon knew her girlfriend well, and she could see that Hyejoo was hiding something.

"What's going on?"

Hyejoo looked around the coffee shop and pulled Chaewon outside. "I'll be back," Chaewon mouthed to Yerim, who nodded.

The taller brunette sighed as soon as the door closed, then her lips turned upwards into an awkward grin. "I want you to stay with me tonight."

Chaewon folded her arms over her chest. "Why?" Hyejoo's eyes didn't meet Chaewon's. "What's going on, Hyejoo?" Chaewon said in a slightly more stern voice.

"I'm planning on Purging."

Chaewon's breath got stuck in her throat as she furrowed her brows. Chaewon was waiting for her girlfriend to say 'just kidding' or something of the sorts, but, she was serious. "What?" Her eyes were wide as she anticipated the answer.

"I've been wanting to the past few years, Chaewon. And not just because I'm a psychopath, I have reasoning." Hyejoo leered.

The blonde's arms fell from her chest and to her sides with slight disappointment. "What? What are these reasons you haven't mentioned?" Her voice was soft and sounded a lot more tired than usual, but she was ready to listen.

"Come with me. To my house. I'll tell you everything. I promise. And you can leave afterwards, just... I need to do this." Hyejoo stated.

Chaewon nodded. "OK."