Sunbeam

9.

September 15, 2019

Ari stretched and sighed. She had no desire to get up, but she had to. Her shift was in less than two hours.

After what happened at Izeul's home, she had been hiding with her friend Mae for a while, but for a week she had her own rented apartment and was working as a waitress in a restaurant.

Ari hated second shifts, but she had no choice. She didn't want to go back to being a babysitter, she couldn't bear to look after a child that reminded her of Izeul.

She missed the little one terribly. She stood up and walked to the bathroom, wondering if Izeul was following the regimen she had imposed. Does anyone remember that five days ago she had a checkup at the dentist.

She looked into the mirror and craned her neck. The traces of that man's hands were almost gone. Ari forced the memory away and undressed, stepping into the shower.

After about an hour and a bit, she had almost reached the restaurant where she worked. Staring at the ground, Ari was still thinking about Izeul.

An arm slid around her waist and she flinched, gasping in shock. "Hi honey" she gritted her teeth at the familiar voice.

"Are you following me?" Ari asked, looking up at Hwan. "Of course, honey, how else can I make sure you don't have other men hanging around you" Ari gaped at his blunt answer.

"You know we broke up, right?" she asked but he just shrugged. "You may have broken up with me, you may have even slept with that first one, but you're still mine, baby, and always will be until I decide otherwise" he shook his head.

"For God's sake, get off me!" she hissed, removing his hand from her waist. However, he pulled her back and his fingers dug painfully into her body. "No, thanks" he whispered in her ear and she shuddered in disgust.

"Let me go, Hwan!" Ari looked around, but no one was paying attention, and she gritted her teeth. "Oh no, baby, you're not escaping me, ever again!" he wrapped his arms around her back, synchronizing their steps.

Ari looked up, a few more steps. She tried to break away from Hwan's arms again. "Leave me alone, dammit!" Ari hissed angrily and spun around, delivering a loud slap to his grinning face.

He let her go and grinned even wider. "You know, I used to get bored of you, but this new boldness of yours… It's so arousing, baby…" he leaned over her and she blinked, ready to throw up in disgust.

"Go, Hwan, I'm at work!" she stepped back, clinging to the restaurant's staff entrance, hoping to get rid of him that way. "Only if you say you'll come back to me!" he demanded and rested his hand on the wall, looking down at her.

"Never!" Ari hissed and backed the door open, sneaking in and slamming it in his face.

That was all she had left, as if her life wasn't bad enough, her ex had also decided he wanted her back. As if she would once again give in and leave herself in his hands.

Ari sighed and opened her locker, preparing for her shift. She changed, tied her apron around her waist, put her errand bag and pen in her pocket, tied her hair in a ponytail, and put on her official smile.

"Isn't that a little too much?" Seokjin raised an eyebrow and Namjoon gave him a sidelong look. "Why should it be more?" Namjoon asked looking around. “She works here, Namjoon,” Seokjin reminded him.

"She works for me, it's…" he stammered. "It's....Temporary, yes, temporary" Namjoon nodded, sure of his words. “Hyung, just hold back” Jungkook pleaded, standing on the other side of Namjoon.

"I'm always restrained!" Namjoon stuttered and Jungkook looked at him curiously. "Yeah right." Hoseok laughed.

"Let's wrap up and go home." Namjoon demanded, but before he could take a step Seokjin stopped him. "Namjoon, don't push her, I'm sure she's scared enough of you already" Namjoon glared at him.