Monster

1.

The sound of your heartbeat swells in your ears as it blocks out the sounds of clanking weights around you. Beads of sweat trickle down your face making the front strands you left out of your ponytail stick to your forehead and cheeks. You sigh loudly as you put your weights back, the exhaustion very apparent in your muscles with every slight movement you make.

Maybe working out after your self-defense classes weren't such a wise idea after all.

You make your way back to the bench you had claimed to grab your gym bag, your reflection catching your attention in the mirrors surrounding it. The bright red color taking over your face is more than enough evidence that you did too much, yet again. You shouldn't have pushed so hard during your workout, but life has been kicking your ass lately and you needed to get your frustration out somewhere. After breaking eye contact with your reflection you turn and grab your bag, tossing it over your shoulder as you make your way to the gym doors.

As you open the doors of the air-conditioned gym, the summer heat of Seoul hits your exhausted body like a brick wall. The humidity makes you immediately regret working out, even though you got most of your frustrations out in that hour. Your water bottle is quickly opened as you down the remaining drops, hoping for some relief. The cold liquid helps your body cool down as you try to think of where you want to go next. You should start heading home, but the sneaky devil on your shoulder is trying to convince you that you deserve some spicy ramen. Your stomach grumbles as you struggle to decide, only helping the small devil's argument.

"Fuck it," you mumble to yourself as your feet turn in the direction of the restaurant.

Your feet start to lead your body in the direction of your favorite ramen restaurant. You pull out your phone and open Spotify, hitting shuffle on your most listened-to playlist. Pierce The Veil blares into your eardrums, immediately lightening your mood. The streets around you start to fill up with cars and people rushing to get home after a long day of work. You, on the other hand, only have one thing on your mind - spicy ramen.

Rounding the corner to the street, your nose picks up the smell of just what the pesky devil on your shoulder convinced you to crave. Your body picks up its pace as you sprint towards the restaurant you've become so familiar with until you reach the ornately decorated doors. You push them open, and a mix of delicious smells and the cold air hits your senses like a freight train. The place is slightly busier than usual, but you brush it off as it is dinner time for most people - whereas you're normally never in here before midnight.

You work your way through the crowd, heading toward the register to place your order. Your best friend Jeno is behind it, taking orders just like he does every day. His uniform looks put together as always. However, the way his black hair falls in front of his eyes makes it clear to you that he was definitely in a rush to get to work today.

His eyes catch yours as you finally get to him, a smile gracing his features. You can see the tired look in his eyes, even if he tries to hide it from you. He's the hardest working person you know, constantly picking up shifts between here and the café just down the street.

"Wow," he says, turning to greet you with a smug look on his face. "Look who is awake and outside while the sun is still out!"

"And look who's working his young life away - as usual," you retort, rolling your eyes as a smile creeps across your face. "Have you ever tried taking a damn day off?"

"Honestly, no. Who else is willing to help put food on the table for all of us?" he says quietly. There is no way that Jennie, Jisoo, and you can do everything. One of us guys has to step up, and it seems that I'm the only one with the balls to do it."

It hurts you to watch him throw his life away, but you know he is right. Jennie is rarely at home because she is working long shifts at the hospital while only making enough money to barely scrape by. Jisoo is hustling herself to the death between her secretary job and teaching dance classes at the studio down the street from where you all live. As for you - well you're doing the best you can to get by, but teaching self-defense at the gym in your area isn't the best-paying job. Working a couple of shifts every week at the café with Jeno earns you a little bit more money when you include tips, but even then it's barely enough to cover whatever bills come your way each month.