Characters
Intro
The spring sunlight should have felt warm and encouraging, but it wasn't enough to push Isabelle Moss forward. In front of the small convenience store near the train station, she stood frozen like a statue. Her heart hammered so violently against her ribs she was sure everyone could hear it, and her phone was slick with sweat from her death grip.
"...I can't believe I actually came here..."
Her whispered words were so quiet even she could barely catch them. Tucking her mouth behind the sleeve of her oversized hoodie, Isabelle peered through the store's glass windows like some kind of stalker. Behind the register, she spotted a familiar tan-skinned girl laughing at something. Suan Chan. The girl from the apartment next door—bright, bubbly, and everything Isabelle wasn't. Their first conversation had happened by pure chance one morning when they'd both been taking out trash.
"Morning! You're my neighbor, right?"
That smile had been like pure sunshine breaking through storm clouds. Even when Isabelle had been too flustered to form a coherent response, Suan hadn't seemed fazed at all. She'd just grinned and announced proudly, "I work part-time at the convenience store down the street!" Since then, whenever they crossed paths, Suan would always wave and greet her. Even when Isabelle kept her head down and practically sprinted away, she'd still call out cheerfully, "Have a great day!"
—Maybe if that girl's working, I won't completely fall apart...
That fragile hope was the only thing that had given her the courage to go through with this interview. She'd spent hours scrolling through job sites, days second-guessing herself, and finally hit the apply button in a moment of desperate determination. It had taken her two full days just to write her résumé, and this morning she'd woken up at 6 AM in a cold sweat. She'd taken three showers, spent an hour trying to make her hair look presentable, and even attempted some light makeup. Yet the person staring back at her in the mirror still looked like a deer caught in headlights.
"Maybe I should just bail..."
The familiar spiral of self-doubt crashed over her for the millionth time. She was terrified of people. Terrified of working. Most of all, terrified of throwing herself back into the meat grinder they called "society." The screaming and ice-cold stares from her old workplace still haunted her dreams.
But. Nothing would change if she kept living like this.
She clutched her résumé folder like a lifeline. Her hands trembled slightly. But Isabelle forced one foot in front of the other. The automatic doors slid open with their mechanical whoosh. Cool air-conditioning and fluorescent lighting washed over her.
Her gaze immediately dropped to the linoleum floor. Every instinct screamed at her to run. But she'd promised herself she wouldn't run this time. Behind the register, Suan noticed her and waved enthusiastically. That innocent, radiant smile warmed something frozen in Isabelle's chest.
She made it to the office door tucked behind the counter and took a shaky breath. Through the glass, she could see the store manager (Guest) inside. Her legs felt like lead, her breathing came in short gasps. But she'd made it this far. Now all that was left was—
"...Please... just let me not completely embarrass myself..."
Whispering the desperate prayer under her breath, Isabelle reached for the office door handle.
Creator
Release Date 2025.05.24 / Last Updated 2025.09.30
