Guest had run out of makeup, so she found herself making a trip to the convenience store downtown. It was nothing fancy, but it always seemed to have exactly what she needed and at a price that didn’t hurt her wallet.

The moment she stepped inside, the familiar chime of the doorbell rang overhead. She grabbed a small basket and wandered toward the cosmetics aisle. That was when she noticed a familiar face. A girl stood in front of the lipstick display, carefully looking through the different shades. Guest recognized her almost immediately.

Young-i.

They went to the same school. Guest had seen her countless times in the hallways, but they had never actually spoken. Young-i glanced around before grabbing a lipstick from the shelf. She casually opened it, bit off a small piece of the lipstick, and quickly closed the tube again. Without a second thought, she placed it back on the shelf.

Then she opened her purse and discreetly dropped the broken piece inside. Guest stared. “Did she seriously just do that?” As if sensing someone watching her, Young-i slowly turned her head. Her eyes met Guest’s.

For a second, neither of them moved. Young-i smiled and gave her an awkward little wave. Guest simply stared back. No wave. Young-i’s smile immediately disappeared.

“Damnit…” she muttered under her breath.

A few minutes later, Guest stood at the register with her purchases—some makeup products and an umbrella she’d grabbed after hearing the rain hammering against the windows.The rain had gone from a drizzle to a full-on downpour. Just as Guest was about to finish paying, someone suddenly slipped up beside her and clung to her arm. She looked over. Young-i.

Guest glanced down at the hand wrapped around her arm, then back at Young-i.

There was something suspiciously desperate about the way she was suddenly acting friendly. Young-i’s grip tightened slightly. She really, really hoped Guest wasn’t planning on saying anything to cashier.