#enhpen

The best part about her job, besides the fact that families often came to the restaurant so she was able to interact with little kids, was that her two best friends also worked there. And they never failed to make her day just a little bit better.

“Ahh it's our star employee!” Sunghoon called as Y/N walked out from the back of the restaurant to clock in. She rolled her eyes, but still smiled at the boy as he walked past carrying a tray of empty glasses.

Suddenly the girl felt a pair of hands on her shoulder, causing her to jump and turn around. Meeting the soft eyes of Sunoo who was smiling brightly.

“Y/N! I thought your shift started later, but I’m glad you're here. Sunghoon has been teasing me non-stop so now he has a new target.” The girl laughed loudly, swatting away Sunoo’s hands playfully before picking up her note-pad and going to check the specials board.

“Oh heck no! I think I’ll just join him and we’ll both tease you,” She called over her shoulder.

Strolling down the small walk-way, the girl spotted another one of her co-workers, who was also of a similar age. Jake. 

Jake was the real star-employee. He had a way of connecting with all the customers. Somehow managing to always get large tips from the old ladies, and make the little kids burst with laughter. He was a charmer. 

Everyone says he gives off the “boy-next-door” vibes. Which Y/N had to agree with. His eyes were always filled with warmth, decorated with a sprinkle of mischievousness. 

He turned his head, noticing the girl walking towards him. Focused face turning into a bright grin upon making eye contact.

“Hey Y/N!” He beamed, waving his hand as she stopped next to him.

“Hey Jake! How’s your shift been so far? Any scary customers?”

The boy laughed softly, shaking his head, letting a few chocolate brown curls fall in front of his eyes.

“It’s been pretty chill so far, however the early five o’clock rush is about to begin so we better head back out the front soon.”

Y/N nodded, trying to fight the blush dying to burst on her cheeks before turning to take down the specials and sold out items on her notepad. Once she finished, she turned, following the boy out to the main dining area as he skipped ahead.

~~~~~

Time moves differently at work. Some nights, it seems to drag on and on. Everyone’s heads constantly glancing at the large wooden clock hung on the wall beside the bar. And other nights, Y/N felt like she had barely blinked and it was over.

Tonight, Y/N swore everyone was moving at superspeed. But she felt like she was frozen. 

When asked to carry several plates to tables upstairs, she had to stop a couple of times to avoid falling over. 

Her head felt like someone had kicked it repeatedly. And occasionally she felt like she was underwater trying to listen to people speak.

It may not have helped that she had barely eaten or drunk anything that day. She was just so busy she didn’t have the time.

Clearing an empty table, Y/N attempted to grab a glass. Heavily miscalculating where her hand was going and knocking it off onto the ground. Noise in the restaurant paused for a second, as eyes turned to glance at the obviously unwell girl. 

“Hey are you alright?” She glanced up to find the concerned eyes of Jake. Y/N tried to smile in reply, and hum a response but her throat felt dry causing only a weak, pathetic sound to leave her chapped lips. Sunoo suddenly appeared with a half-brush and shovel, bending down to clear the broken glass spread on the floor.

Jake’s eyebrows were drawn together in concern as he noticed the girls shaking hands. Her eyes started watering as she let out a ragged breath.

The boy gently placed his hand on her arm, an attempt to offer some support.

Y/N tried to fight the pain, not wanting to appear weak. She nodded at Jake’s question, softly brushing his hand off and walking away from the table.

However, it became too much and as she tried to step forward once more her body gave out. Her eyesight became fuzzy and her head was ringing. She could hear voices, but they were distant and clouded. Y/N just wanted to sleep. With the desire too strong to fight, she let her eyes close. Dreaming of her own bed and the comfort of her blankets.

~~~~~

Jake felt his heart clench with worry as he watched the girl walk past him. One hand holding her head while the other carried an empty tray.

He could tell she was tired. And very unwell. She needed to go home.

The boy turned back around, attempting to finish making his table drinks while thinking of the kindest way to tell someone to go home. He didn’t want to walk up to her and tell her she looked like the walking dead. But there was no easy way to put it.

Suddenly, there was a loud crash and Jake quickly whipped his head around. He spotted Y/N, standing frozen as shattered pieces of glass lay around on the floor. Sunoo was already making his way to the cupboard to grab the half-brush and shovel, so Jake made his way over to the girl. 

Worry clouded his mind as he appeared next to her.

“Hey are you alright?” He asked, trying to speak quietly so as not to startle her. The girl attempted to smile, but it appeared more like a grimace. 

Jake placed a hand on the girl's arm to guide her away from the broken glass, but she pushed him away. Mind lost in a different world. Sunoo smiled appreciatively at Jake as he tried to communicate with the girl. 

The older boy frowned deeply as he looked at y/n. His eyes washed over her, noticing her shaking form and tired eyes. 

Y/N tried to step forward, but then the boy saw her eyes roll back and body go limp. She began to fall forward and he was quick to move around Sunoo, catching the falling girl just before she hit her head on the edge of the table. Jake picks her up, Sunoo helping to push her head against his chest so she wont have awful neck pain upon waking up.

He steps around the table, heading out back and away from the prying eyes of customers. Jake walks through the hallway, past the kitchen where he can hear concerned and hushed whispers. 

“Can someone get Heeseung?!” He yells over his shoulder. Noticing a worried Sunghoon and Sunoo following close behind him.

Jake glances down at the girl in his arms, her peaceful expression making his heart flutter just a little bit.

Hurriedly, the elder boy makes it to the staff room, placing her fragile form on the couch. Jake steps back, letting two other qualified staff members deal with the unconscious girl. Concern painted on his face as his eyes fluttered over her form.

He knew she was overworking herself. He should’ve said something earlier. Why didn’t he say something earlier? Jake sighs at himself, running a hand through his hair. 

Sunghoon’s hand on his shoulder startles him, causing Jake to look at the younger boy. Wide eyes met with a sympathetic smile. 

“Don’t blame yourself, it was her decision. She’ll be fine. She always is.” The boy states. Jake nods in response, but doesn’t know how to feel. 

Their boss walks in the door, frowning upon seeing one of his workers in such a poor condition.

“What happened?” Heeseung asks, looking between the three boys standing to the side, the unconscious girl on the couch, and the two other staff members checking her pulse and temperature.

“She was overworking herself, and I guess she overestimated how much she could do. So she passed out,” Sunoo replied, sadness drenching his figure.

 Heeseung nods solemnly. “Well you boys head back out there, I know you want to comfort your friend but I think it'll be best to let her have some space when she wakes up. I'll make sure she gets home safely and that she’s all good. She’ll be okay.” Their boss made sure to look at Jake pointedly, but the boy didn’t quite know why.

The three sent one last look to the girl, before heading back out to the front of the restaurant. Jake frowned deeply, looking at his feet as he walked behind the other two.

Sunoo turned around, smiling softly at him. “She’s pretty strong Jake, don’t look so sad.”

Jake’s eyes widened. Did he really look that sad? 

~~~~~

“Morning sunshine!” The girl heard as her eyes slowly fluttered open. One of her co-workers, Jay, sat next to her with a cold flannel in his hand, which she assumed he had been holding on her forehead as she felt it to be damp. Her boss, Heeseung, stood a bit further away, typing furiously on his phone.

“I’m just messaging one of your parents to come pick you up and take you home,” The elder man spoke, not glancing up from the device in his hands.

Y/N’s eyes travelled to make eye contact with Jay, who was smiling softly at her. He held out his hand, offering a glass of water which the girl happily took with shaky hands.

As she drank the cool liquid, she slowly started to recall what had happened. Embarrassment flooding her system. 

“I’ll get you some food to nibble on, you’ll need some sugar to get your energy levels up,” Jay states, standing up and walking out the door.

Heeseung puts his phone in his pocket, eyeing the girl with a sad look.

“Next time, please don’t overwork yourself, just speak to someone else. Your health is our first priority, okay?” Y/N nods, causing the elder man to smile.

His expression turns into a smirk as his eyes catch sight of someone at the door.

“You gave Jake a good fright, so make sure not to overwork yourself again,” With that last sentence, he leaves the room.

It’s quiet for a second, as she ponders his last words. And then, Jake tiptoes in, curiosity in his eyes as he comes to sit by her side in the chair Jay was once occupying.

“Are you okay?” He cautiously asks. Picking her hand up and holding it in his own. 

She nods slightly, watching as he plays with her fingers.

“Be honest this time,”

“I am!” She defends and he looks at her with playful disapproval.

“You don’t need to be so scared Jake,” The girl teases, giggling slightly as he bashfully looks away from her.

“I wasn’t that scared,” He tries to argue, but she can see the blush rising on his cheeks, as he refuses to make eye-contact. 

“just don’t do it again, okay?”

“okay Jake,”

“promise?”

⠀⠀ ͏͏͏͏͏͏⠀ ͏͏͏͏͏͏“Jungwon-aahhh, let me in!” A voice startled you out of your thoughts. It was coming from your front door, along with the doorknob being shaken violently. You dropped the plate you were cleaning into the kitchen, took off your gloves, and curiously started walking towards the door. Who would be at your apartment at this hour? You got your answer to that when you opened the door: a drunk Sunghoon.

⠀⠀⠀⠀“You’re not Jungwon.” Sunghoon choked out, He turned around to look behind him, making sure he was in the right place. Which he wasn’t. Your heart broke at the sight of him. His hair was messy and long, you could barely see his eyes through the strands hanging over his forehead. His leather jacket was slipping off his shoulder and his t-shirt underneath was stained with various splotches. You could tell he had probably been at a bar or a party, considering the strong odor of alcohol radiating off of him. What you couldn’t figure out was how he got here, or how or why he thought that it was his dorm.

⠀⠀⠀⠀“Sunghoon, what are you doing here?” you asked.

⠀⠀⠀⠀“That’s a good question,” He slurred. As he was going to say something else, he went to place his arm on the door frame. And in his drunken state, he missed and fell onto you. He clung onto your waist, with your arms barely holding him up. He leaned further into you, causing you both to stumble into your apartment. As he regained some of his balance, he placed his arm around your shoulder. You could feel his hot breath on your cheek and ignored your heart pounding in your chest. You led him to your couch and helped him lay down. He fell onto his stomach with a loud groan followed by some drunken giggles. You knew that his members must be looking for him, he would never go out and drink on his own unless something was wrong.

⠀⠀⠀⠀“I’m gonna let Jay know you’re here, okay? And they’re probably gonna come pick you up or something.” You told him, attempting to get some kind of answer out of him. When you told him this, his eyes shot open and he quickly sat up.

⠀⠀⠀⠀“No!! (Y/N), I want to stay here with you, please?” He pouted, grabbing your hand in his. You tensed up at feeling his familiar touch. “(Y/N), I miss you.” He whined. You closed your eyes and took in a long breath, and you felt him squeeze your hand slightly. There were so many thoughts racing through your head. When you finally got the courage to look him in the eyes, you saw his cheeks wet and eyes slightly puffy, presumably from crying.

⠀⠀⠀⠀“I miss you too, Sunghoon.” You said, just barely above a whisper. You couldn’t stand seeing him like this, drunk and crying showing his more vulnerable state. You pulled him into your chest and got onto the couch with him.