Taehyung stalked through the knee-deep snow. His goal was a 7-Eleven located just opposite the street. If he was lucky, they would also sell phone chargers.
A white plastic bag dangled on his wrist, filled with a container of japchae, spicy cucumber-kimchi salad and a box of fried chicken. In hindsight, it had been a stupid idea to buy the food first and carry it around through the icy air, but Tae consoled himself that his stomach seemed to have calmed after the purchase, knowing that it will have a savory meal in just a few moments.
'My stomach made me buy it,' he thought and laughed, immediately checking whether his face mask had come off. It was still in place, but projected a strange wet sensation on his skin, feeling as if sweat was dripping down his cheeks and as if his nose was running at the same time. He carefully aired his mask after checking whether someone was watching him. No one did. People were either too busy to get rid of the snow in front of their shops, or were rushing around in a frenzy to get home.
Still, Tae needed to be careful not to be recognized. Pulling up the collar of his coat, he passed a man in a red felt coat. He rung a bell and yelled "Ho ho ho" in a rough voice, sounding more like he was saying, 'what the heck am I doing here?' Taehyung snorted as he had a full view at the man who was supposed to represent Santa Claus. Having met the real Santa last year, every dressed-up fellow looked like a joke to him, no matter how good—or, in this case, bad—the costume was fabricated.
Taehyung entered the 7-Eleven, pulled a basket from the stack next to the entrance and took a quick stroll through the aisles. Since his friends took Tae's luggage with them, he was left without daily necessities, which he quickly collected in order as they appeared on the shelves.
A bottle of shampoo, a toothbrush and toothpaste, some snacks (his stomach wouldn't let him pass the shelf without starting to grumble again), double-sided sticky tape to fix the window, and two bottles each of soju and water. Actually, Tae was just walking between the aisles in search for phone chargers.
'Don't tell me—' Tae cut the thought and turned to the register. Electronic devices were lined up behind it and were only attainable with the help of a staff member. 'Of course...'
The cashier was not hard to find. They were standing next to the entrance, leaning on a mop. Apparently the staff's main task was to wipe up the snow the customers brought into the shop with them. Tae cleared his throat. The cashier jolted upward.
"Do you have phone chargers?" Taehyung asked them in an altered voice. He followed up with a quick cough, implying that his sore throat was responsible for the weird voice coming out of his mouth.
The cashier gave Tae an ignorant look and walked behind the register.
"iPhone or Samsung?" They asked while dumping at least six different models onto the counter.
"Samsung," Tae cawed. "Oh, and I'd like one bottle of cough medicine, please."
The cashier was visibly confused at handling two orders at the same time. Tae noticed the bags underneath their eyes. They must have been on a triple shift without break, probably due to being understaffed during the holiday season.
"So… Cherry flavor or apple? I mean… Samsung or grape flavour?"
"Samsung charger and cherry flavor, please." Taehyung's initial grin about the cashier's confusion froze into a grimace, as Mr Lee stepped to the register. Tae squirmed as he saw the ripped sleeves of the man's coat.
'You certainly don't rip your sleeves while shoveling snow...' A voice from deep within noted. Was this a trace of a combat between Mr Lee and his latest victim?
'Oh, come on!' Tae almost shouted out loud. 'This is just a nasty story Yoongi made up! I'm sure the man is as harmless as a lamb!'
"How may I help you?" The cashier asked while they were trying to make sense of what Taehyung had just said before, sorting chargers and cough juice in a haphazard manner.
"One bottle of ethyl alcohol," Mr Lee ordered. Tae's body trembled stronger with every word he spoke. A sharp smell oozed from the man, making Tae feel sick. "The vermin in the building is getting on my nerves!"
'Vermin, vermin… What does he mean, vermin?!' Taehyung's thoughts start to race. In his mind, he saw a picture of himself popping up after googling the word 'vermin'.
"Excuse me," Taehyung mumbled in a high-pitched voice. "I'd like to pay."
The cashier didn't hear him. They were too occupied telling ethyl alcohol and distilled water apart.
"The big bottle," Mr Lee instructed the confused cashier. "Oh, and add some matches."
'Alcohol… Matches… Oh god! He wants to burn dead bodies!' A wave of nausea hit Taehyung like a high speed train. He dashed out of the store and ran all the way back to the apartment.
*14 Days Left Until Christmas Eve*
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