Chapter Text
— The Midnight Customer
The convenience store had a rhythm.
During the day, it was chaos. Students buying snacks before class, office workers grabbing coffee before their morning commute, parents stopping by because they forgot something important at home, delivery drivers walking in with tired faces and leaving with energy drinks they probably shouldn't be touching at three in the afternoon. The store was always moving, always loud, always full.
But at night?
At night, the store belonged to Tee.
Technically, it belonged to the company, obviously. The shelves were company property, the refrigerators were company property, the annoying automatic doors that opened even when someone was just standing nearby were company property. Even the suspiciously loud microwave near the instant noodle section belonged to the company. None of it was his. But from midnight until six in the morning, when the streets outside became quiet and most people were asleep, Tee liked to pretend the little convenience store was his personal kingdom.
A kingdom where the only citizen was him.
And the security camera.
The security camera was probably disappointed in him.
"Don't judge me," Tee muttered.
The camera, as usual, remained silent. Typical. Even the camera ignores me.
---
Tee leaned against the counter, his phone hidden behind the register with one earbud tucked into his ear. The brightness was turned low enough that nobody passing by would notice, not that anyone ever passed by at this hour, and a movie played quietly on his screen.
This was the best part of the night. No customers, no small talk, no pretending to care about someone's difficult decision between two brands of bottled water that tasted exactly the same. Just him, his movie, and a cup of instant noodles that had been sitting there for three minutes longer than the recommended time because he was too invested in the plot to care about texture.
He glanced at the clock above the counter.
12:17 a.m.
Perfect. He had reached the interesting part. The main character was finally about to reveal the secret he had been hiding for the entire movie. The background music swelled, the atmosphere became dramatic, everything was leading toward the moment Tee had been waiting for.
He leaned closer to his phone, barely breathing.
And then the automatic doors opened with that stupid, annoying, life-ruining sound.
*Ding.*
Tee froze.
No.
Absolutely not.
Slowly, painfully, he lifted his eyes.
A stranger walked inside.
Not someone he knew. Not someone who looked familiar. Just a customer. A regular, ordinary, completely unremarkable customer who had no business ruining the best part of his movie.
The guy looked around the store quietly, almost like he wasn't sure what he wanted yet. He wore a dark jacket and had slightly messy hair, the kind that made Tee wonder if he had just woken up or if he had spent the entire day running his hands through it. Probably the first one, probably. Who ran their hands through their hair all day? That would be weird. Unless it was intentional. Was it intentional? Was this guy one of those people who tried to look messy?
Tee realized he was staring.
He straightened himself behind the counter and put his phone down, trying to look like a responsible employee who definitely hadn't just been watching a movie at work.
"Welcome."
The customer nodded.
That was it. No greeting, no awkward attempt at conversation, no "sorry for disturbing you" like Tee secretly wished he would say. Just a small nod before walking toward the aisles.
Tee relaxed slightly. Good. A quiet customer. Those were the best kind. They came in, they bought their stuff, they left, and Tee could go back to his movie without having to pretend he cared about anyone's life choices.
He picked his phone back up. Maybe he could still continue the movie. Maybe the secret reveal wasn't that important anyway. Maybe
Then he noticed the customer had stopped in front of the drinks refrigerator.
And stayed there.
Tee glanced up.
Five seconds.
Ten seconds.
Thirty seconds.
The guy hadn't moved.
Tee looked back at his phone. Then at the customer. Then at his phone again. Then at the customer.
It wasn't his business. People were allowed to take their time choosing drinks. Even if the decision was apparently more complicated than choosing a career. Even if there were only, like, twelve options. Even if he was standing there like the refrigerator contained the secrets of the universe instead of overpriced sugary water.
Just pick one, Tee thought. Please. Any one. I'm begging you. My movie is waiting.
The customer didn't pick one.
He just stood there. Staring. Contemplating. Living his best indecisive life while Tee's main character was probably still standing in the rain, waiting to reveal his secret, growing older by the second.
Finally, finally, after what felt like an eternity, the customer walked toward the counter.
Tee looked down at what he had chosen.
A bottle of water.
Just water.
Plain, boring, unflavored, absolutely-zero-decision-required water.
He stared.
The customer noticed.
"What?"
Tee blinked. "Nothing."
"You looked surprised."
"I didn't."
"You did."
Tee paused. The customer was surprisingly observant. It was almost annoying. Almost.
"I just thought you'd pick something else," Tee admitted before he could stop himself.
"Why?"
Because you spent several minutes standing there. Because I died a little inside watching you. Because you picked the one thing that required zero thought and somehow made it a whole performance.
Tee decided not to say any of that. "No reason."
He scanned the bottle. "Twenty."
The customer paid. "Thank you."
---
For a moment, Tee thought that was the end of it. Another customer, another face he would probably forget by tomorrow. Just another interruption in his peaceful night.
But then, before leaving, the customer stopped.
He glanced back, hesitated, and Tee saw something flicker across his face. Uncertainty. Nervousness. The kind of expression someone made when they wanted to say something but weren't sure if they should.
"Can I ask something?" the customer said finally.
Tee looked up. "What?"
The customer opened his mouth. Closed it. Looked away. Then back at Tee. Then away again. It was honestly painful to watch.
"Never mind," he said.
Tee stared. "...Okay."
The customer nodded awkwardly. "Good night."
"Good night."
The automatic doors opened with a soft *Ding. *
The customer disappeared into the quiet street outside.
---
Tee looked at the entrance for a moment. Just a moment. Long enough to think, What was that about? And then he looked back at his phone.
The movie was still paused. The main character was still standing in the rain, waiting to reveal his secret, frozen in time while Tee's night had been hijacked by a water-buying, indecisive, slightly-messy-haired stranger who couldn't even finish a sentence.
Tee sighed. "Great." He pressed play. "Now I have to rewind."
He didn't know why, but as he scrolled back to find his spot, he found himself glancing at the door again.
The customer was long gone.
But somehow, Tee had a feeling he would be back.
No, he told himself firmly. That's ridiculous. He's just a random customer. I'm not going to remember him.
The security camera watched silently.
Judging him.
— The Regular Customer
Tee forgot about the customer from that night.
At least, that was what he told himself.
There was no reason to remember him. The convenience store saw hundreds of customers every week. Some people came in every morning for coffee, some came after work to buy dinner, and some appeared at strange hours because apparently buying toothpaste at two in the morning was an emergency. People came and went. That was how it worked.
So when the automatic doors opened three nights later and the same guy walked inside, Tee didn't immediately recognize him.
Not until the customer stopped near the entrance and looked around the store the exact same way he did before. Quietly. Carefully. Like he was entering a library instead of a convenience store. Like there were silent rules he had to follow. Like he was afraid of making too much noise.
Tee looked up from the shelf he was organizing.
Oh.
It was him.
The water guy.
The thought appeared in his mind before he could stop it, and Tee frowned slightly. He didn't know why he called him that. The customer had only come once before. He wasn't even a regular. Yet.
"Welcome," Tee said.
The customer looked over, and recognition appeared on his face, a small thing, barely noticeable, but Tee saw it. That tiny flicker of oh, it's you that made something shift in the air between them.
The customer gave a small nod before walking toward the drinks section.
And this time, Tee noticed something else.
The customer came at almost the same time. 12:16 a.m. Only one minute earlier than last time.
Tee glanced at the clock. Then immediately looked away.
Why did he notice that? It wasn't important. He worked here. Looking at the time was literally part of his job. That was all. Nothing strange about it. Absolutely nothing.
Except you never check the time for other customers.
Tee ignored the thought.
---
The customer stood in front of the drinks refrigerator.
Again.
Tee tried not to watch. He really did. He had work to do. Shelves to organize. Inventory to pretend to care about. But there was something strangely entertaining, and frustrating, about seeing someone take so long to choose a drink.
The customer opened the refrigerator door. Closed it. Looked at one bottle. Then another. Then another. He picked one up, examined it like it held deep secrets, and put it back. Then he picked up a different one. Then put that back too.
Tee found himself leaning slightly, watching the performance unfold.
What is he doing? Does he not know what water tastes like? Is he testing the bottles for freshness? Does he think the water will expire if he doesn't choose fast enough?
Finally, the customer returned to the counter.
With a bottle of water.
Again.
Tee looked at the bottle. Then at him. Then at the bottle again.
The customer noticed.
"You remember me?"
Tee paused. It wasn't the question he expected. "What?"
"You looked like you recognized me."
Tee looked away. "I remember customers." It was the easiest answer. The safest answer. The one that definitely didn't imply anything else.
The customer seemed to think about that. "Oh."
For some reason, that single word sounded almost disappointed. Like he had been hoping for something more. Like he had been waiting for Tee to say something else.
Tee didn't understand why, but he also didn't ask. He just scanned the bottle. "Twenty."
The customer paid and reached for the bottle. But he didn't leave immediately. He stood there, looking slightly uncertain, like there was something else he wanted to say but wasn't sure if he should.
Tee looked up. "Something else?"
The customer shook his head. "No."
"Then?"
A small silence passed. The customer looked at Tee's uniform, more specifically, the name tag attached to it.
"Tee," he said.
Tee blinked. The customer pointed slightly. "Your name."
"Oh." Right. The name tag. "Yeah."
The customer nodded. "I was just wondering."
"Why?"
The customer shrugged. "No reason."
That answer was somehow more suspicious than having a reason. Tee stared at him, waiting for more, but the customer just looked away.
For someone who barely talked, he was surprisingly awkward. It was almost endearing. Almost.
"Tee," the customer repeated quietly. Like he was testing how it felt to say it out loud.
Tee felt something strange in his chest. "What?"
"Nothing."
Another silence.
Then the customer seemed to realize something. "I should tell you mine too."
Tee hadn't asked. But he waited.
"Dew," the customer said.
The answer was simple. No explanation, no extra words, just "Dew."
Tee nodded. "Okay."
Dew nodded back. "Okay."
And somehow, that was the entire conversation. Two people standing at a convenience store counter after midnight, introducing themselves like they were exchanging important information instead of names.
Dew picked up his water. "Good night, Tee."
Tee looked at him. It was strange hearing his name from someone he barely knew. Someone he had only seen twice. Someone who probably wouldn't come back again.
"...Good night, Dew."
The automatic doors opened. *Ding.*
And Dew left.
---
After that night, Dew started appearing more often.
Not every day. Not at first. But enough that Tee started recognizing him. Enough that he started expecting him.
That was the dangerous part.
A stranger was easy to ignore. A familiar stranger was different, because once you started recognizing someone, you started noticing things.
Like how Dew always pushed the door open slowly, even though the automatic doors were already doing the work for him. Like how he always looked at the same shelf near the entrance before walking further inside, like he was checking if something had changed. Like how he always said thank you after paying, even when Tee barely did anything besides scan his items.
And, most importantly, how he always came during the exact part of Tee's night when he was finally comfortable.
The movie incident happened three more times.
The first time, Tee accepted it. The second time, he was annoyed. The third time, he started feeling like Dew was doing it on purpose.
Except Dew never looked like he was. That was the frustrating thing. Dew didn't seem aware of the timing. He didn't walk in with some evil plan to ruin Tee's peaceful night. He just appeared, like a scheduled event, like a notification Tee couldn't turn off, like a habit Tee didn't remember forming.
One night, Tee had finally gotten comfortable again. His instant noodles were ready, his movie was playing, the store was empty. Everything was perfect.
Then the door opened.
*Ding.*
Tee closed his eyes. He didn't even need to look. "Welcome."
Dew walked in. Tee opened his eyes.
Dew stopped. "Did you know it was me?"
"No."
"You didn't look."
"I have ears."
Dew nodded. "Right."
Tee watched him walk toward the shelves, and then he realized something.
Dew was smiling.
Only slightly. Barely noticeable, really. But he was smiling. And for some reason, Tee noticed.
He definitely noticed.
---
Dew didn't think the cashier hated him as much anymore.
Not completely.
The first few times, he was convinced. The cashier's expression changed every time Dew walked in, that slight tightening around his eyes, that tiny sigh he probably thought he was hiding. It was impossible not to notice.
But then there were moments that didn't make sense.
Like when Dew came in looking for a certain snack, and Tee immediately pointed to the correct shelf. "You always buy that one, right?"
Dew stopped. "You remember?"
Tee looked confused, like he hadn't realized he was doing anything unusual. "I see you every week."
It was a simple answer. A normal answer. But Dew still found it strange, because remembering small things about someone meant paying attention. And Tee paid attention.
Another time, Dew came in while it was raining heavily outside. His jacket was soaked, his hair was a mess, and he probably looked like a wet cat.
Tee looked at him. "Did you walk here?"
Dew nodded.
"You don't have an umbrella?"
"I forgot."
Tee sighed. "You forgot an umbrella?"
"Yes."
"You remembered your wallet?"
"Yes."
"Your phone?"
"Yes."
"Then how did you forget the thing that keeps you dry?"
Dew thought about it. "I don't know."
Tee stared at him, and then, quietly, he laughed.
It wasn't loud. It wasn't even really a laugh, more like a small sound that escaped before he could stop it. But Dew heard it. And he smiled, because that was the first time he saw Tee look like he wasn't tired.
---
The strange thing was, neither of them noticed when it happened.
The moment they stopped being strangers.
There was no official conversation, no dramatic introduction, no moment where they decided they were friends. It just happened slowly. A name remembered. A usual order recognized. A few extra words exchanged every night.
Small things. Tiny things. The kind of things people usually ignored.
But after enough time, Dew wasn't just "a customer" anymore. And Tee wasn't just "the cashier."
They were simply Dew and Tee.
Two people who happened to keep meeting after midnight.
---
One night, Dew walked into the store later than usual.
12:45 a.m.
Tee noticed immediately. He didn't mean to. He just did.
The door opened. *Ding.*
Dew stepped inside.
Tee looked up. "You're late."
The words came out before he could stop them.
Silence.
Dew blinked. Tee froze. They both realized what Tee had just said, that he had been waiting, that he had noticed, that Dew's absence had been something he registered.
Dew slowly smiled. "You noticed?"
Tee looked away. "No."
"You did."
"I didn't."
"You asked why I was late."
"I was just saying."
"Why?"
Tee opened his mouth. Nothing came out. Because he didn't have an answer. Or rather, he had an answer, but he wasn't ready to admit it yet.
Dew looked at him for a moment, and then his smile shifted, a little teasing, a little amused, like he had figured something out.
"I think you were waiting for me," Dew said.
Tee grabbed the scanner. "I was waiting for a customer."
Dew nodded. "Sure."
"Don't say it like that."
"Like what?"
"Like you don't believe me."
Dew smiled. "I don't."
And for some reason, Tee didn't find that annoying.
Not this time.
— The Neighbor Incident
By that point, Tee had accepted something he never thought he would: Dew was officially part of his night shift crew.
....
(next chapter →)