The sound of raindrops falling to the ground blended harmoniously with the old music playing in the small bookstore run by a man nearing his seventies. Pouring hot tea into two cups, he settled into a chair by the window, soaking in the serene atmosphere.
At precisely 2 p.m., the door swung open, and a teenage girl, about 17 years old, stepped into the store, completely drenched.
"Don't stand there like a fool. Quickly change your clothes and have some tea," the old man said, his gaze fixed on the rain outside as if he could sense her every movement.
"Yes, boss." Clumsily, she made her way to the small room set aside for her, changed into spare work clothes, and returned without bothering to dry her hair.
Taking her tea, she mimicked his posture, sitting in the opposite chair. Her dripping hair soon caught his attention. With a sigh, the old man fetched a towel and tossed it to her.
"Dry your hair. Ah Yeon, did you cut your hair? Why does it look so uneven?" Observing the unequal length of hair, he concernedly asks.
Ah Yeon instinctively touched her hair, then quickly covered it with the towel. An awkward smile crossed her face. "You noticed. I tried a new style… but it didn't turn out well. Is it that bad?" she asked, avoiding his eyes.
The old man didn't press further, sensing her discomfort. Instead, he turned to the new books that had just arrived, arranging them on the shelves.
As he worked, Ah Yeon quickly finished her tea and joined him. "You sprained your ankle yesterday, and now you're climbing ladders? Leave this to me, Mr. Kim." She made him sit at the counter and took over his task.
Stretching to reach the upper shelves, her sleeve slipped, revealing bruises on her arm. Mr. Kim's sharp eyes caught them immediately.
"My skin is sensitive," she said hastily, noticing his concern. "I just bumped into something. It's nothing."
"Then you should stop bumping into trashes. Every day, you come up with new bruises." he replied gruffly, though his voice carried a note of worry. She laughed off his remark, masking her pain with a forced cheerfulness.
The arrival of customers cut their conversation short. When her shift ended, Ah Yeon got ready to leave.
"See you tomorrow, boss. Good night." Bowing politely, she opened the door.
"Wait," Mr. Kim called out, handing her some money. "Get a proper haircut. And buy yourself something to eat."
A warm smile lit up her face. She waved goodbye, glancing back at him repeatedly as she walked away.
Ah Yeon got a new haircut and bought some food before returning home. Hesitating at the front door, she took a deep breath before stepping inside.
The room was a mess, as usual. She cleaned it up and sat at the table, ready to eat. Just as she took her first bite, the sound of footsteps froze her.
Fear flickered in her eyes as the door creaked open, revealing a middle-aged man reeking of alcohol, clutching a half-empty bottle.
"You b****!" he roared upon seeing her. "Don't you have any manners? Your father comes home from work, and you don't even greet him! Am I invisible to you?"
He flipped the table in his rage, sending her food crashing to the floor. Ah Yeon wordlessly bent down to pick up the broken pieces.
"Am I nothing to you?" he bellowed, kicking her to the ground. "Like mother, like daughter… Lower your eyes when I'm talking to you!"
When she didn't respond, his fury grew. As his blows rained down on her, Ah Yeon's desperation reached a breaking point. Grabbing a shard of glass, she stabbed him in the neck in an attempt to escape.
"You b****!" he howled, blood spilling from the wound. Enraged, he lunged at her. She stumbled, trying to lock herself in her room but failed.
Cornered in the kitchen, she grabbed a sharp object. As he advanced, her fear gave way to a terrifying resolve. She stabbed him in the stomach. Once. Twice. Again and again.
When he finally collapsed, silence filled the room. Ah Yeon stood over his lifeless body, trembling. A deranged smile spread across her face before it dissolved into tears.
Realizing what she had done, she retreated to her room. Locking the door, she tied a noose and whispered, "I'm finally free."
Here's a polished version of the story to enhance its flow and readability while preserving the original emotions and events:
The sound of raindrops falling to the ground blended harmoniously with the old music playing in the small bookstore run by a man nearing his seventies. Pouring hot tea into two cups, he settled into a chair by the window, soaking in the serene atmosphere.
At precisely 2 p.m., the door swung open, and a teenage girl, about 17 years old, stepped into the store, completely drenched.
"Don't stand there like a fool. Quickly change your clothes and have some tea," the old man said, his gaze fixed on the rain outside as if he could sense her every movement.
"Yes, boss." Clumsily, she made her way to the small room set aside for her, changed into spare work clothes, and returned without bothering to dry her hair.
Taking her tea, she mimicked his posture, sitting in the opposite chair. Her dripping hair soon caught his attention. With a sigh, the old man fetched a towel and tossed it to her.
"Dry your hair, Ah Yeon. Did you cut it? Why does it look so uneven?" he asked, noticing the jagged edges of her locks.
Ah Yeon instinctively touched her hair, then quickly covered it with the towel. An awkward smile crossed her face. "You noticed. I tried a new style… but it didn't turn out well. Is it that bad?" she asked, avoiding his eyes.
The old man didn't press further, sensing her discomfort. Instead, he turned to the new books that had just arrived, arranging them on the shelves.
As he worked, Ah Yeon quickly finished her tea and joined him. "You sprained your ankle yesterday, and now you're climbing ladders? Leave this to me, Mr. Kim." She made him sit at the counter and took over his task.
Stretching to reach the upper shelves, her sleeve slipped, revealing bruises on her arm. Mr. Kim's sharp eyes caught them immediately.
"My skin is sensitive," she said hastily, noticing his concern. "I just bumped into something. It's nothing."
"Then stop bumping into trash," he replied gruffly, though his voice carried a note of worry. She laughed off his remark, masking her pain with a forced cheerfulness.
The arrival of customers cut their conversation short. When her shift ended, Ah Yeon got ready to leave.
"See you tomorrow, boss. Good night." Bowing politely, she opened the door.
"Wait," Mr. Kim called out, handing her some money. "Get a proper haircut. And buy yourself something to eat."
A warm smile lit up her face. She waved goodbye, glancing back at him repeatedly as she walked away.
Getting a new haircut, and taking parcel, she went to her house hesitatingly. Her legs stop from standing in front of the door as she doesn't want to go inside.
Taking a deep breath, she went in. The room was a mess, as usual. She cleaned it up and sat at the table, ready to eat. Just as she took her first bite, the sound of footsteps froze her.
Fear flickered in her eyes as the door creaked open, revealing a middle-aged man reeking of alcohol, clutching a half-empty bottle.
"You b****!" he roared upon seeing her. "Don't you have any manners? Your father comes home from work, and you don't even greet him! Am I invisible to you?"
He flipped the table in his rage, sending her food crashing to the floor. As it been a regular scene, Ah Yeon wordlessly bent down to pick up the broken pieces.
"Am I nothing to you?" he bellowed, kicking her to the ground. "Like mother, like daughter… Lower your eyes when I'm talking to you!"
When she didn't respond, his fury grew. As his blows rained down on her, Ah Yeon's desperation reached a breaking point. Grabbing a shard of glass, she stabbed him in the neck in an attempt to escape.
"You b****!" he howled, blood spilling from the wound. Enraged, he lunged at her. She stumbled, trying to lock herself in her room to escape but failed.
Getting her into his hands, he beats her badly as she wished to die at that rate. With all her strength, she shoves him back and stand while getting support of the kitchen slab.
She gets a hold on something sharp, as the man approached her, not thinking anymore she stabbed him at the stomach.
He falls into the floor in pain, but Ah Yeon couldn't stop it. Again and again, she stabs the man, a satisfactory smile appears on her face, and it then turn tragic as she regains self-conscious. But then, she became a murderer of her stepfather.
She cried and laughed at the same time as a crazy person. Then walked to her room and locked it from inside and hang herself as she is finally escaping from the damn world.
Hearing the news, the next day Mr. Kim came to the place. The police barred everyone from entering, but still he saw her body been taken away. Helplessly, he looks at it and return back to his store.
Silently, he sat there. For the first time, he felt the store seemed bigger and emptier. As he about to leave the store, unable to stay there anymore, a book caught his eyes,
"The death note." A novel Ah Yeon recommended. She loves to read, especially novels.
Taking it with him, Mr. Kim lay on his bed placing the book near him. Lying there, guilt and regret consumed him for his own actions. Thinking back, knowing everything, he just kept a blind eye towards the truth.
Mr. Kim wished, there be a second chance, he could have done something for that girl.
The night felt heavy, not knowing when his darkness entered his eyes and make it heavy.
Few hours later, he awakens from the sleep while having an immerse pain in forehead and whole body. The blurry eyes slowly showed him a thin hand that might be break with a slight force.
'Whose hand is this?' Turning it front and back, he curiously asks. Enduring the pain in his limbs, he walks towards the mirror and shocked by seeing an unfamiliar face staring him back.