The Chip Aisle

***Guide: lines marked with "*" represent inner thoughts

-Your POV-

You were busy shopping at the closest convenience store to your house- which happened to be 10 blocks away from your street- looking for a good midnight snack. There was no one else in the store, which surprised you as you strolled down the empty aisles of the snack section, grabbing a few bags of your favorite chips and a few packs of ramen along with two bottles of water and an energy drink. Usually, there were always a few people buying snacks as well: college students, high school students, or drunks. But tonight, the store was silent as stone.

The young man burst through the entrance, almost running into you as you made your way to the register to pay for your food. He looked vaguely familiar, but with his all-black attire, dyed bleach-blonde hair and grey-blue contacts, you had no clue why. You knew one thing for certain: he wasn't supposed to be here.

The man looked at you with shock through bleary eyes that refused to stay open. He appeared to be drunk, but you weren't sure because he didn't reek of alcohol as any drunk would. Instead, your nose crinkled at the smell of rust, the coppery smell of blood. The man moved toward you and you moved away from him, uncertain of his intentions.

All at once, confusion broke out as two men entered the store right behind the young man, their guns drawn. The cashier behind the register froze in terror as one of the men pointed their gun in his direction. There was a bang, and you flinched at its close proximity, squeezing your eyes shut, waiting for the next gunshot that would be your death.

Nothing happened.

When you opened your eyes, you were shocked. In front of you was the young man who had surprised you, his own gun drawn. One of the other two men who had come into the store was lying on the floor, dead.

The other man moved, grabbing your arm before you could react. You struggled to get away with a scream, only to feel the cold muzzle of a handgun being pressed to your temple.

You watched as every bit of emotion and fear drained from the young man's eyes, his gun trailed on your captor's heart, "Don't hurt the girl. Or I will make sure that you die."

You flinched as your captor only drew you in closer to his body, his grip tightening. The gun didn't leave your temple. "And why would I do that? Perhaps you'll be gone before any bullet hits me." Your captor gestured to the young man's stomach, where you were now sure that he must have been hurt. It would explain why you had smelled blood on him earlier.

The young man didn't flinch, his face completely blank aside from the pure anger behind his eyes, "Let her go."

"No. Not for a killer. And certainly not for a hitman like you."

"Then take your revenge on me but let her go, alive."

"Well, It's already been settled that you will die."

"Then let her go if I'm going to die, anyway. But if you kill her, I'll make sure you pay dearly for it."

Your captor's laugh screeched like nails against glass, "I don't care if I die. I just want you gone, punk."

Your eyes made contact with the young man's for just a split second, his expression familiarly unreadable, but you didn't know why. Then he mouthed your name, his gaze becoming soft and unmistakable.

All at once, you realized who he was, sending a chill down your spine as you stared in shock.

*Park Jisung.

Your mind spun, making you almost dizzy.

Who was this kid? Was he not some nerdy boy who liked to read physics textbooks and always dressed like a scholar? The proof was here before your eyes. No. He wasn't.

Then what was he?

-

His words made sense to you now, echoing like a roar.

"If I were you, it would be best to stay away from me."

You thought he was only being cold and distant. But now you knew the reason behind those words.

Park Jisung was a killer.