Chapter Text
Working the night shift at the convenience store was usually a masterclass in human misery. For Daniel Park, in his original, chubby body, it meant dealing with drunk salarymen, demanding regulars, and the constant, crushing weight of people looking down on his appearance.
Except for one guy. The electronic chime of the convenience store door rang out, signaling another customer. Daniel immediately bowed his head, his usual defensive customer-service greeting slipping past his lips.
"Welcome to—" He stopped mid-sentence when he saw the choppy, dark bowl-cut hair and the lean frame walking through the aisle. It was Seoul James. Seoul was a regular, but he wasn't like the others. He didn't scoff when Daniel handed him his change, and he didn't give him those dirty, judgmental looks Daniel was so used to enduring.
In fact, Seoul was easily the nicest person who came in here. Daniel watched out of the corner of his eye as Seoul picked up his items and walked over to the counter.
Up close, Seoul’s dark, wide eyes and the faint smirk on his lips gave him a look that might make most people on the street step aside. He looked like the kind of guy who knew exactly how to handle himself in a fight.
But Daniel knew better. Seoul placed his items on the counter. As Daniel scanned them, he noticed Seoul fidgeting slightly. Seoul opened his mouth, his chest rising as if he were about to initiate a real conversation, maybe ask how Daniel's night was going, or say something about the weather. Daniel braced himself, a tiny flicker of hopeful warmth hitting his chest.
‘Is he going to talk to me today?’ Then, just as quickly, Seoul’s posture stiffened.
The confidence drained from his face, replaced by a sudden, intense wave of shyness. He abruptly shut his mouth, looked down at the counter, and snatched up his plastic bag the second Daniel finished bagging the items.
"T-Thank you," Seoul muttered quickly, his voice low and quiet as he practically turned on his heel and bolted out the door, the chime ringing mockingly behind him. Daniel blinked, holding the cash Seoul had neatly placed in his hand. “Ah... he panicked and quit again.”
Daniel couldn't help the small, genuine smile that tugged at his lips. It was almost endearing how someone who looked that intimidating could be so incredibly shy.
As the door swung shut, Daniel looked down at the register, his mind drifting back to school. He’d actually recognized Seoul a few weeks ago when the seating charts were rearranged at J High. By some stroke of total luck or absolute fate. Seoul’s assigned seat ended up being directly behind Daniel's in their classroom.
At first, Daniel had been terrified. Seeing someone with that sharp, intense gaze sitting right in his blind spot every single day felt like a recipe for disaster. Daniel had braced himself for the inevitable, the typical J High treatment of flying erasers, mocking whispers, or a kick to the back of his chair.
But it never came.
Instead, over the last few weeks, Daniel realized that Seoul was completely different at school. He was a total ghost. He sat perfectly still, staring out the window or down at his desk, his dark bangs falling over his eyes. He didn't talk to the popular kids, he didn't cause trouble, and he barely spoke a word to the teachers unless called upon. He was just... completely quiet.
Looking back toward the empty convenience store aisle, Daniel let out a soft breath. It was crazy to think that the unreadable, silent boy sitting right behind him in class was the exact same guy who just got too flustered to finish a sentence at a cash register.