When the skies turn dark, what do you do? Head home or loiter around?
The convenience store's steel door groaned as Kieran opened it and stepped outside. The air was freezing, but not enough to fetch a sweater yet. Kieran sighed, seeing the dark night, knowing his bus would reach the station any time soon. He always takes the 8:15 pm bus, some minutes after finishing his part-time job.
Kieran pulled out his phone and turned it on.
"... When's my bus coming again?" he mumbled, scrolling through his phone.
The city was bathed in bright neon lights from towering skyscrapers - both pleasure zones and working hubs. Whichever one it was, none are places for the poor.
Besides, a one-meal-a-day man can't go spend thousands at a pleasure house... unless he's the type who shoots hoops into the sky and gets paid millions for it.
Returning his phone to his pocket and descending the stairway before the one-storey store, Kieran mumbled,
"Ah, I rounded up too late today. Well, I should get to the bus stop within five minutes..."
The groaning of the door made Kieran turn around to see his boss coming out of the store. Dressed in a blue shirt and brown knickers, with a vibe of a youngster. That's Mister Blakes for you.
The same man who had always refused to repair that damn door or change it. Maybe he was short on cash or just greedy; Kieran could solve any puzzle but that.
Mr. Blakes said to him, one hand holding his waist, "Hey, Kieran. Will you come by the store for some drinks tomorrow? I will treat you to a bowl of chicken soup too."
There it was, Mr. Blakes's usual charm - the bright grin. Kieran could recall some hot college girls around the store saying this 40-something man was cute. Maybe the grin, Kieran agrees with that. But the facials?
Much like an ancient Satan imprisoned in the rock for decades.
Kieran waved him off. "Nah, nah, nah... I'm not doing that. Tomorrow's Sunday—"
"I'm not asking you to come and work, silly punk!" Mr. Blakes nagged him. It was a daily song between them for years. "Tomorrow is your birthday, isn't it? I just want to celebrate with you. That is... if you don't have any plans with Jaxon and Zyn."
"Oh," Kieran raised his brows as he mouthed that. Then, he grinned so much that Mr. Blakes was convinced to do the same.
Besides, a smile was a sign of positivity and agreement—that was Mr Blake's belief.
But later, Kieran's smile faded. "No, thank you. I've got plans."
And with that, he turned and descended the stairs.
Mr. Blakes muttered under his breath, "That silly brat." Before Kieran disappeared, he said to him, "Well, happy birthday in advance, Kieran! Just... enjoy that Sunday anyhow you want. Get some girls for all I care. Don't drink too much though."
Kieran waved high in the air. He replied without turning back, "Thanks, Mr Blakes. You're the best!"
Mr. Blakes couldn't help but smile. Kieran says he was the best? He was afraid he would blush soon. Turns out this silly employee of his has some good words in him.
He replied, "Whatever, silly brat! Don't be late on Monday!"
Kieran later reached the bus stop, whereas the bus arrived two minutes later.
He got off at Wavermoth District junction - his cursed neighbourhood. Why Kieran would call it cursed was that it was a usual customer for thieves and criminals at large. No CCTV, broken street lamps, and so much more. Maybe the government just forgot to fix them?
Silly story that Kieran didn't want to listen to.
But in spite of everything, Kieran always comes back late. Scared? No, not to someone who can't stop throwing punches in the air just as he sets foot on the junction's soil.
Do you call that warming up for a fight or something? And yes, he was still doing the same until his phone rang up.
"Ah," Kieran muttered as he took it out and saw the caller. He picked it up right away. His face lit up with a smile. "Hey, how are you doing? You bastard, when last have you—?"
"Just let me say why I called first, please," the voice from the phone said - gentle and persuasive. The warmth in it made Kieran giggle so much he kept silent to let them speak.
.... And that was Jaxon, one of his two BFFs.
"Happy birthday in advance, Kieran. I called to tell you that before I..."
"... forget, I know," Kieran completed the statement as he found a seat on a stone slab by the roadside. "You're always the busy one, aren't you?"
There was no tightness or anything in his voice. Even Jaxon had never been able to do anything to anger Kieran before.
Jaxon exhaled sharply. "Yeah, I can't lie. I will be at the office again tomorrow, and gotta handle Ms. Dori's rants again. Can you imagine, Kieran? She wants me to get my hands on a big shot's info whatsoever, be it hiding in their closet to get clear nudes of them... What the fuck!"
Kieran chuckled. Not that it was funny - but well, because it was.
"Just date her already, punk."
Jaxon chuckled back. "What're you talking about, silly head? I'm not close to being her type. She has got Mr. Handsome, Mr. Cute and, of course, Mr. Mysterious CEO."
Both of them laughed.
"Ah, I can imagine. You told me about them last time," Kieran said. Shortly, he got off the stone slab, brushed off dirt from his buttocks and climbed the street.
It was dark, and very quiet; his footsteps were loud.
Jaxon asked him, the rustling of nylon following, "Has Zyn called you...?"
"Hey, you bastard, what are you eating?" Kieran queried, completely ignoring the question.
"Just answer already," Jaxon muffled with food in his mouth already. "... And yes, I'm having some mangaote. You've got some at home?"
"Not really," Kieran replied with a sharp exhalation. "My snack rack is still full, so I can manage on some food for now. Help me bring some when you're coming next week."
"Alright, bet," Jaxon promised.
"See you, punk," Kieran said with a soft chuckle.
"Ah... mf, do we really have to call each other names whenever we talk?" Jaxon joked, and they both laughed. Then, afterwards, they disconnected the call.
Shortly, Kieran reached his apartment. It was on the fourth floor, having got one of the flats rented from working for Mr Blakes since he was 23. The lock beeped as he put in his password and entered.
Inside, the air was warm, tinged with the musky smell of male sweat: a large TV seated feet away from a table in the middle of the floor, with unsealed cookies all over.
"Ah, what a long day," Kieran mumbled, dropping his bag on the couch and heading over to the kitchen. He filled a glass under the tap and gulped it down.
He walked like a ghost back to the living room and crashed on the couch. Two huge weights sat in a corner in the small dining room. Pictures of hot women with only pants and curvy figures scattered on the dinning table.
Kieran was that kind of person. Just that kind of person. Yeah, that person.
After a short nap, Kieran grabbed the remote from the table and switched on the TV. He watched his favourite series on Netflix, Black Mirror, together with some cookies made with dark chocolate.
His favourite.
The night was long, until Kieran snored off. The remote dropped to the ground and his neck slumped over the couch's arm.
***
The next morning, the first line of ray cast through the curtains. Clear. Pure white. Straight. Kieran had rolled to the edge of the couch, still sleeping. And fell to the floor so much that he jolted awake from his sleep with wince.
"Argh."
His voice was deep; his eyes halfway closed.
Then, bang! He heard a knock on his door. Kieran didn't check right away, but went to take a glass of water in the kitchen. He then opened the door, but to something he didn't expect.
A brown envelope on his doorstep.
"Uh? Who left this here?" He looked here and there in the hallway, but there was no one. He had no other choice but to take it inside and lock the door.
Grabbing a seat real quick, he unsealed the envelope and looked inside without taking out the content.
"....A white paper and..." his brows creased, "... is that a dollar note?"
Of course, Kieran would take the dollar note first. Same as he likes women, the same thing goes for money. His mouth widened when he took out the note, that he forgot he was even holding any envelope.
"Oh... my God!" Kieran screamed in shock, raising the money high in the air.
It was a thousand dollars.
Kieran couldn't help but say wow, while also smiling. "It's a bloody thousand dollars!"
Putting it aside, he took out the white paper and rolled it up. What Kieran saw made his eyes widen....