As the old woman passes through the crowded street, she patiently waits for the pedestrian traffic light to turn green. Despite the hustle and bustle around her, she seems completely at ease and accustomed to navigating through crowds. Suddenly, she stumbles upon a convenient store located nearby. Glancing at her pocket watch, which is attached to her handbag, she notices that it's only 8:50 AM, still early for her. With a shrug and a smile, the old woman decides to enter the store, curious to see if there's anything of interest to buy or perhaps someone to interact with.
The store's sliding doors open with a beep as she enters, and then close behind her. As she looks around, the old woman finds nothing particularly special about the store; it appears to be just an average convenience store like any other. She lets out a sigh, realizing that she has no other choice but to purchase some items for her journey.
After picking up a few items and some food, she makes her way towards the counter. There, she sees a man in his late 20s with hair of a (H/C) color and stunning eyes of a (E/C) shade. Judging by his physique, one could say he has the body of an athlete, and he is undeniably good-looking.
However, there is something different about this man. It's as if there's a hidden beast lurking within him, ready to pounce on its prey. The old woman smirks as she places all her items on the counter, and the man immediately starts working without uttering a word.
Old women: *Smiling* Hello, young man. May I know your name, please? You're quite handsome.
The man glances up at her with a blank expression before returning his focus to his work, without any distractions.
Y/N: My name is Y/N L/N, and thank you for the compliment, by the way.
The old woman's smile grows wider, stretching from ear to ear. She finally feels like she has found the right person, someone who can help her with something she hasn't done in a long time.
Old women: May I touch your hand, please? I want to see what the future holds for you.
Y/N looks at her with a confused expression but decides to shrug it off, as if he's seen weirder things on the internet and in the outside world. He reluctantly extends his hand to the old woman, hoping she'll make it quick and not cause any more trouble.
Y/N: *Sigh* Just please don't do anything weird with my hand, okay? I'm really tired of this nonsense.
With a nod from the old woman, she quickly snatches Y/N's hand and observes it with wide-open eyes. She touches his palm through his fingers, feeling the firmness of his muscles. Then, she moves her fingers to his wrist, sensing his heartbeat pulsing through his veins. This man is exactly what she was looking for-a rare specimen indeed. The old woman's smile grows even wider as she gives his hand a pat before letting go.
Old women: Hmm, you're a healthy man. It seems like your parents have taken good care of you. And your potential, it's limitless.
Y/N rubs his hand, feeling a bead of sweat forming on his forehead, and a chill runs down his spine as she touches him and talks to him like a creepy stalker.
Y/N: *Concerned* Alright, here's your stuff. It comes to a total of $15.99.
The old woman pays for her items with a warm smile on her face, taking her stuff with her. Before she leaves, she has one final remark for Y/N, something he wants to know about.
Old women: Oh, young man, I hope you meet a beautiful woman on your journey. Don't worry, nothing supernatural will happen. *Chuckles* Goodbye~
Then she walks away, disappearing from sight. Y/N lets out a frustrated sigh and glances at his wristwatch, noting that it's now 9:31 AM.
Y/N: *Sigh* It just keeps getting weirder and weirder every day.
[9:56 PM]
It's midnight, and Y/N is closing the store, ready to head home. His face shows signs of boredom, as he yawns and feels tired. He takes out his phone from his pocket and checks his balance for the month. Currently, he has just over 500 dollars, which is enough to order food and some groceries online. His eyes feel heavy, and he tries his best to keep them open, so he doesn't end up walking into a lamppost.
After a not-too-long walk, he finally reaches his home. It's an average two-story house, nothing fancy or expensive. Y/N notices his sweet mother waiting outside, as she has done since he was a child. She continues to do so even though he's grown up now.
His mother sees him and waves with a happy smile on her face. Y/N smiles back and walks towards her, ready for a hug.
M/N: Hey handsome, still not satisfied with your new job? Judging by your face, it seems like you've had a rough day. Did anything happen while you were working?
She hugs him tightly, expressing her love, and Y/N hugs her back before gently letting go to create some space.
Y/N: Yeah, it's the same old stuff from my previous job. Dealing with an angry manager who doesn't cooperate, encountering random angry Karens, almost getting into altercations with some guy, and now this old woman doing weird things with my hand and making predictions about my future. It's like everyone these days is just so unpredictable and strange.
His mother laughs at his words before gesturing for him to come inside.
M/N: Well, I'm not surprised. That's just how the world is, my dear. There's always good along with the bad. Remember, I taught you that when you were just a child. *Smiling warmly*
Y/N: Yeah, yeah, you always say that, Mom. It's become a bit overrated to me, no offense.
M/N: *Smiling* None taken. Come on, I've made some delicious food. Today we have spaghetti carbonara, salads, garlic cheese pizza, and beers!
Y/N: *Grinning* Sweet! I guess I'll go wash up first before digging into the food. Don't want my stinky smell to ruin the deliciousness.
M/N: *Rolling her eyes* Then hurry up and get yourself as clean as possible, young man.
He laughs at his mother's words before heading to the bathroom to freshen up.
[10:42 PM]
Laughing in the living room as they watch their favorite action/superhero movie, enjoying their meal and sipping on some beer. His mother, M/N, hiccups but continues to drink her beer, while Y/N shakes his head with a chuckle. It's a common sight to see his mother enjoy beer every night, even after a long day of work. He wonders why beer is such an obsession for her; perhaps it's a habit she picked up from his grandpa when she was young. Y/N isn't keen on hearing his mom go into a lengthy summary of her past life-it tends to get boring quickly.
M/N: *Hic* Y/N, my dear, why don't you find yourself a girlfriend and give me a grandchild to spoil? *Hic* You've got your whole life ahead of you. I mean, you're 26 years old and still as handsome as your dad! *Hic*
She's already had 24 bottles of beer and is starting to talk nonsense. Y/N sighs at his mom, taking a sip of his beer before replying to her.
Y/N: Mom, you're drunk. You should have stopped at 20, but here you are, overdoing it... again. *Sigh* Look, Mom, I just... don't want to be in a relationship right now. The world is becoming more challenging. I don't even trust women on online social apps. They're probably just after men with tall height, wealth, and fame. It's just not fair!
Hearing her son's complaints about the current state of the world, she nods in understanding as she continues to drink. Her drunkenness starts to fade, and she becomes slightly more conscious after listening to his words. Back when she was young like Y/N, life was tough, but it was always worth it to keep pushing forward. Even on the worst days, you have to keep moving until you reach your goals. She realizes how much the world has changed since then, and this generation seems to be even more challenging than she thought. Despite this, M/N wishes for her son not to give up easily.
M/N: Look, Y/N, I know this is tough for you, but you have to keep moving forward, just like I did when I was young like you. Our stories are not over yet, well, I mean yours, not mine. I've already been through that phase, hehe.
Y/N shakes his head and laughs before taking another sip of his drink. His eyes are fixed on the TV screen, showing heroes battling invaders from outer space. Empty bottles are scattered on the floor and table, alongside empty dishes, while the light from the TV illuminates the dark living room. They both sit in silence, engrossed in the movie. Suddenly, Y/N recalls something important and turns to his mother with a question.
Y/N: Hey, Mom, what did Dad look like? I've never seen a picture of him. Was there anything between you two before I was born?
She almost chokes upon hearing his question, coughing and hitting her chest before taking a deep breath to compose herself and answer his question with a smirk on her face.
M/N: There really wasn't any problem between me and your dad, it's just... it's just...
Y/N widens his eyes as he sees tears welling up in his mother's eyes. He didn't expect to see her crying, as it's the first time he's witnessed this.
Y/N: *Worried* Hey, hey, you don't have to answer if it makes you uncomfortable. I won't force you. I'm so sorry.
M/N shakes her head, waving her left hand to reassure him not to worry, before composing herself and finally giving him a serious answer.
M/N: Before you were born, your dad was excited and went to town to buy some toys and milk.
Y/N: *Laughing* Classic.
M/N: But after a few hours, he never came back... At that time, I was able to give birth to you in this world. Seeing you cry makes me want to protect you at all costs. But at the same time, just after you were born, the news came out and your dad... He passed away in a car incident after saving a kid from the crossroad...
Y/N sits next to her, hugging his mom tightly, his hands rubbing her back to calm her down. His mother smiles through tears as she embraces her son's hug, finding comfort in his embrace like a flower blooming with butterflies fluttering around.
Y/N: It's okay, you don't have to continue. Hearing about Dad, he was truly amazing.
M/N: *Chuckles* He was always amazing.
[12:46 PM]
After gently carrying his sleeping mother to her room, he flops onto his bed with a big yawn. Glancing at his phone, he finds nothing particularly interesting, so he turns it off and quickly drifts off to sleep. Hoping for a normal day tomorrow, with nothing too special happening.
=End of chapter=