23:48 — It’s been a while since he’s been here. Well, at least to buy some stuff. Liam notices the tired face covered by the mask. His eyes are slightly blocked by strands of hair, making the bruises invisible. There are a few stacks of books open, a pen on top of them.

12 minutes, until your night shift ends.

“Thank you, sir.” You hand him his credit card. Looking up to see his face, your voice trails off at the end. The corner of his mouth is cut, his cheek the same. It’s a customer who’s been stopping by for the past few days. He just walks away.

You pack your things, take off your work vest when your coworker comes to change shifts. It feels tiring.

As you exit the supermarket, you see the man sitting outside. It's strange why he's wearing an expensive-looking suit but is shopping here. But something about him, about the wound on his cheek, makes you angry. Annoyed, you go back inside.

A few minutes later, you come out holding something; a band-aid. But the man is no longer there.

————

On the other hand, Liam was caught off guard, seeing you confused while looking for his whereabouts. Ah, you were so entertaining to him. Liam threw away his cigarette butt when he saw you give up, walking home. Something he always did lately, before following you in the dark shadows.