The Price of a Stolen Sandwich
Jin. "Hmm..." Shine stepped in front of me and glared at him. Their gazes locked in midair.
"Wait..." Jin's expression stiffened as he took a step back. The sandwich that had stuffed his mouth was long gone. But Shine didn't back down. She didn't even listen to him. For every step Jin retreated, she took one forward.
"Hmm..." Seeing the fierce glint in Shine's eyes, signaling she wouldn't let this slide, Jin froze. When he stopped, Shine stopped too. They stood there, locked in a silent stare-down. I slumped onto the ground, wiping my eyes with my sleeve. The damp, clinging fabric felt unpleasant against my skin.
Neither of them uttered another word. Amidst the heavy, icy silence, a cool breeze swept through the shaded pavilion, drying the tears on my face.
"Shine?" I stood up and called her name, but she didn't react. Her eyes were fixed entirely on Jin's. Moving carefully, I packed my open sketchbook back into my bag. I zipped up the wide-open yellow backpack and slung it over my shoulders.
Looking from Shine to Jin, I noticed he was just as frozen, completely motionless. It was as if time had stopped for the two of them. About five minutes passed like that. Shine was the first to break. She stumbled, then collapsed onto the ground.
"Shine!" Startled, I rushed over and grabbed her arm. "Are you okay? Does it hurt somewhere?"
Shine didn't answer, her glare still pinned on Jin. I followed her gaze to look at him. Jin hadn't changed at all; he was still staring blankly at the exact spot where Shine's eyes had just been.
"I'm stronger," Shine muttered. She pushed herself up, walked over to the frozen Jin, and tapped his shoulder. Immediately, his body collapsed. Slumped on the floor, Jin's face looked perfectly peaceful, as if he had drifted into a deep sleep. The intense, glaring man from the stare-down was gone, replaced by this tranquil expression.
"Shine? What happened?" It was one baffling thing after another. First a stare-down, and now Jin was suddenly knocked out. He didn't look hurt, but he didn't look like he would wake up anytime soon either.
"Shh. Jeff. Nothing happened. Don't worry about it." Steadying her trembling body, Shine took a deep breath and held out her hand. I took it. Nothing happened between them. I nodded.
"Shine, you're not hurt, right?" Regardless of what she said, she didn't look well. Anxious, I patted her down, checking thoroughly to see if she had any injuries. "Are you really, truly okay?" "Yeah."
Once I confirmed Shine was unharmed, I let out a sigh of relief. Then, my eyes fell back on Jin, who was sprawled out on the floor. Seeing him lying there with such a carefree, sleeping face made my blood boil. I unslung my backpack and rummaged through it. Colored pencils, crayons, and ballpoint pens spilled out. I picked out a bright, bold red pen.
Click. With a soft sound, the sharp tip of the pen popped out. Holding my breath, I began to scribble all over Jin's sleeping face. Jagged red lines formed a ridiculous mustache. "Still not waking up?" I pressed down hard on purpose, but Jin didn't budge. I drew a fat pig right in the middle of his forehead. His face was now covered in red graffiti, but my thirst for vengeance wasn't quite quenched yet.
Tucking the pen back into my bag, my eyes drifted down to his feet. He was wearing a pair of very expensive-looking, polished black leather shoes. I reached out and touched them. They felt solid. After a good deal of tugging and grunting, I managed to yank the shoes off his feet. The moment they came off, a foul odor wafted out.
I grabbed a discarded plastic convenience store bag nearby, stuffed the smelly shoes inside, and tied it in a tight double knot. That would keep the stench contained. "Let's go!" Shine and I scrambled out of the pavilion before Jin could wake up.
Holding Shine's hand, I ran until we reached the massive boulder where Jin had been fishing earlier. Stopping there, I hurled the plastic bag into the pond. The black bag soared through the air before splashing into the water and drifting away.
Hiding behind the boulder, I peeked back at the pavilion. I could just make out Jin's figure, still sprawled out spread-eagle with no sign of waking up. What a bizarre man. Amy had told me that Jin was the leader of her organization. For someone of that stature to steal children's lunch sandwiches was utterly baffling.
His true motive couldn't possibly be a sandwich. It seemed like a chance encounter, but the more I thought about it, the more unnatural it felt. We had never seen so much as his shadow before, yet he appeared the moment Amy left. Besides, there were no fish in this pond. Casting a line into a completely empty body of water made no sense. What was his goal, then? Why did he wait for Amy to leave and approach us under the guise of a coincidence? Leaning against the massive rock, I fell deep into thought.
"Jeff, let's go back." "Huh?" Plucked from my thoughts by Shine tugging on my hand, I stood up. She looked exhausted. The moment I saw her tired face, all my burning questions vanished. She was right; we needed to get back to our room.
"Yeah, we should go back..." I nodded, rubbing my stomach. I was starting to get hungry. The image of the sandwich Jin had stolen danced before my eyes. Adjusting my backpack, I took Shine's hand and hurried out of the park. We headed down the stairs. Climbing them had been exhausting, but going down was a breeze.
Lunchtime was nearly over. Pausing in the hallway, I glanced toward the cafeteria. If we went now, we could still get a decent meal. But Shine was the issue. She was so tired she could barely walk straight, leaning heavily against me. She rubbed her soft cheek against my shoulder, whimpering softly, which put me in a tight spot. But I want to eat...
Left with no choice, I brought Shine back to our room. The moment we stepped inside, she collapsed onto the bed. With a soft thud, she buried her face in the blankets, showing no intention of moving. "Shine?" "Yeah..." her voice drifted out, weak and drained. "Are you sick?" "Just... a little tired."
I walked over to the bedside and gently took her hand. Her soft, warm fingers suddenly wrapped around mine. Before I could even gasp, I was pulled down. When I came to my senses, I was tucked firmly against her chest. "Shine?" I wriggled out of her embrace. Shine lay there with her eyes closed, looking completely at peace. I leaned in close, pressing my ear near her face. Her breathing was slow and steady—the gentle rhythm of her deep sleep.
Slipping off the bed, I unslung my yellow backpack and shoved it into a corner. I needed to tidy up my sketchbook and crayons, but food took priority. I slipped out of the room and sprinted toward the convenience store. My target: the sandwiches we missed out on today, plus some extra treats for when Shine woke up.
Armed with Amy's credit card, I could buy whatever I wanted without worrying about the price. Staring at the basket piled high with food, I checked out and grabbed the massive plastic bag. It was quite heavy, but since I hadn't bought any heavy drinks, I could carry it on my own. Grunting as I hauled the bag back to our room, I immediately ripped open a sandwich wrapper.
Eating lunch alone. It was a quiet meal, no different from how I used to eat, yet a corner of my heart felt strangely hollow. As I stuffed my mouth with the sandwich, I looked over at Shine. The intense hunger I had felt earlier was completely gone. Or rather, I had simply lost my appetite. I set the half-eaten sandwich down.
It was just a standard convenience store sandwich, something I usually enjoyed. Having survived a harsh childhood, I was never a picky eater. But I had finally realized something: food tasted so much better when shared with someone you loved, rather than eaten alone. I stared at the empty spaces where Amy and Shine should have been. "Tastes like cardboard," I muttered, my voice dissolving into the quiet room.
Hopping down from my chair, I stuffed the large convenience store bag into the refrigerator. I would wait until Shine woke up, and we would eat together. It would taste much better then. I walked over to the bed and slid in beside her, pulling the soft duvet over both of us. The cozy warmth enveloped me.
Beneath the covers, I carefully reached out and took Shine's hand. It was small and soft. Perhaps because of the blanket, her hand felt slightly hot against mine. Her fingers twitched as if trying to escape the heat, but I threaded my fingers through hers, holding on even tighter. With our palms pressed flush against each other, I could feel the steady pulse of her heartbeat traveling through our joined hands.
It was a long time before Shine finally woke up. Her eyes fluttered open, blinking in surprise when she saw me lying right in front of her. Her lips parted into a soft smile, and her wide eyes curved into gentle crescents to match. Seeing that, I smiled back. "Sleep well?" "Mm-hmm."
I let go of her hand and sat up. The sudden loss of her warmth left a lingering, empty sensation. "Are you hungry?" "Starving!" Shine answered with a bright grin, springing out of bed. As she hopped down, I got up too and headed for the refrigerator.
I pulled the sandwiches out and walked over to the table where Shine was waiting. Placing them between us, we both tore open the wrappers in unison. I lifted the soft, white sandwich with both hands and took a big bite. A sweet and tangy flavor burst across my tongue, followed by the rich, creamy texture of the cheese. I looked at Shine and smiled. It tasted wonderful.