Chapter 2
"Haaah."
With a deep sigh, Koi stretched his back after tossing out the last bag of trash. He took one last glance around the shop, making sure everything was in order, then switched off all the lights. Locking up from the outside, he finally let himself acknowledge it—the day was over.
Without wasting a second, he all but sprinted to his bike and took off. He had skimmed over the assignment earlier, but actually finishing it was going to take time. A lot of time. Maybe even an all-nighter. That thought made his legs push harder against the pedals. The cool night air sliced against his cheeks as he sped down the empty streets.
His part-time job, which he had started a few months ago, was a simple one. Working alone in a small store, handling the register, restocking shelves, cleaning up at closing. Technically, the time spent sweeping up and taking out the trash should have been counted toward his pay. But his boss never accounted for it. Not once. And Koi, who didn’t have the luxury of switching jobs, had no choice but to just go along with it.
By the time he actually finished everything and left for home, it was always close to midnight. Which left him with next to no time for schoolwork. His chest tightened with frustration. He gritted his teeth and pedaled faster. The wind howled in his ears as he raced through the night.
*
Koi skidded to a stop in front of the truck-turned-home, ditching his bike without a second thought. He practically leapt inside. A quick, half-assed rinse. Then straight to his desk. As his computer booted up, he took a moment to double-check the assignment details.
A sigh escaped him.
Read a preassigned Latin literature piece and write an analytical essay on it. At least he had already finished reading the book. Now, all that was left was writing.
And writing.
And more writing.
He lost track of time. Professor Martinez was notorious for being strict about deadlines. Even more than the actual quality of the paper. And with his scholarship and college applications on the line, Koi couldn’t afford to slip up. His fingers moved across the keyboard, determined, even as his vision blurred from exhaustion.