Could everyone die today? So, people who work in burial services are busier than those in cafes.
"Nathan, don't forget to add five sachets of sugar to table five!"
Nathan quickly took the food from the tray and immediately turned around to take the order for table number five. He grabbed as many sachets of sugar as he could from the counter.
He quickly placed two cups of cappuccino in front of two men who were chatting. Then he turned around, but before he could walk away, one of them stopped him.
"Can't you say something?" said one of them.
Nathan turned around and looked at the man who was talking to him. The man was handsome and young, probably in his twenties, with a warm smile. Nathan was sure the man didn't mean any harm.
Nathan forced a small smile and bowed his head. "Enjoy your meal," he said before turning away and putting his indifferent face back on.
He could still hear the other man talking to the one who had just spoken to him. "You made him uncomfortable, you jerk!"
Nathan sighed, not knowing why he felt annoyed. He picked up another order and delivered it quickly.
Nathan felt that every day was boring; nothing made him want to get out of bed. Every day he just went to school, worked part-time, returned to the orphanage, and slept.
He never had anything that made him happy. He didn't even understand what happiness was. But when winter came, he felt even worse, especially as Christmas Eve approached.
Christmas Eve, the night he hated the most.
Not only because his workplace was busier than usual, or because the streets felt narrower, but because he was abandoned at the orphanage on that very night.
Instead of celebrating his birthday on Christmas Eve, it was more like celebrating the night of his death. It was so sad.
While carrying a tray, he stared out the window. Snow was still falling, covering the trees in front of the cafe in white.
It was still December 15th, and the snow was already thick. Even so, there were still many people walking under the snow, filling the Christmas decoration shops.
Children dressed in warm clothes shouted every time they came out of the store, making Nathan squint his eyes in annoyance.
"Shit! Watch where you're walking, damn it!" An angry shout, followed by glasses falling to the floor, startled Nathan.
Nathan stared at the floor littered with broken cups and spilled coffee. "Shit!" he muttered. He quickly grabbed a cloth from the counter, wiped up the liquid, and picked up the broken glasses onto a tray.
He was lost in thought.
He heard someone grumbling in front of him. "Oh my god, I just bought this jacket. Is this going to ruin it?" the man said, wiping the coffee off his white furry jacket.
Nathan stood up, looked at the jacket, and bowed his head in apology. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."
The man in front of him seemed angrier after hearing Nathan apologize. "Don't you have eyes? How annoying!"
"I'm sorry," Nathan repeated. He wasn't going to offer to replace the jacket, of course. He just needed to humble himself and apologize for his mistake. He knew he was wrong, but he hoped the matter would end soon.
But it seemed like today he was dealing with the wrong man. He didn't know how long the man kept cursing at him, making everyone in the cafe stare at them.
Daniel, his boss, who had just arrived, tried to calm the man down, offering to pay for the laundry service. But it seemed that the man was in a bad mood.
"Nathan, apologize to him," Daniel said softly. The man was usually friendly, but now his face looked annoyed.
Nathan took a deep breath, tired. "I've already done it many times."
The man kept yelling at him. "Can't you hire the right people? Look at his face! Just because he's a rich kid, he can work however he wants?! I'm not afraid even though you're a rich kid. Damn it!"
This time, Nathan looked up at the man. "What do you know about me? Rich kid? What do you mean? Didn't I already apologize? Does your expensive jacket give you the right to yell at me like this? What do you actually want?"
The man looked surprised that Nathan dared to talk back. "You, how insolent. You're the one who's wrong—"
"I know I was wrong, and I already apologized! My boss even offered to pay for the laundry. So what else do you want? Do you want to yell until tomorrow morning?" Nathan snapped, unable to hold back his frustration.
The man was speechless but clearly getting angrier.
Daniel pulled Nathan away. After a year, he knew the boy's temper well. He didn't want them to end up dealing with the police tonight. But before he could grab Nathan's arm, the man pulled Nathan first.
Nathan's eyes widened in surprise when a slap landed on his cheek. His eyes burned with anger. He glared at the man, adrenaline rushing through his veins.
"Nathan, no!" Daniel's shout was heard along with the screams around them.
The man was pushed hard into a nearby table, making the couple sitting there scream and jump up.
"Damn it! You dare hit me?!" The man stood up, shocked, as he felt blood running from his nose.
Nathan didn't hear anything. He swung another punch, but Daniel quickly pushed him away before it landed.
"Nathan, STOP!" Daniel shouted so loudly that Nathan finally froze.
An hour later, in the staff room, the man had just left the cafe with the peace money Daniel gave him. Meanwhile, Nathan sat silently, sulking.
Daniel took a deep breath, feeling a mix of anger and exhaustion. "How many times have I told you to control yourself? You'll be the one who gets in trouble. No, I'll be the one who gets in trouble if you keep this up!"
Nathan looked down. "I'm sorry."
Daniel, the twenty-four-year-old man, ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. "Nathan, if you weren't Vale's friend, I would've fired you a long time ago. I still have a heart. You need a job, but please, fix your attitude!"
"I'm sorry."
Daniel sighed. "You don't need to keep saying that. You can't replace the money I lost. Go home!"
Nathan looked up, this time with a serious expression. "Are you firing me?"
Daniel looked away, then back at him. "I'll fire you if you do it again. Consider this your last chance."
Nathan immediately stood up and bowed his head. "I'm sorry. I'll try to control myself."
But Nathan knew it wouldn't be easy for someone who openly admitted that he hated EVERYONE on earth.