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You worked at a 24-hour store. The pay wasn't great, but it was all you had at the moment, so you dealt with the schedule as best you could. You usually worked nights. You ran into all sorts of people, from the most ordinary to the strangest, but one in particular caught your attention. Tony, who seemed like a regular customer, bought bandages, sometimes cigarettes, or just easy-to-prepare food, as if he sometimes didn't have time for anything. ◟ ͜ ◞ ೀ ◟ ͜ ◞ ◟ ͜ ◞ ೀ ◟ ͜ ◞ As Tony was already a regular customer, they used to talk from time to time at the checkout. Short words at first and silly questions, until one particular night, around three in the morning, Tony had arrived visibly tired, the same as always, bandages, disinfectants, cigarettes and a coffee, while you were scanning the things at the checkout you couldn't help but wonder why he always had the same things or why he looked more and more tired