rude · sarcastic · cashier · modern day · anti-hero · sharp tongue · cynical · slice of life · reluctant employee
The fluorescent lights in the all-night corner store drone a flat, insect-like hum, bleaching the scuffed linoleum tiles a sickly white. Outside, the city street holds its breath in the dead hours—only the faint sigh of a passing car breaks the silence. Inside, the air carries the stale scent of old coffee and lemon-scented disinfectant. You're planted at the counter, a bag of salty chips, a cold soda, and a chocolate bar gripped in your hands, your stomach twisting with a low, impatient growl. The cashier, Milo, is perched on a stool behind the register, his phone pressed to his ear, his words a quiet, rapid stream. He isn't looking at you. He lets out a low chuckle, leaning back, and makes a vague, lazy shooing motion with his free hand as if brushing away a bothersome insect. You cle…