Red Thread season 1

Chapter 4: The Tuna Sandwich Miracle

Yoo-ra didn't wake up to an alarm. She woke up to a thunderous headache and the sensation that her stomach was currently eating itself.

She blinked.

The room was dark.

The curtains were drawn tight, blocking out the sun like it was trying to hide from her. She squinted at her phone on the nightstand.

Sunday. 1:45 PM.

"NO! NO! NO! NO!" she screamed into her pillow, her voice cracking like a teenager. "I SLEPT THE WHOLE DAY?! AGAIN?! HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?!"

She rolled over, staring at the ceiling in pure horror.

"I'm dead. I'm officially dead. My boss is going to fire me. My tuition fees are going to go unpaid. I'm going to live in a cardboard box! A CARDBOARD BOX!"

She forced herself up, her body feeling heavy like a sack of potatoes filled with lead. She was dead tired.

The night shift had drained her completely.

She hadn't eaten since lunch on Friday.

She remembered the "Eat" note from the scooter, but she had just been too exhausted to care. She had collapsed into bed, fallen asleep instantly, and never woke up to eat.

Now, her stomach was growling so loud it sounded like a tiny bear was doing parkour inside her belly.

"Okay, Yoo-ra. Breathe. You are a professional. You are a grown woman. You are not going to die," she muttered, rubbing her temples. "Just get up. Brush teeth. Shower. Maybe there's something in the fridge."

She stumbled into the bathroom, splashed cold water on her face, and brushed her teeth. She felt wretched. Her head pounded. She felt like she was going to pass out.

She walked into the kitchen.

The apartment was quiet.

She opened the fridge.

Empty.

Well, not entirely empty. There was a carton of milk, some half-empty jars of sauce, and a single egg that looked suspiciously like it had been there since the Stone Age.

"No," she whispered, her stomach growling again. "No. Please. No. I can't do this. I can't survive on air and hope."

She closed the fridge and leaned against the counter, her head spinning. "I can't work today. I can't. I'm dying. I'm literally dying. Maybe I should just lie down and let the ants take me."

But then she remembered her tuition fees. The rent. The bills. The looming threat of homelessness.

"I have to work," she told herself, her voice weak but determined. "I have to go. Even if I'm half-dead. Even if I'm a zombie."

She turned to walk to her room to change, but her eyes caught something on the long table in the middle of the kitchen.

It wasn't there when she came in.

There, sitting in the middle of the cold, empty table, was a small, white box.

Yoo-ra froze. "What the...? Did I order food and forget? Is this a ghost? Did I die and this is the afterlife?"

She walked closer, her stomach screaming for food. She opened the box.

Inside, wrapped in pristine plastic, was a Tuna Mayo Sandwich.

Oh. My. GOD.

It looked perfect. The bread was soft, fluffy, and slightly toasted on the edges.

The tuna filling was creamy, generous, and glistening with a hint of lemon juice. There was a tiny, perfect garnish of parsley. It looked like a painting.

It looked like heaven.

"Mmm," she breathed, the smell hitting her nose like a warm hug. "It smells... divine. It smells like an angel made this."

She didn't think. She didn't ask who it was. She didn't wonder if it was poison (okay, maybe a tiny thought, but she pushed it away). She just grabbed it and took a huge bite.

"OH. MY. GOD."

It was delicious. The tuna was fresh, the mayo was creamy and rich, the bread was soft like a cloud. It was the best sandwich she had ever eaten in her entire life. It was better than any fancy restaurant, better than any street food. It was magic.

"Who made this? Who is this person? Are they a wizard? Did they just... appear out of thin air?!" she thought, chewing quickly, her eyes wide with wonder. "This is the best thing that has ever happened to me. Ever."

She finished the sandwich in two bites, her hunger satisfied for a moment. Then she noticed the fruit compartment on the side of the box.

There were a few slices of fresh strawberries, bright red and juicy, and a small container of plump, sweet grapes.

She grabbed a grape. "Mmm. Sweet. Like candy."

She was finally feeling human again. She felt like a new person. A sandwich-powered superhero.

But then, her phone buzzed on the counter.

4 Missed Calls.

All from Blue Sky Delivery (Manager).

She looked at the screen. The time was 2:00 PM.

"NO! NO! NO! I'M LATE AGAIN?! HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?!" she screamed, dropping the phone on the counter. "I'M GOING TO LOSE MY JOB! I'M GOING TO BE HOMELESS! I'M GOING TO EAT SANDWICHES FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE!"

She had zero minutes to spare. She was late for her shift. Again.

She didn't have time to think about the sandwich. She didn't have time to wonder who left it. She just grabbed her phone, shoved the rest of the box (if there was anything left) into her bag, and ran to her room.

She threw on a white oversized shirt and a pair of skinny jeans. She didn't bother with a jacket. She just grabbed her helmet and her delivery bag.

She ran out the door, her stomach full but her heart racing.

“I'M GOING TO LOSE MY JOB! I'M GOING TO BE HOMELESS! I'M GOING TO LIVE UNDER A BRIDGE! I'M SO DEAD!”

As she ran down the stairs, the smell of the tuna sandwich still lingered on her breath.

But as she stepped out into the afternoon sun, a strange feeling prickled on the back of her neck.

She didn't know it yet, but the sandwich hadn't just filled her stomach.

It had filled a hole that someone else had been watching.

Someone who knew she was hungry.

Someone who knew she needed to eat.

And someone who was still watching.