i woke up to a heavy rain this morning, and i want to snuggle a lil bit more in my bed so i write this while im on it.
here you go!
The bells on the door ringed, notifying me that someone had just entered the convenient store. I saw a figure of a man from the corner of my eye and i greeted the man just like how i greeted other consuments, not knowing how to react at the moment, before hurriedly shoving the rest of the snacks to the racks and strode back to the cashier counter.
He look at me for a brief seconds and tilted his head, but proceed to the beverages section after that.
‘Maybe he’s surprised to see me here?’, I thought as i shooted out the green working vest on my body.
The man come back to the cashier counter with 2 can of cold beers in his hand before he put it on the table.
“Can i have a pack of white Marlboro, please?”
“Of course.” I take one pack of the cigarette alongside the beers.
“Is there anything else i can help you with?”
“You’re really dilligent, huh.”
I furrowed my eyebrows again as i heard him.
“H-huh?”
He take off his cap and smile at me slightly,
“It’s me. Kim Taehyung.“
"From the movie development, if my name doesnt ring a bell.” He add a split second after that.
I couldn’t help but smile a little. In our major, in our gigantic university even, who doesnt know him?
“I know you.” I said with a small smile, as i started to scan his beer.
“What are you doing here?”, He asked.
“I’m working, as you can see.”, I look at him,
“That would be 11,400₩ in total.”
He take his wallet from his back pocket and take out some cash and pass it to me.
“I mean, why are you working? It’s your birthday afterall.”
I froze a little as i put the money back on the machine.
He smile, a childish smile that does not match his deep eyes and perfect high nose, but strangely, it suited his face like its really belong there.
“We’re the only people who shares the same birthday in the entire major, how could i didnt know that?”, He said as he put his wallet back and started to gather his beers and cigarette.
He tilted his head, as if not satisfied with my answer.
So i open my mouth back after a second,
“Life has been hectic, I had loads of classes and works, and i’m away from home, so here i am.” I looked at him ad i grinned.
Not so sincere, i know, but who cares? It’s a freaking 11pm and i had a long day before.
His face seems unreadable, but he smiles at the end.
“Is that so? It cant be helped then, but happy birthday anyway!”
“Happy birthday to you too.” I said with a little smile before he walks out of the store.
I thought he was gone, but its been almost an hour, and he still sat there outside, sipping on his beer whlist puffing his cigarrete once in a while.
I couldnt help but glance at his direction every few minutes, but there’s nothing i could do beside that.
Our of all day, today, in my birthday, i got so many problematic costumers.
I don’t know if it’s because it’s friday night, or just simply because it’s a night shift, it just happened to be chaotic from a couple of high school students wants to buy cigarettes, a grumpy drunken middle-aged woman who won’t stop curse me out, to a perverted old man who flirted at me in such disgusting way.
I’m just crossing my finger hoping this shitty night shift would end faster and my co-worker, the next person on the shift, would come on time at 1AM.
She’s really hardworking.
I couldn’t help but notice it.
I just planned to drink a can of beer and smoke a little before i go back to the
studio, but i’ve been sitting here for almost 2 hours now. And don’t asked my why, because i haven’t figured out about that too.
It’s just that when i saw her tried so hard to look strong in front of that high school bastards, or when i saw her tried her best to supress her anger at that drunken old lady, i just want to stay and watch her some more.
A lot of thoughts crossed in my head, but when i saw through the glass door as she retied her messy ponytails and look at her wristwatch and sighed reliefly, I bolted out of my chair and run as fast as i could to find the nearest store.
I just finished my shift and said goodbye to my co-worker and was going to go home as i walked past the playground in front of the store when i heard my named being called from behind, and my eyes almost gone out of its socket as i saw Kim Taehyung run to me at full speed with a blue box in his left hand that look like a box of… cake?
He reached me by seconds and clunched his chest as he run out of breath.
“Hhh, your sh-hh-ift ended al-hhh-ready?”
“Huh? Um, yeah. I’m going home now. Uh, was going to go home i mean. Why are you still here?”
He grabbed my arm out of instinct, “Don’t go home yet!" He half-scream, and literally dragged me to the seating area of the convenient store in front of the playground.
He opened the box and huffed out of frustation,
While i’m just bewildered. I sat there, looking at the unidentified design of what looks like a fruit cake in his hands.
“Why are you buying a cake?”
“So we could blow some candles of course.”
He said excitedly as he took out his lighter and lighted up the candles on top of the half-messy cake.
“But it’s 1AM taehyung, my-, our birthday has already over.”, I said as i look at my watch on my left wrist.
“Who cares?! The sun still haven’t rise yet so its practically still friday-, and still our birthday” He said as he licked off the whipped cream on his middle and index finger.
And i couldn’t help but felt my cheeks reddened at his actions. Ugh.
“Now hurry blow it!” He said before singing a birthday song roughly, which surprised me on how good his voice sound when singing, and encouraging me to make a wish and blow the candles off together.
He smile at me slightly, and i can’t help but return the smile. It seems like my mouth automatically curled upwards when i saw him did the same action.
“Why- Why are you doing this?" I asked out of curiousity.
I mean i know that we’re in a same major, but i can’t say that we’re friends either.
We’re merely an acquintance. And acquintance doesn’t buy a cake and celebrate each other birthday in the middle of the night like this.
It’s not that he’s a bad person,
It’s just that our path never really crossed, and we’re practically living in two different world.
“Doing what?”, He blinks innocently, and i sighed.
“THIS.”, I emphasized and opened my arm to the table where the cake located, but he just shrugged.
“Just because.” I was just about to replied at him when a thought run across my mind,
“Wait, shouldn’t you off somehwere partying with your friends? It’s your birthday after all.”
“Yeah, i was, but suddenly i don’t feel like it and decide to buy some beers and come back to the studio.”
He sighed, he looks comfortable talking at me, but it failed to hide the eyebags and exhaustion in his voice.
But since he doesn’t mention anything, i’m playing oblivious myself too.
“But it’s almost 2AM and you’re still here.” I couldnt help but stated off the fact.
“I know right.”, He smirked a little. What’s with this boy, seriously?
“So tell me, have you finished your end of semester project?”
I know he’s changing the topic, and usually, i would just answer it formally when someone i’m not close to trying to build a conversation, but this time, i have a strong urge to not turn this down.
Maybe its because we share the same birthday, maybe its because we both loves movies, or maybe its just because we need someone to share little talk in our hectic but, lonely daily life, that we ended up talk for the rest of the night, and the sun almost rise when i found him walk me to my apartment complex.
“So here it is,” I said when we reach my apartment,
“Thanks for… the cake, i guess.”
He smiled as he shoved his hand to his pocket,
“You shouldn’t. Just treat me a birthday meal as a return instead.”
I was bewildered at first at his spontaneous way of thinking, but then again, when did i not when it comes to Kim Taehyung?
Looking at my expression, he just simply smirked abd shrugged it off.
“I’m off then, happy birthday.”, He said it once again.
“Yeah, happy birthday to you too.”, I said with half smile, and he turned around while waving his hand to me from behind.
I just froze there in front of my door, not because i’m still bewildered because of what happened and simply, his entire presence, but because i don'5 want this bubble to shatter so fast, afraid that nothing will change when i go to my class on moday.
Afraid that i’m just still going to be a mere aqcuintance of Kim Taehyung after today.
It’s been almost a week, and i’ve been frustated because i haven’t heard anything from Taehyung.
I know that i shouldnt expecting something, but he was just so friendly last week that i’m, stupidly, thought that we could become friends or something after that.
Well, we live in different world after all, so whats new, huh.
I only saw him once actually, in the cafetaria, but he looks so excited chatting with his popular clique that time that i don’t even dare to spare another look at his table again.
It’s not after another friday pass that i’m surprised by a mere text message asking me to feed him some barbeque, that could really sound rude, considering it comes from a mere acquintance.
But that acquintance is Kim Taehyung afterall.
So here i am, in front of the table full of barbeque, with Kim Taehyung happily chewing as we talk about this and that, but mostly about movie stuff.
“Have you heard about Director Kang’s short movie? The premiere will held on Busan’s Film Festival next week.” Taehyung ask excitedly.
“Hmm, i heard that it’s going to be spectacular though? Isn’t it about children’s rebelion against parents in traditional environment?”
I couldn’t help but enjoyed every seconds i spend with him.
Either i’m starting to have a crush on him, or maybe something more, or maybe i’m just awed by his friendliness and good looks, i’m just going to go for it.
Because for once i don’t want to think about risks, responsibilities, and worries about how should i survive in this tiring twenty-something life, that i just want to do what i want to do.
And with Taehyung, i think i could do that. He has what i ache for, the spontaneous, simple way of thinking.
So when he walks be back to my apartment once again, i do what i never did before.
“Thank you, for the meal. I though you would like..” He left his sentence unfinished as he swipe his hair back, revealing a little of his forehead.
And oh boy, i thought my heart stop beating right there.
“Turned it down?” I guess.
“Yeah, something like that. But thank you, really. I really enjoy the conversation, and the food, of course.”, he chuckled.
“You shouldn’t though. You should’ve paid with another way.”, I said, mimicking him the last time i thanked him.
“You should take me to that movie premiere next week.”, i looked down and said it in one breath.
And he laughs. He laugh so heartily that i thought i made a mistake and i just embarassed myself.
But he grabbed my arm instead,
“Really? You want to go watch that movie with me?!”
Me, bewildered just as usual, could only nodded a little and ask him in tiny voice,
“You don’t want to?”
“Of course i want to!” He grinned, but he let go of my arm suddenly.
“But you don’t have to thank me later on, you should just pay me instead.”
“Is this some kind of game to you, Kim Taehyung?” I put my hands on either side of my waist. And the corner of his lips twitch upwards.
“Maybe, maybe not.”
“But either way, you have to pay for this in advance”, My brows furrowed,
And suddenly, he’d so close in front of me, and he whisper just below my lips.
Just like that, he captures my lips with his and for the split seconds i just froze there not knowing what to do.
But warm starts spreading from my lips, to my chest, and to my entire body.
I’m finally giving in when he move his head to deepen his kiss, and i react by carefully placing my hands on the back of his neck.
I could feel him smiling against my lips as he place his arms around my waist, and of course, i couldn’t help but smile when he smile.
Whatever this relationship is, whatever he made me paid for the things he does for me tomorrow, or maybe on our next birthdays, i’m planning to go for it.
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