"Hi?" Yeonjun sounds a little unsure of himself.
"Hi" I smile inspite of fighting it. I don't know why my mind is happy to see him but apparently, it is.
"I - uh - I got you icecream" he holds up a bag with Hive printed on it.
"You bought icecream from the place I work? You know that I could have gotten that for free right?" I ask and his face turns a very light shade of pink.
Is Yeonjun blushing?
Is he embarrassed?
Wow! I have seen all the wonders in the world tonight.
"How did you know I would be here?" I ask out of curiosity.
I mean there is not a lot of places that I go but I don't work here everyday so how did he know I would be here tonight?
He looks down at the road and kicks at the small pebbles, shrugging his shoulder.
"Lucky guess? I have always found you here after school so I figured you'll be here tonight as well" he shrugged, his voice low whisper against the breeze of the night.
"Why did you want to find me?" I take a step closer to him, still maintaining enough distance that my head is functioning properly but close enough that I don't have to strain to hear his voice.
He looks up at me, his dark eyes boring into mine.
There is a long stretch of silence between us and I don't if I will get an answer from him. I am not sure I want to hear it.
"I-I don't know" he shakes his head, as if he is not sure the reason he came here himself.
"I just had one of the worst possible days ever since I came to Korea and... I just... I don't know why I came to see you" he admits more to himself than to me.
I try to suppress the kaleidoscope of butterflies that flutter in my stomach at his words and hope to god my face is not as heated as I feel it is.
"Want to go somewhere we can go and talk?" He speaks up and instantly I am at a loss of words.
What?
He wants to talk to me? That to voluntarily?
"Uhm... Yeah sure but I have work here..."
I glance back at Hive, my mind racing with conflicting thoughts. On one hand, I'm intrigued by Yeonjun's sudden vulnerability and the prospect of finally having a real conversation with him.
On the other hand, I can't just abandon my responsibilities at work, especially during a busy shift.
"I talked to Woojin. He told me he will cover for you tonight. If you're okay with it, that is" he sounds unsure of himself.
I chew on my bottom lip, torn between duty and curiosity.
I am grateful to Woojin to offer to cover my shift. And I am grateful that Yeonjun was considerate enough to consult with Woojin about my work before asking me to go out with him tonight.
But at the end of the day, it comes down to the money that I an earning while working here. Not working one night will not put a dent in my pocket but it all adds up right?
But ultimately, my curiosity wins out.
After all, how often does Yeonjun voluntarily seek me out for conversation? It's a rare opportunity that I don't want to pass up.
"Okay, Let's go" I agree, offering him a tentative smile.
"But, how are we going to go? Wait, where are we going?" I ask simultaneously as my mind comes out of my dreamscape mind and focus on the reality of him standing against his bike in front of me.
"Uh... Well, I have my motorcycle. And I thought maybe we can go to that hill we went to earlier. It seemed... nice" he shrugs, unsure and it makes me smile.
"Sure. But please drive slow. I am really scared of riding with you" I tell and he gives me a withering look.
"Did I drop you the last time I drove you? What makes you think I'll let anything happen to you now?" he challenges and I feel the flutter of butterflies rise from their graves in my stomach again, threatening to burst out of me.
I scoff to mask the unwanted sound that was threatening to voice out of my throat.
"Yeah, you didn't drop me but you were really fast and it is dangerous. No matter how much you think you're driving safe but it also matters if the person opposite to you is driving fine. They might hit-"
"Please stop your rant. The icecream is melting and I would rather have the icecream than a questionable milkshake that might end up giving me food poisoning" he stops me from continuing.
He hops on his motorcycle and turns back to look at me again.
"Are you hopping in?" he asks and I move on my own accord but my mind is not processing anything except following things that Yeonjun is saying.
As I settle onto the back of Yeonjun's motorcycle, I can't help but feel a rush of excitement mixed with trepidation.
Despite my protests about his driving, there's something undeniably exhilarating about the prospect of speeding through the night on the back of his bike.
The wind is cool and the silence between us is comfortable.
I am liking this feeling.
Though I am not sure if I should.
As we navigate the streets, the cool wind whips through my hair, and the city lights blur into streaks of color around us. It's a thrilling sensation, one that makes me feel alive in a way I haven't felt in a long time.
I feel free for once. I don't have any tension or problems running through my mind. I am not focused on any work or responsibilities. I am not worried about any expectation placed on me. All of it blurs along with the street lights and people around us.
At the moment, it is just us two.
I can get used to this feeling of freeness but I am guilty of not wanting to face my issues. At least for the few minutes, I let myself indulge.
As we approach the hill, I can't help but marvel at the view spread out before us. The city skyline twinkles in the distance, a sea of lights against the dark canvas of the night sky. It's a breathtaking sight, one that never fails to fill me with awe.
Yeonjun parks the motorcycle at the base of the hill, and we both hop off, taking a moment to soak in the beauty of our surroundings. The air is crisp and cool, the scent of trees mingling with the faint aroma of the night flowers.
No matter how many times I come here, this feels like a different kind of home to me.
A sigh escapes me and Yeonjun turns to me.
"I have come up here a few times since we were here. This place has serenity. I didn't know this place existed but thanks to you, now I do" he passes me a small smile.
I am not keen on sharing my safe space with other people. Only San, Woojin and I come here. I brought Yeonjun here one night but I didn't think he would take liking to such a place.
Oddly, I don't mind sharing this little pocket of space with him. Something in his smile makes me feel like he really needs this place.
Maybe it is a home to him as well.
"So, what did you want to talk about?" I ask, breaking the silence as we start to make our way up on a large boulder that we can sit on.
Yeonjun hesitates for a moment, his gaze fixed on the ground. "I... I guess I just wanted to talk. About... everything, I guess."
I nod, understanding the weight of his words.
Sometimes, it's nice to have someone to confide in, someone who will listen without judgment or expectation.
I didn't want to push him and after he left the classroom, I did not follow him. I understood he would want his space and probably would not want to confide in me.
As we sit down, Yeonjun takes a deep breath, his gaze fixed on the ground.
"You must have a lot of questions after this afternoon" he states as he kicks a pebble on the ground.
"I would lie if I say I didn't. But you're in no way obligated to answer any of them. Also, I am not going to ask you anything" he looks up at me.
"I guess I should start by apologizing for my behavior earlier. I know I can be... difficult sometimes."
I shake my head, reaching out to place a reassuring hand on his arm.
He shouldn't be apologizing. Among all the times I would have agreed with his apology, this is a time when I am completely against it.
Yes, the way he framed his sentences was crude but he is a child. The principal was an adult. She is a mature woman and the way she talked to him was how no one should ever talk to someone.
"You don't have to apologize, Yeonjun. We all have bad days. This was one of yours. And besides, I'm here to listen if you want to talk about it."
He looks up at me, a flicker of gratitude shining in his eyes. "Thanks, Yuri. It means a lot."
A/n: Finally an update. I know I am irregular with the updates but thanks for sticking around.
Also this chapter was going to be very very long so I divided it into two parts. Let me know how you like it.
And, just a question - do you guys like short more frequent chapters (1.5-2k words) or long chapters ( around 3-5k words but it will also take me longer to update them).
And what do you think of Yuri and Yeonjun here? I was giggling while writing this. They are so cute ð¥º