seokjin
a fleeting moment
You were on your way to the train station as you were heading home. Absentmindedly, you walked with a thin plastic bag in your hand filled with ramen that you had bought on your way back. You stopped when you saw the red light at the crossing.
And that's when he entered your vision. You only saw the back of his head at first. He had broad shoulders which showed even underneath his black padded coat. Your eyes traveled up to his head, he had black neat hair, and he was wearing headphones. His arms were long and his light blue jeans looked well-worn. What caught your attention the most was his hand. It calmly was resting against the side of his thigh.
When you saw him turning, your eyes automatically wandered up to his face. He looked behind him over his shoulder as he was waiting for the traffic light to change. Your eyes met for a short moment, but he quickly turned away, looking straight ahead. Your eyes still lingered on him.
You were calm, your heart wasn't racing, and you didn't feel nervous at all. A pleasant, warm feeling was gradually spreading in the pit of your stomach. It made you feel happy and content. You felt at ease and peaceful looking at him. Your mind was wiped clean from any thoughts.
The light turned green and everyone moved to cross the street in an instant. Your feet also moved automatically. Eyes fixed on his hand, you followed behind him.
Images started to form in your mind. Soon enough, you were immersed in a hazy daydream. You were holding his hand tightly as you were walking. The wind felt cool on your skin, brushing through your hair. His laughter was ringing in your ears. Then you saw his eyes. Warm brown eyes that were smiling whenever they landed on you. Switch. He is leaning against his car, waving eagerly at you as you leave your workplace. He embraces you in a tight hug.
You feel the roughness of his leather jacket against your cheek, and you can smell his cologne. Jump to the next scene. He is sitting on the floor by the coffee table, hunched over his laptop as he works on something. You are laying on the sofa behind him, running your fingers through his soft black curls as you watch him type. It's late in the night, the room is quiet and warm. You feel comfortable and sleepy. He is wearing boxer shorts and an old band shirt. He feels like home. Pages turns. He is crying and you are holding him in your embrace. Your heart is torn to pieces. Black. You hear bells chiming. You see his dazzling smile. White. It's dark and hot. It feels like a summer night. He is laying next to you.
Your mind was racing, producing a film in front of your mental eye. All these scenes were a figment of your imagination, but they felt like memories. They were immersive and lively, stimulating all your senses, leaving your mind clouded.
When you snapped out of your trance, the muffled noises around you gradually got louder and clearer and your vision got shaper. His hand was big, his fingers slim and long. It was all you could focus on.
The longer you stared at it the more you wanted to hold it.
You felt melancholic as you realized what was happening. It was another fleeting moment. That moment when a stranger piques your interest for some mysterious reason, and you imagine an alternative life with that person inside of it. In that fleeting moment, you live a whole life with that person. You meet them, fall in love with them, cry with them, love them, hate them, fight with them, hug them, marry them, grow old with them and lose them. You feel like you know them, and it hurts when they leave. But the moment passes and time rules.
He or she continues their way, unaware of the intimate moment you just shared with them, and life goes on.
You forget about the person, too, despite the strange experience you had upon seeing them. You forget, but then one day you remember them again and what-ifs boggle up your mind for a few minutes, leaving you breathless.
