THE LAST TRAIN °sʜᴏᴡᴋɪ°

The last day of my old life

"Oh, sure!"

Idle, the artist wondered if the tall man in front of him was some kind of teacher. The way he talked was very…Literate.

"Thank you."

A soft smile spread on his lips as he sat next to Kihyun. Then, two thoughts arose in his mind. First, why did he sit next to him while there were so many places on the train? Second, his voice was so soothing. Now, Kihyun didn't know anymore if he was a radio animator or a university teacher. Then, the train started moving, a calm atmosphere taking place.

"Need this, maybe?"

The beautiful stranger was handing him a towel. Kihyun was surprised by the gesture, but kind of touched too. A slight smile took place on his lips too.

"Yes, thank you."

As he was drying his wet body, Kihyun grew curious. He wanted to know where they were heading.

"Where are we heading?"

The tall man seemed surprised, yet smiled softly. He was amused, a slight smirk on his lips.

"So you're on a train who goes you don't know where?"

Kihyun definitely felt stupid now, because this was indeed a bad idea. He needed to go elsewhere, but he should've thought about where first. Yeah, that was stupid and he cringed internally at himself.

Great, now I look like a dumbass. That's why you're always alone, Kihyun.

The raven-haired boy didn't look like he was judging Kihyun, rather just being amused. Nevertheless, the smaller boy was all red and tried to come up with an excuse. He could think of none.

"Hmm...Yeah. I guess..."

The man next to Kihyun laughed, such an angelic sound that he could hear all day. 

"Wanna end up like Trisha MacFarland?"

Kihyun's face fell in surprise and the taller's face fell too in understanding and a bit of disappointment.

"Sorry, forgot people don't always get my books reference-"

Kihyun quickly cut him, a smile on his lips and eyes shining a bit. He then grinned.

"Hmm, who knows, at least you'll be able to testify about my disappearance. Let's just hope I won't hallucinate."

The raven-haired man's eyes shined too like a light had been lighted up in him. Something very powerful, a passion that could be easily seen through his gaze. Something that moved something in Kihyun, remembered him of his own passion for drawing.

"Wait you know what I'm talking about??"

He was so beautiful, Kihyun thought. He was like a child in a candy shop, looked so excited and happy at the idea of Kihyun getting his reference. The latter thought it was absolutely adorable.

"Of course I do, The girl who loved Tom Gordon is actually my favorite book."

The smile on the stranger's lips got wider, his eyes shining even more. He seemed so pleased and happy. Kihyun couldn't stop his heart from beating a bit faster.

"Me too!!"

Kihyun couldn't help smiling wider than he did in a while. The travel was long but pleasant, conversation flowing so easily between the two of them. Kihyun hadn't had so much fun in a long while talking to someone; he always had difficulty talking to people after all. His strong social anxiety seemed to not overwhelm him for once. Kihyun learned the stranger's name: Hyunwoo. But, as the train was announced to be arriving soon, Kihyun remembered he still didn't know where he was going.

"Hey, where are we going?"

Hyunwoo smiled, still a bit amused.

"Jeonju. I guess you don't really have any plans there considering you didn't even know where you were going?"

Kihyun shook his head no. He really didn't know what to do, or even where he was going. He didn't know Jeonju at all, had never been there, yet he thought that it at least could make a good place to draw at least-He knew Jeonju was kind of countryside. Though, one question kept going on and on in his mind: Where would he go? He couldn't just...Sleep in the streets. That'd be pretty crappy and not very smart. He should've thought before going to a random place…

"I guess that means no. You don't have a place to stay?"

Again, he shook his head no while biting his lip. Ah, now he was anxious. He didn't want to sleep outside in an unknown city with only one bag and not much money on him! He would eventually die if he did nothing!

"Maybe you could show me a hostel? Something like that?"

Kihyun didn't have much money; you don't gain much being a recently graduated art student. Nonetheless, it was better to sleep in a hostel some nights before finding a solution than sleeping in the streets.

Hyunwoo seemed to think. Kihyun guessed he knew the city as he knew where he was going, and wondering why he was going there. Maybe it was his hometown.

"You said you draw, right?"

Kihyun nodded, not really knowing where Hyunwoo was going. He wasn't a really good artist...Or at least he thought. And it had been so long since he last touched a pen, he didn't know if he could actually draw anymore.

"You told me you had difficulty finding inspiration lately. Come with me. I'm going to my childhood home, it's kind of far in the forest and very quiet. I'm going there to write, I'm a writer. So it could be a win-win situation-You can draw and I can write and it's quiet. I don't want you to sleep in the streets."

Kihyun wasn't really surprised to hear that Hyunwoo was a writer-It fit with his soft, calm, thoughtful personality. Though, Kihyun was struck by the sudden proposal. Hyunwoo, a stranger he met on a train 3 hours ago, was proposing him to come with him to his own house in the woods for his own good? Either he was a psychopath or he was too sweet for this world.

Kihyun preferred to think he was sweet. It fit more. Also, he couldn't refuse the proposal; that was it, or the streets for god knows how long. It couldn't be that bad. Forgetting his heartbreak in a forest, painting would maybe work.

"Okay, yeah, that sounds good if you're sure." Kihyun smiled softly. Hyunwoo shared the smile back.

"I am."

 

Meanwhile, the rain was still hitting the window. It was sweeter now, comforting. Kihyun had a strange feeling his life would change from now on. Who knows what could happen with a stranger in the middle of the forest?