Breathe Me In || Minbin ✔️

1

I pull my beanie down further onto my head, the slight wind beginning to pick up. It was a dark night in Korea; not many people were out. My lonesome footsteps echo off of the buildings nearby, the lights from them catching my shadow.

I slow my steps once I reach the bus stop. It was dimly lit. A person was sat furthest away from me, blowing smoke out from their mouth. They put their lips around the small bud, the end of it lighting up orange.

Sitting down on the bench, I wait. For what? I don't know. Maybe just the bus. Maybe for something else to happen. Something good.

"You look grumpy."

I look over to the smoker. A small, puffy laugh escapes from my lips while a grin threatens to take over. "Grumpy?"

"Yeah, grumpy. Sad. I don't know."

"Well, I'm not sure what to tell you," I shrug, a shy smile coating my lips.

"What's on your mind? Anything happen tonight?" He questions, raising an eyebrow.

Oh god, why was that hot? Minho, please. Please, don't say something stupid.

His eyebrow piercing strikes the light, shining brightly. Though, he had warm, brown eyes. How could someone look so menacing, yet so soft? I surely wouldn't know.

"Not really, but that's kind of the issue. My life is boring. Nothing happens. I'm just surviving." I glance down at my shoes, worn and ripped. I had the money to get new ones, but I was too tired.

"At least you're not dying," he winks, taking another drag from his cigarette. "I get that. Let's go do something spontaneous."

I frown, staring at him. "I don't know you."

He bursts into laughter, "oh, yeah. I'm Seo Changbin. Sorry, that sounded creepy. I mean, it's the middle of the night and shit. We can just sit here and talk."

I chuckle, waving it off. I should be getting a bad feeling, but I'm not. "That sounds nice. I'm Lee Minho."

"That's a pretty name for a pretty boy... that sounded creepy, too. I'm sorry. I'm not usually like this," he smiles, scratching the back of his neck. I could see the darkened portion of his face; he was flustered. How cute.

"Don't worry about it. Why are you out here?"

"Took a walk and needed a smoke." As he said that, he hit the stick against the side of the bench, letting the end ashes fall to the ground.

I hum, watching his movements. "How old are you, Seo Changbin?"

"Twenty. And you?"

"Twenty-one."

"Ah, hyung," he winks.

I laugh at his poor teasing skills. "What's a dark secret that you haven't told a single soul?"

"I still sleep with a stuffed animal." He acted nonchalant, like it wasn't a big deal. It wasn't, really, but most people would be embarrassed.

"Does it have a name?"

"It's a Munchlax plushie named Gyu."

"That's cute."

Changbin looks down at the ground. Ah, there it is. "Do you have any secrets?"

"I've killed a man."

His gaze shoots up to me, his eyes wide. He leans back, almost as if I was going to attack. "What?"

"I'm kidding," I smile. "I... Hm. I sometimes think about how I'd kill someone. Not just anyone. Just this one person."

"Um, who is it?"

"My cousin's boyfriend. My cousin and I are... were really close until she met her boyfriend. Ever since she destroyed her family along with herself, I've wanted nothing more than to kill that asshole who dares to call himself a man. Honestly, I don't care if I was the one to kill him. If he died right now from an accident, I'd feel nothing but satisfaction."

"Ah, okay. I've met people like that. Not just anyone, like you said, but I understand that. Have you really told no one about that?"

"Nope. I'm not much of a people person. The friends I do have, I don't want them seeing me in that kind of light."

"Oh. Well, I'm glad you could get it off of your chest. Uh... biggest fear?"

"Heights. Yours?"

"Really? Heights? Not being alone or anything?"

"I'm already alone, and I don't mind it. Heights... gosh, even thinking about them."

"Oh, wow. Noted. My biggest fear is probably being left alone for the rest of my life, really. I can't stand being alone."

"You don't seem like that type of person. You seem intimidating, like you want to be left alone."

"I get that a lot," he nods. "I've tried smiling more, but it's not much of a help."

"You sure know how to lighten the mood, though. Your presence is warm. I like it."

"Oh, thank you. I've never gotten a compliment like that before," he smiles. He takes a long drag off of his cigarette, and then blows it out slowly. I watch the way his lips move, almost intoxicating. He glances at me, doing that thing with his eyebrow. Raising just one. Hot. "You want one?"

The questions catches me off guard. I tear my gaze away from him, it falling back on my dirty shoes. "No, thanks."

"You don't smoke, I presume?"

"I do." I wasn't addicted to them or anything. Not anymore. But it was nice having one every once in awhile.

He hums, acknowledging what I said but not pushing. He didn't ask or say 'why don't you want a drag?' or 'just take it' like most people would. Peer pressure is all around, yet here he was, understanding what I wanted.

My hands begin to shake, so I put them under my thighs. I should've worn a sweatshirt. I usually always do, but I wanted to feel the cold tonight. I wanted to feel something tonight.

"A-actually, can I have one?" Fuck.

He stares me, having a certain look on his face. "Yeah, sure." Why did he look at me like that? Could he see how weird I'd begun to act? Was he silently judging me? "Here."

I scoot over to take it from him. My hands tremble when I reach out. I hope he doesn't notice. I lean down, letting him light it for me. He cupped around the butt, the wind still attacking us. His fingers slightly brush my cheek. Once it's lit, I take a long drag from it. The smoke enters my throat, drying it out. I blow.

"Thanks."

"Anytime."