To Find Something True

※ thirty-five

author's note:
I'd gone to Bintulu before to meet some relatives. It was my first time. The market's depiction was what I saw the day I visited. I don't know how it is today. It's been four or five years since my last visit.
I love Bintulu btw 🤩

phrasal verb

*laugh one's head off – laugh heartily or uncontrollably.

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The first of the five days went by just like that. They hung out around the street market to try some local street foods. Although it couldn't compare to the streets of Korea, the view and sounds around were eye-opening.

Jiah had heard from Yoongi that the market was not as crowded during the day. Surprisingly, that evening it was packed with people. Perhaps it being the weekend had drawn a large crowd.

What amazed her was that the non-halal and halal sections were separated, yet they were not too far away from each other. She could see a vendor selling beer from a distance while they stopped to buy sweet potato fritters. None of them judged what was being sold or what customers were buying.

She heard the voices of Malay vendors shouting about the food they were selling: local cakes, various types of fritters, and even toys and clothes. Generators hummed behind some stalls, providing lights and powering blenders for ice-blended drinks. A middle-aged woman served different kinds of fritters, while another hawker deep-fried them, creating mouth-watering, fresh, hot fritters.

There was Chinese sweet pork, called Bak Kwa, packed in thick, transparent plastic. Smoke from the barbeque filled the air and clung to everyone's clothes, but it didn't seem to bother anyone, including the foreigners. Beers were on display, with some submerged in ice to keep them cold.

When she spotted soju for sale, she couldn't help but grin.

They returned to the resort with more food than they could eat. They chose to eat at the gazebo and enjoy the sunset view.

As Jiah set up the utensils and wiped the gazebo's floor with wet tissue, a black plastic bag with a green bottle cap caught her attention. She looked up and saw Seokjin standing there, smiling brightly. He said, "I bought us some soju. I also got you a fruit-flavored one in case you don't like the bitter taste."

Chuckling, she replied, "I'm fine with the bitter ones, but thanks!"

"I saw you smiling at the soju. I find it creepy," Seokjin teased.

Jiah stopped wiping and looked at him with wide eyes. "You saw me?"

"Yeah. You were smiling like this," he imitated a creepy smile, but received a smack on the arm in return. Laughing out loud, he slapped his thighs.

"I didn't look like that!" Jiah protested.

"Yes, you did!"

"I did not!"

"You did! You were lusting over the soju," he said, earning another smack on the arm. "Ow, ow, ow!"

"Stop it!" she whined, but it only made Seokjin laugh even more.

"You're fun to tease, you know?" he said.

Glaring at him, she let out an exasperated laugh and then sat down beside him, watching the sunset together.

One by one, the lights from the swimming pool and lampposts illuminated the area. The wind grew colder, and the sound of the calm waves became louder. The sky darkened to a deep blue, with white clouds turning grey. A flock of birds flew past, their caws echoing through the air.