━ 𝘁𝘅𝘁 𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀

boy next door

"I'll get going now, see you tomorrow!" Y/N said, waving goodbye to the others in the meeting room before she grabbed her bag and left. She was in the executive committee of her school's student council and they had just finished their weekly meeting to discuss the plans for an upcoming school event.

As she walked out of the school gate, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, the cool evening breeze gently caressing her face. The sun had set a while ago and the sky was turning darker by the minute, the pinks and oranges almost fading off completely. However, the peace was suddenly disturbed by the loud growling of Y/N's stomach. The girl turned red before quickly turning around to check if anyone had heard. Thankfully, there seemed to be almost no one walking on the streets at six-thirty in the evening except for a group of girls walking along the opposite side of the street.

"What should I eat for dinner?" Y/N thought aloud, her mind already generating the possible food choices, narrowing down the options until it finally settled on one. She had been craving the fried chicken rice bowl from the convenience store near her home. At the thought of the crispy and juicy fried chicken with a bowl of fluffy white rice, her stomach growled in protest, even louder this time. She suddenly remembered about the student discount she could get which allowed her to get a free packet of chocolate milk and couldn't help but quicken her steps. A cold packet of chocolate milk sounded like heaven during the warm summer.

Instead of making a right turn at the traffic junction like she always did on the way back home, Y/N made a left turn, before eventually arriving at the brightly lit convenience store. The moment Y/N entered the store, she was hit with the smell of every korean convenience store food you can imagine.

"Good evening!" The cashier greeted and Y/N smiled brightly before pointing to the small student meal poster beside the counter. However, she suddenly realised that it was already six-thirty and the student meal was only until five. Slightly disappointed, she hesitated a little, debating whether to just get something else or get the rice bowl without the chocolate milk. "I'll have the fried chicken rice bowl," Y/N said, deciding to get the rice bowl anyway. She could get the student meal another day. She rummaged in her wallet for 5500 won and was ready to pay the cashier.

"That would be 5000 won," the cashier said, placing a chocolate milk packet on the counter in front of Y/N. Y/N paused, staring at the milk packet in confusion.

"Isn't the student meal available until five...? It's six-thirty now," She asked with uncertainty, glancing up at the cashier and wondering if he had mixed up the time. The cashier looked around her age, but was towering above her petite frame. He looks oddly familiar... Y/N thought, trying to place the boy.

"Ah- the student meal is still available now," The cashier said, smiling before Y/N passed him the money, still a little confused but grateful nonetheless.

"Are you Y/N from class 12-2?" The cashier asked, and Y/N's eyes widened, as she nodded, wondering how he knew her.

"You are..."

"...Choi Soobin," He finished and her eyes lit up in recognition.

"Choi Soobin from 12-3?" She asked excitedly, finally managing to place him and he nodded, relieved that she at least knew his name. It shouldn't have come as a surprise, Soobin was rather popular amongst the girls in their school, a soft-spoken and kind guy from the class next door to Y/N's.

"I haven't seen you here before, do you work here often?" Y/N asked, unable to recall seeing Soobin there the past couple of times she visited the store. But to be fair, she hadn't gone there for around a month or so, he could've recently started working there part-time.

"I just started working here part-time every Tuesday and Friday since the holidays for the work experience," Soobin explained, confirming Y/N's guess. They chatted for a while more while the cash register was processing Y/N's receipt.

Handing Y/N her receipt, Soobin placed her rice bowl over the counter, placing the chocolate milk into the same plastic bag. "Thank you!" Y/N smiled, before taking the plastic bag and making her way out of the store, still thinking about how lucky she was to have not missed the discount somehow.

A few days later, Y/N found herself walking towards the direction of the convenience store once again after school. It was six-thirty again, and Y/N was craving the rice bowl again. The sound of the wind chimes tinkled as she pushed the door open. It was a Wednesday evening, and since it wasn't Soobin's working day, he wasn't there to greet Y/N.

"Good evening!" Another employee greeted Y/N at the counter as she ordered the same meal, pointing to the poster once again.

"Ah, the student discount is only until five, is it okay with you if you have to pay the original price?" The cashier asked and Y/N nodded, somewhat confused, but didn't say anything.

On the way back home from the convenience store, Y/N thought back on the previous week where Soobin had told her the student meal was still available. Did Soobin really mix up the timing? He said it was available last week though? But...the cashier earlier said it was only until five? He must've been nice enough to give me the discount even though I missed the timing...Y/N thought, feeling grateful towards the boy's thoughtful action. I'll go thank him personally tomorrow, Y/N decided.

The next day, Y/N put her bag down in her seat and walked out of her classroom to Soobin's class, hoping that Soobin came early. To her relief, he was sitting in the seat nearest to the hallway windows, having earphones in and using his phone.

Y/N stood at the window awkwardly, not sure if she should interrupt his music listening but he noticed her quickly and took off his earphones.

"Y/N? What are you doing here? Are you looking for anyone?" Soobin asked, looking around in his classroom for anyone whom Y/N might want to talk to. Y/N stifled a laugh at how he rather resembled a rabbit when he was looking around.

"I wanted to find you," she said, and Soobin instantly turned back to face her, head tilted to one side. "Me?" He asked, pointing to himself as if it were so hard to believe that she wanted to find him.

"Yes, you," Y/N replied, unable to hide her smile.

"I wanted to say thank you, for the convenience store incident. The student meal discount was already over, but you let me have it anyway," Y/N said gratefully and Soobin smiled awkwardly, not knowing how to react.

"Ah, that was nothing, you seemed like you were really looking forward to it, so I just..." Soobin explained, embarrassed to have been found out.

Y/N couldn't help but feel her heart flutter a little when he rubbed the nape of his neck shyly, his dimples showing on either side of his cheeks.

"I should repay you for it, do you want to go for ice cream after school today? My treat," Y/N asked, and Soobin nodded. "But only if I pay for mine," He insisted, and Y/N smiled and nodded, knowing not to argue about that.

"I'll get back to class first then, see you later!" Y/N said, waving to Soobin before walking back to her class. Soobin turned back to his phone, still smiling to himself even though Y/N had gone. If he was being honest, he had a small crush on her since the time they had met each other a few months ago.

Soobin had been walking to school in the morning, listening to his favourite playlist when he saw an old lady trying to cross the street. Seeing how she was somewhat grimacing in pain, he was just about to go up to her to assist her when a girl beat him to it. She was from his high school too, he recognised from the uniform.

He watched as she spoke politely and warmly to the old lady before helping her across the street, and noticed how she continued to watch the old lady go on her way, ensuring that she was doing alright on her own, before crossing the street again. That might've been the instant when Soobin developed a small crush on Y/N, his heart fluttering involuntarily.

He kept that small crush to himself, and eventually found out that the girl was Y/N from the class next door when he saw the poster of the student council executive committee members.

That day at the convenience store, he didn't expect to see her there and when he knew she was disappointed to have missed the promotion, he didn't hesitate to tell a white lie to wipe the small crease between her brows, paying the remaining amount from his own pocket afterwards.

And maybe...just maybe, Soobin thought, that white lie had just created more opportunities for them to meet again.