143 | Chanmin

T H R E E

"He likes extraverted, happy and joyful boys...you're not one of them though. Lucky, I guess..."

'Lucky my ass' Seungmin thought, kicking a lump of dirt beside a concrete pathway in annoyance.

'What does he know? I mean, it's not like he knows everything about whoever that guy is. It's not like they're that close. It's not like Bangchan is coming to this part in Korea and I'm just overthinking about someone I don't even know-'

'How annoying' a voice said across the park, it being the one Seungmin had just walked into from the main road.

A man, looking no older than 18 stood there, his arms by his sides and his hands on his waist, looking right up at a green tree dancing with the wind high above. He had a dark grey hood slipped right across his head, meaning that Seungmin could not pick up who he was. But he could tell, just from the way they talked so freely and acted, that they were not from around here at all.

They really weren't.

'He sounds exactly like Felix...' Seungmin thought, walking closer to the man in curiosity.

'Maybe he needs help? '

'Maybe a kite was a bad idea in crazy weather like this...' the man added, scratching the top of his head in slight irritation.

And it was then and there that Seungmin saw what he was looking at. Perched on a small branch and threaded between two more did he see a green kite, almost the same colour as the leaves in the tree it sat in. It was high up. Really high up. And it not being on the third branch down made it even more harder for the man to try and retrieve it.

But then again...

Maybe it wouldn't be too hard at all. For Seungmin, anyway.

And then a sudden though rushed in his mind at the sight of it.

'Here goes nothing I guess ' he thought, walking up the tree and passing the man as he stood there, his eyes now focused on Seungmin in silence.

One foot wedged in the parting, another on the ground, Seungmin began to climb as swiftly as he could. Weaving in between the arms and branches of the tree at the same time, the man (now a good ten feet below) said nothing in response, leaving Seungmin with his rushing thoughts.

Four...three...two...one more branch to go, and then he could finally get the darn kite back to the man.

Reaching out from one of the main branches (with his left holding on), Seungmin could feel the tips of his fingers touch the kite's cover in sheer effort. The harsh wind gave off a sense of difficulty as he tried to keep balance. If only his arms were just that centimeter longer...maybe this would of been over and done with before he could even say "begin".

Finally, after shifting closer off the edge of the tree's arm (and gaining balance), Seungmin caught a strong hold of the kite's body, pulling it out from within the many twigs and branches before him.

One...two...three...four branches down, and before he knew it, he had jumped off and landed on the lush green grass below, the man looking at him in surprise and awe.

'I um...here you go...' he said, trying to hand the man the kite while still holding it by it's cover.

'These conditions are too rough for flying a kite today and doing it again will probably have it catapulted into the sky. Can I suggest this Saturday around midday? The weather forecaster said that it'll be it's best for kite flyer's like you' Seungmin added as the man took the kite, his face still slightly hidden from the indirect point of view.

'I'll be sure to check it out but uh...I can't really...well...'

'You can't what?'

'I can't...I can't read Korean, sorry. I just moved here from Australia and-'

Oh no.

'What's your name?' Seungmin asked, trying to get the man to look at him and not the kite in sudden haste.

There is no way it's the man he's thinking of right now.

'Uh...Bangchan. Bang Christopher Chan actually. And you are?' he asked, finally looking right at Seungmin with his piercing, ocean blue eyes.

'You've got to be kidding me' Seungmin thought, looking right at his face in suppressed annoyance.

He looked so much more realistic up close rather than in the picture to Seungmin's surprise. And unfiltered too...if he was even using filters in that photo from his account's page, that is.

Everything was just so...right about him. For one thing, his skin was flawless, not painted with the types of freckles that Felix has (which Seungmin has never disliked of course) and definitely more chubbier. His features seemed less defined...and something about it made Seungmin like it in a way he could not explain. His chin was also less pointy, making him less rough around the edges opposed to Felix in additon.

But his eyes...they were definitely the most eye-drawing part about him.

'Thanks for this' he said, snapping Seungmin back into reality.

'I definitely could of not gotten that aha. But climbing trees in the AUS has always been a favourite pastime for me...but still. Anyway, I gotta go now. I'll see you around I guess?'

'My name is Kim Seungmin' he replied hastily, just as the boy was about to start heading off in the opposite direction.

'What have I done? ' Seungmin thought, looking down at the ground in shyness as Bangchan turned around once more in slight surprise.

'Kim Seungmin huh? Wow...what a nice name. You should be proud of it' he replied, pointing the kite at the now silent boy.

'But I will see you around right? I heard this place in Seoul is quite small as we do live in the outskirts. Next time I guess?'

Will there even be a "next time", Bangchan?

Seungmin nodded slowly in quiet response, not even looking at the man whatsoever before turning around hastily and walking off, leaving Bangchan to just stand there in silent question.

'Oh god oh god oh god...I'm so damn stupid...' Seungmin thought to himself, not looking back to face the boy as he probably would with others at school.

This would of been so much more easier if he had not interacted with him whatsoever.

'What's with him? ' Bangchan thought, watching the boy disappear behind a corner of the road that lead to the park in the first place and not saying another word to him in addition.

'Is Korea really this vague, after all? '