(ON HIATUS) midnight rendezvous | liskook

one

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I puffed as I slow down pedal-ling my bicycle. It wasn't a good idea to roam around the city at three in the morning when it was nearing winter. My face felt numb from the cold, but I needed that midnight snack or I won't get enough sleep until practice tomorrow.

I parked the bicycle near the convenience store and entered the place, no one was inside except the cashier guy and a guy eating his... fifth ramyeon, based on the amount of cup noodles on the table. Wow, is today his cheat day or something?

Shaking my head, I went to the snack section, I grabbed a sausage, an instant rice and surprise surprise, ramyeon. I might as well eat unhealthy stuff, sajang-nim isn't around so... I prepped all the food and sat next to the guy who's still not finished eating his.

The guy was tall, even when he was sitting, I don't know if he was taller than me, though. I was pretty tall for a girl my age. I wanted to challenge the guy for his competition with eating ramyeon if only I wasn't managing my weight as per the rule of the entertainment I was in. It's not strict or anything but it was needed if I want to debut. Apparently I needed to maintain my figure.

Now that it was mentioned, I can't help but sigh. It's my third year being a trainee, I was accepted into one of the biggest entertainment in the industry of Korea, and it's not only limited to that, it grew internationally too. The standard also grew, making it even harder for us to debut. It's particularly hard for me, I was the only foreigner accepted. The language barrier and the difference of my culture to Koreans sucks.

"Puha!" the guy next to me exclaimed, he finished his last ramyeon, they were all spicy based on his beet red face. Unconsciously I asked, "uh, gwaenchana?" he glanced at my direction with his teary eyes as he mutter, "w-water." I quickly grabbed the water bottle I bought and opened it, then I gave it to him. I watched as he gulped it down until the bottle was empty.

He breathed like he was out of breath and smiled, "thank you!"

What a pretty smile.

"Ah, ne." He handed me the empty bottle until he realized that he drank my water. "Mianhe! I'll buy you one." Then he sprinted to buy one.

Well, that's something. I continue to eat leisurely as I watch him find his wallet in panic. He sighed in relief as he handed his money to the counter.

This guy... is adorable, why?

"Here you go, thank you for letting me drink yours during my emergency." He smiled that smile again, showing his teeth and his eye-smile, he almost looked like a rabbit.

"Stranger, I have favor." I muttered in my embarassing accent and grammar.

He looked at me with his big eyes. "What is it?"

"Do you mind if I practice Korean to you?" I asked.

"Oh! you're a foreigner, I assume? Sure! Just speak comfortably with me."

I grinned. I really needed someone to talk to aside from my dorm mates.

"It's really tiring to pursue dreams. Especially when my family is far away from me." I began, not really caring that I'm throwing some sappy stories to a stranger, who probably thinks I'm a weird foreigner.

I found myself ranting about almost everything I couldn't talk to anyone, in broke Korean. I told him how when I came to Korea, nobody would speak English to me because they wanted me to learn their language fast. It was hard to understand instructions during practices, to get along with anyone because of the lack of knowledge in their culture. I also told him how I was a bit bullied by fellow trainees, saying how I don't fit in because of how I look. It apparently didn't sit well with Korea's beauty standard.