⇢ smile ⇠

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05 

smile 

They're about to leave, and Jaehyun is thinking about the cigarettes he didn't buy. He spits his flavorless gum in the nearby trash can and furls against the passing breeze. 

Doyoung's still busying himself with the photographer he'd spotted earlier. Jaehyun opens his mouth to call for him when a tiny voice says over the chill, "Um, excuse me." 

It's the tiny girl from before. He quirks a brow and casts her a dimpled, lopsided smile. 

"Sorry to bother you again." She chuckles, tucking a stray hair behind her ear. "I just -- I hope your day gets better." 

Now his eyebrows shoot up to his hairline. "What?" 

Her smile is tiny and yet -- not. It's a subtle upturn of her lips, but it has the impact of dappled sunlight through a window. A small fraction of beauty that stops your further contemplation of the storm, and you wonder how you could have missed it all this time. 

"Earlier." She points to the convenience store. "It just seemed like you had trouble smiling. So I just wanted -- I hope things get better." 

When he simply blinks at her, she shuffles from foot to foot and stammers, "Wow, I just realized -- I'm sorry -- I just assumed -- sorry. I judged. I shouldn't have. I don't know what kind of day you could be having. I -- I mean, regardless of the day you're having, here's a smile. Just for you." 

This smile isn't tiny. It's stars colliding. 

"Thank you." 

"You're welcome." She swipes her hair behind her ear again. "Um, well, that's all. Bye. Have a good day." 

He turns back into the wind, calls Doyoung over, and stomps after the members. He doesn't realize he's started smiling until the van door slides shut and his cheeks hurt. 

 

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