philophobia | ksj+mb

-16-

"What are we doing in a parking lot?"

All around us, numerous cars parked in the shape of a semicircle, all facing the same black screen up ahead. Jin's car was right in the middle of everything, about three to four rows from the front.

He rolled his eyes. "This isn't a parking lot, Byul." He shifted on his seat, taking off his coat and throwing it into the back seat.

"It looks like it," I protested. "There's lots of cars."

"This is a drive-in cinema. I told you didn't I?"

I sighed, nodding to his question. But this clearing is a parking lot. And it will remain a parking lot even with the large black screen facing us.

"What are we watching again?" I asked, still resentful of the last time we watched a movie together.

"Does it really matter?" he frowned. "It's not fluffy or romance."

I rolled my eyes. "It does. When are you going to learn to ask me first? What if I don't like the movie?"

He sighed, shaking his head as he leaned to his chair. He closed his eyes, letting his head fall into the headrest. The darkness emphasized the shadows on his face, accentuating the black under eyes and the hollows of his cheeks.

"Why're you so tired?" I asked.

"I got a job, and the director's an idiot." He opened his eyes, letting out another large breath. "Today's rehearsal was supposed to be less than three hours, but it went on for five. They should give me additional fee."

I chuckled, remembering Seulgi's attitude towards everyone in the office, me especially. Thank the gods my boss is a fair guy, or he wouldn't have given me a bonus for working overtime. That would be dreadful.

"What about you? How's life at the press?" Jin rolled down his window, letting the fresh air of spring enter the small space.

I did the same on my side, letting the chilly wind hit my face. "I'm not taking extra jobs, if that's what you're talking about."

He hummed, sighing again as he looked outside. The corners of his lips turned up a little, approving my statement. His eyes lit up as it landed on a certain spot, where a crowd gathered in a small truck. He lifted a forefinger and pointed at it. "Want one?"

I nodded as he reached for the door, and as soon as he got out I'm left with the company of the spring air and the tiny chatter of the people around us. The food truck was about a few cars away from us, but from the amount of crowd around it, Jin is going to be out for a while.

I never thought I'd experience a drive-in cinema in my life. I've only heard about it in movies and books written before the 2000s; before streaming and home theaters were a thing. My parents like to share their experience in a drive-in cinema with me and two of my younger sisters, back when my dad was still trying to grab my mom's heart.

I love to wonder how they are back then; still young, still experiencing life, still free of life's problems. Mom always described dad as no one special, just another guy from another city doing the same old job, and I always asked her why she wanted to marry him. If he's nothing special then what's the point?

She replied, with a large smile on her face and eyes that hold all the love in the world, "Because he makes me feel like I'm the special one."

And I believe he did look at her that way. He still does. I once caught him muttering to himself, saying that to him, my mother is the brightest star in the night sky. And at that moment I understood why he loves looking at the sky so much, and why he named me Byul.