"OH MY GOD!" YOU PULL YOUR PHONE out from your jeans pocket, glancing down at the screen with fake surprise. Sunghoon turns to face you, trying to sneak a peek of what caused such a reaction from you, but you manage to pull your phone away to your chest just in time. He raises an eyebrow at your unusual reaction, causing you to chuckle with uneasiness as you push your air behind your shoulders with your free hand.
There was only one way you could get out of this situation; you are still not in the mood to interact with Jay in any kind of way, especially when you knew that the interaction would only be awkward and uncomfortable for the both of you. Your heart constricts and pulls at all its strings, begging for you to run off at any second. To do anything, anything at all, just to avoid making conversation with Park Jongseong.
Then there is Lee Heeseung, another obstacle you wanted to avoid. The boy still had not even sent you a single text, and every single time you had unlocked your phone since the last time you talked to him at that stupid party, you were unpleased when you were not welcomed with any missed calls from the guy. So no, you were not in the mood to talk to him either.
"Ayaka wants me home. She—she broke something of mine and accidentally hurt herself." You struggle to make a fake excuse, lying through your teeth as Sunghoon shifts his attention from the two approaching boys over to you, a concerned expression messing over his features. Even in the dark, where the only thing illuminating Sunghoon's face was the glow from the convenience store, you could still see Sunghoon's genuine worry as he glanced down at you with a sympathetic gaze. "It seems pretty urgent, and I don't want to leave her alone for too long..So—I think I have to get going. I'm so sorry, Sunghoon."
"What? Don't worry about it." Sunghoon smiles softly.
That's when his fingers tread out from where they had been kept in the pockets of his coat, reaching upwards to ruffle your hair. Although the two of you had been out in the cold, his fingers felt hot on your scalp, the tips of one of his fingers grazing the shell of your ear. His sudden touch tickles your skin, lighting up all the nerves in your body as his starry eyes peered down at you in the dark. The two of you were close, close enough that if you tilted yourself forward you could graze his nose, close enough that you could just lean in and give him a peck on the lips.
And boy, did you have the urge to.
Wait.
Why were you even having that kind of urge in the first place?
He ends the skinship between you with a gentle pat on the head, his fang-like teeth peeking out from between his lips as they arch into a lopsided grin.
"I really liked spending time with you, though." You ramble quickly, anxious at how close Jay and Heeseung were getting to the two of you. Your heart quickly warms at the way Sunghoon's smile succeeds in widening even more at your single sentence. "I'd like to do this again, whenever you are free—but, anyways, um—I really gotta hurry home now! I'll see you later, okay Sunghoon? Goodnight!"
The pace of your words were getting quicker, and when you realise that Jay and Heeseung were now less than a few feet away from you two, you race to finish your last sentence before turning your back and making a run for it. You pull the hood of your hoodie over your face, attempting to mask your embarrassment as you scurry off from the three boys, turning a swift corner into an alleyway to disappear from their sights.
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"Why was Areum with you?" Heeseung immediately asks he is in a close enough distance to heard by Sunghoon. "Didn't know that you guys talked."
"I just invited her out to eat with me. We were both studying at the library." Sunghoon claims nonchalantly, brushing off Heeseung's intrusive tone that wants to know so much more than just his vague explanation. Even when placed under the interrogative glare from Jay, who was silently standing by Heeseung's side and had not yet said a single word, Sunghoon still managed to keep a cool composure. That's how Sunghoon always was — he always failed to observe that he was being placed in an awkward situation, only realising the extent of it after.
"Studying at the library, my ass." Heeseung rolls his eyes with a cross of his arms. "You've never gone out to eat with a girl just because she was studying at the library at the same time as you. Sure, maybe Jake would do that, or I would do that, but knowing you, I know that you would never even consider acting out like this."
Jay laughs at that, nodding in agreement with Heeseung as the two begin to gang up on the boy that had just finished his late night snack.
"Well then, it looks like I've defied your expectations." Sunghoon shrugs, calmly tucking his hands into his pockets. "If you don't believe me, that's fine." His phone lights up in the pocket of his coat, and he pulls it out to reveal a notification from none other than you, a polite and simple text that read, Thanks for tonight. I'll see you around :)
"Was it a one time thing, or are you going to do it again?" Jay asks. His sharp jaw matches his sharp tone, but Sunghoon still manages to keep a smile on his face as he proceeds to answer his invasive question.
"I'd do it again. She's a nice girl." Sunghoon beams with confidence, enthusiasm clear in the curves of his lips.
Jay snarls at his comment, not bothering to come up with a response as he turns on his heels and walks past the two boys and into the convenience store. His steps are calculated, loud enough to communicate that he did not want to speak on the topic anymore, and the ding that echoes through the air as he steps through the door signals the end of his participation in the conversation.
"What's up with him?" Sunghoon quirks an eyebrow.
"I'll see you at home, yeah?" Heeseung nods, not waiting for Sunghoon to reply before following Jay into the convenience store. He ignores Sunghoon's question entirely, picking up his feet and taking himself with nimble steps into the store.
Leaving Sunghoon in the dark, both metaphorically and literally.
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"Hi! Welcome to Aligned with Aromas."
The air conditioning cools against the apples of your cheeks, giving them a pale pink tint as you took your usual position behind the counter. You had repeated this numerous times throughout your shift every single time a new customer walked in, eagerly browsing the store in search of a perfume to buy. Your legs are beginning to ache from standing for an extended period of time without rest, stiffening at the ankles as your back was starting to slouch over the cash register.
Coffee ice cream sounded great right about now. If only Sunghoon would stop by.
If only Sunghoon would stop by? Why were you suddenly having all those thoughts circulating him?
After waiting around for another fifteen minutes, you desperately want to take a break. Slowly, you step away from the counter, making your way to the front of the store. All you have to do is turn over the sign that was hung across the glass door that would read "Be back in ten minutes!" once you flipped it over. That was more than enough time for you to relax and replenish your energy, because working such a long shift was definitely not the right way to spend your weekend. You were deeply regretting accepting the offer from your manager because one of your co-workers had called in 'sick'.
Just as you were about to flip the sign over, a joyous face pops up on the other side of the glass, waving vigorously at you before letting himself inside.
"Shit!" You let out accidentally, frightened by the sudden sight of him.
"Hey, Areum!" Sunoo practically sings, the enthusiastic boy skipping in with his graffiti patterned jeans and black turtleneck. "Sorry for scaring you—I just wanted to stop by!" His eyes scan the shop with curiosity, glowing with admiration as he invites himself over to the shelves where all of the perfumes were displayed, each one placed neatly and equally spaced from one another. His figure is heightened from the help of his black converse, making you appear much tinier in comparison as you trail after him.
"What brings you here? I've never seen you stop by on a Saturday." You ask kindly, trying to hide how much you wanted him to get out so you could get some needed rest. It's not as if you do not appreciate Sunoo stopping by — it was just that you currently were not emotionally available to react to him in your usual bubbly mood. However, the boy does not seem to notice, taking one of the perfumes into his hands and examining the bottle with keen eyes.
"Just wanted to say hello to my favourite worker. Jungwon and Riki are actually somewhere around the mall right now, as I came here with them to go shopping with them, but I wanted to come by here first." Sunoo replies with ease, busying himself with the perfume in his hold. "This one's new, right? It looks interesting. Would you mind if I sprayed some so that I can see what the smell is like?"
"No, um—none at all." You nod, pulling your bottom lip between your teeth as you stare at him with your hands stuffed into the pockets of your work trousers.
"Great, thanks." Sunoo winks at you with a charming smile to match. His expected flirtatious personality makes his appearance, and just as soon as it appeared, it disappears, and he brings his attention back to the perfume he's holding so that he can spray some on his wrist. That's how Sunoo's always been, sending you unprompted winks and hugs every now and then, often inviting you to smell the scent that he sprays onto various parts of his body.
One time, he had even sprayed the perfume on you, the scent dancing onto the skin of your neck. With a carefree smile, he had swiftly brought his nose down to the nape of your neck, inhaling slowly and breathing out before straightening his back and complimenting how much he thought the fragrance matched you aura. Even though the action did not have to be taken to heart, it would be a lie to say that your heart did not speed up in that single moment.
And even now, a single wink from him had your heart spiralling.
Your focus was originally focused on him, but from behind you abruptly hear the glass front door of the shop opening and closing, and the chunky footsteps coming closer to you. Alert, you spin round, meeting the eyes of the two boys Sunoo had mentioned earlier. Both their hands are filled with bags from other stores that were dotted round the mall, and you are not sure if it is a coincidence that they were wearing outfits with reverse colours of each other.
Jungwon's pointed eyes relax into crescents when he enters the store, sending you a small wave.
"Hello, Areum. Pleasant to see you here." His well mannered voice speaks, as if it had been practiced.
"Ah—hello, um—hello, Jungwon." You tip your head forward thoughtfully in a slight bow.
This action makes Jungwon boom with laughter, shoulders bouncing as he clasps a hand over his mouth to try and restrict himself.
"No need to be so formal to me, Areum! Let's call ourselves friends now, okay?" He pats your back. He's like a kitten, nose scrunching as he giggles. Sunoo signals over to him, beckoning him to follow him round the shop as they start to search around for an unfamiliar scent for them to try. You hear Sunoo telling the boy that he needs to find a new signature scent, because his current one is too musty to be recognised as good. Sunoo's words, not yours.
The boy behind Jungwon follows closely behind him, the blond tips of his hair unmistakeable. Riki glances round the shop like a lost child, lips jutting forward to form the shape of an 'O'. It is clear that he is bewildered by your place of work, judging by the way his eyelashes flutter when he blinks again and again whenever his eyes take him to a new zone in the shop. Your gaze is drawn to him and zones in on his glossed lips, a slight red sheen to the plump flesh. You only realise now just how tall he is, his long legs accentuated from the curves of his skinny jeans.
"Hello." Riki acknowledges you with a toothy grin. "Good to see you again."
Woah. Why did your heart just soar?
"Yeah, you too." You reply awkwardly.
"Sorry if my friends are bothering you. They're the kind that take hours in a store that they like, so I apologise in advance."
Hours? You aren't prepared for that.
You shut your eyes, trying to ease the wave of dizziness that was swirling in your forehead. When you open them, you spot in your peripheral vision that Riki had come up to you, and was now standing next to you. His warmth was almost radiating off of him and onto your side.
"You okay?" Riki shifts closer to you, ducking down so that he can whisper in your ear.
When did he get there?
"What?" You tilt your head to the side and meet Riki's worrisome look. You realise that the tips of his hair are much blonder than what they seemed like from afar. You quickly discover that his signature scent is of oranges and lemons, like a comforting summer you didn't wish you missed. Refreshing, cool, lovely.
Your heart twinges. You don't know if it's the good kind of nervousness or not.
"It's just that you don't look too well. How long have you been working?" Riki continues, leaning in to you to examine your pale face.
Can he read your mind, or something?
"I have to work the whole day. I've been here since 8, and I need to close the shop at 9." You shrug.
"And no one else is helping you?" Riki frowns.
"It's okay." You convince him and yourself, but Riki does not seem accepting in the slightest. "The manager is paying me more since I'm working by myself today, so that's good. It's only a few more hours, and then I can leave." You are not sure of why you're telling him this, and you quickly regret doing so as his frown only deepens when you finish letting him in on the information.
"You shouldn't overwork yourself, you know. Even if the pay is good." He whines.
"I know, I know." You sigh. "If I had the choice again, I probably wouldn't have done it. It's my first time doing this alone for the whole day, so I didn't realise that I was putting myself in such a tiring situation."
"Promise you won't do it again, alright?" Riki crosses his arms.
"I'll try not to." You mumble.
That's when he turns to his two friends who are currently lost in their own little world at a perfume stand at the other end of the shop, conversing among themselves. He clears his throat once, and immediately gains the attention of Sunoo and Jungwon who glance back at him with round eyes. Like cute meerkats, the sight makes you giggle.
"You guys. I know you're not going to buy anything, so let's going. Jay said he wanted us back by five, remember?" Riki pushes.
"Oh fuck, you're right. We can't be late for that. What time is it now?" Jungwon worries, starting to the door.
"Four thirty." Riki claims coolly.
You glance down at the watch you have on your wrist. The time reads back to you as 3:58.
Was he lying so that they could leave you and you could have a break?
Oh, Riki.
"Well then, we better get going. I'm not going to get my ass whooped again by Jay, no offence to you, Miss Areum." Sunoo quickly responds, taking himself to the door without even checking his phone to check that Riki is right. "As much as I love your shop's perfumes, I don't wanna end up with a sore ass by the end of the day. But I'll come back again sometime, alright?"
"You can count on it." You smile. "Now go."
"Yep! Bye bye, Areumi~!" He sings in the same way he had when he entered, exiting the shop, with a frightened Jungwon rushing after him. Jungwon sends you another wave as he follows closely behind his best friend, shouting something that was incomprehensible over Sunoo's loud cries of worry about how he didn't want to be scolded by Jay. For a few more seconds, you were left with Riki, and he smiles knowingly as your posture relaxes.
You mouth a 'thank you' to Riki as he leaves, and he only acknowledges it with a nod, before leaving the shop just the same way Sunoo and Jungwon had.
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"Riki—!? I thought you guys would have left the mall already." You straighten yourself from behind the counter when you see the boy walk in fifteen minutes later.
His hands are behind his back, keeping something hidden from view that has your eyes squinting.
"Nope. Well, I mean—Jungwon and Sunoo are waiting in the car for me to return, but I told them I still had something to do and came rushing back here."
The boy's dimples are teasing you, as he makes his way forward to the counter. He's bright, a glow to each one of his features as he leans over the counter and does not hesitate to lock eyes with you. He chuckles, cocking his head to the side as he watches your cheeks warm up at his heated gaze. When he exhales, your nose tingles and twitches as you breathe in the minty air.
From behind his back, he pulls out a baby pink rectangular box, sliding it across the counter in your direction with a smile.
"What is it?" You coo, hands ghosting over the top of the box.
"Open it and see for yourself."
"Now?" Your eyes widen. "It better not be some prank, Riki. If I open the box and there's some fake snakes inside, I will slap you."
"Well, you don't have to right now. But I'm going to have to leave in the next few seconds, so that Jungwon and Sunoo don't scold me when I get back. They told me they'll fine me 10 bucks if I'm not back in the next two minutes, and as cute as you are, I need those ten bucks to be kept in my wallet. I'm kind of broke." He laughs, a deep rumbling laugh that's like an addictive melody to your ears.
You want to hear it again.
"I got to get going, so—I'll see you." Riki retreats back to the door. His hand clutches round the handle, yet even as he opens it to let himself back into the open space of the mall, his eyes never leave you, nor does his back turn. His eyes are fixated on you continuously, waiting for you to back out and look away first before he can leave. And just as expected, your flustered self draws your attention away from him, cheeks warming. "Don't worry—I wouldn't put fake snakes in there."
And with another one of those pretty laughs, he disappears.
When you are by yourself once more, you take the time to glimpse down at the box again. There, you notice a neon yellow post it note that you did not realise was there before, a few sentences scrawled across it with black ink.
I read from a post online that sweets provide a quick source of energy. So here, have these. My treat.
They're my favourites to have when I'm feeling down or when I need a boost of energy.
Feel better soon. Good luck with the rest of your shift!
— Riki :-)
You had no idea how to feel, the small post-it note making your stomach curdle with more butterflies than you would have liked. His messy handwriting should have set you off, should have made you cringe, but yet you were so overwhelmed with gratitude that you find yourself fawning over the small flicks he made at the end of each of his letters, and how the words are tilted slightly and almost slide off the post it.
Holding your breath, your fingers tuck under the flap to pull open the box, and a small gasp escapes your lips when you look down and see what is awaiting for you inside. Inside the confines of the box are none other than six chocolate chip muffins, each of them baked to form the shape of hearts. They are gorgeously crafted, small but delicate as they perch primly in their designated dents. The chocolate chips are already enticing you, and you've only seen them for a mere few seconds.
You already know that they're going to taste just as good as they appear. You could already taste the sweetness as your mouth waters with anticipation, and you bring one of the muffins up to your lips and sneak in a small bite.
And you definitely were not disappointed by the boost of energy the muffin immediately gave.
Well, was it the muffin?
Or was it because of Riki?
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SIM JAEYUN: Are you in the mood for bowling?