I grazed my thumb over my bottom lip as I pulled myself away from the thoughts of the night with Felix and Jeongin a few days ago. It was now Thursday.
Christmas was in three days and of course, Heeseung and I were doing our last minute Christmas shopping. Like we did every year. Heeseung pulled into the mall and sat up straight in the passenger seat.
"You know what you're getting for everyone right?"
"Somewhat. The only people I'm getting gifts for this year is dad, your mom. Felix and Jeongin. And you of course but you can't know what you're getting.
"Our mom." He pressed with a smile.
I smiled back and stepped out of the parked car. I strapped my bag across my torso. I did know what I was getting for Ms. Lee and Dad, I had ideas for Jeongin, but Felix. There wasn't much he would seemed pleased with getting.
Ms. Lee, was getting a little themed gift basket that I put together for her every year. She always said she looked forward to opening them because I get creative with them. This year, a new sweater since all over her other ones seem to be going out of commission. Candles because she has a dangerous obsession with them at the moment. And a whatever else I find along the way.
Dad liked his watches and Rolex's. So of course, I was gonna add to his growing collection. I already knew every one he had by heart.
Heeseung, of course I was buying him a gag gift of simply socks, then give him his real present. A new pc monitor since his is going out of commission and he's been to lazy to get a new one.
Jeongin. Anything that involves music. That was going to be his second gift, his first was currently hidden in my closet. A painting I made for him, since he was so hell bent on loving my art more than I loved doing it.
Felix, however, I was at a loss. He was in love with literature. But after seeing his room at his grandparents. I don't think there was a classic or a piece of poetry that he didn't own.
I walked side by side with Heeseung as we entered the huge building. People were in and out in a blur and it was hard to focus. A sudden wave of social anxiety hitting me.
Heeseung grabbed my wrist and pulled me through the crowded entry area until we reached the large hall. With reasonably less people.
"So I saw we know k every else off first and then at the end we split up to get each other's gifts. Sound good?"
"Yea sounds good to me." I checked my bag to make sure I had my moms credit card. It was honestly the least she could give me at the point. But just in case she locked it, I made sure I had my bank card. I had a limit on what I could spend in a day. Another thing to thank my mother for. If I went over, it locked my card up for a week or two.
The first store we entered was one of the jewelers. He wanted to get Sunni a jewelry set, with their birthstones. Tourmaline and Diamond. It was a cute idea of his. I adored how in love with her he was. I often envied it, wishing someone would love me that much.
I went straight to the mens department, a display is rings and bands and watches all over the display. A male worker came up to me.
"See anything you like?" He asked, his hands placed on the glass top, the gloves covering his hands. My eyes scanned the watches until I found one.
"Yes actually, could I try this one?" My dad and I had around the same wrist size, so it would be to hard to match the sizing easily.
I let him take the watch out and I held out my wrist for him to adjust it. Hell, if I were into wearing flashy statement pieces... I'd buy it for myself.
We discussed pricings and variations of the Rolex brand. But ultimately I decided on the original pick. I let him box it up and place it in its paper bag. I pulled out my mother's credit card. This one's gonna hurt. Sorry not sorry mother.
I appeared at Heeseung side, as he was currently discussing and gawking over a necklace that the female worker was showing him. Which I couldn't lie, it was gorgeous. The pink jewel was enclosed in a open 3d cube that was outline in diamonds on every edge.
"I'll wait on the couch out there." I placed a hand on Heeseung's shoulder. He just nodded and I walked out of the store, to sit on one of the waiting chairs. I pulled out my phone, already expecting a long ass message from my mother about her credit card. But there wasn't one.
Heeseung emerged from the store a few moments later with his own purchase and I qarose to my feet. We decided on shopping for mom next, walking into a store. Men shopping for woman's clothing always seemed to be look at weirdly but I honestly never paid any mind to it.
After picking a few items out, I passed a long winter coat as I approached the check out. I turned back around to glance at it. My own mother would like that. Against my better judgement of our current relationship, I grabbed one in her size. There goes that plan.
When it came down to fights with my mother... I always gave in first. Why? I had no answer. I checked out at the same time as Heeseung, using my own car this time.
We talked about random plans as we walked to our next destination. Little plans we wanted to do before Christmas break ended considering I couldn't spend much time with him anymore. Since I was hours away.
I noticed as we passed by a book shop and I stopped him in the center of the hall.
"Imma browse something real quick! I'll be right out!" I informed as I briskly walked through the the doors of the bookshop. I went straight to the classics. Browsing amongst the titles and even finding myself amongst the hardbacks of American literature. A language I could read easily. It was speaking it that I had difficulty, pronouncing some of the English alphabet was difficult. My v's always sounded like b's, and so on.
I wonder if Felix had any English Literature, or how much of it he owned. My finger tips caressed the spine of a long variety of them. Jane Austen, Victor Hugo, Charlotte Bronte, F. Scott Fitzgerald and of course, Shakespeare.
There were Korean versions of all of these, but something about foreign languages. The rare appreciation of them. French, English, Spanish, Greek. Some strange and some beautiful.
My eyes landed on a hardback, it's spine delicately painted with ruby red lining. Intrigued, I pulled it from between the books and off the shelf. I held it in my hands, the smooth feeling of the cover was enough to make me love the idea of books.
Les Misérables written by Victor Hugo.
"Hyunjin-hyung?" I heard my name being called out, and I whipped my head around to find Changbin and Seungmin.
Changbin had his arms stacked with books, presumably put their by none other than the younger.
"It is you! What are you doing here?" Seungmin asked with a smile and offered a hug, which I accepted.
"Shopping." I waved the book in my hands a little.
"Well, obviously. I just meant that this didn't seem like your thing. I've never seen you read." Seungmin smiled at me and I just shrugged.
"It's not for me." I turned my face away a little, hoping that I wasn't blushing as the thought of Felix bursted into my head. "Nice to see you, Changbin."
"Same to you." He set down the stack of books on a reading table nearby, standing guard of them. Seungmin stood above Changbin with a smile and I noticed something that stood out. A pair of matching chain bracelets wrapping around their wrists, with matching charms.
"So. Just out of curiosity, what are you two doing here?" I asked. Holding a tight grip on the book I had.
"Binnie is feeding my book addiction." Seungmin smiled widely at me and Changbin rubbed the back of his neck with a blush at the nickname Seungmin called him.
"Are you two..?" I gestured between the two of them.
"Oh. No." Seungmin shook his head shyly, a blush threatening to surface on his face.
"Not yet anyway." Changbin added with a smirk at the younger. Changbin walked over to me as I turned to browse the books again. "He's still hung up on the hopes that Chan will change his behavior. I'm hoping he just moves on soon."
"Why are you waiting around Changbin? You aren't a second choice." I whispered making sure Seungmin could hear us. I glanced back to see him gleefully smiling at all the books he had picked out.
"Because I like him, Hyunjin. Some people are worth waiting around for." Changbin said, his eyes following my gaze. He smiled when they landed upon Seungmin.
That was something I knew all too well.
Some people are just worth waiting around for.
——
[A/N]
This is more of a simple filler chapter. But here you go!
Don't have much to say this time, aside from my usual.
I LOVE YOU GUYS!
til next update :) <3