Hanni and Haerin was just working on their group assignment by the corner of Minji's shop. After staring at her laptop screen for quite some time, Haerin gave her eyes a little break by looking away.
That's when she noticed a couple of people were standing in front of the counter but Minji's not there. "Hanni-ya do you know where's Minji? I think those customers' been there for a while already." Haerin asked, gaining Hanni's attention.
She looked over at the counter as one of them noticed Hanni. "Excuse me, do you know where's the lady behind the counter?"
"Kim Minji~" Hanni called out to her but she got no response and that made her and Haerin worried. "I'll go look at the back room, be right back." Hanni stood up as she went into the back room.
"Minji-ya, you're here?" Hanni called out her friend as she stepped in then she heard the sound of running water. She got over to the sink where Minji was there, washing her face apparently.
"You okay?" Hanni asked as she's approaching her while she saw Minji nodded from behind. She got over next to Minji who looked over to her before quickly reverted her face away from Hanni.
"I got some dust in my eyes. That's all" Minji trying to control her voice to sound calm. She gave her eyes another washes as Hanni definitely saw how red Minji's eyes were.
"Can you tell me why you're crying?" Hanni whispered calmly as Minji finally turned her face at Hanni. "...I know a pair of crying eyes when I see one."
"You've been keeping things from us, from me, ever since we first saw you cried your eyes out by the school's bathroom. I'm broken you know, seeing you like this from time to time." Hanni softly wiped the growing tears on Minji's eyes.
Minji showed a weak smile as she closed her eyes before shaking her head. "I'm not ready yet. Let me hold onto it a little longer. When I'm ready, I'll let you know everything." Minji gave Hanni a hug, a comforting hug as Hanni's eyes teared up with the fact that Minji's the one who needed a comforting hug, yet she's giving her one instead.
"Please do okay." Hanni hugged Minji back, patting her back gently. "I'll help you at the counter for today." She said as Minji chuckled lightly. "Don't be silly, you have works to do. I should head back to the counter."
Minji had to leave Hanni behind first as she rushed back to the front counter, apologizing to the waiting customers before serving them.
"How many are we supposed to pick from these batches?" Danielle asked the person sitting next to her. "At least twenty per batches but the more the better." Danielle got her answer as she got her hair tied into a ponytail.
She's having a free midday till afternoon so she decided to help the literature club as she's already part of the club's committee members.
That afternoon, the committee members were doing compilations day, a day where a selected few members will be tasked to pick poems from the poetic writing booth every month. These compilations will later be put together into a book that the club will be publishing by the end of the year.
Danielle got herself a spot as she enjoys reading out people's masterpieces. Her love for literature comes in the form of reading and hearing poems so that's why she's eager for the spot.
She began her tasked with excitements. As she was reading the first few papers, she was quiet impressed by the amount of talents there were within the club's members. She would sometimes gasp by the deepness of some poems, some would make her giggled and others would make her shed a few tears.
But deep inside as she's reading, she would love to see a specific poem written by a certain someone. That is you. Danielle's been wanting to see the way you deliver your piece as she already knew of a certain habit of yours and that is the little notebook you always carried around.
She's been wanting to take a look at your written poems in your notebook but to that day she's still super shy to even ask for it as there's a lot of things to be considered. Maybe there's something you've written that you don't want others to see or maybe it's just private stuffs you've written. In the end she never give it a go and just remained silent yet curiously frustrated.
As she ran through a few more sheets of paper, she's getting into her last couple of poems left. Taking a few sips of her coffee, she grabbed another paper and looked at the name and she couldn't be anymore surprised.
It's your poem judging by the name and the initial written on it.
Every now and then, you would contribute in making poems for the club while also being a committee member. Danielle would often noticed you by the poem writing booths every once in a while and never did she felt so lucky as she was at that time.
She couldn't believe that she'd finally got the chance to read one of your art piece so her focus remained a hundred percent on the piece of paper she's holding. "Okay Mister Yongjae, let's see what you have for me..."
"I am scared that she only ever like
the idea of me
Once she get to know that
idea, she'll try to find someone
with that idea of me.
She'll start seeing other people
as she aren't satisfied meeting me
and leave pursuing someone better
The classic phrase 'you deserve better'
Thought about it all the time
Terrified about it most of the time
'How lucky your future girlfriend would
be to have somebody like you.'
I imagined you said it to my face
Why can't that girlfriend be you?
'We would be better off staying as friends.'
Classic.
Wished you wouldn't even say that to me
one day. Prayed for it
For a second I really hate myself.
Trying to figure out why I wouldn't be accepted
and then it hit me.
I write poetry for a living.
I cry at sad movies, weep at sad novels
Anyone would be lucky to find someone who's not me
But I truly hope you will not be one of them.
Yongjae L.
Danielle couldn't even mutter a single word as she immediately wiped the tears in her eyes, seeing that her tears dropped onto the paper. "Oh god why is this so heartbreakingly sad yet deep... This guy..."
She placed the paper on the selected side and to her surprise, the next paper was also yours. "Another one!?" She whispered to herself. "God I hope it's something happy and cheerful this time..."
She took a deep breath as she immediately read the next piece you've written.
"I know you know that I'm just a
person you could easily bewitched
My heart's an easy target.
As I'm giving out my everything,
Let that be running for you, be there for you
God, even standing still for you.
You have me in the palm of your hands
The same hands pushing me against the wall
Cornering me, trapping me with that angelic smile of yours.
You have my everything yet I don't even care.
As I'm completely lost in those dark brown eyes of yours.
My heart's an easy target.
And you're the one with the gun.
Yongjae L.
Turns out she was more than wrong. From the poetic talks to these two written poems, all three of them were devastatingly sad and tear-drenching as far as what Danielle felt. And that made her wondering how a person like you, who's socially fine, smiling most the time, laughing with others every other time wrote pieces like these.
"Hey is today's poetic talks focusing fully on getting the audience to speak or do we use fifty-fifty?" Danielle asked the person next to her. "I think today we're using the fifty-fifty. They've sent the lineup for today's talk. I'll send it to you."
Danielle immediately checked her phone, scrolling through the names selected for the poetic talks and she saw your name in the last slot. "Hey is it okay if I continue this tomorrow? I wanted to see today's poetic talk if you're okay with that."
"Sure but you better hurry, I think they already started it about half an hour ago." Danielle immediately grabbed her stuffs. "Right, thanks again. See you tomorrow." She rushed out of the club's office as she made her way downstairs.
It took her a while to get to the club's mini hall and once she's there, her eyes landed on you, walking up to the stage, approaching the microphone stand. "Thank God I made it in time..." She breathed out in relief as she found a seat at the end of the back row as you finally stood in front of the microphone stand.
"Hey everyone. Today's topic is 'flower'. I'm no expert florist, in fact I don't even get to hold flowers that many times my whole life. But I'll give it a go and hope you'll find this next piece, admirable." You lowered your microphone, taking a few deep breath in.
You place the microphone back in front of your lips as you closed your eyes.
"The winter wind passes by,
everywhere I go has that scent
lingering around, not leaving me behind
Trailing the clouds, somewhere only
we used to know
Will the 'us' back then exist?
I'm sorry, needless to say,
Seeing you again was really hard
that's why
Because I couldn't erase you leaving
with a smile.
With flowers like yourself
Following the wind that's you
Flowing away
Scattering away
Seeing you walking farther, I decided
to not have any regrets
Everything about us,
I want to leave them here.
A crushed feeling that I couldn't express
All of the unspeakable words in my throat
Bye for now
But for now you still live in my heart.
The thought of not being able
to see you again is making me crazy
Because I couldn't erase you leaving
with a smile.
The times I have without you
The moments you have without me
My only wish to you before you go.
Leave the scent of flowers
Hoping it lingers here.
You remind me a lot like a beautiful flower
that I can't have."
You bowed at the massive reception you received from the audience, clapping their hands as you're walking down the stage and went back to the rest of the club's member by the side of the hall.
"That one's definitely going into this month's video promotion. Right Dokyeom-ah" One of the senior member said as you chuckled awkwardly. "That definitely will be. Keep producing the good stuff and you'll go far." The club's president, Dokyeom, gave you a few pats in the back as you just nodded with a smile.
You sat down at the far end, turning your attention back to your little notebook, writing random poems while waiting for the event to finish. "Yongjae" You heard your name being called and you saw Danielle standing next to you after you looked up.
"Oh hey, what's up?" You asked as you closed your notebook. "That was a great masterpiece back there." She gave you a thumbs up.
"Oh stop it, it's definitely a piece but not a masterpiece level yet. But thanks anyway, appreciate it." You thanked her with a smile.
"Do you want to grab some coffee after this?" Danielle suddenly asked as you remained silent. "...there's things I want to ask you, if you're okay with it."
You gulped silently as you had to nod your head. "Sure. Just tell me where we're meeting up later."
"Thanks, I'll text you later, Got to go now, bye~" She waved you goodbye as she left the table. You only managed a silent sigh as you immediately thought of Hanni in the process.
Currently working on a new cover photo for this story. Hopefully it'll turn out good
Happy reading lovelies <(￣︶￣)>