Song of the Day:
Coffee
(Coincidentally, this song was stuck in my head when I decided to post this so eyy *le snap and finger guns*)
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Seongmin woke up, wondering if the night before hadn't been a dream. It's would've made more sense than what had apparently actually happened.
After being rolled away by Skateboard-J,
going so fast that the wind had blown tears from her eyes, she's been dropped off at her house, where J had shifted back into a human form, smiling and bowing to her politely. He'd watched her go into the house, refusing to leave until she was safely inside.
That night, as per usual, while she was sitting and staring at the wall contemplating what had just happened, she felt that uncomfortable sensation of eyes upon her, and just sighed, ignoring it.
Now, walking to work having actually left on time for once, she felt oddly calm, despite the fact that she had come face to face with a real villain just the night before.
She must have been tired.
Her boss actually looked surprised that she was there early. Wow, thanks, Seongmin thought, going over her desk to begin her day. On the way, however, she caught sight of Chihun, and seeing as she had a few minutes to spare, she went over to apologise. He was probably wondering why she hadn't ended up going to his house last night.
Chihun saw her coming over and his eyes widened. He stood up quickly, looking down at her with concern.
"Seongmin? Are you okay? What happened last night?"
"Chihun, we need to talk," she said, pulling him into the nearby hallway, which was usually empty. After making sure no one was there, she looked Chihun dead in the eye, noticing how concerned he still looked.
"You're acting kind of strange, Seongmin. What happened to you last night?" The worry in his eyes painted his words as well, and Seongmin found herself going soft.
"Okay, don't freak out when I say this, okay?" Chihun nodded quickly, and she continued on. "I- I got attacked again last night."
Chihun's eyes widened as Seongmin launched into her story, telling him about everything from meeting Black Rabbit again, to the spike villain's attack, and all the way up to getting dropped off at her house by J.
"So I walked here this morning, and here I am. If my phone hadn't gotten blown up last night, of course I would've called you, but there wasn't really anything I could've done about it."
"Seongmin," Chihun said, the concern gone. "What really happened last night?"
Seongmin stopped for a moment, confused. "I just told you what happened."
Chihun sighed. "Seongmin, if you did something embarrassing, you can tell me. You don't need to make up stories to cover yourself. I just want to know why you weren't there last night."
"Chihun, I- you don't believe me? I swear what I said is what went down! I would tell you if I did something embarrassing, you know that."
Chihun just shook his head. "You need to stop blaming your problems on these so called heroes and villains, Seongmin. Once you've gotten out of your seven year old mindframe, come talk to me."
He then turned and walked away, leaving Seongmin in utter disbelief. She stood for a good minute just staring at the wall where he her friend been standing a moment ago, wondering why on Earth he was suddenly not believing her story. Sure, it seemed far fetched, but hadn't he seen the news? Furthermore, hadn't he known her for long enough that he had built up trust with her? Didn't he know her at all, know she wouldn't make this up?
Seongmin returned to her desk, dragging her racing thoughts along with her. Sitting there, still in shock, a few moments later, her vision went blurry with tears pricking at her eyes as she realised that horrible truth. Her friend, the only person she had anymore that she could fully count on, didn't believe her.
Now, she was alone.
.....
The rest of the day passed by in a blur of emotion, and when Seongmin finally left, she was hurt to see that Chihun hadn't even waited for her. She walked in the general direction of her home, all alone, trying not to let the sadness she felt overcome her.
She didn't even realise she'd walked into a coffee shop until she was standing inside. She was glad her subconscious had taken her here, however, because coffee shops were among her favourite places in the world. She felt a small bubble of happiness in her chest, floating through the sadness. Finally, something to take her mind off of the events of earlier.
She went to sit at a small booth on the side, inhaling deeply and smiling at the scent of coffee that filled the air. She stared out the window at the dead leaves of October fluttering past the glass. Soon, she realised, those leaves would be replaced with the crystal snow of winter. She smiled at the thought, just as a deep voice beside her made her jump.
"Excuse me, do you mind if I sit here? Everywhere else is taken."
Seongmin pulled herself from her thoughts and turned to look at the speaker, and raised her eyebrows in surprise when she saw who it was.
"Namjoon?"
"Seongmin! Hi! I didn't know it was you!" He looked pleasantly and genuinely surprised, a cute little smile coming onto his face to accompany his widened eyes
"Oh, it's great to see you!" She gestured for him to sit down, and he did so, his adorable dimpled smile driving Seongmin's sadness even further away.
"It's great to see you too! Wow, who would've thought I'd run into you here?" Namjoon said, running a hand through his hair. A leaf fell out and landed on the table. The two laughed.
"This is great," she said. "I just happened to come in here today, I haven't been here before."
"Well, you're in luck! This is the best coffee shop in all of Seoul." As Namjoon said this, a waiter walked up. His name tag, embroidered in red thread on his apron, labelled him Hoseok.
"Namjoon, thank you. It's very kind of you to say that."
"Forget you," Namjoon replied, and after a second or two of Seongmin being in complete confusion, the two burst out into laughter.
(A/N: lolacuca name the vine 😏 I did that interaction just for you 😂)
"How are you doing, man?" Namjoon said, leaning over and playfully hitting the waiter's shoulder.
Hoseok, as he was labeled, smiled widely, and Seongmin couldn't help but smile as well when she saw a pair of dimples like Namjoon's on his cheeks. His eyes sparkled with joy, his grin almost heart shaped, and laugh lines stretched at the corners of his lips. Even his hair, a muted golden brown color that almost looked like a dark blonde, bounced around as he moved like it was celebrating the day with him. Everything about him basically just said I AM A RAY OF SUNSHINE in bold capital letters.
"Never been better," he said, his slightly deep voice laced with the same happiness in his eyes. Seongmin willed him to stop being cute before she melted from overexposure to his happy aura. He turned to Seongmin, his dark eyes crinkling up as his smile grew. "And who might this be?"
"I'm Seongmin," she said, reaching out to shake his hand, rather awkwardly what with the table in the way. "Cho Seongmin. Nice to meet you."
Hoseok's smile, which seemed to constantly be on his face, burst forth in full force in all its dimpled glory. Even though his name tag gave it away, he introduced himself to be polite. "Jung Hoseok," he said. "Pleased to meet you as well. May I get you a drink?"
Seongmin ordered a caramel macchiato, while Namjoon got an Americano (A/N: I had to guys 😂). Hoseok bowed slightly and walked away, that infectious grin still spread across his face. Namjoon and Seongmin continued to chat until their coffees were ready, like old friends rather than it was their second meeting.
A little while later, with the chilly October wind blowing with a not more intensity than earlier and the sun starting to set, the two left the coffee shop, getting a cheerful wave from Hoseok as the door shut behind them.
The autumn leaves, swirling in beautiful shades of orange and gold, spun through the dusk light, shimmering as they feel like drops of rain. It was like a small storm, absent of elements that would make walking two miles down the street uncomfortable, like the pounding rain. This is why autumn is my favourite, Seongmin thought.
"I could walk you home, if you would like?" Namjoon said politely. "It's not safe for people to be out on the streets alone after dark."
Seongmin smiled softly, pulling her jacket slightly closer to her body to keep out the cold wind, though she still shivered uncomfortably. "Thank you, Namjoon. I'm just fine with that."
The two began to walk down the street, continuing their casual conversation as they did. They walked through the leaves on the sidewalks, one of them occasionally kicking a small pile that had formed against a wall to send the leaves flying again. Seongmin found the cold wind bothering her less and less the longer she stayed with Namjoon, as if just being with a friend was warming her. It was a nice feeling.
Seongmin barely noticed the night setting in until she looked ahead of her again. The two friends were on Seongmin's street, and she saw little pools of yellow lighting the way down the sidewalk, streetlights that had flickered on. The swirling leaves, carried by the wind, flashed in and out of sight as they drifted through the light patches. The brightness below contrasted sharply with the nighttime purple of the overcast sky, and Seongmin, shivering, realised how cold it really was once she actively thought about it.
A few moments later, she and Namjoon arrived at her house. Namjoon turned to her and smiled.
"I had fun today, Seongmin. Thank you for spending your time with me, and sharing your table." He bowed politely, and Seongmin smiled back.
"Of course, Namjoon. Thank you for walking me home. Are you sure you don't want to stay over? You're the one who said it's dangerous to be out alone at night, and it's no trouble. I have a guest room."
"No, really, its okay. I don't live too far from here, I'll be fine. Don't worry about it." He gestured at her door as he turned to leave. "Get inside, I can tell you're cold."
Seongmin smiled as she pulled the key out from it's hiding place, under a potted plant on the railing of her porch. "Bye, Namjoon. Be safe, please."
Her smile faded as he nodded and walked away, and she couldn't help but think of the villain encounter she'd had, so very recently. She was worried for her friend, and hoped that it would be like he said, and he'd be fine. She watched him walk for a moment, his form growing smaller and fading in and out of sight as he passed under the streetlights. After a short time, however, she shivered again, and reluctantly turned away to go into the warmth of her house.
.....
Namjoon P.O.V.
Namjoon turned back to look at her house one more time before turning onto his own street. He pulled his grey-green scarf over his face, lowering his eyes back to the sidewalk when he'd made sure his new friend was safely inside.
He trudged back to his house in silence, Letting the chilly wind buffet his blonde hair. He found himself lost in deep thought as he made his way to the door of his home, his camouflage jacket flapping in the gale.
Seongmin had been so kind to him, and he was glad they'd become friends, no question. However, he knew all too well what burdens a friendship could bring upon a person. He knew what sadness could come from losing someone like that. He'd experienced it before.
A few minutes later, having changed into his sleepwear, he lay awake, staring at the ceiling, and in that moment, he promised himself one thing.
He wouldn't let Seongmin be taken from h. He wouldn't lose another friend.
Even if it meant taking their place and losing himself.
.....
HEYO
WASSUP
Sorry for the lack of updates recently, school is KILLINPSBK
Ignore that
I was trying to say killing me but a spider crawled across my wall and I dropped my phone cause nope I ain't dealing with that
ANYWAY
Was the ending a bit dramatic? I want to elaborate on that later, but I feel like it may have escalated a bit too quickly 😂
For now, anyway, I hope you did enjoy this new chapter! Let me know what you think in the comment section!
Have a fantastic day, my fellow humans!
I will, as always, see all of you in the next chapter.
Byeee!
~ MineCat57 🌺
*goes to get a cup to put spider outside*