- caramel macchiato and mocha frappé!
- thanks.
7pm, jimin and seulgi meet where they first had their little date. in this cafe they sit, helping each other find ways to make life and love better.
nothing has changed since then. by daytime, this cafe blooms the hue of tangerine, and the trumpy jazz pours out of the open doors along with the aroma of fresh baked quiche. but now when light has been replaced by the unrelenting darkness of night, the room is filled with a piece of romantic tango from which rises an eager to dance.
two figures settle opposite each other, face to face, no words spoken. the thick air blends well with the scent of freshly brewed coffee. perhaps it is quite late for coffee, yet a dose of caffeine is what they need to keep themselves away from the tipsiness of this alcoholic reality.
memories flash back on the day they officially met, not through social media, or phones. right here at this table, he saw her in person for the first time. not the famous blogger kang seulgi, but an ordinary yet special woman that would soon become his muse.
she was in red, he wore blue, colourful and lively as two drops of youth. now her dress dips fully in raven, and his suits are painted in pure white. youth remains in essence, but being no longer bright.
same old place, similar drinks, just different emotions.
- how memorable, seulgi-ssi.
- yeah.
- it was around noon then, it is pitch dark now.
- i know.
- either time, you are always beautiful.
even how many words "beautiful" have been sung by his sugary voice, hearing them over again still makes her heart flutter like the initial one. it is indeed her favourite lullaby before going to sleep; her favourite background music playing in every dreams; and her favourite alarm she loves waking up listening to.
in the gloom of the cafe, their knees touch under the narrow table. seulgi uncomfortably adjusts her posture as she sits a little straighter, trying to avoid making any contact with the man opposite. he's been known this situation would happen, from the hurt welling in her eyes behind that constrained smile.
this woman is quiet tonight, not like her at all. jimin is so used to the pretty mono-eyelid curves whenever seulgi grins, and those chubby pockets that manifest on her cheeks whenever her lips perk up. he misses them, albeit she is right in front of him.
- seulgi-ssi...no...seul.
- yes, chim?
- even how upset and mad you are at this jerk right here, just...please...talk to me.
- no dear what are you saying? of course you're not a jerk. i guess i'm being too dramatic...i'm sorry...
- i'm the one who should apologize. i'm so sorry seul, for not realizing your feelings...
for an exceptional journalist, park jimin is beyond talented to recognize the voices of other's hearts, yet not sensitive enough to understand his own language. everytime he thinks of seulgi, it is just 'love' that wanders around his mind, no more, no less. no words are able to describe his innermosts, either by the means of mental or verbal.
- you know seul, when i took all courage to ask and call you my 'muse', it meant the world to me, that day, that moment, everything was unforgettable.
- me too, every second of it.
- i never intend to keep you hanging on our relationship, love. if you don't like being called my 'muse', that's all right. let's clear things out tonight, yeah?
seulgi loves being his muse, apparently, but she craves for more than just that. she knows a 'muse' is someone of great importance to journalists, but she wants to be important to him as, instead, how a woman be to a man.
- hey, chim...
- yes, dear.
- how much space...does your heart spare me?
she looks straight to his eyes, for the first time in so many hours since they got here.
- seul, would you like to hear my confession?
- i'm here for all the lies and truths.
- journalists like us, we impact the world through a decent perspective. books speak our words, they connect to the deepest emotions and express our mind. on those pages we unveil the infusion of brain with the guidance of soul, of sympathy and god-given creativity.
- of course, and that's beautiful.
- all that mentioned would be just a blessing if they are consolidated with love, and that was my biggest struggle. i have written a thousand genres of novels, but none of them emphasized on love just because i couldn't relate to any.
- ...
- until i saw you.
his fingers find their way to their favourite habitat - hers.
- before i met you, never have i had a biased genre, never have i enjoyed writing so badly, and never have i felt so real fantasizing romance at its finest.
she stays silent, ensuring that her brain is able to capture all the gorgeous words he is saying.
- the ink used to draw 'love' on those papery leaves will always stay even though centuries may pass, because they are every bits of me that belong to you. even if the books were burned down, i can tell it by words of mouth, or use sign language, whatever means i am capable of.
- chim...
- as long as this heart still beats, i will always find a way to tell the world that i love you.
seulgi has her eyes wide-opened, staring at the other without laying a blink which makes jimin question what he just did. his memories are then hastily put on replay, and until he realizes the current situation, it is too late.
- oh my god did i just say "i love you"?
- yep, with all confidence, as clearly and firmly as ever.
- did you hear it?
- i have ears, chim. and you literally just said it again, so yeah.
the man grabs his drink and devour it hysterically, wishing the amount of caffeine contained would hit his nerves and wash this embarrassment away. he is too shy to face the woman in front of him now, he wants to run, as far as he can, to the kingdom of shame.
- chim, your face is super red right now.
- i KnOw RiGHt, ThiS TEa iS HelLA HOt Isn'T iT?? aHaHAHahAhaHAHa
- chim, you're drinking an ice blended coffee.
'jimin you better just shut up', the journalist lectures himself.
the tension of air has been toned down comparatively thanks to jimin's clumsiness. seulgi can't help but smile, like a mirror, jimin smiles back. to these two artists, it is their passion that have brought them closer, their laughter that is bonding them together, and their good times that will keep them forever.
- how much?
- sorry??
- how much do you love me?
no matter how shy and nervous he becomes, it is impossible for him to refuse answering any of her questions. seulgi is too adorable to resist, and that is illegally dangerous.
- ...well...i love you, to the point where in my dictionary, 'committing suicide' is the synonym of 'giving up your love', since it is indeed your love that pumps blood into my veins.
- i love you, to the point where when we're not together, i will miss you with every parts of me, and there will always be an empty hole in my heart that was before filled with your existence.
- i love you, to the point where even i'm not strong, i'll be your shield and follow you to hell if that's how to keep you safe. i'll stay beside you, trust in you, and ride with you through every storm to welcome what lies behind the upcoming dawn.
- i love you, to the point where in your image i set my compass spinning, the 'home' that no matter what direction it takes, only that i'll keep on walking.
park jimin is unmatchably beautiful, so are his words. his feelings embrace her with open hands and infinite freedom, like the sky and ocean in which she is willing to be sunken.
- c-chim, i-i....
- hm??
- i-i also l-l-lov—
- dear all customers, just a little reminder that the cafe will be closing in 5 minutes.
the announcement interrupts the conversation, what a bad timing. jimin and seulgi both stand up from their seats, all ready to pay.
- shall we get back to my car? i'll drive you home.
- sure.
they soon settle down in the man's car, buckling their seatbelts, starting the engine, but bodies refuse to move an inch. jimin takes a glance at the woman who is currently looking down, twirling her hair in nervousness. a sense of guilt springs up as he assumes his unpredictable confession earlier had made her uneasy.
- you know, seul, you don't have to answer. all i wanted to do is telling you how much i love you, and i already did. so there's no need—
- i love you, jimin.
seulgi leans closer to jimin as she start caressing every strand of his hair. the softness of her touch drifts his sanity away, making his heart back tingle and driving him around without the need of gasoline.
- is this...a dream? if it is, please turn off my alarm and don't wake me up.
- you're not dreaming, love. you are a dream yourself.
- are you...for real?
- i am. as a friend, a muse, and a woman, i will always love you with all i have. squeeze me in your life, let me be the only pen that can write you your happiest ending.
they sit still in the car with the sunroof open, gazing upon the stars above and picking out constellations on the celestial sphere. words are barely spoken, through eye contact and skinship they are already communicating.
- say, what do a journalist and his muse do?
- things that beyond human capacity, seul.
- do they kiss?
everyone deserves a chance of love, that's what jimin believes. there might be no such thing as true love, that it all ends with a broken heart and a painful soul, but that's the beauty of it - to have something so perfect for only a certain moment, yet never ends, always comes and goes, like an endless merry-go-round. once a person gets trapped into the circle of love, there's no destined finish, because the beauty of love lies within the mystery and magic it holds.
jimin believes everyone deserves a chance of love, because we all deserve something magical. for him, his magic started at a small coffee shop that hides itself from the daily busy pace in a downtown corner, during a rainy summer afternoon just an hour before sunset.
- sure they do.