This morning wasn't gray, but by soothing lavender and brilliant amber. The colors merged into neon pink and peach.
She wakened early each morning in the stronghold to watch the sunrise.
After all, she could only see so many.
Soon-hee brewed some black coffee as her eyes seized the chance to glare at the enormous pallete of colors growing light around 8 A.m.
Staring at the clock hands she comprehendeds that the time ahead of her is plenty to be filled with activities.
"You made coffee?" Her brother asked as soon as he spotted her sitting onto the kitchen stool, enjoying her breakfast.
"It's right there." Her finger showed Jihoon the exact spot the coffee matchine was.
"You woke up early today..." He announced pouring some fresh coffee onto his ordinary cup.
Drinking the last sip of her coffee Soon-hee raised her body up.
"Yeah... Minghao started working at this new cafeteria down town and I visit him!"
Mingao was her best friend from kindergarten until her college years. They are studying the same thing so literally nothing was a blockage when it came to their friendship.
"It's early. You can go later... Stay with me fora little..." He advised her and Y/n sat down giving up her plans for a little.
"You are right I guess..."
"So how are things going? Is your college okay? Are you and Minghao going well?" He said sipping his coffee.
"Everything is fine... I just need to study a little more. That's all..." Soon-hee grabbed a slice of bread from an almost empty bowl and consumed it right away.
"Well, dont pressure yourself though... You are already doing fine I think."
"Okay I won't." Taking some extra time to eat Soon-hee then decide to leave cause she had so many things to study as you could describe her as a book-worm.
"Jihoon I am leaving...!"
"Okay Soonie. Just don't be late. I will cook today."
"Thanks!"
She launched off making her way to the new cafeteria Soon-hee really wanted to visit.
This cafeteria is a cacophony of loud chatter, each table a cosseted huddle of people raising their voices to be heard above the din.
She was standing right outside observing everything from the big windows. As her palms started getting sweaty because she felt uneasy with big crowds she decided to make the move and get in.
The bell of the door rang in a monotonic way as her eyes met the man behind the counter.
A small smirk was plastered to her face as soon as his distinctive characteristics made her recognize the tall boy.
"Minghao!" She announced adding steps towards the wooden counter.
"Soon-hee finally! I was waiting for you..."
He took off his apron and walked by the counter so he could hug his best friend.
She sunk into the warmth of his side, appreciative of the simple gesture. His touch made the room warmer somehow, her future within its walls seeming a little less bleak.
"You missed me so much?" Without wasting the bargain to tease him Soon-hee slyly smirked.
"Shut up you pabo! I was waiting for you and you are late..." He protested breaking the hug.
"I am an hour earlier!" She laughed at how greedy Mingao can get.
"I dont care... It's my first day at work and I need someone..."
"There are 266765 people in here and yet you are still whining about needing someone? How greedy?" Fixing her bag on her shoulders Soonhee continued messing with the busy boy.
"You know that I only need you to make it through!"
"Aren't you tired of telling lies all the time?"
"Aren't you tired of being ugly all the time...?" He fought back and she hit the back of his neck.
"It didn't hurt!"
"Did you want it to hurt?" Soon-hee laughed and hit him but only stronger this time.
"Yahh! Stop hitting me!"
"Work loser... I am gonna sit to that table. Oh and I want an orange juice... Don't make me wait!" She ordered and Minghao ran behind the counter just to seek for his apron again.
"Fineeeee... An orange juice on the way!" He cheered wearing his apron. She decided to walk over to the table she chose.
Sitting down, she took a pile of books out of her bag and browsed through the pages until she found the one she was looking for.
Her mind traveled to the place the story was talking about.
The colors of a thousand saris swirled in her mind like so much water going down a celestial plug hole.
Physically, she was there, in this cafeteria, but the rest of her was "somewhere else."
That place was filled with friendly faces and happy greetings. They were not with her to contest her, nor to oppose her, nor to criticize. The atmosphere was electrified with pleasant energy.
Each color she touched sang with it's own sweet sound. She held out her arms wide and spun like a child's spinning top so that the music encased her like a soft fleece blanket.
Her mind spaced out imagining she lives in a world like that. She was one of the protagonist.
"Um... Your juic-"
Suddenly something interrupted her train of thought.
She regained her senses as her eyes looked at a man approaching her. For her bad luck his hands loosened up, as a result the juice fell on top of her and the cup fell open, letting the liquid stain her whole outfit.
"Ah!" She said breezing as the ice cubes traveled around her body.
"I am so sorry!" The tall man scanned her body realizing he messed up her clothes.
"Yo! Are you serious? It was a new T-shirt..." She tried to get up noticing the small orange stains onto her book.
"Chill... It's not that big of a deal... I will pay for your shirt." He said inserting his hand onto his apron pocket just to find some cash.
"I don't need your money... Just get away from me!"
"What's with the attitude? How dare you talking to me like that?" He protested and Soon-hee scoffed at how annoying the boy was.
Carefully her eyes observed the name on his label sign.
Jisoo?
"Listen here Jisoo... First you stain my shirt and then play the victim? That's low."
"Your attitude is low. Talking like that to strangers! and don't call me Jisoo... That's what friends call me."
"I dont care. The only think I care about is my book that you destroyed."
"What are you talking about?" He tried to touch her book to notice if it was indeed stained but she hit his hand.
"Don't touch my book!"
"Ouch!"
At the exact same moment Minghao appeared and got in between us.
"Yo... why are you hitting the waiters?" He said obviously protecting the rude boy.
"I didn't know you servethe orders like that in this cafeteria!" She complained and Jisoo rolled his eyes.
"Please do something to shut her up... Her voice pollutes the air!" He said and adjourned, making his way to the kitchen.
"Yahhh!" Minghao titled around so he could pinch her arm.
"Ouch!" She rubbed the spot with force as she was trying to numb the pain.
"Do you want me to get fired on my first day?" He scolded her because of the immature reaction she had.
"Why would you get fired? He should get fired because of throwing orange juice at people...!" She tried to sound logical but she just wasn't.
"I think you should really go home and relax, okay?" He started gathering her stuff for her in his attempt to kick her out before she gets into more fights.
"Wait... I didn't pay for the juice this guy Jisoo, showered me with!" She didnt lose the chance to be sarcastic but Mingao was already in a hurry.
"Dont worry... My treat!" He said and literally started pushing her out.
"I hate you...!"
"I hate you more... Now out... I will visit you this afternoon, okay?"
"Okay, okay! I am leaving!"
And by force she exits the cafeteria, staring at te enormous streets distressed.
___________
ᴬ/ⁿ: ᴴᵉˡˡᵒ ᴳᵘʸˢ!
ᵀʰⁱˢ ⁱˢ ᵃ ⁿᵉʷ ᵇᵒᵒᵏ ᴵ ᵈᵉᶜⁱᵈᵉᵈ ᵗᵒ ʷʳⁱᵗᵉ. ᴺᵒᵗ ᵇᵗˢ ᵇᵘᵗ ˢᵉᵛᵉⁿᵗᵉᵉⁿ ᵗʰⁱˢ ᵗⁱᵐᵉ.
ᴵ ᵃᵐ ᶜᵘʳʳᵉⁿᵗˡʸ ʷᵒʳᵏⁱⁿᵍ ᵃᵗ ᵃ ˡᵒᵗ ᵒᶠ ˢᵐᵃˡˡ ᵖʳᵒʲᵉᶜᵗˢ ᵃⁿᵈ ᵃ ˡᵒᵗ ᵒᶠ ᴮᵗˢ ᵇᵒᵒᵏˢ ˢᵒ ⁿᵉʷ ᶜᵒⁿᵗᵉˣᵗ ʷⁱᵗʰ ᴮᵗˢ ʷⁱˡˡ ᵇᵉ ᵘᵖᵈᵃᵗᵉᵈ ᵃˢ ʷᵉˡˡ. ᴵ ʲᵘˢᵗ ʷᵃⁿᵗᵉᵈ ᵗᵒ ᵗʳʸ ˢᵒᵐᵉᵗʰⁱⁿᵍ ⁿᵉʷ.
ˢᵒ, ᴵ ʰᵒᵖᵉᵈ ʸᵒᵘ ˡⁱᵏᵉᵈ ᵐʸ ᶠⁱʳˢᵗ ˢᵗᵒʳʸ ʷⁱᵗʰ ᴴᵒⁿᵍ ᴶⁱˢᵒᵒ ⁽ᵒⁿᵉ ᵒᶠ ᵐʸ ᵘˡᵗⁱˢ⁾. ᴵ ᵃᵐ ᵖʳᵒᵇᵃᵇˡʸ ᵍᵒⁿⁿᵃ ᵘᵖᵈᵃᵗᵉ ᵗʰⁱˢ ᵇᵒᵒᵏ ᵉᵛᵉʳʸ ˢᵃᵗᵘʳᵈᵃʸ ᵃˢ ᴵ ᵃᵐ ᵃˡˢᵒ ʷᵒʳᵏⁱⁿᵍ ᵗᵒ ᵒᵗʰᵉʳ ˢᵉᵛᵉⁿᵗᵉᵉⁿ ᵇᵒᵒᵏˢ ᵃˢ ʷᵉˡˡ. ᵂʰᵃᵗ ᶜᵃⁿ ᴵ ˢᵃʸ? ᴵ ᵃᵐ ˢⁱᶜᵏ!
ᵀʰᵃⁿᵏˢ ᶠᵒʳ ʳᵉᵃᵈⁱⁿᵍ ᵐʸ ᵇᵒᵒᵏˢ. ᴵ ᵃᵖᵖʳᵉᶜⁱᵃᵗᵉ ⁱᵗ ᵃ ˡᵒᵗ. ˢᵉᵉ ʸᵒᵘ ❤