Today is the last day in America.
One week passed in a flash. Till yesterday, we were sauntering in the streets of New York at late night and now we're on our way back to Korea.
We feel a bit down but at the same time we seem happy. Very happy.
This week here has been the greatest week so far in all possible aspects. Both of us have agreed full on that this vacation is the best one we ever had, though at the back of our mind we thought it would be a disaster with the two of us together.
Now we think it's a pity that it lasted for only a week.
Funny how quickly things took a different turn.
Wonwoo and I haven't exchanged alot of remarkable words after the concert, but some things shifted just in the tiniest fraction. He's definitely been more cheerful and bright after I gave him the answer he wanted at the concert.
We decided to keep it cool and steady. We'd be together for 2 months and if things don't work out for us as couples, then we'd go back to being friends. Maybe even best friends.
I asked him if he could let go of me if things didn't work out. He contemplated for a while, then he said chuckling, "I think I love you enough to let go. I would still prefer being together, but I also respect your decisions. I think sometimes a friendship is more important and valuable to keep than a relationship. Let's hope for the best."
I can corroborate that I've never liked him more in a different way than that moment.
In these last four days, we were rarley seen in our hotel room. We'd go out exploring on almost every afternoon and night. We travelled so much, to the point our feets felt like it had lost every ounce of energy there was left and became paralyzed.
I'm not the type of person to go out much often, but I do have to admit. It was fun with him - sort of like a date.
We talked less nonetheless, we just travelled alot.
Wonwoo is a total hodophile. Each road and ground he walks on is like an art gallery to him. I can see that in his eyes. He appreciates every single thing around him, as if they are all flawless artworks; even the least impressive ones.
A day before yesterday he showed me his photography album. He demanded that it was very personal to him and he carried it wherever he went.
He said he never showed it to anyone except Mingyu.
Mingyu holds a special place in his heart. I wanted to ask if there was any story behind it or if he just genuinely liked him alot.
I didn't anyway. If there was a story, I think they wouldn't want to tell that to anyone. Invading their privacy over fatuous curiosity would be the last thing I'd ever do.
He signalled me to open the album. I hesitated at first - not because I didn't want my name to be put next to Mingyu when it comes to people who saw Wonwoo's personal album.
It's because some things are meant to be kept for yourself. It wouldn't be personal anymore if people know and start talking about it.
I said that to him. He smiled and assured me saying, "I would like to have another person aside him who knows everything about me."
I slowly flipped the pages. I observed each picture thoroughly, mouth parting in wonderment.
Wonwoo's vision of this world is far more different than any of us. I could never even think of seeing the world in the way he sees it. What he has seen and captured inside the film of camera is normally considered trivial in today's bustling world. He freezed those trivial things inside these pictures and gave them a newfangled energy, a new life.
A granny on her wheelchair reading out Pinocchio to her little granson wrapped up in a woolen shawl on her lap in the slums of Shanghai;
A kind grocery shop owner feeding the last bread slice of his lunch to the hungry abondened street dog covered in dirt on the busy streets of Boston;
A 6-7 years old child helping a pregnant woman to pick up the fruits she dropped in the footpath of Paris.
There were so many more. I couldn't take my eyes off of them. Each picture enunciated a story of it's own. Each of them is unique and peerless.
Then again, I could see why he hadn't shown this to anyone. There were some pictures which were heart breaking at some point.
A sapling losing it's life, dying out of water and care;
Broken paint brushes and colour jars and tored half done canvases, looking like shattered dreams;
My brother...holding my picture and crying in his sleep;
Wonwoo's father's gravestone.
Some of them trapped me in a cell of overwhelming emotions, while some filled me up from the inside like helium gas filling up a ballon.
They weren't just pictures. They were moments collected from people's lives all over the world inside small pieces of paper; moments that had proved one's existence in this world, moments one would love to leave behind as memories.
Subconsciously, I felt an urge to dive inside his mind and see whatever he had seen with his two eyes and feel whatever he had felt in his life. It would be an experience of a lifetime.
***
Our plane lands safely. I can already spot my brother and his friends waiting for us at the terminal. They look like they had to go through a tsunami to get here. They look worn out.
Scoups is carrying Dino on his back, Joshua and Jeonghan are arguing over a slice of ham, Dokyeom is panting while holding his waist as if he broke his backbone or something, Woozi and Jun is sleeping while standing, Seungkwan is...well...drooling on Vernon's shoulder, Hoshi here is fanning himself with his hands. The8 appears to be the only normal human.
I think it'll be a wise move if we just walk by and pretend we don't know them at all.
"Dude it's about 10 degree here. Did Hoshi rise from a volcano?" I whisper to Wonwoo as we halt our steps to observe them.
"I was thinking the same. Are they mentally stable? Or should we just take a taxi back home?" I give him a nobody-knows look.
Their faces light up as soon as they spot us and seconds later, they frown. Their expression contours into befuddlement.
Because apparently, me and Wonwoo are holding hands.
"Wake up bish we have tea." Vernon smacks Seungkwan's head with his iPad. Ouch that must've hurt pretty bad.
"What? Who? Where? What tea? Which flavour?" He wipes the corner of his mouth, pupils wandering aggressively.
"The flavour of love." Jun teases, wiggling his eyebrows. Wonwoo simply shrugs with a smug smile plastered on his face.
My face heats up like the inner part of an oven. I try to free my hand from his grip, but he clasps it tighter.
"It took me 6 years to finally hold this hand. I'm not letting go that easily." He breathes out the words next to my ears. Chills rush all the way down to my spine.
He seems so confident saying that. If anyone ever dares to say he is shy and timid, I'm seriously going to split that person's head into half and leave it off infront of the crocodiles cage of a zoo.
"Finally noona and hyung! I shipped you guys from high school. God listened to my prayers at last." Seungkwan shrieks. "Yah you uncultured swines! Clap won't you? Wooooooo clap clap clap!!!"
They don't look like they've a problem clapping and cheering inside a terminal. They do it regardless, louder than I assumed.
They should have reconsidered doing it, because now people walking past us are glaring awkwardly.
Speak of second hand embarrassments.
***
To my presupposition, they brought 3 cars with them. One of them belongs to The8, others belong to Jeonghan. I choose The8's car. It's the safest option. He's the least expected one to cause an accident or drive like a total lunatic like my brother.
Jeonghan hands his car keys to Joshua and hops in with me. He says he's coming with me because he missed me to a great extent. I refuse saying, "You can't be here. You talk too much."
He pretends like I don't exist and buckles up his seatbelt. "I said you talk too much and I've jet lag. Get back to your own car Jeonghan!"
"I'm the oldest. You're the young one. You don't get to make the rules, you should know that young lady."
There's no point of arguing. I already lost after that.
"Did anything happen while you guys were coming here?" I ask.
"Nothing much. We kind of burnt down the house in the morning while doing some food experiments. There was smoke and burnt pieces of chocolate pudding everywhere. We had to clean that mess first. Then we started for the airport. On our way we ran out of gas. There was no gas station nearby so we had to push our cars until we reached one. That gas station was closed because they ran out of gas too. Then we went to another... I hope you can get rest of the story." Jeonghan sighs heavily.
I gulp, nodding. Everything makes sense. It sounds alot like them. I'm not even surprised honestly.
"Can you drop me off at that convenience store?" I say to The8, stuffing some cash inside my pocket. "I'm coming with you." Jeonghan says immediately.
"No you can't." I shake my head.
"Whatever Mimi I'm coming." He remains adamant. I exhale displeasingly, massaging my temples.
Here comes the secret weapon.
"I'm going there to buy sanitary napkins. You still want to come with me?"
His mouth shuts without further ado.
This trick never fails.
I'm not going there to buy sanitary napkins. I'm just craving some spicy tteokbokki but the boys won't let me have it if I ask for it, considering I've gastric.
I'm not allowed to have spicy foods. However, they are my favourite. The boys know it and they always scold me for secretly eating it. So if I'm gonna have it without any interruption, I'm gonna have to apply some old tricks.
I wave them a short goodbye, yelling from across the street that I'll be back in half and hour.
"One spicy tteokbokki please." I ask as I reach the counter. The lady there smiles at me and tells me to wait for five minutes.
I start roaming around the isles idly. A newly launched chocolate shake catches my attention. It's literally glowing like a diamond among the other drinks.
The next thing I know, I'm buying twenty packets of this drink.
Since it's on the top isle, I stand on my toe to reach it. It's too high for me to reach. I take a step back, in case I end up dropping all of them at once.
Just then, I feel someone's presence against my back. One hand flies off to the top isle and fetches the drink for me.
I turn around. I don't see any face, just the upper part of a body.
It's a man.
He's towering me with a height of 6 feet and 2 inches or something. He's about the same height as the top isle, maybe two inches shorter.
He's literally huge.
I lift my head to meet his eyes. He's wearing a black mask and hoodie. The mask makes it hard to see his face, his hood is lowered over his forehead which hides his eyes as well.
From an angle, he looks kinda creepy. Like a stalker.
Should I thank him or should I run away?
Or maybe should I kick his balls?
No no kicking his balls would be too much. A simple thank you is enough. If anything bad happens, I can always scream. Though I always prefer a strong kick over screaming for help.
Before I can say anything, he lowers himself to my height.
"We meet again, Yoon Miyeon."
I gasp.
This voice... this tone...
Oh hell.
Why's it always Kim Mingyu everywhere?