Beauty and the mafia (Pentagon's Hui Fanfiction)

Ticket to my heart

After buying the ticket, we sat down and grew silent. I was really bad at small talk and I often shared a ticket with people I didn't know. It was usually like this. So, I took out my book and started to read. I didn't get far though. "A dangerous fortune?", Hui asked reading the title and I looked up. "You know the book?", I replied. "Partly", he smiled, "A friend recommended it and told me a bit about the plot." "I see." "Do you usually like historical dramas?" "I basically like everything I can read." "Everything?" "Everything. From textbooks to heart melting cliché-filled romantic novels to the most absurd thrillers." "Interesting. You are very versatile it seems?" I chuckled. That was the verb I got described with the most. "Yes", I answered, "I'd say so. I am one of those weird persons to like arts and languages as well as science, math and economics. I listen to classic music as well as metal. You name it, I listen to it. Apart from that I am pretty much ordinary." "I don't think so." I looked at him surprised. "What do you mean?", I asked. "Well, you have some kind of special aura to yourself. I just think there is more to you than it seems." I looked at the floor. There WAS more. But nobody needs to know. I forced a smile and looked back up again: "The only rather uncommon thing is that I moved to another country at the age of only eighteen. Maybe that gives me those 'foreigner-vibes'." Hui's eyes widened: "Seriously?" "Yes", I interrupted him, guessing his next question, "But I'd rather not talk about it." "Oh. I see. That's fine. Let's talk about something else then." I nodded relieved. And like this we continued to talk until the train arrived and all the way to Seoul as well.

As we got off the train, Hui had insisted to take me and my bags to "wherever I can drop you off with good conscience." Smiling, we walked towards the exit of the station and outside I showed him in which direction my destination was. "My way", he smiled and we set off, chatting and laughing once again. It slowly got weird as we were almost at my apartment without leaving Hui's usual way home as well. Suspiciously, I had continuously asked him to confirm it, but he seemed as confused about it as I was, so I believed him. "Well...", I said and stopped, "Here we are. I live here." Hui looked at me with big eyes: "Here?" "Yes?", I replied and looked at the building. It wasn't something special which would be worth such a reaction. "Nice to meet you then, new neighbour", Hui grinned. "Neighbour?" "I live over there", he laughed and pointed to a small apartment diagonally across mine. I burst out laughing: "Hello neighbour!"

After realizing we were neighbours, we talked a bit more and I told him, I moved here only recently for studying. This resulted in him suggesting to help me get used to my new surroundings. He showed me around, helped me build my furniture, introduced me to some friends and sometimes came over to cook with me. The walks around developed to dates in cafés, brunches together and dinners in different restaurants. Our summer was filled with swimming, stargazing and eating ice cream. In autumn we cuddled together on a couch with some hot chocolate and watched movies until late at night or enjoyed the last warm days on a park bench. The winter was full of baking cookies together, trying to find the perfect Christmas presents for friends and family and decorating the house. Spring was mostly spent with picking flowers, long walks and some picknicks. We were happy together. The usual downs like arguments, misunderstandings and a lot of stress were hard for us too, of course. But we always managed to make it through by reminding each other of how good we went together. I respected his private space even though he often worked a lot more than I wanted him to and he respected my private past even though he was obviously curious. We were the most cliché I ever knew but therefore were also completely normal and yet unique in our own ways.

"Hey, imagine our kids will ask us one day how we met", Hui grinned at me as we sat on a park bench and enjoyed the warm sun. It was autumn and the trees were slowly losing their leaves after showing off spectacular colours that were only intensified by the sun shining through them. "A train station is probably not the most romantic place to meet, is it?", I laughed. "Probably not", he agreed, "But still – tomorrow we've been together for one and a half year." "Guess the surrounding doesn't have to be romantic if you meet someone special." "Seems like it." We grew silent for a while and I moved closer to him. "Hey...", he continued suddenly, "What are you up for tomorrow? Shouldn't we celebrate somehow?" "I guess we could. Don't know how though. Do you have any ideas?" "How about going out to eat together and then see where it takes us?" "Sounds good. When and where?" "I'll pick you up at 12:30 and you can let yourself get surprised." "Deal. Could we pass by a bank on the way? I need to draw some money before holiday." "Sure."

The next day was rainy. But it didn't matter to us, we were the literal sunshine ourselves. Joking around, we walked hand in hand under a big umbrella. My life felt perfect for the moment. I had finished all my exams with the last one being the one I wrote that morning and could finally relax again. Getting rid of the stress of the past weeks, I was overly enthusiastic which was even intensified by the wonderful man by my side I could call my boyfriend for quite some time now and I could feel that he planned more -and longer- than he made it seem like yesterday. "Here we are, get your money young lady", he grinned as we halted in front of the bank. "Thanks", I grinned back and dragged him inside. As usually, I put my card inside the automat and got my money. Normally, I got my bank statements as well but suddenly I could feel tension in the air. I don't know why or what it was, yet my senses came to live and I shivered. "Let's go", I mumbled and grabbed Hui's arm. He looked at me puzzled. Luckily, he didn't protest. However, when I turned around to the entrance, I knew it was too late. Darn it. The person a few meters in front of me looked at me confused. And then started to smirk. Great.