𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗧𝗧𝗬﹕heeseung

－ 𝐅𝐈𝐕𝐄

Third person.

A week passed, and Heeseung and Aera haven't seen each other again ever since. They still haven't got the chance to know each other's names then. It became a rough week in their separate lives.

Aera has a presentation she needed to finish by Wednesday, plus a pending report she needs to start. Hence, she hasn't been leaving the dorm much and dismisses her spare time. Heeseung's part-time at the grocery store was becoming hectic. He's been trying to compose a song, hardly given any dedications from his daily life. He was barely even given the time to touch his computer for gaming.

It was Saturday and Heeseung's on duty. He works every other day, his shift starting at five in the afternoon until eight. The sight of a full grocery store isn't new to him anymore, but he still feels exhausted. His watch says 7:40, meaning twenty minutes left before he's allowed to leave. How lovely.

He greets the customers with a thin-lip smile that looks forced most of the time, scans their groceries inside their cart (hiding a whine to leave his mouth when it's a big push cart that's full), and gives them a "have a great evening!" after when they go. And it goes on like that to almost everyone. Except one.

"Hello-" Heeseung stopped when he looked at the next customer, the smile that he forced himself leaving his lips as the girl stares back at him with a grin.

"Hello to you too." She greeted, flattered by his stare. She pushed the three cans of energy drinks and three packets of noodles towards him, clearing her throat to make him snap back into reality.

"It's been a while, pretty." Heeseung said, never planning to throw away her nickname.

"A week of not seeing me doesn't seem that long." Aera joked, Heeseung scoffed and put the items in a small plastic bag.

"I'm free to leave in ten minutes. Would you mind waiting for me out 'till I'm over?" Heeseung requested, the tip of his fingers lingering against hers as he handed the plastic bag. Aera nodded before going out.

The sliding door opened with the boy coming out from the exit at the exact time he promised. Aera was still there waiting next to the door. Heeseung sighed in relief upon seeing her and walked towards the girl.

"I thought you left." Heeseung spoke to get her attention.

"Didn't you tell me to wait for you?" Aera provoked.

"And I'm glad you did." Heeseung responded. 

"Say, are you free right now? I'd like to take you to dinner... if you're okay with it?" He asked, begging all Gods watching them that she won't take his offer in the wrong way. She has all the right to decline his offer, yet she nodded her head.

"Sure." Aera responded, getting the guy's hopes high up. And if you ask her why she agreed- well, she's starving! Who is she to say no to dinner offered by a young man (whom she barely knows and has been crushing for days)?

The walk to a small diner takes merely five minutes walk. With quite a small space between them, the two tried to get distracted by whatever was going on in the city of Seoul, rather than stealing a glance at one another. The awkwardness was evident but they couldn't be blamed.

"I'm Lee Heeseung, by the way."

"I'm Han Aera." 

Now that they've introduced themselves to each other at last, that makes them less of strangers anymore, doesn't it?