EIGHTEEN | minsung.

chapter 4

summer, 2017

retreating footsteps graced the restaurant's exterior as two friends walk away from the area on a whim.

after making sure they're far enough from the place, the older boy stopped abruptly. "weirdo!" he exclaimed.

"who is that guy anyway?"

"no idea, but it feels like i've seen him before." jisung tried to think of a specific event but nothing came to mind. it's all very vague. "i just can't figure out when."

"i swear if he turns out to be your ex," suspected jeongin.

"don't have one, and no thank you." he denied calmly.

"why not?" the younger raised his eyebrows, more in disbelief than skeptical. "he's cute though, but not my type."

"he's also not my type." the other boy crossed his arms.

"okay," his friend delivered smugly, raising his brows up and down simultaneously.

"you're doing that face again."

"what face?" jeongin played innocently.

he blinks and shakes his head. "we left our bikes at the arcade. let's go?"

***

the sudden desire to buy snacks and his mother's constant requests brought jisung to the grocery store that one fine summer's afternoon. and there he is, at the soap section, searching for the specific bar of soap on his mother's list.

the latter makes his way to the counter after shopping uninterruptedly. he gasped a little when he spots a familiar face, someone he wasn't expecting to be around at this time. jisung tried to brace himself, fixing his untamed, wind-blown hair and waits in line.

the first person in the line leaves with their groceries and it made jisung feel a mix of something at once because he himself was second to the next, because he was getting closer to him. he who had divine features and an even divine attitude that got the boy infatuated with also happened to be the storekeeper's son.

"hey," the cashier greets the boy with kind eyes and a friendly smile.

"hyunjin, hello." jisung stammers, looking anywhere but him.

then, the silence follows and it is anything that's awkward.

"there," after he finished packing the groceries, hyunjin breaks the silence and wished the other boy well. "have a great day."

jisung lights up, beams almost. "you too."

he made his way to the exit door the same time the entrance door chimes. he was startled to find brown eyes just as surprised to see him. the annoyance resurfaced jisung's system, having caught the familiar stranger roll his eyes for him to see, almost as if he was bringing him over the edge intentionally.

jisung could only walk away, they both did. the other not knowing a page of history he's missed.