Taste | Changbin

Chapter Fifteen

Lennon sat in the back of the car quietly while everyone excitedly chatted around her. Everyone had been split up into two cars. Seungmin, and I.N had gone with Changbin and Chan in one car. Lee Know, Han, Felix, Hyunjin, and Lennon went into another car. 

Lee Know was at the wheel. He made Han sit beside him in the passenger's seat because apparently he couldn't sit still. Felix was stuck between Lennon on his left and Hyunjin on his right. Him and Hyunjin had struck up a conversation. Lennon sat with her head pressed up against the window. 

She watched the roads go by without a care in the world. There was something so blissful about shooting down the streets of South Korea. She could drive, but it felt a bit unfamiliar. She was still getting used to driving on the opposite side of the road. 

Felix gently nudged her in the side with his elbow. "Are you okay over there?" 

She moved her head away from the window to look over at him. "Yeah, I'm fine, I'm just taking it all in." 

"How long have you been here? Han said you came here from America." 

"It's been about two months, so I'm still pretty new to everything. It's definitely been a bit of a culture shock. There's a new language and there's a lot of new things. Like food for instance, there are very different foods in America and in South Korea." 

"It was like that when I came from Australia too. It took quite a bit to get used to. I was here all alone and I couldn't speak the language very well. Chan ended up taking me underneath his wing and helping me with a lot of things." 

"Chan seems like a really good leader." 

"He is! I think he's the backbone of this band. Whenever we need someone to go to for advice, we all usually go to Chan. He's a great person to be around." Felix continued rambling about Chan. Lennon asked a few questions when it was appropriate. 

"I heard you and Changbin haven't gotten along very well." 

"Unfortunately," Lennon muttered. "I've tried to apologize, but it's clear that he hates me." 

"He doesn't hate you, he gets too stuck in his mind sometimes. He can be stubborn and I'm sure he'll come around. You've managed to befriend the rest of us. Hopefully, he'll be doing a bit better at the arcade. He's very sweet once you get to know him." 

Lennon nodded and took her attention back to the window. They were starting to come into an unfamiliar town. Lee Know hit the brakes as they approached a stoplight. Lennon took in all of the buildings. Cafes, restaurants, and a variety of other businesses lined the street. 

A group of girls were laughing with each other as they came out of a retail store. Multiple different bags sat in their hands. A few doors down, a man was handing his younger daughter a cup of something. She reached out with two hands and grabbed the drink. The dad said something to her, but Lennon couldn't hear what he said. 

The young girl glanced over at Lee Know's car. She saw Lennon staring at her. Her hand shot up with an eager wave. Her other hand wasn't large enough to wrap around the cup. The cup started to tilt to the side. Her father quickly intervened and took the cup away before it hit the ground. Lennon waved back with a smile on her face. The girl grinned, lopsided pigtails sat on the sides of her head. 

She waved her little hand harder and picked up the other one to join. At some point, Lee Know noticed the little girl. "Look guys, she's waving at us! Everyone wave back!" The car filled with waves from everyone as the rest of the group started waving. 

Her dad realized what was happening and started laughing. He picked up his own hand and began to wave at them. When the light changed colors, Lee Know hit the gas pedal again. "Kids are so cute."

"Yeah, they're cute until they shit themselves," Hyunjin commented. "Don't get me started on when they throw up or pee everywhere. When they have yellow snot dripping out of their nose and they wipe it with their hand. It's like a mucus and it stretches while they move their hand and th-" 

"Ew! Stop!" Han plugged his ears.

"Are you done?" Lee Know glared at Hyunjin from the rear view mirror. 

"I'm just saying, they're cute until they're not." 

Lennon listened to their conversation, but she didn't add anything to it. She was too busy thinking about her own father. Too busy wondering what went wrong and how it happened. Could she have had a better relationship with her father if things were different in her life? Could she have done anything to be a better daughter?

What if's swarmed her brain like bees. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath in through her nose and out through her mouth. This wasn't the time or the place to be having these thoughts. She could struggle with her daddy issues when she was back at her apartment. 

"We're here!" Han's yell caused her to open her eyes. He bounced up and down in his seat. "We're here! We're here! Woo-hoo!" 

Lennon watched Lee Know roll his eyes in the rear view mirror. Felix chuckled from beside her. Han quickly unbuckled his seat belt as soon as the car was put in park. He hurried out of the car and everyone followed behind him. 

The rest of the group was already waiting for them near the doors. "What took you guys so long?" Chan asked. "We've been waiting here for five minutes!" 

"It's not our fault that Hyunjin didn't want to get up!" Lee Know threw his hands up in the air. "Take it up with him!" 

Hyunjin shrugged, "a prince needs his beauty sleep." 

Changbin stood behind Chan. His arms were already crossed across his chest. Lennon glanced up and accidentally met his eyes. A glare was instantly shot her way. She swallowed and glanced back at the ground. 

The little hope she had to fix things dissolved immediately. Clearly, there wasn't a point in trying. Changbin was still pissed and he wasn't going to change. She could beg for forgiveness all she wanted to, but it wouldn't matter. 

You can't expect an asshole to change their ways.