Enigma Stigma (ONC 2023 Entry)

10.

With the cinnamon muffin bag tucked deep within the recesses of her messenger bag, Constance held her notebook out in front of her to look at the address that Beom had written down for her on the bus. She wasn't very good with navigating, so she found herself stopping often for directions. It certainly didn't help her navigation skills thinking about the new revelation that she had just learned. As she walked, she kept debating whether or not to confront Beom with the information she had learned. Now it all made sense to her why he treated those cinnamon muffins like they were a slice of home. It was because they were.

Regardless of her distracting thoughts, she eventually - after about forty-five minutes of wandering about - found the correct destination. Or - at least - she hoped she had.

Constance slowed her steps when she realized that the cement pathway she had been following for the last few minutes led to a lake; the ripples of which were stained with the colors of the sunset. A picnic table or two was situated about the area with a dock yawning out into the water. Trees hemmed the lake in on all sides; the only conversation filling the air currently was that of nature and the animals that called it home. Constance stood there dumbfounded by her surroundings for a second, having never been somewhere so peaceful and serene since camping with her family when she was little.

'Beom lives around here?' thought Constance as she turned her gaze about her again. There didn't seem to be any sort of houses anywhere around her. Just when she thought this was some sort of joke, her gaze was drawn towards a sky blue and white camper van as the side door opened. Beom popped out, looking over at her.

"I was starting to wonder if you got yourself lost," said Beom as he moved to walk over to her.

"I know how to find my way about," said Constance as she watched him move to stand directly in front of her.

He looked like he was about to say something when he instead scrunched up his nose a bit as he took a sniff of the air.

"Do I smell cinnamon muffins?" asked Beom.

"Are you secretly a bloodhound or something?" she asked as she moved to open her messenger bag to withdraw the paper bag with the cinnamon muffins in it.

She watched Beom's eyes light up when she dug it out, quickly snatching it from her hand as if she was about to tuck it out of his reach. Seeing the childlike joy that flooded his face when he was given those muffins aided with the knowledge she had just gotten from Darla caused her to ache all over again. Constance watched as he tore open the bag to start eating. Half of his cheek was stuffed like a chipmunk as he said, "Thank you."

Constance just nodded her head, looking past his shoulder and at the still open door of the camper van. Beom could tell that she was staring as he ate and knew exactly what she was looking at without even turning to look at it.

"You want to ask something," he said. "This muffin has me in a good mood, so ask while I'm still eating."

"Do you really live in that van?"

Beom nodded his head, moving to walk back towards it as he beckoned her to follow him. Constance moved to follow him before he changed his mind about being so open. Soon enough she was standing near the open van door, clearly able to see the cramped yet cozy lifestyle that Beom had subjected himself to for the last couple of years.

There really wasn't much to look at. The camper van had a gray sleeping bag that was laid neatly across the floor. Alongside it was a notebook with a pen used as a bookmark; an acoustic guitar tucked behind that. A few sandwich wrappers littered the interior of the van along with cups of noodles. Heavy blue blankets were draped over the windows like blinds. The sunlight outside shone through the blankets and onto the sleeping bag, giving the air a melancholier feeling than it already had.

Beom climbed into the camper van and sat cross-legged on his sleeping bag. Constance stared at him for a moment as her eyes still took in everything.

"Doesn't this get lonely?"

Beom shrugged as he finished the cinnamon muffin, dusting his hands together so a few crumbs littered the surface of the sleeping bag he was sitting on.

"It's easier this way," he replied cryptically as he looked over at her. "I like being a nobody."

"You're such a liar," she said as he cocked a brow.

"Liar?"

She nodded as she locked her eyes on his.

"No one likes being a nobody. Everybody needs somebody."

"What Hallmark card did you get that from?" he asked as he rolled his eyes, looking down at his hands on his lap afterwards.

"I didn't get it from a Hallmark card, thank you very much! But even if I did, it doesn't make it untrue," she said.

Beom didn't say anything as he still looked at his hands instead of at her. Without waiting to be invited inside, she hefted herself up into the camper van and took a seat at the end of his sleeping bag. She reached out a hand to place over his.

"Beom, I could be your somebody."

He didn't say anything for a moment, deciding instead to move a hand from under hers to pick at a stray string on the fraying right knee of his pants.

"I am the only person that can see you," Constance continued, "So even if you want to make some sort of snarky remark about 'why does it have to be you', you'll just have to suck it up."

The familiar smirk was back as he finally lifted his head to look back at Constance.

"You have no idea what you're saying," said Beom.

"I think I do," she said adamantly. "Let's be nobodies together."

"Nobodies together, huh?"

"Yep. We'll be hopeless and the enigma," said Constance. "The best nobody duo around."

Beom chuckled lowly as he nodded his head. Now armed with the knowledge that she had, Constance was bound and determined more than ever to help Beom feel like he didn't have to hide anymore.