APRICITY | SKZ

16 - Golden Hour pt.3 | L.YB

Hyunhee knew that the approaching few days were going to be terrible when she woke up with a runny nose and brain splitting headache. She rose from her bed groggily, feeling weak all over and her arms shake.

So yes, she did in fact spend five days drowning in self pity, her own snot and a deeply depressed phase as her throat hurt and her eyes burned. It rarely happened that she fell sick, but when she did, it's always something brutal.

Eating and drinking was a hazard, she threw everything up.
Walking was a hazard, she fainted after three steps.
Talking was hazard, her voice had been reduced to a rough, whistling whisper.

She cried every day, frustration was at its peak.

In her life, she's never felt more grateful than when the week had passed and she was capable of returning to her original routine again. Having her priorities straight, she freshened up and went outside first thing in the morning.

She had places to be, like the Han river.

According to her thorough calculations, Felix should arrive in two hours, long after she would go be gone already. Better for her, honestly, because she was in no state that she wanted him to see her in.

Surely, she did freshen up before going outside, but being sick really had an impact on her and it was very obvious.

Felix shouldn't arrive in another two hours, so why did he?

Hyunhee felt her heart drop into the deepest pit of her stomach and her blood freeze cold when he entered the park with his brown, long coat. His gaze was taking in every detail as if it was his first day again, he was looking for something.
Or perhaps, someone?

She quickly hid in her shawl, praying to the lords that he didn't see her in her miserable state and that she could quickly disappear without getting noticed. Her cheeks were dusted in bright pink from embarrassment and her eyes squeezed shut, like the toddlers who believed you couldn't see them if they couldn't see you.

His vanilla scent, mixed with some expensive smelling perfume hit her before she even saw him and she felt every nerve in her body tense when his deep voice rattled through her core.

"Hello?"

She slowly pried her eyes open, cursing her luck when he was indeed right in front of her.

"Hi."
God, the floor should swallow her at this point. Her voice resembled a ten years old chain-smoker's more than anything, that's how cranky and hoarse it was.

Felix graced her with a dashing smile and she felt her ears turn hot.

"Where have you been? I haven't seen you in a full week."

Of course, he was definitely more bold than your average korean citizen due to his foreign background. Hyunhee was already aware, but it still shocked her when he approached her so easily. It was as if he had been looking and, let the girl dream a little, maybe even waiting for her.

"Sick."
Was all she could reply without her voice breaking in the middle of it.

"Oh."
He looked enlightened, to say the least, as he nodded thoughtfully and - you could've never guessed it - sat down right next to her.

Right next to her.

Hyunhee's whole body set ablaze as she averted her eyes shyly, looking at the, all of a sudden, very interesting pebbles on the floor.

Stop being a simp!

She lectured her mind, but not so sadly, she's always been a bit irrational.

A heavy blanket of silence had settled between them and Hyunhee cowered into her jacket the longer it stretched.
She didn't know what to talk about, she didn't know what to do.

"The weather is nice right now, isn't it?"
Coming from anyone else, the conversation starter would've seemed really forced, but something about the way Felix said it made it so natural, so she didn't mind.

It was autumn and the sky was a mix of grey clouds. There was a faint breeze that carried the smell of pumpkin spiced pastries and rain threatened to fall any second. It was right before sunset, the sun was visible and stretched a wing span of golden, yellow and orange hues across the horizon. The beams that fell on the both made it seem as if they were glowing from the inside.

Hyunhee hummed, smiling.
"It really is, you're right."

Felix turned his head to look at her again, smiling with the softest of smiles.
"Thank you, by the way."

That caught her attention. Hyunhee felt her brows raise in confusion.

"Thank you? Why?"

"For the muffin and coffee, they really cheered me up. I also really liked the note."

The four stages of embarrassment dawned upon her and her mouth flew open, making Felix chuckle.

"You knew that was me?"

He wasn't supposed to.

"Yes, and I'm really thankful for what you did. It was the nicest thing someone has done for me since I arrived."

Her heart broke a little at the underlying sad tone in his last sentence.

"I was surprised when you were gone all of a sudden and I figured it was because of something unexpected, perhaps even something bad, so I carried around these for a couple of days for when I see you again."

In utter shock, Hyein watched him pull out a wrapped muffin and a hot drink from his bag.

"For you."
He nudged her hand, making her open her palm and watch soundlessly as he placed the items into her hand.

Upon further inspection, she soon realised. It was a carrot cake muffin.
Taking a tiny gulp from the still hot beverage, her eyes widened.
A pumpkin spiced latte with a pump of caramel.

The exact same order she gave him when he was feeling sad.
And then she saw it, with black ink, a small message had been written on the side of her cup.

"Stay srong, Fighting!"

Slowly, Hyunhee felt the corners of her mouth raise before she giggled, happily taking another sip from the drink.

"Thank you so much. Is there any way I can repay you for your kindness?"
She adressed him, her heart blooming with the warmth of the sun and the power of a thousand flowers. The jitters had spread all over her body and butterflies raged in her stomach.

"It's nothing, really. But there is one thing you can do."
Felix grinned at her mischievously, grabbing another item from his bag.

Hyunhee watched curiously, quickly realising that the black rectangle was indeed a phone that he was now streching into her direction. Felix rasped his throat, a small breeze ruffling his hair in the best way and his freckles inviting her to count them like the stars on the night sky.

"You could give me your number."

_ _ _
Part: 3/3

See you soon my lovely Potatoes ♥️

16.08.2024; 1157 words