Orange Hues | Wooin Yoo

01 | Crossing Paths

Wooin clenched his teeth and clicked his tongue out of frustration, turning his head away as he pulled down his cap firmly.

'Annoying,' is what he thought.

For a moment, he wanted to shut down his ears, or even rip them apart from his head, just so he could clog out the noise of a certain feminine laugh coming from a certain distance.

He clenched his fist, sitting on a bench far away from Joker and his girlfriend.

He spat the term 'girlfriend' on his mind with nothing but pure malice.

He glanced at them, at her. 

She was almost exactly the same yesterday, or even a week back, or months ago, from their first meeting. 

Doe-like eyes, an appearance that can weaken anyone's knees, strawberry colored lips that you'd think it'll taste the same if one dove right into it. An angel that was sent from above to perhaps end one's misery in this hell-like shithole he lived in. 

Her laugh was like a symphony passing through his ears, and for once, he wanted to listen to his deepest, most inner thoughts, and grab her by the hand just to kiss her in front of Joker. 

But he can't. 

That would be such an asshole move, coming from someone who made a shit ton of actions that deemed him far from an asshole, maybe even worse. 

It felt like it was just yesterday when he had her in his grasp, hugging her tightly under the pouring rain while begging her to give him a chance.

Obviously, he was rejected.

The girl only had eyes for Joker after all.

It took every inch of his self control to not stride forward towards where they are, punch Joker to his face, and pull the girl close to him.

But he won't.

No matter how psychotic of a bastard he is, he knew this time that whatever he does, the girl won't look in his direction the way he looks at her.

Lovingly. Hungrily. Needily.

He was constantly bombarded with questions inside his agitated brain.

Why him of all people? Why Joker? Why an asshole like him who beats people up for a living? An asshole who does not have any sense of direction to where his life might be leading.

Yet again, who was he to talk?

Who was he to warn that girl about all the possible dangers she had risked herself upon just because she fell in love with a man like Joker when he himself never led a righteous life in the past, up until now?

He was so caught up with all the messy thoughts running inside his head that he didn't realize he was staring long enough, just the right time when the girl decided to turn her head towards his direction.

He stared back, blankly, blocking any mere emotion that might just show up in his face.

He won't show vulnerability.

Not now.

The girl let out a small smile and waved a little before facing Joker again.

He saw her hand him a cute lunch box wrapped in pink cloth, placing it on Joker's rough palms.

His eyes widened for a bit when she wrapped her hands around Joker's neck, slightly pulling him down to match her height and landed a kiss on his cheek.