Kiss and Run | 박종성

01

THE GIRL paced around the waiting room, picking at her cuticles and checking the time every few minutes. With every second that passed, the guiltier she felt for hitting the guy with her car.

One thing Minseo would never forget about the incident was when the guy got up after he fell over, patting down his clothes before walking away as if nothing happened. She was stunned and didn't know what to do but she jumped out of the car and went after him, making sure he was okay. Although he wasn't majorly injured, she still rushed him to the hospital. She was so tense that she didn't even think to ask for his name, driving through the roads using her memory of her hometown.

Minseo's phone kept ringing and ringing. Her mother had already expected her home, but Minseo couldn't even eat or drink, let alone answer her mother's calls and answer all the women's questions on why she was late.

As the large double doors kept opening and closing her eyes flickered up as she hoped to see him walking out soon. Sure, she could have left after making sure he was checked in but her conscious wouldn't let her.

Finally after an hour of waiting she saw the somewhat familiar face walk out the double doors and up to the receptionist, seemingly signing himself out. She noticed the small bandages on his lip and on his cheek and internally cursed at herself. After Minseo watched him sign some forms, he turned around and saw her staring at him, a concerned look on her face as he began walking up towards her.

He gave her a weak smile before sitting down next to her and crossing his arms. "You didn't have to wait for me to be treated," he said, turning his head towards Minseo and she smiled apologetically.

"I couldn't leave without knowing if you were okay." Minseo stopped picking at her cuticles and her eyes gazed at the bandages on his face.

"It's nothing serious, my lip just busted open and I hit my cheek on your hood when I fell," he chuckled and watched as the girl's eyes roamed his face.

"I'm incredibly sorry— is there anything I can do? Most stores around here aren't open because of the storm but the hospital has a cafe, great coffee, and muffins." Minseo tried to do something to make up for the accident she caused but the guy waved her off and declined.

"I'm seriously okay. Nothing happened and plus it's my fault for being an idiot and for walking around in that storm." The guy reassured her before putting his hand out for her to shake. "I'm Park Jongseong."

Minseo huffed out a laugh before shaking his hand. "Park Minseo."

"I'd say it's great to meet you but our ways of meeting aren't ideal," he joked and Minseo turned her eyes to her hands, composing her laughter.

"That's one way to put it," she muttered back and heard him chuckle. "Are you able to leave yet?"

Jongseong shook his head before pulling out his phone and checking the time. "Nah, they said I should wait 15 minutes just to be safe. In case I feel nauseous or something."

She nodded to his words, still eyeing his bandages and the faint cuts she could see on his fingers, presumably getting them when he caught his fall.

"Do you mind if I wait with you? I'd feel terrible just leaving you here to sit by yourself," Minseo asked, ignoring the vibrating phone that sat on her lap.

"No, I don't mind. Better to have company when sitting at the hospital, right?" He mentioned and the girl hummed, silencing her phone.

The pair fell into a few moments of awkward silence, unsure of what to say to each other. Minseo's eyes darted around the waiting room as she searched for topics to discuss. Finally, she settled on the classic small-town conversation.

"So, I've never seen you in town before, are you from here?" She awkwardly turned towards him and he looked up from his phone to face her.

"No, but I wish I was from this town. I moved here a few years ago." Jongseong pocketed his phone and stretched slightly before looking at Minseo. "Could I actually take you up on that coffee?"

Minseo smiled and nodded, picking up her bag and standing up. Jongseong followed soon after her, walking together towards the dimly lit cafe.

The girl ordered a large black coffee while he got a decaf.

"Black coffee at six PM?" He asked and Minseo chuckled, sitting at a small two-person table in the corner of the cafe.

"I drove for five hours and my only real stop was when I hit you." She breathed and Jongseong chuckled at her comment.

"You're from the city?"

"More or less," she muttered and took a big gulp of her coffee. Jongseong nodded and the two of them sat in silence. Both were scrolling on their phones and sipping on their drinks as they waited for the time to pass.

Soon Jongseongs 15 minutes were over and the pair left the cafe to walk to the garage where Minseo had parked earlier and Jongseong declined her offer to bring him home once again.

"I don't want you walking home in this weather, especially after what happened," she whispered the last part under her breath, still embarrassed, and Jongseong shook his head for he was grateful for her kind gesture.

"I had plans with my friends so he's coming to pick me up soon. You should go home. I imagine after five hours of driving and an hour and a half spent in the hospital has been pretty eventful already." He urged her to go, not wanting the girl to be even more exhausted than she already seemed to be.

"Alright. Well, it was great meeting you Jongseong. Again, I'm so sorry for hitting you." She waved goodbye as she walked back to her car. Jongseong waved back, smiling lightly before walking back into the hospital.

When Minseo reached her car she instantly turned it on and stared at the steering wheel before letting out the loudest groan of annoyance at the events that had transpired in the day. If she wasn't tense enough, the questions she knew she was going to get bombarded with only filled her with dread as she began driving back to her childhood home.

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AUTHORS LETTER,
Dear readers,
I'm so excited to finally start writing
this is because I have over 100 book
ideas and I'm always thinking of
more so I've never been consistent
with planning my books out.
Also, the beginning chapters are
going to be shorter until Minseo and
Jay's relationship develops. <3
Love,
Nuera.

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© nuerra 2024