Paper Cranes | Park Jimin

16: Hot Packs

The inebriation from that single glass of alcohol had probably sunken deep into my system. After that day, it seemed like I suddenly turned into this new person. A stranger to my own self.

But then I'd snap back to my old usual self and indulge into an argument over an internal conflict with that small voice in my head.

Am I going crazy?

Basically... I was, indeed, going crazy.

Since here I was, on my way to the grocery store, just because Park Jimin had requested that we meet. Again. For like, I could not even remember how many times this had happened lately.

But you don't even usually cared about such trivial things, Haneul.

I sighed, begrudgingly pushing the glass door open and my eyes wandered through the store in search for Jimin. I was expecting to see him on the usual table by the window, but he wasn't there.

"Are you sad just because you didn't see me?" a voice said from behind, and I didn't even need to look up to know that he was smirking.

I turned to him with a blank expression.

Maybe the reason I had been complying with him was because something at the back of my mind perceived Jimin as a lonely soul who just needed company.

Jimin had already gone off to somewhere while I stood in the middle, not minding the people passing me by. I only followed him with my gaze. He was at the cashier to pay for his items, and before taking a bill out of his wallet, he had the audacity to wink at me.

Jimin thanked the cashier and flashed him a smile. Had the cashier been a girl, I'd find Jimin being rather flirty. But since the cashier was a guy—and a cranky one sometimes—this just proved that Jimin was like that to everyone. Or at least most people.

"Let's go," he said, and my eyebrows shot up. However, he had already held on my wrist and was ushering me out of the store.

Once we were out in the streets, the cold night breeze greeted us. Without warning, Jimin held my hand and placed something warm on my palms.

"It's an egg-bread, you should try it." I then heard him unwrap his food next to me.

I held on the uneven shaped bread, still inside the paper food wrap, with both of my hands and appreciated its warmth for a moment.

Walking side by side, we both ate with the low humming of cars and faint footsteps of civilians around us. That went on for a few more minutes. When I finished eating, I felt slightly disappointed for the sudden loss of warmth. And because the egg-bread was actually dainty.

"Here." Jimin held the plastic bag open with two hands, and I placed my litter inside. He then aimed for the trash bin before shooting the bag in a projectile motion.

The way he looked so satisfied and proud over such simple stunt made me chuckle and shake my head.

"That's something huh?" boasted Jimin and grinned at me.

"Sure," I teased.

But Jimin had already crouched down, his back was facing me. I crossed my arms and narrowed my eyes at him as he busied himself with the bushes.

The playful side of me wanted to kick his butt so he'd tumble over the bushes. Yet despite finding that totally humorous, I preferred to be a reasonable kid.

He soon stood up and laid his palm open in front, gesturing that I do the same.

Although skeptical, I obliged and without second thoughts, he secured my hand with his. Jimin placed something before rolling my palms closed.

I flinched at the rough ticklish movement and yelped when I realized what Jimin had just given me. Startled, I instinctively threw the poor thing away.

I'm so sorry Mr. Lizard! I mentally cried. I wasn't even sure if it was a lizard, but it kind of looked like one.

Standing a few steps away from me, laughing his lungs out and biting his knuckles as if that helped suppress anything, was Park Jimin who obviously totally enjoyed the whole scene.

Normally, I wouldn't bother. But to avenge for Mr. Lizard and to shut him up, today would be an exception.

I sprinted forward, but Jimin began to run as well.

"Yah! Park Jimin, come back here!" I screamed, doubling my speed. He glanced over his shoulders only to show that he was still finding this funny.

I knew I should've kicked his butt when I had the chance!

Finally, he slowed down and he faced me as if he was surrendering. But it was too sudden that instead of merely slowing down to a halt, I crashed into him, knocking off his balance. I reached a hand to prevent his fall.

That sort of didn't end up well though, since we both landed shortly on the ground unceremoniously. People who could see us probably thought we were nuts.

Jimin warily looked at me, and that was when I burst out laughing. He stood up first, assisting me up next.

"Aah," stretched Jimin, jaw slacked as he messily ran a hand on his hair. Then he turned back to me. "Min Haneul, has anyone ever told you that you're strange."

I scoffed incredulously. Not because he had basically pointed it out that I was a strange person; But because it just had to be him out of all people to tell me that.

"Well, I don't think anyone has," I said as a matter-of-fact.

"Sometimes you go batshit like you want to kill me." He laughed. "Then you'll barely care about anything and won't even react to whatever I do. But next thing I know, you're nice to me and we're hanging out as if we're the best of friends."

There wasn't a tinge of complaining in his words—in fact, he sounded genuinely amused.

Only when Jimin had stopped talking that I realized I had been staring at him with so much intent. And even a second after the silence, my gaze was still on him.

I was sure he noticed it too.

It took one smile from Jimin, that smile that I couldn't erase from my mind, that smile that I couldn't figure if it annoyed me or if I liked it.

It only took that single smile for something to brood inside me.

He shoved his hands in his pockets, searched for something and pulled them out, placing his hands on both sides of my face, two hot packs pressed on my cheeks.

He didn't need to do anything else as I finally had an epiphany of what those red specks floating with uncertainty inside me were.

And thanks to our current position that I could get away with the sporadic fusion of red and pink on my burning face.

He might not see right through it, but to me, it was crystal clear.

I couldn't be wrong.

I barely cared most times, but whenever I did, I was always sure. And I couldn't be mistaken with this one.

The warmth seeping through my insides wasn't really from the hot packs nor Jimin's heat radiating due to the proximity. Instead, it rooted from the match striking against my chest, friction causing a spark before the full ignition.

It felt both wrong and right at the same time.

And somehow, it frightens me.