SEVENTEEN | Imagines

Joshua (III)

Joshua

Do you believe in fate?

. . .

It made no sense, you knew so, but you didn't let that hinder you in the slightest. You fell in love anyway.

You were going to start your post-secondary education and had been accepted into your first choice, although the program wasn't the one that you had wanted. However, it was then that your usually overprotective parents gave you a gift.

You were free to choose a continent to spend a gap year in. After settling all the paperwork and ensuring that everything would in order when you returned, you began to plan feverishly for the biggest adventure of your life.

After booking a flight to Hanoi, you were off. You planned to stay a few weeks in all the countries and cities that you could.

Little did you know that you would only ever make it to your third stop before your plans were thrown out the window.

. . .

You bumped into him at the airport.

Of course the both of you were at fault, but the boy had a massive stack of luggage and boxes stacked dangerously high on his airport cart. When you had looked at the mountain the split second before it ran right into you, you wondered if the owner of the boxes were moving his life's belongings to Korea.

You had only very gently nudged the pile before it came crashing down, making a massive mess on the floor that blocked some irritated people.

"Oh my gosh," you said out of instinct, "I'm so sorry, let me help you." You quickly crouched down to pick up one of the large cardboard boxes that lay on the ground.

"No, no," his voice was light and musical, so pleasing to the ear that you couldn't help but to glance at the speaker, who you realized was a handsome young man. "Don't worry about it."

You started. "You speak English?"

After setting the boxes he took from your hands back onto the cart he replied, "Yeah, I'm actually American."

You gave him a cheeky grin, the lack of a language barrier made you more comfortable with a stranger than you typically would be. "Well, hello American. I'm a student that is roaming the world, I also may or may not be broke."

He chuckled at your bad joke. "Alright. I'm Joshua if you must know. I also may or may not have lost my parents and have no idea where I'm supposed to go."

"How funny," you smiled, "I have found myself in the exact same situation. Minus the parents."

Joshua couldn't believe his luck, not only did he find someone who spoke English, but you were nice and had some sense of humour. Although this didn't help his plight much, it was better than being alone by leaps and bounds.

"I guess the best place to go for people like us would be Airport Help?" His eyes were bright. "Shall we?"

"We shall."

. . .

"So, what brings you to Korea?" You asked as the two of you trudged along, trying to decipher the signs, or rather pictures since neither of you were particularly fluent in reading Korean.

"Oh, uh," Joshua had a bashful expression on his face as he stalled for a moment, "Promise me you won't laugh."

You furrowed your eyebrows lightly in confusion. "Why would I laugh?"

A blush began spread across his cheeks, and you wondered if it was appropriate to find him so adorable.

"Just promise, please?"