Bang Chan // Stray Kiss

하나.

Maybe it's the way her eyes light up or the way her lips gracefully dance into a smile that made me notice her. Maybe it's the way the wind blows her hair or that cute voice of hers humming to a song she's listening to that bothered me to look her way. Maybe it's the way she sits on the small bench, looking so innocent with her headphones on that made me wonder what kind of story her life holds.

I don't know who she is nor have I ever seen her in my life.

But I happen to meet her one fateful day in one of the most cliche places ever - the bus stop.

And no, it's nothing romantic or dramatic. In fact, it was probably one of the most unmannerly encounters I've ever experienced. I still regret it up to this day.

It was exactly a month ago when I first saw her. She sat at the farthest end of the bench. She was scrolling through her playlist with her baby blue headphones on. I honestly would have considered giving her a small smile or even starting a decent conversation with her if it wasn't for the fact that things at the studio ended up in a mess.

Recording the song took such a long time, especially with most of the members having to repeat the parts over and over. It certainly didn't help that the power went out for a few hours. The dance practice was shockingly unsynchronized, in which we had to thoroughly study each step at a time. I also didn't happen to make much progress on composing new songs.

I don't blame my members because I know we're in the process of mastering our talents, but I sure wish the day turned out better for all of us.

It's just one of those days where everything seems to be out of place.

It just feels like all the weight is on my shoulders. I just don't feel like a good leader despite how many times my members encourage me and tell me otherwise.

It was around 6:00 pm when we were sent home after a long day. I said my goodbyes to both the staff and my members, making my way out of the building. I took my usual route to the nearest bus stops, kicking small stones on the pavement as I did. It wasn't that much of a long walk, it only took me about ten minutes.

And there she sat.

"Hey, you!" I yelled in frustration, pointing my finger at her.

The girl was startled, knocking her headphones and have it falling to the ground in an instant. I watched her gawk at the slightly shattered headset, her hands frozen in mid-air. She then turned to me in shock, her eyebrows knitted together.

"Y-Yes, how can I help you?" She asks.

"What are you? Customer service?" I retort.

Yes, I know. What a jerk.

"I'm sorry, what do you want?" She asks, voice sounding annoyed yet terrified at the same time.

"What time is it?" I ask.

She blinked, pulling her phone out of her pocket. I hear a click of the power button and the screen lights up.

"It's 6:22 pm." She replies.

"Dang it!" I yell.

The girl jumps back slightly, clutching her chest. 

"The bus is 12 minutes late," I say to no one in particular.

"Jeez, can't you just wait?" She mutters, unaware that I heard her.

I rolled my eyes, looking around for any signs of the bus, only to find none. The girl had already picked up her broken headphones, shoving it into her small backpack. She let out a sigh, fiddling with her fingers as she waited.

Looking back, I can't really blame her for reacting the way she did. The littles things just seemed to tick me off and I wanted was to be in bed to call it a day.

"Do you have a phone?" I ask, turning to her even if I already knew the answer to that.

"I-I do. Are you going to rob me now?" She asks.

I raised my eyebrow. 

"No, I was gonna ask you to track the bus. There's a number right here." I tell her, pointing to a sign beside me.

"Oh." She quietly replied.

She stood from her seat, casually making her way beside me to take a closer look. She lifted her head and followed the instructions written on it. I watched her over my shoulder, her fingers were slightly shaking.

So, I waited.

And waited.

Until what seemed like five minutes passed.

"Did you get a reply yet?" I ask.

"Um, I-I can't send the text."

"Are you kidding me?"

"No..."

"That was rhetorical."

"Right."

I pinched the bridge of my nose before peeking at her phone. 

"You should take out the hashtag and send it to this other number." I point out, taking a look at the sign.

"Oh, okay. I-"

"Nevermind, the bus is here." I cut her off, spotting the large vehicle headed toward us.

I left her standing there as I selfishly got in ahead of her. I made my way to the back of the bus where no one was seated. I claimed the seat, looking out the window.

From the corner of my eye, I saw her take a seat somewhere in the middle. 

As I slouched in my seat, I couldn't help but ponder on my actions earlier.

I barely know her, I shouldn't have taken it out on her.