HERO [C]

hero

Have you seen a land so vast that you start to tear up? Or maybe gloomy dark skies during a windy day then loneliness just engulf you? Perhaps you just want to have a good amount of break that you stare too long at the vast blue ocean and it feels like you are really drowning?

Chan has felt it all. Loneliness that he is isolated by some people; exhaustion from all the works he does yet people does not acknowledge him; and sometimes he feels connected to the ocean that he always see every time he gets in and off work, it is just a repeating cycle of life and growth but he stuck at a place.

Chan will not title himself as an outcast; he socializes with people just fine. But there are times where he feels that his emotions are just a fake rolls of films that only has white and black – he is showing the white one, the one that is with pure and innocence; yet he is actually drown in the black film. He has a lot of friends too either from works or neighbors, everyone knows him.

There are a lot of people but why it feels there's no one?

Chan will also not blame this feeling to his recent move. He moves from a foreign country to his hometown – yet it feels like he is in a foreign country. The foreign city is not too contrasted from his lifestyle before but the thing that has changed is his friends and surrounding.

He works at a local printing shop; the place is just perfect to him. People come and go only for some businesses they need to have it done. Only a few stops by and chat with him and sometimes there are none customers at all.

And today, Chan feels hungry after working his ass for twelve hours. He runs to the local bakery shop, about to get a few types or bread and he realizes it is raining. There is no umbrella or raincoat, Chan decides he will stay and eat while waiting for the rain to stop.

Chan picks three types of bread that are on the display and put them on his tray, he goes to pay and then choose a table that is near a window. It is an awkward moment to eat since there is nobody else in the bakery – first, due to the heavy rain; second, it is in the late evening where most of the workers are home to spend their times with their families or rest which Chan has no such things. So, he satisfies his grueling hunger first, ignoring the awkward aura.

Human nature is always complicated. Chan cannot refute the awkward tension (it is just himself being anxious) so after a few bites of his bread, he pretends to check the clock. And that is when the front cashier approaches him.

"I thought you will choke so here's a treat for you." the cashier hands him an iced latte, not Chan's favorite but he is touched by the cashier's thoughtful gestures.

"Thank you..." Chan muttered with mouth half full of bread and also choke on his saliva.

"No problem," the cashier pulls out a chair and takes a sit in front of Chan. "I am Younghoon. And you?" he chuckles as he holds out his hand for a handshake.

Chan is stunned and when he gets back to his sense, Younghoon is already laughing again.

"What are you so shocked about?" Younghoon chuckles, he takes a sip of his drink too then looks at Chan. In the process, he steals a glance at Chan's phone and notices his dark, angst wallpaper.

"Wow, you must've liked dark things." Younghoon innocently comments and Chan nods, his back of his head is screaming that he is freaking lying and he hopes someone actually notices it. He wants Younghoon, the new stranger that he meets and just now be friended realizes his white lie but Younghoon is too pure to know - his mind says so.

"Ah, me too!" Younghoon excitedly exclaims and fishes his pocket then shows Chan his lock screen. "I like this kind of vibe too." He finishes with a small chuckle - Younghoon will not understand the hidden crestfallen expression of Chan.