TEXT MSG, minsung

bonus

the convenience store downtown was buzzing with so much energy, so many of its customers leaving and entering the building every second, and for a while there minho stood still in shock, his mind reeling with a little bit of nervousness.

that was always the hardest part; dealing with the little bouts of anxiety and self-deprecation here and there. the medications and therapy he'd been subjected to were doing their job though, and now he was happier than he'd been in a long time. although he'd been cursed with a mental illness that never really went away, he still realized that he could live a satisfied and fulfilled life, all because of the help and support he was receiving on the daily.

after inhaling a deep breath, minho finally decided to enter the store. the second he entered though, he was insanely grateful that his mother had reminded him to wear his hoodie today, as the large convenience store reeked with too much air conditioning. it was like they were trying to turn every human that shopped there into icecaps, and even if it was currently summer, the store shouldn't have been allowed to use that much air condition.

minho took out his new phone when he'd gotten to an aisle filled with snacks for little kids, surveying through the shopping list his mother had sent to him through text message.

the list itself wasn't anything much, just a few items here and there. the outing wasn't really made for him to shop, but it was because his mother felt he needed to socialize some more, as well as to receive some fresh air as he'd been cooped up into several rooms for too long. she also felt he needed some exercise as well, but nothing that would be too draining for him.

as minho proceeded to look for the first item, which was a packet of peanuts (as his mom loved peanuts a lot), he paused for a bit, looking through his phone again to see if a message from an unknown number had popped up. when he found none, a relieved breath left his lips.

he'd formed a habit of checking his phone for texts from unknown numbers ever since he'd purchased his new phone, even though he knew he'd imagined the whole thing, and that none of it was real. but sometimes, he just couldn't help himself.

stop checking your phone, minho, minho chastised himself as he dug his phone back into his jean pocket. he inhaled a deep breath to calm himself down, and then he started walking again, heading down the store to go look for his mom's precious peanuts.

he continued walking, taking his time so he wouldn't accidentally bump into any of the other customers and make them angry. for some reason, he was starting to feel a little bit tense.

a low-volumed pop song blasted through the store's speakers, and for a second there, minho let himself relax for a little bit, the cheerful sounding song brightening up his mood considerably and easing the tension that had built up inside his chest.

after he'd gotten his mom's peanuts, he headed towards the direction of where the pet food was stored, as the cat food supply was kind of running low in the house.

as he entered the aisle, there were two other people there as well. being a little socially awkward, minho avoided eye-contact with both males, reading through the cat food labels for the best one.

as his eyes continued to observe the assorted options of cat food to choose from, he heard the sound of something like a bag dropping, and on instinct, he turned to the side.

"oh my god -- uh, sorry!" the guy who'd dropped the bag that held some dog food hurriedly apologized to everyone else. as he bent down to pick up the bag, his black hoodie lowered, revealing a head of soft blue hair.

minho was about to look away when the other male's eyes met his, and he felt like his heart almost stopped.

no, his mind spoke, its frazzled voice bouncing through the walls of his head, this can't be happening. no...