bnc | lookism.

8 × patches and tickets

It was around the fifth apology that Eun Tae sent Daniel a stern look. "You did the right thing. And I did say you can call me anytime you need help. There's nothing to apologize for."

Still, Daniel felt like he cried wolf. As a token of gratitude, he decided to buy Vasco and Chae Eun snacks from the store. It's the least he can do.

The two were seated at the corner, a pile of food on the table as they converse to themselves. They must be really close, Daniel thought. Jace did tell him that the three of them were childhood friends. He wondered how it feels to have friends as long as that.

Chae Eun was munching on a steamed bun when the thought of the gift crossed her mind. "Hey, what about your gift?"

"Oh," Eun Tae had forgotten it for a moment because of the whole Daniel fiasco. "Should we go back to the mall?"

"I mean, we could—" She fought back a yawn but she lost. Her body clock's been messed up for quite some time now. She'd anticipated that she'll wake up around 2 am later and hate herself because of it. "Come on, let's go." She made a move to stand up but Eun Tae pushed her back down. He then stood up and walked to the aisles of products.

When he returned, he brought with him a small package. He handed it to Chae Eun. "I like this one." It was a box of earphones.

"What?" Chae Eun took it from him, looked at it, and then back at Eun Tae. "Are you serious?"

He shrugged. "I want it. My old one has been acting up for a while now." Eun Tae was waiting for her to catch up with his plan, finally realizing the true intention on why he asked her out today. But Chae Eun didn't respond the way he expected. She just tipped her head sideways, a thoughtful look on her face, before calling on Daniel. "Can you ring this up for me? Thanks."

Chae Eun didn't have the energy to react, really. Normally, she would've lashed out for a bit before chopping a hand at Eun Tae's head. You made me roam around the mall the whole day and then you'll just want something from the convenience store? It was irksome but she decided to let it go. It's her best friend after all and she did miss his birthday. But if it were anybody else it'll be harder, though. "Anything else?"

"Oh, and some lollipops." He pointed at the small tower of it at the side of the counter. "Thanks, Daniel."

She was fetching for her wallet in her bag when she felt the small bundle inside. She almost forgot about it. "Hey, there's something else I got to give you." Chae Eun called out to Eun Tae who was busy rounding up mounds of lollipops on the counter. She fished the box out of her bag and gave it to him.

"Another gift?" He shook the package for a clue on what it may be.

"I bought it abroad. Go ahead, open it."

The packaging wasn't much bigger than Eun Tae's hand. When he opened it, he let out a gasp. "No way." He looked up at Chae Eun as if he's not seeing the contents correctly with his own eyes. "Is this what I think it is?"

In no time, she was mirroring his grin. "The one and the same."

Nothing beats a sentimental gift. The thing on Eun Tae's hands was revealed to be a box of pain relief patches and he was looking at it like it was a bar of gold. Daniel looked on, confused.

"How did you manage to find one?"

"The CEO tagged us along to this one mall in the States. We were passing by this drugstore and I saw that. Our neighbor did say it was a foreign brand."

They bonded over their bruises and muscle pains. Middle school was a dark time for the both of them but they grew closer during then. The three of them, Eun Tae, Jace, and Chae Eun, already were friends since elementary school. The boys were closer with each other but Chae Eun hang out with them from time to time—they did live in the same neighborhood. Then came middle school and so did the drifting apart of Eun Tae and Jace. Chae Eun would have to admit that she hated Jace then. He did abandon his supposed best friend in a trying time. And so she filled in his shoes in his absence. She became Eun Tae's nurse, too.