Stranger In The Sand || Yungi ✔️

2

12:11am

I stuff my hands in my sweatshirt; it was the same one from yesterday. My outfit was basically the same besides the shirt underneath and my pants changed to shorts.

I stand against the water for a minute, my sandals still attached to my feet so I wouldn't almost forget them again. I gaze into the gleaming ocean, my eyes catching the reflection like last time.

I don't know why I'd never come here at night like this before. Maybe because I was scared my parents would get mad. They didn't know I went last night; they were too caught up in being pissed off at one another.

Let's not think about them tonight, Yunho.

My stare gets caught looking up at the stars. They sparkled, too. Just like the waves, with less movement. Similar to the night before, lights catch my attention from behind me. I take that as my cue to head up to the bench.

I meet Mingi's eyes, sending a smile. It was a bit brighter since it was a full moon tonight. I could see some of his face, and boy, was he a pretty sight to see.

"Hey," he begins, "nice to see you again."

I sit on the bench, him following, "you too."

Silence envelops us, the waves overcoming our senses. The wind began to pick up, leaving me to begin my shivering. It's alright, though. I wanted to feel cold. That's why I wore shorts.

"Did you know that Koi and goldfish represent prosperity? They bring good fortune. They're associated with wealth."

Maybe these facts could be our thing.

"Why do you know so much about fish meanings?" Mingi questions, not looking at me.

"I like fish. Ever since I went to the aquarium is Seoul when I was younger, I've been fascinated by fish. I started looking into more and more when I got older. Just something about the way they moved, or their expressions. Sometimes even their habits."

Again, the silence. It wasn't suffocating nor awkward. It was pleasant. Relaxing. Serene.

"Did you know that there's a constellation called Andromeda? It's a chained maiden. The queen, Cassiopeia, pleaded to Zeus to help drive Cetus away from her shores. Zeus said to sacrifice their daughter, Andromeda, to soothe Poseidon's anger. The queen did so, locking her daughter up to a rocky ridge at the edge of the sea for Cetus to consume. Before she could be killed, a champion named Perseus killed Cetus. He released the maiden and they got married. They both lived for a long time together."

"What about her parents? The king and queen?" I ask, confused at to why she didn't go back to her kingdom.

"I'm not sure. Maybe because she felt betrayed by them. They gave her up to get rid of a sea monster. Maybe she wanted to thank the champion and didn't have a second thought about leaving with him. He did save her life."

I nod, "why do you know so much about the legends of constellations?"

"My grandfather was an astronomer. My parents worked all the time, so I was left with him. My grandmother died before I knew her. He always shared the myths with me. It fascinated me. I wanted to be like him. He's still alive, but he lets me tell him the new things I learn. He corrects me anytime I mix things up, but it only makes me better at remembering them."

My heart aches at how precious his story was. Mine was based off of a building while his was based off of his grandfather. It's crazy where we learn who we want to be from. I'm sure someone out there wants to be a vet because a dog or lizard licked them once.

Without realizing it, a tear drops from my eye. Peering at the ocean, I felt a warm finger brush away the droplet. The warmth felt good on my cheek. Comforting, even.

"Why are you crying?"

I swallow the rock in my throat, "it's... that's really sweet, Mingi. It's heartwarming. I'm glad you could learn things like that from him."

His arm is suddenly wrapped around me, "you're freezing, Yun. Why are you wearing shorts? You knew it would be cold."

I shrug, "sometimes I need to feel cold."

Surprisingly, I was warmer after he pulled me closer. It was an incredibly sweet gesture. I appreciated it a lot. Maybe I needed to feel cold in order to get the warmth.

"You're an idiot," he shakes his head.

I felt my cheek muscles pull into a smile, "thanks, idiot is my middle name. If only I had sunglasses to put on to make that statement so much more smooth."

"It's the middle of the night," he deadpans.

"I'm cool."

"You're a dumbass."

"Dumbass is my middle name," I laugh, brushing my hair out of my face.

I could practically hear him roll his eyes, but he laughed along anyway. My friends always called me the clown of the group since I apparently was funny. No- I am funny. I'm absolutely hilarious.

"It's already been an hour," he points out, checking his dim-lit phone. "You should go home."

I shake my head, "I don't want to."

"Why?"

"Both of my parents are home. They always argue. I can't stand it. That's why I'm here."

He shuts up when I say that. I suddenly worry if I ruined the mood. Everything was nice before I said that. Ugh, dummy.

"I'll stay with you then. What time do they usually go to bed? I can drop you off."

"It's okay. They sleep around two. That's why I was out so late. You should go home. I don't want to keep you out here just for me."

"No, I'll stay. Not like my parents are home."

"Why did you come here yesterday?"

"My girlfriend dumped me a few weeks back. I guess it wasn't that bad. She didn't do anything wrong. Her feelings just changed and I understood that. It didn't hurt any less though."

My lips form into a pout, "I'm sorry, that must suck. I'm sure you'll find someone for you."

"It's okay," he smiles, "thanks though. Do you have a girlfriend?"

I chuckle, "I'm not into that. Sorry to drop that bomb on you. It's okay if you don't want to be friends, I understand."

He shakes his head, "I'm bi. You're fine. To be honest, you didn't seem like you were straight."

"Your gaydar must be in perfect shape then," I giggle, "I was way off."

"You think I was completely gay?"

"Yeah, you have that aura."

He looks at me with an offended expression, "excuse me, sir. Sorry to disappoint."

I laugh again, "sorry."

He brushes it off with a grin. That could've gone worse. Thank god it didn't.

"You should head home, I can smell the rain coming. I can drop you off," he offers.

"And give my address to a stranger? Absolutely not," I gasp.

"I can track you down with the number you gave me, idiot. I won't, but I could. Come on, let me take you home. I don't want you to get caught in the rain."

"Pft, it's just water, but I don't want to get sick. I'll take you up on that offer," I agree, "you better not kill me. I'm gonna be mad if you do."