heartstruck

2-new life

it takes us about 20 minutes of walking to find the apartment that my father rented for us until we find a good place to live. we headed up to the building and entered. it wasn't much... but it was going to be our new home for a while. it was quite cute and comfy, and we each had a room to ourselves which i'm okay with. we go into our separate rooms to unpack and get settled in.

        even though we didn't do much besides go on a bus and walk for a while, i still feel exhausted and overwhelmed. this is probably normal though, right?after leaving a life, a home... getting to experience something new and scary. i start unpacking all my things and placing them into the dresser and closet.

        as i finish packing up, i put my suitcase under the bed and lay down. why do i feel so nervous about this? it almost makes me sick with fear, being so terrified of getting caught by the witch. if we do get caught... we're practically dead meat then. that's what scares me the most... we have to stay hidden until she stops looking; if she's even looking for us in the first place. after my thoughts settle down for a while, i slowly drift away to sleep, my mind at ease and my body in peace.

         soon enough, i wake up from my slumber. i slept for maybe 6+ hours until it's already dark outside. as i rub my eyes open, i pick up my phone to check the time; 9:45 pm. getting up from my bed, i open my door and peak out to see if anyone is in the living room. both my sister and father are sitting there, watching a movie together. i step out of my room, shut the door and walk to where they're sitting. they're watching the hit movie Train to Busan. a classic to say the least. Before they speak, they look up and me with looks inviting me to sit and join them. After a long day of somber emotions, I want to escape for even 30 minutes, so i make up an excuse.

    "are you guys hungry? i'll go stop by a convenience  store and get us some food and snacks so we don't starve," i say to break the silence.

    "as long as you stay safe... and keep your phone on you in case of an emergency," my father explained. i've never gone anywhere by myself before... so this is a new experience for me.

    "okay dad... i'll get going. i love you," i say while slipping on my shoes and exiting the apartment complex.

        as i stroll along looking for the best store i can find around me, i notice that i look like a trash bag, and laugh to myself. i'm wearing an oversized hoodie and sweatpants with my messy bun that i wore while taking my extremely long nap. i look atrocious, but i'm only here for food and drinks.

        after walking for a couple minutes, i find a nice tiny store and step in the building. the cashier greets me with a smile and i smile back to her in response. there's only about two other people in the store, which i don't mind. i step into the isle with the beverages and stand to look at my options. as i look for a few minutes, a moderately tall man comes and stands a few feet away from me. he smiles at me with bright eyes and dimples. i grin back at him realizing he's very cute. to catch a better glimpse at him again, i pretend to look at the options close to him, looking at him again realizing he's MUCH more attractive than i thought. he catches me looking, and he blushes and looks flattered at me peeking at him. i get nervous and pretend to grab a drink and head the other direction. he stops me with his words before i start walking.

    "namjoon. i'm namjoon, and you?" he says waiting for my response, looking at me. i turn back around and keep my head down as i speak.

    "hi, i'm y/n..." i say shyly to him. he chuckles softly, making me feel safe for some reason... i don't even know why. i look at him, but his head is low, like he's blushing. he looks back up a few seconds later and responds.

    "you seem a little tired, do you wanna sit down for a while and have some coffee? it's on me," he says with a generous smile. i nod my head and he leads me to the nearest table outside to sit. he pulls out the chair for me and gestures me to sit, and i do. i get myself comfortable in the chair as he sits across from me. he may be just a stranger, but he's very sweet and caring for someone i've just met.

"thank you so much for the coffee, namjoon. i've just had a very long day, and i haven't had decent sleep in a while," i say as we get situated.

"don't mention it, it's the least i could do for someone as pretty as you," he says complimenting me. i blush and look down. "did i make you uncomfortable? oh, i'm so so sorry i-"

"no no, i just have never gotten this kind of care before..." i say, cutting him off before he feels too bad.

"well, that's good. if i make you feel uncomfortable, please tell me and i'll try to fix it."

"thank you so much, joon. it feels nice to know there are good people in the world." he gets a little uneasy at my response, but i brush it off anyways. he changes the subject.

"so... are you new here? i haven't seen you around anywhere."

"well, yes. it's a long story, but me and my family ran away from my mother. she's abusive and... we had to get out of there. and so, we took a bus here, and after unpacking i took a nap and woke up to get some food and now... i'm here. it's kind of hectic, so i thought spending a little time out of reality would be nice."

"wow... i am so sorry you had to go through that," he says sympathetically. "if you need help getting comfortable here... i can show you around and all the go-to's, and i can help you and your family unpack. i know it's a lot to comprehend, especially since you just started your new life... so come to me if you need any help, okay?" he gets a piece of paper and writes down his number and hands it to me. i smile at him with a thank-you look, and he does the same in return.

i look around at the cars passing, hoping this new life will treat me well. i sigh, and turn my head back around to namjoon.

"hey namjoon... could you walk me home? it's dark and..." before i can say anything he stands up and walks over to help me out of my seat, reaching his hand out. i accept his offer and he holds my hand to walk me to the cross walk. he holds my hand the whole way home, which makes me get butterflies in my stomach. wow, he's already holding my hand. he's such a gentleman.

we reach my apartment complex and he lets go of my hand once we stop walking and reach the door.

"thank you so much for walking me home... that was so sweet of you." i say to him, as we lock eyes. i blush, but i'm mesmerized by his eyes, and keep looking at them.

"call me soon, okay? i'll text you whenever i get home so you know i made it safely... goodbye," he says and walks away.

i walk inside the apartment and walk straight to my room and flop onto the bed... pondering what those feelings in my stomach were.