Strawberries

Yongtae was going through a phase.

That's what it had to be at least, because there was no way that this obsession with small shiny red fruits was permanent.

In the past he had been able to go through the grocery store, making his way through the produce section without grabbing seven different cartoons of the berries and heading home, but suddenly, he was completely and totally obsessed with strawberries and he genuinely couldn't pick out what had changed.

Sure, he had always like fruit, but this much? Not really. Now a days, he couldn't really make it through the day if he hadn't at least had one strawberry to help him get through it all.

He tried to think back on what could have possibly elicited such a change, but nothing seemed to make sense.

The last time he had eaten strawberries- before this phase that was- had been that day that him and all of his friends had decided to do that picnic together.

He remembered it well. Kyuhyun had invited him over early in order to help make the food- and while all the other boys met them at the park where they were going to eat and have a day of fun, Kyuhyun had invited his friend to join the two in the kitchen.

Yongtae had never met you before, but he remembered exactly how beautiful you looked that day.

You were wearing one of Kyuhyun's hoodies, which looked adorable considering the fact that they were much too big for you. You had on shorts that barely peaked out from under the bottom of your sweatshirt, which Kyuhyun had teased you for. You had very loudly proclaimed that Kyuhyun was sexist, and the two of you started bickering while Yongtae packed sandwiches.

Most of the time, when people were loud around Yongtae he found it irritating. After all, how was he supposed to focus on his own thoughts if there were constantly people around him yelling in his ear. It was distracting. It was unnecessary, and it was annoying.

And yet, when you and Kyuhyun did it, Yongtae couldn't help but find it amusing, and he wasn't in the slightest annoyed when you threw an egg at Kyuhyun, and Kyuhyun had decided to retaliate so you rushed behind him, your fingers wrapping around his arm as you took shelter behind his body.

If you had been Avin or Hyuk, then Yongtae would have surely pushed you aside, leaving you to fend for yourself. But there was something about you... The way that you tightly clung to him, hiding your face in the material of his sweatshirt that Yongtae found to be endearing. He didn't fight back against you.

Despite your loud personality when you were going back and forth with Kyuhyun, Yongtae couldn't help but notice that you had a kind soul. You had a gentle smile that spread over your lips when you asked Yongtae where you should put the sandwiches and had the cutest laugh whenever Yongtae reminded Kyuhyun that he was being stupid.

Yongtae thought it was odd, honestly, that he liked having you around so much, because normally, he didn't ever really feel like he needed anybody around at all.

Yongtae cursed himself for letting himself wander so far off-track.

He tried to stop thinking so much about you and his mind wandered back to what he had been thinking about before. The strawberries. When had he become so obsessed with strawberries?

He remembered arriving at the park, and remembered you pulling out the strawberries. You offered them to each one of the boys, finding a strange sense of joy, whenever the boys would take it from your hand, but when you got to Yongtae, he had politely declined.

You had been so offended by that.

"You know strawberries are my favorite fruit? They're good for the soul."

"Earth to Yongtae!"

Yongtae jumped as a hand landed on his shoulder. He looked back, surprised to find you standing there, Kyuhyun hovering just beyond your shoulder.

"Surprised to see you here," Kyuhyun commented, a smile flashing over his lips. Yongtae briefly matched the look.

"Yeah, just... Needed some groceries."

"Strawberries!" You agreed with a laugh. You rushed forward, and looked into his shopping cart, balancing yourself precariously on your tiptoes as you looked inside. "I thought you weren't a fan."

Kyuhyun looked into the cart too, and Yongtae watched as a confused expression crossed his friends face. He understood the confusion too. Yongtae wasn't the sort of person who just... Obsessed over things like this. He was a level-headed guy, who didn't make rash decisions or have crazy and random obsessions over fruit like this. That just wasn't like him. This just wasn't like him.

"I guess I just... Came around to them," Yongtae mumbled back.

You looked over at him, and the action of catching your eyes, genuinely made his heart leap in his chest.

"Maybe a little bit of my influence huh?" You asked him. Yongtae could tell from the look on your face that you were just joking. You clearly didn't think that your words had anything to do with his sudden interest in the fruit.

"Probably more than you think," Yongtae replied, his voice soft.