Autumn Angel | JHS ✔

.three.

"Where are we headed?" Hoseok asks as Jay starts walking. Hoseok puts back on his face mask and his cap, completing his guise. 

"There's a cafe around here I found recently. Super low-key and gorgeous. The food there is good too." 

A few minutes later, Jay opens a door and a bell above us jingles, letting the staff know that another customer has arrived. There's only two other friends sitting in the cafe, but other than that, it's quite empty. A main theme of nature surrounds us. All furniture is made of a dark wood and flowers planted in baskets hang from the ceiling. The faint smell of coffee and gentle, romantic music playing in the background finishes off the entire aesthetic atmosphere. The three of us huddle together and stare up at the menu, trying to decide what to eat. 

"Order a tiramisu for me," Hoseok says, slipping Jay some money. I ask for the same. 

The sound of pills rolling through their container as I pull it out of my bag interferes with the soft music above. A waterfall drains into my mouth and I drop the pill in, tilting my head back to swallow. 

"For my lactose intolerance," I say, answering the unasked question in Hoseok's eyes. "I don't have an extreme case so I can still consume lactose if I take the pill before a meal."

He nods and Jay approaches us to take a seat, finished with ordering. A young woman soon brings us a bowl of shaved ice and two slices of tiramisu cake. Hoseok's eyes brighten and he picks up his fork to immediately dig in. 

"When did you start dancing?" Hoseok asks before his lips close over the bite of baked confection. 

I pierce the tip of the cake with the throngs of the fork and separate a piece from the main body. The spongy cake compresses together and then slowly gains its volume back. The sweet aroma of the cake and the rich scent of the coffee coming from every inch of the shop makes me feel satisfied and content. 

"Ever since I was young," I answer, popping the piece in my mouth. The icing coats my teeth as I chew and I feel the sponge cake break down into smaller pieces, saliva softening it further. "I started ballet when I was six. When I moved to Korea at ten, I started experimenting with hip hop and realized that I loved it a lot. I dabbled in contemporary a bit later in high school but ballet and hip hop have been my main focuses." 

"Ballet and hip hop." Hoseok nods. "A weird combination." 

I laugh. "Yeah, it isn't exactly common since they're so different. But I find that certain styles carry over and cross between, making them seem a lot more similar than people think. What about you?" 

Hoseok keeps his smile on his face as he sets down his finished slice. "What about me?" 

I shrug. "I feel like we've only really been talking about me. Tell me your story." 

Jay suddenly stands up. "I love that you two are hitting it off but I have to go." 

I look up at him and he glances at me with a sparkle in his eyes, almost hinting at a hidden motive I was unaware of. 

"I'll catch up with you guys soon." 

The bell jingles as he leaves, leaving Hoseok and me alone. 

Hoseok crosses his legs and leans against one side of the chair. "My story?" A single side of his smile drops and he scrunches together the muscles of the other cheek. Hoseok's eyes drift to the side as he thinks. "How detailed exactly are we talking?" 

I shrug. "As detailed as you want. I don't have much to do for the rest of the day." 

"Well," he starts, shifting his gaze back to me, "I grew up in Gwangju with an older sister. Pretty normal childhood, never had anything unusual. I also started dancing when I was younger. Long story short I tried pursuing a career in entertainment, got accepted into a company, and now I'm here." 

I laugh from such an undetailed response. 

"Do you have any siblings?" 

I shake my head. "We still are not done talking about you," I say with a laugh. "Are you scared of opening up? Trust issues?" 

Hoseok continues smiling but his eyes shift to something deeper. "No, just like to be private when I can, I guess. Most of my life is presented to the public so it's moments like these where I'm able to control what people know and don't know that I cherish." 

Hoseok sitting in the chair tilts to the side as I drop my head towards my right shoulder to look at him. He mimics my movements with a smile. My head moves back to its upright position. "It must be hard," I comment. "I can't imagine having my life as public as yours. I don't think I would be able to survive." 

"It is," Hoseok agrees, "but let's talk about something else. Preferably not about me." 

I grin, understanding his desire to be so private. 

"Is there a genre of dance you prefer?" he asks. 

I laugh. "Why does the conversation always get directed towards me?" 

He just continues smiling. 

"Definitely hip hop," I finally answer. "Though I started ballet first, I just love how freeing and playful hip hop is, especially compared to the rigid standards of beauty and grace made by ballet expectations. Both are amazing in their own way, but I need that freedom to smile and move to diverse sounds of music instead of just classical instruments." 

Hoseok nods in agreement. "We should try dancing together one day." 

I just smile. "How likely is that?" 

Hoseok laughs. "Can a man not dream?" 

My phone buzzes and I take it out of my purse to turn it off. "Also," I start, returning my attention back to our conversation after I put my purse away, ""Angel"?" 

The grin returns. "I hope it isn't too cheesy? It started off as a joke but I think I'm just going to keep it for now." 

I shake my head and smile. "Do I get to call you a nickname?" 

Hoseok's eyebrows raise. "Sure. But as a deal we have to drop the formal speaking." 

I laugh. "Deal," I say casually, "Hobi." 

His face slackens and his expression loses its excitement. He just gazes at me, his eyes now full of wonder. 

My own smile drops. "Did I say something wrong? I'm sorry. I thought it was a common nickname most people called you." 

Hoseok just shakes his head and his smile returns. "No, you're fine. I just..." Hoseok's hands fidget in his lap. "Don't worry about it. I like it. It sounds nice coming from you. I mean, it sounds nice coming from everyone, but I like it when you say it. Kind of." 

He breaks eye contact with me, nervous for having shared that piece of information. I just laugh at the adorable, flustered demeanor. The bubbly, confident man is now gone and replaced with a madly-blushing Hoseok. I lean forward to reach for the tiramisu cake I still haven't finished. When I'm about to take another bite, I notice Hoseok in front of me, still keeping his gaze elsewhere. 

I grin. "Do you want to finish off my piece?" 

Immediately his entire frame shifts as he perks up. "Are you sure?" 

I nod and place the slice in front of him. We continue to talk, unaware of the darkening stratosphere as the white clouds disappear and dissolve into the black liquid of the night sky. 

"Excuse me," a young woman says. "We're closing." 

I check my phone to look at the time and widen my eyes in surprise. The hours of the evening had slipped past me while talking to Hoseok. Both of us stand up and walk out of the door. 

"I had fun today," Hoseok says as we stand in front of the entrance, both of us unwilling to leave. 

I nod. "I as well." 

And we just stand there, searching for a way to prolong the moments before the inevitable. 

I start to walk backwards and slowly wave. "Bye, Hobi." 

Hoseok smiles at me and lifts his hand to wave back. "Good night, Angel."