Yoongi dashed into the small cafe. His camera in his hand and the hood on his jacket pulled over his head as he shielded the camera from the rain. The hot July air whirls into the shop as he pulls the door closed quickly.

 

The boy finds a seat in the shop at a small table by the corner, close to the window so he can monitor the weather, and he carefully puts his camera on the table. The cafe wasn't busy, only a young couple and a group of high school students were sitting at tables.

 

"Hello" a deep voice stiffly announces

 

Yoongi looks up to the boy; he looked around the same age as Yoongi. His hair was messy and a tacky purple apron hung around his neck. He passes a menu to Yoongi and turns away to go back to the counter before Yoongi could get a word in.

 

Yoongi sighs opening the menu, flipping back and forth through the menu aimlessly his mind drifts away.

 

"Yoongi" the voice rings holding out the vowels sounds for a lot longer than they should be held. It was his best friend Joshua. They were both ten years old, sitting on the beach with their families. Playing in the warm sand. Yoongi looks over to the his friend and he's pressing sand together with his hands.

 

"look at my sandcastle!" He squeals. The sandcastle was tall and almost falling over with a few seashells poking out here and there. Although Yoongi knows it’s average, he tells the boy he likes it.

 

"It's nice" Yoongi says and Joshua's eyes light up.

 

The door of the shop opens and a girl comes in, freezing Yoongi's thoughts.

 

Yoongi's eyes follow the girl as she walks up to the counter, orders and sits down. Her hair is a bit of a mess and her clothes are damp.

 

"Typical Monsoon season in Seoul." Yoongi thinks while sighing once again.

 

He remembers the menu sitting in front of him and finds the cheapest thing on the menu to order. He’s a university student he can barely afford his classes let alone food in cafes like these.

 

Yoongi goes up to the counter and puts in his order to the boy that first greeted him. He smiles and the boy returns a rushed half smile.

 

His day of taking photos for his folio is now interrupted by the bad weather. The photography class was his favourite. The professor knew how much effort he put into the class. Yoongi picked up his camera and looked through some of the photos he took previously that day. Some were of the Han river at sunrise, some were of the gyongbokgung palace’s doorways. They turned out okay.

 

Yoongi was hoping to add some landscape images to the folios of mostly portraits or models. He took pictures of his friends, family, other students, basically anyone that captured his attention.

 

"Mark” Yoongi begs “Please” he points to the sign. “Please just one!” It was a list of milkshake flavours.

 

Mark smiles and happily takes out two dollars for the younger boy. “Get me one too Yoongi! Chocolate please!” he yells as Yoongi runs off to buy the drinks. Yoongi was 13 and Mark was 15, they’re cousins. Mark’s family was visiting Yoongi’s family from America and were allowed out for a day around Seoul.

 

 

Tink tink tink

 

“Sir?” a voice echoes “Americano?”
 

Yoongi’s head lifts and he sees the boy from earlier his eyes large and he’s holding the coffee the ice swirled around a little making a tinking noise.

 

“A- Are you okay?” His head moves to the side questioningly.

 

“Yeah I’m fine thanks, just sleepy” Yoongi says flustered.

 

He grabs the drinks quickly and heads back to his table. He takes a sip of his drink, it’s alright. The bitterness of the black coffee is a familiar taste. Yoongi catches a glimse of himself in the window of the café, his eyes are sunken and have dark rings around them. It’s the sleepless nights wondering about his future, his parents were never fully convinced he could make it as a photographer and told him if he wanted to do it, he has to supply his own money but if he chose to do business they would have supported him the whole way. As dark as it is, its just reality. He denied the offer and went for photography, its what made in happy. But nowadays with little money he’s just becoming more sad.

 

“Yoongi” it’s his mother’s voice “Are you ready for bed?” Her voice is soft as she checks into his room her eyes going around the room to find him in bed already his face looking at hers.

 

“Oh my Yoongi is ready? Are you sleepy?” She’s crouched next to his bed and kisses him on his head

 

“Goodnight” she whispers smiling

 

“Goodnight” he whispers back

 

He was only seven. This was when he had no worries in the world and he saw his parent’s everyday. Nowadays its only once every few months. They would always want to meet at a restaurant, never home.

 

Some nights Yoongi’s roommate would hear him cry out and he’s even found goodbye letters under Yoongi’s bed. Yoongi and his roommate were close but they never spoke about these things openly together.

 

Tink tink tink

 

Yoongi looks down to the cup, only ice is left. Yoongi inhales loudly while pushing his arms out, his neck circling around once. The weather has cleared a little. But knowing his luck as soon as he steps out of the door, it will pour down again.

 

He decides he’ll just go for it.

 

Picking up his camera and throwing the cup in the trash Yoongi notices the boy working in the café next to him, both reaching to the door.

The boys cheeks flush and he backs his hands up. Yoongi’s cold gaze follows to the door and he looks back behind him to hold the door for the boy. Yoongi’s camera is hanging around his shoulders. His loose white shirt is now feeling heavy and sticky in the humidity. His demin shorts cling to his thighs. The boy closes the door, the purple apron is no longer on him but he’s wearing a black shirt and black shorts. He pulls a pack of cigarettes and takes one for himself then shows the package towards Yoongi.

 

“Seems like its been a tough day” He says to Yoongi

 

Yoongi smirks “Yeah… It has been” and he accepts a cigarette.

 

Both of the boys stand outside the shop; smoke swirling in the air.