Part I

Somi rushes to the bus stop to catch the last Monday morning bus to school. Getting closer to the bus stands, she notices quite a number of people gathered at the road side murmuring in quiet voices and gesticulating wildly with their hands.

She could clearly make out words like:

'Such a young looking boy'

'He looked completely healthy'

‘I wonder what went wrong’

Paying no heed to the commotion happening around her, she only spares a glance at the flashing ambulance lights tearing down the road before dashing into the rapidly filling bus.

Clutching her sides in an attempt to catch her stuttering breaths, she makes her way towards the back of bus 88 in hopes of finding any available seat, and if the luck of Kyungsoo was on her side today preferably a seat beside the window so she could catch a few more minutes of sleep before arriving at school.

Much to her disappointment she found out that all the seats on the bus were already occupied just like she had expected, apparently the luck of Kyungsoo wasn’t on her side today.

Pushing through the crowded bus she made her way towards the back where she miraculously discovered an empty seat on the second to the last row, a rather strange phenomenon she thought as there were quite a number of people holding on to the standing bar surrounding the seat but none of them looked like they wanted to sit in it.

Seated in her coveted spot was a boy, whose head was resting on the window of the bus. The boy was clad in black from head to toe; black beanie, black t-shirt, black jacket with a single Chinese character ‘Kai’ printed on it, and equally black pants. But what really caught her attention was his platinum silver hair resting against the window, (from which several tentacles of frost seemed to radiate off of on the other side of the window pane) which had tentacles of frost reaching towards it on the other side of the pane.

The almost white locks fell gently across his eyes, lightly tickling his high cheek bones creating a stark contrast to his olive skin. The sunlight seemed to filter through the locks casting a halo effect around his head lending his image an indescribable ethereal look.

After taking in his entire appearance she found her eyes wandering upwards till they zeroed in on his own rounded orbs. Swimming within a sea of white sclera were deep brown iris flecked with burning gold lines and situated in the middle of it were charcoal black pupils as dark as night itself.

His eyes casted a melancholic glow over his entire being as it held deep within it certain sadness Somi found herself wanting to replace with bright Joy and laughter.

Unable to resist the sudden pull of gravity whether from the boy or from the desire to catch a few extra seconds of sleep, she found herself sliding into the seat next to him.

She hugged her schoolbag close to her chest for extra warmth as it seemed like the heater on the bus had decided to neglect the area in which she was seated. Settling into a more comfortable position she drifted her eyes shut only to snap them open in what seemed like mere seconds, as her bus stop being called filtered rather slowly into her sleepy subconscious mind.

Flying out from her seat like she had suddenly just discovered she was seating on a bed of hot coals, she yelled out a ‘wait ahjusshi’ as the bus was already pulling away from her destination, bowing in thanks to the driver she hops out of the bus and lands with a quiet thud on the pavement below, the otherwise loud sound muffled by her sneakers and a bed of snow.

With her hands on her knees, she struggled for several seconds to hone in her failing breath; and only looks up just in time to meet the gaze of the silver haired stranger on the bus as the vehicle pulled away from the bus stop.

Something in his gaze seemed to keep her rooted where she stood, and she could only peel her gaze away after the bus had completely disappeared from her line of vision. There was something completely arresting about his gaze that she could not begin to explain why her heart had suddenly decided to stutter like it was drowning in a lake of ice.

She stood in the winter breeze for a few minutes more before a voice whispered into her far gone mind that she was supposed to be running to school right now unless she wanted to add another of detention to her already less than stellar attendance record.

Pirouetting on her feet, she broke into a sprint down the road towards the black school gates pushing all thoughts of silver to the back of her wandering mind where she locked it up for the rest of the day.

The next Monday morning Somi found herself repeating the exact same actions as the week before, tearing down the road with the cold winter air stinging her nostrils as she took rapid breaths to fill her burning lungs while she raced towards the departing bus in a last ditch effort to make it to school in time.

Saved only by an air’s breath, she clambered onto the bus where she mutters a ‘thank you’ to the driver before making her way towards the back of the bus, all the while berating herself for waking up late again. It seemed like dragging her body out of bed was especially extra hard in the winter and even setting ten alarms and snoozing the said alarms twenty times still didn’t help either, she had to devise an effective plan soon.

Lost in her thoughts, she didn’t notice she had already made her way to the back of the bus until a flash of silver clearly reflected in the window adjacent to her peripheral vision caught her attention, and without having to look twice she already knew who it was because he looked exactly the same as the week before.

The exact same clothes and exact same expression.

Next to the flash of silver was an empty seat, feeling a sense of dejavu settle over her she slid into the unoccupied space hugging her bag tighter to her chest to ward of the chill surrounding the area, all the while tsking about incompetent bus heaters.

Wanting to occupy herself with something lest she starts gawking at the fine specie seated beside her, she dips her hand into her pocket to bring out her phone, but due to being blessed with naturally clumsy hands in addition to the leather gloves she still had on, the phone slipped right out of her hands and conveniently landed on the floor behind the silver guy’s left foot startling him into tearing his gaze from the passing scenery to settle upon her person.

Avoiding his eyes, she casts a mournful look at the device now lying face down on the floor trying to weigh the options on how to get it back in her hands.

She would either have to crouch before his feet, reach under his legs to retrieve the device or she would have to lean over his lap to get the device wedged between his foot and the wall.

Both options just didn’t sit well with her so she decided to ask him to retrieve the device for her.

Clearing she mutters.

‘Um, sorry to disturb you but could you please help me pick up my cellphone’.

All she gets is a pair of widened eyes staring at her and a pair of parted lips she thought looked really plump, soft and pliant.

She gestures towards the device on the floor and tries again.

‘Um, it’s right beside your left foot. If you could  just…. Uhm… help me get it because I…I don’t want to crowd in on your space and Yeah that..’ she trails off lamely.

She gets the same response in addition with curious stares directed at her by the passengers closest to her.

After a few seconds of staring at each other, she realizes she wasn’t going to receive any reply from the dumbfounded looking boy so she decided to reach over to get the device herself.

Leaning over his legs, she made sure to lean into him as much as she could in an attempt to squish him against the wall as a punishment so as to make him uncomfortable since he refused to help her pick up her phone.

She planned on crowding into his space for as long as possible but the temperature on his side of the bus made it mission impossible.

Giving up on her petty plan she sat back upright in her seat immediately after retrieving her phone wondering just how he wasn’t shivering in such light clothes.

Casting him a final reproachful look she returned to her previous position on the seat.

Sensing rather than hearing the movement coming from the seat beside her, she looks up to look at the boy seated to her right who she discovered was already giving her an apologetic look.

‘oh hell yeah you should be sorry you didn’t help me out after I asked oh so politely’, she thought to herself and as if reading her mind, he ruffles his hair cutely while peeking at her from under his eyelashes.

‘I’m really sorry, I just didn’t think anybody could…’ he rails on staring at his fingers intently.

His voice washes over her like sunlight at the break of dawn on the first day of spring, after a long cold winter bathing her in its warm glow. It sounded like caramel dripping into warm dark Belgian chocolate. She was so completely lost that most of what he said passed by unheard, by the time she had managed to pull her attention back from the far away land it had sojourned to she could only catch the end of his sentence.

‘……. I would have picked it up for you if I could, I’m really sorry’. He finishes.

‘It’s okay…’ she croaked like a frog fresh out of a Chinese pond.

She clears of the embarrassing wad of dry cotton that had suddenly taken up residence there.

‘It’s okay I guess. It’s not your fault the phone fell in the first place’. She replies hoping her answer matches whatever he said.

He flashes her a rather bashful smile which totally didn’t make her breathe catch (insert sarcasm).

She found herself wanting to spend the whole day staring into his eyes and listening to his calming timbre voice, not remotely caring if she missed school the whole day.

And as if reading her mind again, he spoke up.

‘I’m not sure if I’ll be able to ride this bus tomorrow, as I’ve being riding it nonstop since last week and I don’t know if I’ll ever take this route again. But most importantly I don’t know if I’ll ever get the chance see you again’. He pauses to stare at his twiddling fingers; a habit she already discovered was a part of him.

Drowning her in his warm gaze, he asks.

 ‘Will you spend the rest of today with me?’

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Part II

Forgetting all logical reason, Somi opened and from within came the words’

‘Yes I will’.

The smile directed at her was capable of lighting up the very core of pluto, it made her glad she decided to forego any thoughts of refusing his request.

They sat back in silence for the rest of the bus ride.

Twenty minutes later, the bus pulls into its last stop. Wordlessly the silver haired guy stands and makes his way to the exit of the bus only pausing to briefly stare at the girl still sat resolutely in her seat, before stepping out of the bus into the freezing cold weather.

Somi only makes her way to the exit after the ethereal guy had gotten off the bus, she takes in the crisp air lethargically before falling into step beside ‘Kai’ as she had decided to call him that because of the inscription on his jacket.

Taking quicker steps to match his lengthy gait, she falls in step with him.

She takes a look at him and notices that he seemed even more faery like in the sunlight as the sun seemed to illuminate him around the edges casting of a dull glow around him.

In an attempt to reel in her already drifting mind, she decides to initiate a conversation since it didn’t seem like he was going to start any soon.

‘So what will you like to do today’, she asks in hushed tones as if afraid of breaking the tranquil air surrounding him.

Tilting his head cutely, he stares at her for a few heartbeats and replied.

‘What will you like to do?’

‘Anything you want, I’m supposed to be spending the day with you, remember? So it’s your choice’. Somi says.

A few moments of silence descended upon them, before he finally spoke up.

‘I would like to spend today the way I should have all these years’ he says to himself rather than to the girl standing beside him in the cold weather.

Turning to address her fully this time he says in a voiced tinged with sadness; ‘I want to do the mundane things of life’.

‘I think that’s a good idea’. She beams at him.

‘Let’s go then short stuff’

‘Hey silver surfer I have a name, it’s Somi’

‘Ok, short stuff’

He smiles back at her and in a bold move links his hand with hers thereby causing a cold tingly feeling to run down her already cold arms. He slips his cold hands into her warm soft ones and off they set into the day swaddled in flakes of snow.

Their first stop was a twosome place where they both ordered two steaming cups of chocolate which Somi downs within 40seconds, not satisfied with her own serving she starts to shoot ant eyes at Kai’s untouched cup of chocolate.

With an indulgent look in his eyes, he lightly tilts his head towards the cup and tells her to drink it up for him stating he was already satisfied with just staring at the contents of the cup without drinking it. Somi didn’t need another invitation before she hugged the warm mug between her palms and downs the entire cup.

With the liquid sloshing around in her stomach, she asks him why he didn’t drink his own cup; he just tells her he couldn’t because he was the type to gain weight easily and gaining weight wasn’t exactly something completely looked upon lightly at his dance academy.

They spent the rest of the day, walking around the snow laden streets just talking and wandering from one scenic spot to another, window shopping and buying food from all sorts of food street vendors (which was all eaten by Somi).

Somi noticed all through the day Kai’s fascination with the very mundane things of life, like a kid holding onto his mother’s hand while holding onto a balloon with his other hand, he would squat close to the cat laying down near the trashcans in the alley just to gaze at its silky fur, he would stare longingly at the couples walking past with hands intertwined.

He would also stop to study the knick knacks lining the road side, or just stop to stare at the blue skies.

She also noticed that she got really weird looks from passers-by which only intensified whenever she was talking animatedly with Kai or whenever they stopped to admire something that caught both their attention and was either pointing out something to Kai or explaining something to him.

But she didn’t care because she was constantly lost in the warm brown seas that were Kai’s eyes. You see its very easy to drown in his eyes because Kim Jongin has a way of looking at someone whenever he is talking to or listening to them. He would look at you like you’re the only one in the entire universe, like he was hanging onto your every word, like you are all that matters in the entire universe.

*(N.B: this right here is what author-nim actually thinks of Jongin’s gaze in real life. I mean just search up ‘Jongin looking at exo members on youtube and see what I mean)

By the time they became aware of time, the sun was already a bright orange color which contrasted beautifully with the darkening grey skies. Kai requested they watch the sunset at the beach since they had already wandered so close and could hear the waves crashing against the shore creating a beautiful symphony with the howling winds.

When the sun began its downwards descent into the sea, Kai slips his hand one more time into Somi’s who in return turns to her left and catches the last of the sun rays reflected in his eyes making them burn like the embers of a scorched flame and she couldn’t look away no matter how much she tried to tear her gaze away. Realizing her efforts were futile she completely gave up and unashamedly continued to stare at his beautiful side profile. For a minute he looked like he was on fire when the rays of the dying sun decided to played with his crown of platinum locks creating a beguiling juxtaposition of fire and ice.

Somi wished she could paint the ethereal beauty of the moment onto the largest canvas in the world.

‘My real name is Kim Jongin though most people call me Kai I’d rather you call me Jongin, I turned nineteen in January, I’m an only child and I also have two kids; Jjangah and Monggu. My entire life had been dance and only dance.’

Without taking his eyes off the waning sun before him he continues.

‘now I find myself wishing I lived a little bit more, appreciating the little things that make up life, I just hope the creator up there gives me another chance to do so’.

Somi kept wondering why he talks in past sentence, but not wanting to break the tranquility surrounding him she decides to keep her thoughts to herself’.

“My specialty is dancing. My secret would be to happily enjoy it for a long time. Calling it a secret might be a bit too much but I don’t think there’s anything more important than enjoying it. No matter what you do, it’s easy to get scared if you don’t sincerely like it but you have to find the passion to enjoy it, and then you’ll be able to do it happily."

When the sun had finally gone into its home at the bottom of the sea they decided to leave the beach from whence they started the trek to the bus station that would take them to their separate destinations. Somi found herself wishing she could make time stop or at least slow down because she realized she wanted to spend a little more time with Kim Jongin.

With the bus station just a few meters ahead, Kim Jongin abruptly stops and draws Somi into a tight hug and holds her in his arms clearly not wanting to let her go and Somi could hear clearly the words his heart had to say without even saying a word, she thought it was amazing what she hears without him saying a single thought. With his arms safely around her, every noise of the surrounding crowd was drowned out.

The tremble is his voice was a blessed symphony to Somi’s heart.

'I have to go now, but if you ever decide to come look for me, just find the third house to the left on Lane street with stone steps and brick walls. If I don't recall your face, you just pat my left shoulder and say,

'Code blue: I'd rather bend than break because I wasn't built to fall'.

'So even if my head doesn't recognize you, my heart will remember you because these are the magic words I use whenever I get scared and no one else knows these words but me'.

‘I have to go now and I don’t know if I’m going  to come back but I have only one request to ask of you, please don’t ever forget me, even if we never meet again please preserve a little memory of me and keep it with you forever. This is all I ask of you’.

Without waiting for her to answer he pulls away from the embrace and with a last pat on her head, her turns his back on her and walks away.

Somi continues to stare hard at the road in front of her till she couldn’t see his silver hair anymore in the distance.

The lone girl clad in a thick jacket and school uniform wraps her arms around herself fighting the tears that was clouding her vision and silently vows to herself.

‘I will never forget you Kim Jongin, I will look for you to the ends of the earth if I have to, I will spend my entire life searching the crowds for you and I will find you because I would beg and the entire universe till it to brings you back to me ’.

She promises the silent winds dancing around her feet.

Two years later…

Sitting regal on the land before Somi was a beautiful brick house with stone steps gleaming in the sun, the glass windows brilliantly reflected the rays of the sun unto the spotless paved street.

Taking hesitant steps towards the white gleaming door which marked the front entrance, she located the gold rimmed doorbell ensconced in the wall beside the door.

Lifting a dainty finger, she presses the round button which produces a shrill sound which bounced of the brick walls before filtering out soundlessly into the air. She then takes few steps back awaiting whatever response the door would provide.

She lifts her head when she hears the door knob turn. From within the confines of the house emerged a lean boy in a red checkered shirt and dark blue jeans.

If she thought the boy standing before her was good looking before, now she thought he was  he was breathtakingly beautiful.

He had beautiful bronzed skin which looked like it was being taking care of by sun rays on a warm spring afternoon; his eyes were a warm dark Belgian chocolate color with flecks of precious gold decorating the spot around the pupil.

Atop his head sat a crown of voluminous black strands which had the sunlight bouncing off of it creating a sort of halo around his head and a few runaway strands fell delicately over his eyes. His light dusty rose lips appeared soft and plush for sinking the teeth into in the throes of passion.

Unable to control his feet, the guy in the checkered shirt took several steps forward till they were standing a mere one or two feet apart.

Confusion dancing clear in his eyes, he roamed his gaze over her features trying desperately to find an answer to the sudden turmoil that had seized his entire being.

His heart felt like it knew her, it felt like his heartbeat was on the same wavelength as hers, it felt like it had spent meaningful time with her. But his head refused to agree with his heart as it argued right back that it was impossible, because even though her violet eyes looked hauntingly familiar as it was one one couldn't simply forget over time, he still couldn't remember when or where he met her as he had lived a pretty mundane life before now.

Sensing the confusion radiating off him in waves, Somi lifts her hand to place just a flicker of touch on his left shoulder before saying in a soothing voice,

'Code blue: I'd rather bend than break because I wasn't built to fall'

His eyes widen in surprise before breaking into a sunny smile that completely transforms his features from charming to adorable in a nano second.

'Can you still dance?'  She asks.

'Yes I can dance to my heart’s content now'. He answers

'I'm glad'.

She looks up at him and clearly reflected in her violet gaze was pure and sincere happiness and dancing upon her lips was a rare smile as warm as a meadow of daisies in the summer.

She was rewarded with rosy cheeks fast taking up the color of a stout glass of dirty Shirley served across the counter in a bar.

She chuckles as he scratches the back of his neck in embarrassment, a habit she had come to realize was part and parcel of him.

Grinning sheepishly, he extends his right hand towards Somi.

'Hi I'm Kim Jongin, most people call me Kai but I'd....'

'Rather you call me Jongin'.

She supplies the end to his sentence as she slips her hand into his.

Tilting her head cutely and tugging the edge of her lips upward she says.

'My name is Somi but I'll allow you to call me short stuff because I know it's the evil source of your life's joy'.

The end.

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Hello everybody!

Hataesun here again with another story I hope you all enjoy it.

I've being playing around with the idea of this story for several months, I actually got the inspiration from two fanfics 'Real(er) than Dim sums' by blehmeh (a story I absolutely loved, if you haven't read it, you should)

And I can't seem to remember the name of the other fanfic because I haven't actually read the story itself just the description of the story which was about a boy always seated at a particular seat on the bus everyday. I think it's a Yixingxoc story.

Anyhuu~

I'm glad I finally got the story out of my system. I actually wrote the end first then wrote the beginning two months after and filled out the middle another five months later. (I know I know I’m a super lazy writer who only writes when she gets divine inspiration from heaven above at 2am in the middle of the night)

The 'code blue: I'd rather bend than break because I wasn't built to fall'

'code blue: Kai’s best colour in rl (blue),

'I'd rather bend than break' are words he actually said in rl and I just added the 'because I wasn't built to fall'

Hehehe lame right? *sigh* I know

“My specialty is dancing. My secret would be to happily enjoy it for a long time. Calling it a secret might be a bit too much but I don’t think there’s anything more important than enjoying it. No matter what you do, it’s easy to get scared if you don’t sincerely like it but you have to find the passion to enjoy it, and then you’ll be able to do it happily." He also said himself in real life.

Trivial facts:

A very close friend of mine actually calls me 'short stuff' because it gives him so much evil joy and the truth is I don’t mind it either.

 'Somi' is actually a part of my real name flipped backwards.

Okay enough of the blabbering, I hope you all enjoyed the story.

Please upvote, subscribe, translate( with my permission off xD) and comment please do comment as I love reading what people think about my stories.

#Okbye