a/n this is an old one :3
pairing: Minjung x Taemin

Early December

Minjung sighed as she waited for the bus back to the dorms. She was working a couple of extra hours at the bookstore near campus so that she could take some hours off during exam week. December had started and the temperature was running in negatives but it hadn’t snowed yet. She paced around the bus stop, to warm herself up because she had underestimated the cold and had worn a thinner coat than what she would have usually worn.

The bus finally arrived and she grew restless, rubbing her bare palms together as she watched some passengers get down. She was last in line to get in, having lost her spot when she was pacing around. When she finally got in, she breathed in relief at the relatively warmer temperature inside the bus. She began looking for an empty seat but the only one was in the first row, occupied by a bag. She looked to its owner, who was looking out, tapping his feet softly to the song playing in his earphones. She could hear the song from where she stood so she knew it was quite loud and the guy wouldn’t be able to hear her. So she patted his shoulder, making him flinch and look to her, a little confused.

Minjung just smiled, mouthing, as she pointed to the seat, “Can I sit here?”

“Sorry,” He whispered, taking his bag off the seat and Minjung muttered a thank you, flopping down beside him. The moment she had sat down, she figured out what song the guy had been listening to on such a loud volume.

All I Want For Christmas Is You

Minjung chuckled because Christmas was almost twenty days away and it was unexpected for someone like him to be listening to that song instead of something newer or maybe...grungier. He was dressed that way- in a black leather moto jacket and ripped skinnies. He had many piercings in his ears and his eyes were kohl-rimmed. His cap had spiky studs and his nails were painted too.

Minjung just pulled out her notes, enjoying the rhythm that leaked from his earphones as she began revising some of her coursework.

The next day was the same except that Minjung had learned her lesson and had worn a warmer coat. She didn’t like how packed the evening buses were because most students took evening classes opposed to morning ones. The only vacant seat again was the one next to that guy’s because his bag was resting on it like the other day. But he was a little more alert than he was yesterday and when he noticed Minjung scan the seats and step back towards the front, he took his bag off the seat.

Minjung murmured thanks before she sat, the same song infiltrating their shared space. Her eyes found his feet tapping along cheerfully and she somehow found that cute. She was too tired to study today so she sunk into her seat a little and closed her eyes, deciding to listen to the guy’s playlist, curious as to what other kinds of songs he listened to.

But when ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ ended, it started again. And when it ended again, it started another time. The song was on a loop and Minjung realized that it probably was too the other day as she couldn’t recall any other song he might have listened to. She had been too engrossed in her notes to notice it then.

She wasn’t really annoyed- this song was one of her favorites-okay...maybe she was. But what interested her more was his straight face when listening to such a festive song on repeat. And why was he listening to it so much anyway?

She turned slightly away, noticing that she was getting unnecessarily nosy. She occupied herself in a webcomic to calm her urge to voice her stupid curiosity.

The next day was slightly different because there was another vacant seat at the back and Minjung was going to head towards it...but the grunge guy took his bag off his adjacent seat when he saw her get on. Minjung didn’t have the heart to go and sit somewhere else after seeing that gesture, especially when the guy had tried to yank him bag off the seat as naturally and discreetly as possible, trying to hide that he had taken his bag off there for her. She thanked him as she sat beside him, contemplating if she had taken the right decision or not when ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ filled her ears again.

He must like it a lot. He must be that kind of music listener who listens to one song on repeat until he gets bored of it. She justified his playlist because otherwise, she might not be able to stand listening to it for the ten times that she would have to until her stop comes.

But there was something off about him today. He was wearing only one earbud while the other one was in his lap. She casually glanced at it, finding music pouring out of it despite the bud being disengaged from the wire. It looked like someone had stepped on it. It was working but it wouldn’t be safe to put it in the ear.

She wanted to offer her earphones but refrained because she didn’t know the guy at all. She got off the bus before him too and she would have to ask for them back...and it didn’t make sense to lend them for only 20 minutes or so. But he had been kind enough to empty this seat for her without her asking...

She was fidgeting with her earphones, thinking if she should offer them or not and before she could have decided, the bus reached her stop.

Minjung was sitting next to him the next day as well. He had emptied the seat yet again on sighting her and ‘All I Want You For Christmas’ was what he was listening to on a loop again. He hadn’t gotten his earphones fixed (honestly, they looked beyond repair to her) nor was he using a different pair. Minjung had deliberately left her earphones in her room because she was getting too caught up in trying to offer him her pair