"If you could save the youth what would be your friendly advice?"

"My friendly advice?" Taemin asks laughingly.

We are driving around, today there's no snow falling down like rain and strangely there's no many people outside. Christmas songs sounds from a japanese cd Taemin received as a gift.

"Yes. Please save us with your wise words"

"Fine, based on my old days of youth it'll be me trying to forget out of my body my military service days and later on my mid 20s surviving an industry of marketing and sales. My boss screaming at me why the bubblegum perfume isn't really selling and when I'll try to nicely say it's because that doesn't smell of bubblegum instead of rotten strawberries he will scream at me more that I have failed my society"

"That doesn't sound like wise words to me..." I say. 

"Realism is escapism. Once you know you're trapped in politics and capitalism you're safe. It's all about being a good civilian that pays taxes for the war and  your parents debts whether they were good parents or not" I like that about him, even though it could sound pessimistic, it does bring a fresh air after all those pseudo gurus trying to tell us our reality is better than it looks, no ma'am, I still need to pay for my food and accept inflation. 

"I like that but I'm not sure if our youth would understand that..." 

Taemin has taken the highway, we are supposed to make a stop on a nice coffee shop or a restaurant. 

"Then what about you? What are your wise words to our youth?" Taemin asks me, and I don't take much time to answer, I don't even need to think about it, I already have those wise words I keep t(f)elling to myself. 

"Please don't bring your teenage self to your 30s problems you'll only make them bigger and worse" I say with a tinge of irritation. 

"Only to your 30s?" He asks with a smirk on his lips. 

"You're still a teenage drama little person at your 20s" I say. 

"Agree" he replies while he keeps waring that smirk on his lips. He probably thinks I'm being cynical. 

The view outside is pitch dark, it's not that late but probably the outside world are preparing themselves to sleep, no one goes around in the middle of the week when you're feeling the beginning of the burnout and it's only Tuesday. 

"Where are you taking me Lee Taemin?" 

"To Neverland or back to the future" I laugh and roll my eyes at him. Quite the gentleman. 

The drive through the highway last for another 45 minutes before we are back in the city, we don't converse that much after that, and Taemin focuses on looking for a nice place to eat, I on the other side, wander around my thoughts,  asking this question to someone else and trying to imagine an answer. For someone who dresses impeccably he would say something about studying or trusting in yourself, doesn't really make me laugh but makes me wonder about him and his history, I sigh inevitably, I'm bringing my teenage self (again), I only need to top it of with a diary and corny stickers or magazines cuts that makes me feel edgy. 

"Don't worry soon you'll be eating something delicious I promise" Taemin holds my hand while he drives with the other and is really looking out of his window, intensely trying to find a place to eat. However I can't help but to feel bad about it, he probably thought I sighed because I'm hungry and not from a heartache 

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