Yongguk: Chapter 14
Ephemeral
You smile back at him, and for a few seconds, all you can see, all of which you're aware, is the beautiful, fleeting picture of Yongguk that is facing you. "Good. So I guess ... " you look down at what you've written, laughing a little at your words. 1. Watch the sun set from the top of a ferris wheel. "This is weird," you admit, making a move to scribble it out, but Yongguk reaches over and wraps his hand around your own. You pause, memorizing the feeling of his hand warmly covering your own, before you let him pry the pen from your fingers. He pulls the book toward him and writes the number 2, then taps the table and bites his lip in thought. After a while, he sets the tip of the pen to the paper again and starts writing deliberately, his brows furrowed in concentration. Finished, he leans back and pushes the book to you, and you take it and read what he's written.
2. Ask someone for their wish and grant it for them.
"We could start with those two," Yongguk offers, handing the pen back to you. "We could think up of things along the way."
"It's too early for a sun set," you observe, peering up at the sky.
"So let's do the second one," Yongguk suggests, standing up. You follow him and tuck the notebook in the front pocket of your bag, the pendants of your necklace softly clacking against each other every time you move. You know it doesn't match your outfit, but you're still going to wear it. For Yongguk's sake.
"Who should we ask?" You say as you search the city with him. Yongguk squints at the variety of people passing by you, busily going about their work or errands.
"The first one who crosses the street," he says. You watch as the light at the crosswalk turns from red to green, and the cars come to a halt. A handful of people begin to walk across, but one particular person - a business lady with her phone against her ear - leads the front. As she gets closer to you, you realize that her eyes are b with tears, and pain shadows her eyes. You tap Yongguk on the arm, whispering, "Yongguk ... maybe not her."
"Why?"
"She's crying," you reason.
"Maybe she's the one ... who needs her wish granted the most," Yongguk murmurs.
You stare at him. "But what if we can't do what she asks? What if she doesn't ask us at all? Someone like that ... they'd push you away." What if she needs something we're not capable of granting?
Yongguk grins. "You won't know until you try."
The lady reaches the sidewalk, her position just feet away from yours. Yongguk signals you to follow him as he begins to approach her. She turns your way, her head ducked to avoid meeting any prying eyes, when Yongguk firmly states, "Excuse me."
She looks up, startled at first, but then the tips of her ears turn red in embarrassment. She dabs at her eyes with her sleeve and sniffles, "Sorry," as if she had done anything wrong, and continues to walk.
"Can we get you anything?" Yongguk asks politely. She shakes her head. "Are you sure?"
"Look, I don't want to talk to a stranger right now. Alright?" She bursts out, meeting his eyes with panicked, desperate eyes. She shakes her phone angrily, shouting, "Do I look like I want to talk to you? Why don't you just mind your own business?" Her tears start to fall, streaming down her cheeks and staining the
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