"Listen.

 

I live in the dormitory beside this  convenience store. Yes, that one. The one with a canteen on the ground floor. Yes, that one. The one that looks like an old haunted building.

 

My Mom tried to convince me to transfer into a new dorm. She didn't like the environment around here. She felt that this place is too dirty and too unsafe for me.  She felt like I might get some weird illness just by inhaling the air from here, but I tried to convince her otherwise. I convinced her to let me stay in that dorm. You see, they ask for cheaper fees compared with the other dorms here in the city.

 

My mom's business was on the roughs back then. We needed to be extra careful with the meager amount left of my Mom's savings. She didn't actually have other choices but to let me stay in that old dormitory.

 

I actually didn't have a hard time coping with my new environment. Though our room, which I share with four roommates, looks and smells awfully old… uhmm… yeah, it smells old, like old books with brown fragile papers that crumble when touched or even worse than that…

 

Anyways, what was I saying again? Oh! Yeah, our room!

 

Our room though it looks and smells old, is actually a big room where the five of us can move freely without bumping into each other. I just had to wipe the walls and the floor with detergent, then spray air freshener to shoo the bad odor away. I also hung floral curtains, which I brought from home.

 

I thought my roomies would be happy to see the change in our room. I even imagined them saying, 'Omo! You cleaned our room?' 'Wow! I thought I entered a different room,' but no, there was not a single word from them. I just let them be.

 

You see, they've been living in that room for years already. Hyori-unnie, the eldest, has been staying there for four years; Kiko-unnie, the anime and manga addict, two years; Krystal, the one sleeping on my bed's lower bunk, and Sulli has lived there for over a year. Probably, it is already expected of the newcomer to clean the room. Or maybe not… I don't really know. I never really asked them. I have never really talked to them.  They have this 'I am superior' air around them that makes my tongue retreat whenever I try to talk with them.

 

Despite my not very warm relationship with my roommates, everything went pretty well, until a few weeks ago.

 

Our exams were coming. I have to stay up late to study bloody organic chemistry. Our orgchem professor was a . She gives really difficult exam questions. You know, those types  whose answers can never be found in books. 'Questions that require application of all the things you've learned' - that's how she calls them.

 

Well anyways, I was on my bed studying. My desk was crowded with books that I borrowed from our college's library. There's no way I'll be able to study properly in it, so I transferred to my bed.

 

I was deeply perused reading my notes  when a shrill laughter pierced through my ears. Kiko was laughing maniacally in front of her laptop while she watches one of her animes. Jeez. I tried to ignore her and continue studying, when the door suddenly flew open creating a loud banging noise. It's Hyori unnie this time. She went straight to her bed, lied there, then covered her face with her pillow. I thought she was dead tired and wanted to sleep early, but no, that wasn't the case. She started bawling loudly, as if competing with Kiko's crazy laughter. I wanted to comfort her, but I decided to let her have a time for herself. 'I'll try to talk to her when she's calmer,' I told myself.

 

I closed my eyes trying to regain focus, trying to turn deaf from all these noise, but it was no use. Their noise crumbles my wall of focus. I thought of plugging my ears and playing songs while I study, but I realized that that was not a good idea. I'll probably sing along with the song or worse I might dance crazily out of nowhere.

 

I realized I can never study in this room with these people. So, I grabbed my sweater, wore it on top of my pajamas, carried my books, notebooks, ball pen and wallet, and went straight here - our friendly neighbor convenience store.

 

I'm not hungry but I bought a bottle of soda and a bag of chips, just so that the store attendants won't have any reason to kick me out of here. I pulled one of the steel chairs tucked in that round table at that the corner then laid all my books and notes.

 

A few minutes passed and my focus is back. This convenience store is a perfect study place for me. Quiet and no crazy roommates. No crazy laughs; No bawls, just the murmuring of the aircon and occasional chiming of the bells. Perfect, right?

 

I was busy reading my notes when my eye caught a head of black silk. I raised my head and saw a boy, probably of our age, looking down on my notes.

 

I was gaping at him. Oh. My. Gosh! He's the handsomest guy I've ever seen. His hair was black, and so were his eyes. And his smile! OMG!"

 

The chubby cheeked girl sitting in front of her broke in a fit of giggles. "OMG! OMG Dara! Really? You met a guy here in this store? Did you get his name? Kyaaaaaah!! I'm so happy for you. Really… I'm very very happy for you." She sniffed, then wiped her teary eyes with a hanky. "After all these years, you've finally found a guy that you like. I was starting to think that you're a tomboy. Tell me more about this guy."

 

Dara turned red, then she laughed nervously. "Ehehehe. Bom…"

 

"What? Come on. Tell me more about this guy."

 

"Ehehehe… Bom, there's no guy."

 

 "What do you mean?" She asked her friend, both her eyebrows and voice raised.

 

"Ehehehe. There's no guy. I never met a guy here. Sorry. Everything I told you was real, except for the part where there was a guy. It was just a product of my playful mind. Hehehe."

 

Bom's eyes widened. "How dare you? Don't laugh at me! Here I am genuinely happy that our tomboy Dara has finally met a guy of her liking… but it turns out that it never really happened… tsk tsk"

 

"I'm sorry. Don't be mad at me."

 

"Aish. What should I do with this girl?" She shook her head as she gathered her things. "I hope you meet him soon. And please consider transferring to our dorm, okay?"

 

She stood up and headed to the door.

 

"Yah! Bom, where are you going?" Dara called after her.

 

"I'm going to meet Youngbae. See you tomorrow at school" She winked then waved at her.

 

She smiled as she watch Bom walk out of the store. 'Maybe I went a bit overboard,' she thought. 'That girl really wants me to meet a guy, but what can I do? I'm not really interested. Or maybe I am but there's just no guy interesting enough...'

 

She was busy musing, she didn't notice the guy from the other table approach her. "Is that organic chemistry again?" he asked her.

 

She eyed him suspiciously. She was hundred percent sure she didn't know the guy. She was even sure that it was the first time she'd ever seen him.

 

"Seems like your orgchem professor's quite scary. You seem to be really devoted in that subject," he said as he took the chair formerly occupied by Bom.

 

Dara did not answer. She just watched him with wide eyes.

 

"Oh. I'm sorry. I forgot to introduce my self. My name is Kwon Jiyong. And I suppose you're Dara." He beamed at her.

 

"You seem to know a lot about me. Are you stalking me?"

 

He burst into a hearty laugh. "No. I just overheard you and your friend's conversation."

 

"Not stalking, but eavesdropping… hmmm."

 

He laughed again. "You're really interesting."

 

"I'm not interested." She got up from her chair and headed to the door. He followed her and when he'd caught up, he stood in front of her.

 

"Black hair… " he pointed to his hair.

 

"Dark eyes… " he pointed to his eyes.

 

"And my smile… OMG!" He imitated her when she was telling Bom her story.

 

Her blood boiled at this. "Yaaa! Stop it!" She pushed him out of her way. "Stop pestering me."

 

She thought he'll finally leave her alone, but she was wrong for he even followed her until she reached her dorm's gate.

 

"I'll tutor you organic chemistry for free." He told her.

 

"Uhm.. Here look." he pulled out his school id and gave it to her. "I'm a 3rd year bachelor of science in chemistry student. I can help you with orgchem," he smiled, wishing she'd agree with his proposition.

 

"No."

 

"No?"

 

"No. Please try again next time. Good bye."

 

She smiled as she glanced back at the laughing guy. "Kwon Jiyong 3rd year BS Chemistry student… what a crazy guy."

 

"I'll see you again tomorrow at the convenience store," Jiyong called out to her.

 

"Yeah. Whatever."

 

He'd never seen her again. He always went to the convenience store; have always passed by her dorm, but not even her shadow was seen. Many years passed he'd met many pretty girls, but memories from that convenience store would always come to visit him once in a while. Images of a pretty girl bowing in front of notes and books would often flash before his eyes.

 

That night he approached her was actually not the first time he'd seen her. He'd seen her before. She was wearing pajamas and a sweater. She was nodding while she read her notes. He found her interesting so he went back to the store the day after, hoping to see her again. He was right, for she was there reading her notes once again. Watching her while she studies in that store has become a hobby. And when he found a perfect timing to approach her, he did, but that was the last time he'd ever seen her.

 

A knock on the door broke his trail of thoughts.

 

"Excuse me, Mr. Kwon." A man in a business suit said. "I'm orienting our new junior chemist."

 

"Oh. Sure."

 

The man went in, trailing behind him is a woman in a form hugging pencil skirt and a white crisp shirt.

 

"Mr. Kwon, this is Dara Park, our new junior chemist."

 

His jaw dropped in disbelief. He was just thinking about her, but now she'd suddenly appear in front of him.

 

He closed his mouth, then flashed his trademark smirk. "Hi, Ms. Dara Park. Do you like organic chemistry?"

 

----

 

"That's enough. Let's go home." Jiyong told her. He just came out of his office, and was planning to go home, when he'd seen her working late on her table.

 

"It's OK, Sir. Please go ahead. I still have to finish this formula for our new mouthwash." She answered, not taking her eyes off from her computer.

 

"No, Dara. Turn that computer off. Let's go." He said in a stern tone.

 

"Ah. Give me five minutes, Sir." Her fingers moved swiftly on the keyboard. He's her boss. 'Shouldn't he be happy that his employee is working hard for his company?' She wondered as she continue working in front of her computer.

 

"One minute to turn that computer off. You really have the guts to defy your boss's orders, huh?" He said in a mocking tone, his back leaning against her table, his arms folded over his chest, a playful smirk pasted on his lips as he watched her.

 

Her fingers scrambled to save her files then shut down her computer. She then gathered her things and slung her bag over her shoulder. "There, Sir. Happy?"

 

He burst into a explosive laughter. 'This man hadn't changed at all… always laughing whenever he can. So crazy,' she thought as she eyed her laughing boss.

 

"So… Let's go."

 

"Go where?" she asked him.

 

"Dinner." He smiled then molded her hand into his.

 

It was their first, but definitely not the last dinner together. Dinners, lunches and even breakfasts together came after that. There were even mornings when they wake up in each other's arms.

 

----

 

"Yes! Yes!" She cried out loud, tears welling on her eyes.

 

"Yes?"

 

"Yes. I'll marry you."

 

He rose from his knees, hugged her tight and kissed her full on the lips.

 

The store attendants, the cashier, the security guards and even the costumers all clapped in sincere happiness for the couple who'd found each other at the convenience store.

 

They were back where their story started - A story about a boy who met an interesting girl at the convenience store; a story about a woman who dated her boss despite company rules; a story about a boss who proposed to his employee at a convenience store.

 

We may not know every piece about their story, but we can say that people may drift apart. But if they’re meant to be together, their paths would cross again no matter how long the separation was.

 

At the convenience store, a love started to bloom.

 

At the convenience store, a happily ever after begun.

---

a/n:

i used to live in an old dormitory beside a convenience store

i used to share a room with four crazy people.

the first part was my story. i always stay at the convenience store at night studying (not just orgchem).

 

this was poorly written; and the plot is not very unique

i hope this entertained you even just a bit

 

-RENCIE