Tightening the coat around me, I shuddered in cold. Winter’s here and I don’t favour (not close to hate) this season. My skin and lips were beginning to chapped as the season getting colder and colder – one of the many reasons why I don’t favour this season.

I decided to go towards the café across the road to warm myself up with a medium-sized warm Macchiato. The light turned green and I crossed the road along with other pedestrians.

Pushing the glass door, I was greeted with the welcoming voices from the workers as the warm and cosy feelings crept into me. After ordering the desired drink, I marched towards an empty table which was situated at the very back of the café.

Actually, there were a lot of empty seats but I like this seat better. It’s not like I’m anti-social – really, I have lots of friend, lots of annoying friend – it’s just, it’s peaceful here. Away from the noisiness.

Putting the white LV handbag on the table, I rummaged my handbag and took out a make-up pouch; zipped the pouch opened, I fished out a white stick of vanilla lip balm. I pulled the cap of the lip balm and dabbed the stick on my lips.

The sweet and soothing smell of vanilla went into my nostrils. A smile curved on my lips as I reminisced back the words of my most important person once said to me.

‘Sixteen is the age that you need to take care of your appearance and look’

Mom…always concern about her daughter – I thought as a sad smile took over.

This vanilla flavoured lip balm was not like the one they sell at the shops. This one has a sentimental value on it – it was the last thing mom gave to me before she disappeared from the eyes of the world.

I twirled the stick between my fingers as I slowly sipped on my warm Macchiato.

Suddenly, I lost the balance of the stick and it fell on the floor, rolling away from the table.

Surprised, I was about to get up and quickly retrieve the lip balm but before I could even walk to the stick and pick it up…

 

Kreck!

 

My precious vanilla lip balm had been step on and shattered.

My eyes widen in disbelief and I froze on my spot. For a while, I felt like my whole world had turned dark.

Mom’s lip balm…

Without even thinking twice, with full of rage and tears that threatening to fall, I stomped towards the tall figure. 

How dare he just walks away and acts like nothing has happened!?

I grabbed his shoulder and spun him around, surprised by the sudden action. Sharply gazing to him, I crossed my arms across my chest and he looked at me like I was some crazy-psycho.

Oh wait, maybe I might be.

“Err…can I help you?” he dumbfounded question me.

“Oh, yes. Please glue these pieces back together, like how they used to be,” I sternly said as I pointed towards the floor where the broken pieces were.

He looked to the direction of my finger and he was bewildered, an eyebrow was arch.

“Seriously?” he said with a mocking tone. A smirk was formed on his plump lips. “Did you lose some screws on your head? And why are you asking me to do it?”

“Yes, I’m being serious and yes, probably I did lose some but then again, it is because you that I did! It’s you that step on my lip balm!” I shouted. Now, I had just attracted some attention and sooner or later, one of the workers might be asking us to leave.

He scoffed. “Okay, I might have stepped on your lip balm so what? You could always buy a new one anyway,” he casually said and clearly his face written I-don’t-care all over it!

That, just made me boiled.

“Buy a new one?! Do you even know how that lips balm means to me?!” I was furious, angry, full of rage. I don’t care about the attention I had just gathered.

My vision was starting to get blurry as my eyes were filled with water; that were threatening to fall in any moment. Ignoring his stunned look, I grabbed the tissue from a nearest table and picked up the broken pieces of the lip balm.

People might say that I was being ridiculous because of a lip balm. But they didn’t even know how precious it was anyway.

Finishing picking up the broken pieces, I went to my table and grabbed my bag. Before I stepped out from the café, I stopped besides the guy. He turned to look at me, his face was stoic. Giving him a last glared, I muttered closely to his ear:

“I hope we don’t ever meet again,”

And with that, I left the café.

 

--

 

The loud music bombarding the whole club, the dance floor was crowded with males and females as they shamelessly rubbed their body against each other.

And then, there was me: sitting on a stool at the bar, alone but accompanied with the hard liquor.

I dunk the hard liquor into my throat for who knows how many times.

I was depressed, yes. Well, obviously! The only one thing that mom left to me was now broken into small little pieces!

A deep and heavy sighed escaped and I took, yet again another shot of those hard liquor.

At this state, I was close on being drunk. Another shot and I will be completely not myself.

With a sighed, I got up from the stool and immediately, I felt my head was spinning.

God…just how many shots that I took…

I shook my head, trying to get rid of the throbbing pain in my head. Slowly taking step by step towards the door and a few moments later, I accidentally tripped on my own foot.

Closing my eyes tightly, I was waiting for the floor to kiss my face but…it never did. I felt a hand was holding my waist and in a quick second, I opened my eyes and pushed the hand away from me.

My eyes widen in surprised seeing the familiar face.

Seriously?!

“Wow…and here I thought you said that to never ever meet again,” he mockingly said, with a smirk spread on his face.

God, that annoying voice of his!

I rolled my eyes in annoyance and walked past him without a word uttered. 

It’s not that I was scared of him but with the condition of my head, it’s really not a good time to argue.

Walking to the door that only a few metres away felt too far away as my head was getting dizzier.

Accidentally, I bumped onto a man and just my luck…a drunken old man.

Could this day get any worse?!

And it did.

Ignoring the old drunken man, I was about to walk away but he unexpectedly pulled my wrist and his eyes were scanning my body like a hungry wolf.

I felt disgust with his y-stare.

“Let go you old man!” I yelled as I was struggling to free myself.

But the old man didn’t budge and he smirked as he said: “How much for a night?”

I frowned. W-What…?

For a second, I was speechless. What did he think I am?!

I was about to slap him in the face but someone did it for me – a punch to be exact.

The old man stumbled backward and fell to the ground and in a swift motion, I was being pulled away from the scene and out of the club.

Panting, I leaned myself on the wall. My head was throbbing in pain, worse than before. I shut my eyes as I massaged my temple.

“Thanks,” I mumbled, the pain in my head still didn’t leave me.

“No problem,” the voice replied.

Slowly, I fluttered my eyes opened to see who had save me but the vision was hazy and before I knew it, the world around me turned pitch black.

 

--

 

I groaned as I felt the sun shone on me. Inwardly, I pulled the sheet higher, covering my whole body.

But then, after a few seconds, realization hit me like a tidal wave. I pushed the cover and sat up on the bed, looking around the room. A loud gasped left my lips.

This is not my room!

I looked at myself; still wrapped in my clothes from yesterday.

I heaved a sigh of relief.

“Already awake?” a voice – a deep voice startled me and I spun my head towards the door.

Eyes widen in surprised and mouth was agape in disbelief.

A tray of a white bowl and a glass of milk was on both of his hand. He was wearing a simple white sweater with black pants and his dark-brown hair was neatly comb.

The hurtful words that I wanted to throw on him had been swallowed back. For a moment there, I forgot how to breathe when my eyes landed on him. He just seemed so…breath-taking.

He walked to the bed and put the tray on the nightstand. Without even asking for my permission, he casually put the back of his hand on my forehead. At that action, my body froze – and I don’t even know why.

Retreat his hand away from my forehead, he took a plank of tablet from the tray – which I didn’t realize earlier – and handed it to me.

“Take a tablet after eating. It helps with your fever,” he said.

I frowned. “I have a fever…?” I asked him.

He nodded. “You fainted last night after getting out from the club, probably because of the fever. I don’t know where your house so I took you to mine.” He explained, short and detail.

A sudden wave of guilt hit me. Not a while ago, I almost wanted to throw hurtful words and accusing him on something that’s entirely not the truth.

I took the plank that he had been holding for me. “Thanks,” I said. “And sorry…” I mumbled softly.

He lifted one perfectly-shaped eyebrow.

I didn’t let him to speak and so, I continued. “That lip balm you stepped on, it was actually my mom’s last gift to me before she passed away. That’s why I was so furious and angry and plus with your cocky attitude, it’s just getting on my nerve even more.” I stopped for a while, trying to take a breather. “And that’s why I want to apologize for yesterday and for troubling you,”

Silent came between us. My eyes glued on the floor the moment after I had told him.

It was embarrassing, yes but at least, the heavy-weight of guilt already gone from my shoulders so…I don’t regret it.

“You know…” he started, breaking the ice as he sat on the bed. “Honestly, I didn’t notice I had stepped on it – really, it’s a pure accident. So, I’m sorry too; for not being careful.” His voice was sincere and he apologized for something that wasn’t even his fault.

Once again, the guilt came back to me.

I had shouted at him, yelled at him and being angry at him when the fact was it was exactly my fault for being careless and not being careful. I shouldn’t have twirling the stick on my fingers.

I looked at him and he looked at me back. Our gazed met.

This guy…this guy in front of me was being nice to me and yet, here I thought that he was some conceited jerk. 

“I’m sorry…” again, I apologized. “Frankly speaking, it was my fault. I shouldn’t twirl the lip balm and I should be more careful. I’m sorry for letting out on you – I was frustrated when I saw my mom’s lip balm had been shattered.”

I lowered my head and immediately our gazed broke. I was ashamed of myself: Why did I have a bad temper?!

A sudden touch on my head made my body froze. Slowly, I lifted my head and saw that his right hand was gently my head.

I was stunned as he was gazing sweetly at me.

“What’s your name?” softly, he asked me like I was a five-year old kid. I realized that we both don’t even know each other names.

“J-Jung Soojung…you?”

His hand was still gently my head and I don’t want him to stop. It felt so…warm and comforting.

“Soojung…I’m Jongin, Kim Jongin,” he said with a sweet smile.

 

 

 

Our first encounter was…well, unique if I could say so for myself.

Now, it has already been 3 months of us knowing each other and we’re in a relationship.

Yes, the boyfriend-girlfriend kind of relationship.

“Soojung!”

I heard my name being called and I spun around just to be greeted by a sudden hug by him.

“Jongin, we’re in public here!” I muffled in his chest as I tried to pull away from him.

We’re at Han River and there’re people around here! Even though he had done this numerous times but I still didn’t like showing affection in public. It just – it’s embarrassing!

But he didn’t listen to me and tightening his arms around me.

“I miss you,” he whispered in my ear and immediately, deep shade of red coloured my cheeks.

“I miss you too,” I mumbled with a hint of shyness.

Slowly, he pulled away from the hug a bit but his hands were still at my back. Without warning, he bent a little and put his lips on mine.

I was surprised but soon relaxed. Our lips were blended perfectly together. The kiss was passionate.

For a moment, I was forgot where we were and kept drowning into our own world.  

Few seconds later, the kiss broke. We gazed at each other in dazed.

 “Your lips taste like vanilla,” he said as he his own lips.

Feeling my cheeks were burned, I faced to my left and my eyes widen in surprised.

 

There were three kids –staring at us with curiosity in their eyes. Two of them tilted their head in wonder and one of them was his thumb as well as tilting his head in wonder.

Realized what we had just did a while ago, I pulled away and took a step backward from Jongin.

Curling my hands into a fist, I glared at him.  

“We’re in public for God sake, Kim Jongin!” I scolded at him.

And he just laughed.

 

We are happy, indeed and it’s all thanks to mom – or the vanilla lip balm. 

 

 

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