a·void·ant

Relating to or denoting a type of personality or behaviour characterized by the avoidance of intimacy or social interaction.

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September 1 (Saturday)

Han Kyung Mi’s eyes stared at the nearby grocery store, eventually squinting when she noticed an apparent oddity. In general, most of the food items were placed in the premise but a few edible fruits were placed on a makeshift stall. Though the female had no need to even think about it, the spectacled girl continued doing so.

“The arrangement…” mused the girl to herself before walking over briskly to the food stand. They were apples of slightly variant colours, of a lime green, a deep red and something almost synonymous to the hue of apricot. The majority were parted into three visible sections, but the stray fruit that idly remained on the edge was disorderly somehow. Inconspicuously glancing in both directions, Kyung Mi was determined to carry out the unnecessary work.

Her hands carefully picked up the supposed fruits, noting that apples easily got bruised if mishandled. A part of her was explaining as to how ridiculous the whole scenario was, but her extreme decidedness allowed her to prolong the almost arduous task. However, with the significant miscalculation or just some haphazard misfortune, the apples slipped out of her grasp and they dangerously rolled off the edge of the wooden structure — and oh, how terribly injured the delicate fruits would be once they touched the ground. Kyung Mi made an innate grab for them, but her reflex had not fared well in her evident cause. And so she watched the apples tumble to their inevitable doom — which actually ended up in a person’s shopping basket. The eighteen year old only stared in extreme bewilderment before the other spoke in a rather refreshing yet bland mien.

“Ah, I was definitely thinking of getting some apples today,” asserted a male with a tinge of supposed sarcasm. At that, Kyung Mi was quick to react. Instinctively, she lifted her gaze from the apples and found herself looking at the one and only Oh Sehun. Not even a ghost of a smile was seen on his distinctive countenance, but he obviously showed recognition.

“Sehun!” uttered Kyung Mi with surprise. “What are you doing here?” He only glanced at her rather seriously before lifting the basket a little.

“Obviously I’m grocery shopping on a weekend,” he answered. “And what are you doing here, Kyung Mi?” The female felt considerably hurt at his remark, finding it to be too sharp for her taste. Besides, it wasn’t like she could just tell him the absurd truth, right?

The girl could only respond with the small, awkward shuffling of her feet. It was an uncommon kind of reply since Kyung Mi was quite enthusiastic most of the time, but even people like her had their abrupt moments. The male, he quietly sighed before removing the aberrant apples from his basket and onto the wooden stand whilst the spectacled girl stared at the expressionless ground. Well, that was what she did until another pair of feet obscured the plain view.

“… Is it to your liking now?” asked Sehun undauntedly. It was an inquiry she found to be strange, but somehow her eyes were quick to stray towards the fruit stall. Her eyes widened.

“You noticed?” asked Kyung Mi aloud, astonished once more as she took a glance at the male in front of her before returning the said attention back to the arrangement. The apples pertaining to the variant colours of orange, red and green were in a pleasant, orderly state. The insouciant eighteen year old boy allowed a blank reply.

“You could say that I was watching,” stated Sehun briefly as his eyes flickered to her impassively. Kyung Mi felt so small and stupid under his gaze.

With that, it appeared that her unexpected acquaintance decided to take his leave — well, to be more accurate, he decided to resume his grocery shopping before she came along. His footsteps were rather light for his stature, and she wouldn’t have noticed his terse disappearance if she hadn’t been looking at his feet. Kyung Mi was smiling rather primly at the figure that made his way into the air-conditioned store when it froze instantaneously. Sehun had looked outside, which indirectly meant that he caught her staring at him, but that was not the main subject at hand. It was just the fact that he seemed to throw her a wordless inquiry, one that questioned whether she was going to follow him or not. Nevertheless, that oddity only lasted for approximately three seconds before the initiated and held eye contact broke. For it was she, Han Kyung Mi, who found herself closing the distance between them until she landed right by his side. As for Oh Sehun, the rather apathetic male, he merely arched a brow with quiet mirth.

Conversations weren’t exactly plenty between the two, but they were enough to assure one another that the atmosphere wasn’t stagnantly uncomfortable or anything close to that. The boy who was carrying the grocery basket then halted in his footsteps rather suddenly, unwittingly being the cause for the other’s pause as well.

“Baked beans,” murmured Sehun under his breath before reaching out for an aforementioned can that was just above Kyung Mi’s head. It was something that caught her off-guard, and so her face coloured temporarily.

“Oh,” she said softly. The incident wasn’t particularly awkward, but it was just extremely unexpected. Plus, it only emphasized as to how similar his height was when one compared his with Gongchan’s. And the way he looked at her fondly — wait, what?

“Kyung Mi, are you alright?” questioned Sehun quizzically as his deft fingers continuously held the absurd canned food. A nervous smile flitted across her face.

“Um, yes,” she mentioned with a chuckle, discreetly getting herself a little further away from him due to personal reasons. “I just… spaced out for a while.” Out of the blue, a genuine smile graced his features.

“You’re such a dreamer,” he asserted with subtle kindness before the expression passed away.

It was absolutely certain that if she had not witnessed it firsthand, she would have thought his display of emotion to be a figment of her own imagination.

About twenty minutes later, it was clear that Sehun had finished his shopping list since they made their way to the counter. The two of them patiently waited as the attendant scanned the items, and eventually the eighteen year old boy spoke.

“I suppose you’re leaving to who knows where after this, right…?” began the male with apparent concern. “… Kyung Mi?” The female, in spite of being addressed to, had caught herself in another scene that wasn’t actually unfolding. The vending machine chanced to land in her line of sight, and so the spectacled girl couldn’t help but to look at it with imperceptible fondness. It reminded her of the days in which the sleepy head Sehun would partake of his famous flavoured can drinks at random intervals. It obviously didn’t help that it was the same brand, of course. Only when a hand had waved in front of her own two eyes did she then regain her normal sense of perception.

He blinked once naturally at her almost stoically before using his outstretched hand to pull out money from his already opened wallet.

“And where, were you?” he asked dryly as he watched the receipt being printed out. Kyung Mi dared not answer, perhaps with the fear of being called foolish or delusional. Even so, it didn’t seem like that was a reply he particularly wanted anyway. His eyes then looked at her with much judgement, as if they were asking her if she was going to continue following him or not.

“Shall we get going then?” asked the spectacled girl with pure innocence as she took up a plastic bag. Then and there, he found the definite answer. His face, it nearly portrayed amusement. Just almost. The two classmates then made their way to his apartment that was across a vast park, which was just a stone throw’s away from the said shop. The tall male smoothly removed his footwear at the entrance before unlocking the door and subsequently entering through the doorway. Being a supposed guest, Kyung Mi only imitated his apparent actions. Her eyes took in the rather bare, white spacious room only filled with necessary furniture. Since he was a quick one, Sehun was already unpacking his items.

With slight laughter, she then placed the bag she was carrying on the kitchen table as well. His attention temporarily went to her, and she definitely took advantage of it.

“Don’t you think it’s like we’re playing house?” teased Kyung Mi abruptly. “You know, since we technically went grocery shopping together.” The boy nearly dropped a tomato after hearing those words.

“… No,” denied Sehun blankly with a burning passion, evidently tuning out to everything she would have wanted to say afterwards. The girl couldn’t help but to sigh at him, since it would seem like he was not one that enjoyed jokes at all. However, that particular tease did seem a little too close for comfort after all, and suggestive. Perhaps it was her own turn to reflect on her dangerous loose words.

The switching on of a kitchen tap caught her immediate attention. She tilted her head in the general direction of the sound to find her classmate determinedly and meticulously washing each article of vegetable or fruit. It was then; she realized with great clarity, that the boy was one that prioritized cleanliness. Sehun was not one who wore an apron of some sort, but it was clear to see that he was skilled and that he would not be staining his own shirt too easily. It was almost admirable, yet so terribly entertaining. The female made her way noiselessly to the occupied male as a bright grin adorned her complexion.

“I can help you do the washing too if you want,” offered Kyung Mi cheerfully. “It looks like you would take a long time if you’re going to do it all alone.” At that, the eighteen year old boy switched off the water source suddenly and gave her a sharp look.

His words, they nearly articulated but they were held back for just a few more seconds. He scanned her face, looking for any traces of mockery and such in her countenance. Yet he need not waste his time in doing so, since there was not even a scintilla of it.

“… Excuse me?” asked Sehun with a tinge of exasperation. The girl only continued grinning.

“You’ll take an eternity if you do this alone,” repeated Kyung Mi. “So I’m offering to help you, alright?” This time, she stared at her classmate as she waited for his response. The insensate male did not even waver, remaining calm in all aspects as he considered it carefully.

“… Then I’m cooking lunch,” declared Sehun blankly, noting that it was somewhat eleven in the morning. She smiled at his quaint reply.

“Deal,” agreed Kyung Mi, reminding herself to call her mother so that she wouldn’t prepare lunch at home for her. “That’d be a treat.” And surely the smallest of smiles had flickered past his face.

The unexpected pair worked steadily with the washing of the raw material, and by the time they were done, it was about fifteen minutes past twelve. It was also somewhere around that time in which Sehun had proclaimed that he was going to cook, and so she was not allowed to help at all.

“I prefer doing it alone, thank you,” he had responded stiffly, turning down her ever ready offer firmly. And so she was to remain seated at the dining table, in which she could technically watch him from afar if she wanted to. Of course, the male had not suggested such things to the bespectacled girl at all. Even so, Kyung Mi found herself observing the young supposed chef in his quarters, finding it to be a queer and interesting sight. It was a rare thing, and so she made sure that it was a memory that would reside in her. Approximately twenty minutes later, the male appeared by the table with two plateful of food, equipped with the much needed fork and spoon.

“Let’s eat,” said Sehun bluntly as he first set hers on the table, followed by his that was across the table. To that, she readily agreed and enjoyed the food prepared by the other.

“It’s so delicious — thank you!” exclaimed Kyung Mi after her first bite of the assortment of food placed on the plate. It was both pleasant to the look and taste, much to her delight.

“… Good,” chuckled the classmate lightly afterwards, finally eating his portion. Due to their hunger, they were consuming the food in apparent silence. She dearly enjoyed the food, finding the other to be immensely skilled and experienced whereas her companion merely held a lackluster expression. One would have mistaken him to be suffering if they didn’t look properly, even. Nevertheless, she did not bother or interrupt his strangeness until a question persistently beset her mind, forcing it to articulate aloud.

“Say, Sehun,” began Kyung Mi slowly as she placed her cutlery aside. “It’s the weekend. When are your parents coming home? Surely they aren’t working, right?” The male took in every word she uttered as he also mimicked her action, placing his fork and spoon beside his plate before answering her query.

“Not coming,” responded Sehun emotionlessly, and his fringe conveniently obscured part of his view. Her words ran dry when she saw his response. It sounded worrisome, and so she couldn’t help but to ask further.

“… Oh!” continued Kyung Mi rather nervously. “I suppose they are working away from this district or some sort for a week or two then?” A random cold wind swept their feet, but Sehun remained unmoved. He only continued looking at her in that same demeanour.

“Gone,” affirmed the eighteen year old boy. The colours of Kyung Mi’s face began draining rapidly. She felt like she was treading on dangerous territory all of a sudden, as if she was asking for answers to the forbidden. She felt like a really, really horrible person.

“I-I’m sorry, Sehun,” apologized Kyung Mi in a whisper. His eyes only gleamed mysteriously.

“It’s alright, you couldn’t have known,” he assured eventually. “No one would have guessed.”

Then he paused for effect, maybe, and it caused Kyung Mi to wonder incessantly as to what his next words were supposed to be. She need not wait for long.

“I’m a humanoid,” stated Sehun, and his steel eyes stared at hers perpetually. The bespectacled girl felt chills running down her spine. That would definitely explain as to why he was such a perfectionist, a subtle player of words and such. It was absolutely disturbing that he was so human-like. Kyung Mi was at a definite loss of words. But then the male broke into a ghostly smile.

“You actually believed what I just said, Kyung Mi?” asked Sehun rhetorically as a small laugh escaped him. “That’s kind of cute.” Though she was now confused, her classmate made it clear that he was not a lifeless robot. His eyes then held an unexplainable emotion, nevertheless.

“The meat will get cold if we don’t eat it any sooner,” claimed Sehun, and he took up his cutlery afterwards. And by this time, his fringe was no longer hiding his countenance. Kyung Mi witnessed it, the strange and slight change of character; of personality, but it was something she could not understand.

So she obeyed his commands when it pertained to the food rather readily, not even suspecting anything the other had in mind, or the reasons behind his cryptic answers. If only the eighteen year old girl knew, however, of the origins as to why Oh Sehun became the definition of enigma itself. Looks like that time had yet to come at all — and perhaps it never will.