As the afternoon rolled in, I let out a huge stretch. Since school just let out, we were preparing for the rush of young kids to swarm the pet shop. Most of them stop by on their walks home to play with a puppy or two or drag their parents over to attempt to persuade them to buy a new cat. I smiled, lifting a heavy bag of cat littler to add to the shelves, when I saw one character that just didn't match the rest. There was a grown man in a hoodie bending over next to the turtle tank. He just stood, as still as one of them, his eyes following their every move, if they even moved at all.

Closing time approached and the store had been pretty empty for a couple hours now. Families still come and go, but a majority of the rush disappears by five thirty to six. My boss had left early for an appointment and I was the only employee who worked the late shifts, so I was in charge of taking inventory and locking up for the night. When who I thought were the final customers left I locked the doors. I my iPod and headed towards the storage room to stock the shelves. On my way there, I saw the man. He had barely moved an inch and stayed fixated on the reptiles before him.

Curiously, I walked towards him.

"Why so quiet?" I seemed to have spooked him, for he jumped a little in place. He sighed looking back at the turtles.

"We... We were having a nice talk."

I looked at him like he was crazy. Turtles don't make much sound, let alone speak, and he himself hadn't said anything until I walked up. He must have sensed that my look needed an explanation.

"I was!" He said a little defensively. "Turtles just... Understand me... How other people don't..." He slumped down to the floor, leaning against the isle behind him. I took a seat next to him, feeling that the best thing to do was to join him.

"Have you ever wondered what it's like to be a turtle? They're always so cool, so relaxed. Not in a rush to follow any busy schedule, not worrying about what others think. They look so helpless on the outside, but their heads alone can conquer strengths that no one else can. Not to mention their shells: protect them from danger, from insecurities, from fear. They can just hide away if they want to." I looked up him, a serious yet worried expression played on his face. Under his hood I could see his hair, shaved rather short, and I truly understood what he meant. After a long pause, he finished, "I would like to be a turtle."

Even his the lack of make-up, shaved hair, and his resistance to look straight at me, I could recognize the mysterious hooded figure.

We sat quietly as his words sunk in. I took an earbud out of my ear and held it out for him to take. He looked at it for a moment then took it without hesitation. He placed it in his ear attentively listening to the current song. He stayed facing ahead and focused only on the music until he finally broke concentration. He turned to me and I could finally see his face. There were tears in his eyes, staining his cheeks as they fell. He leaned forward and hugged me firmly, a signal that I did the right thing.

As he let go, he began to stand, wiping the last few tears from his eyes. The man started to walk towards the door, pausing as he reached for the handle. I followed him and unlocked the door, holding it open for his leave. He bowed his head, a little "thank you" under his breath, and walked away. But this wasn't at all a goodbye.
I closed the door again and leaned against it, looking down at my iPod that was playing none other than Waiting For You by the man himself.

Yesung. ♦

Hello, darlings~ This was written when Yesung joined the army. (If you couldn't figure that out) So yeah~ Yay for ye old tales.