5 Wrongs Might Make A Right

Genre: romantic comedy, AU.

INTRO CH. Forever Alone

My name is Lee Sungyeol and I’m 26 years old and I sometimes still get carded when buying liquor at the convenience store. Everyday, I take the same path on foot before riding the same subway every morning to work. Everyday before heading to the office, I’d make a pit stop at the local cafe downstairs of the building to grab my morning coffee.

I arrive my desk at exactly 8:15. Everyday, I leave the office for my 45 minute lunch promptly at 12:00 and enjoy my second cup of coffee. Everyday, I’d head down to the plaza towards UKISS’s Sushi & Grill and order the same chicken teriyaki lunch combo with a side order of egg rolls even though I suspect the restaurant isn’t even authentically Japanese. The server named Kiseop always gives me free egg rolls. I know he likes me and he’s not bad looking, but he’s just not my type. I don’t work well with the hot diva types.

Everyday, I return to the office 5 minutes before check in and work until 3 pm before clocking out and heading in the same route back home.

I live alone in a nice affordable apartment loft downtown. I am a salaryman, and I work on the clock. My pay isn’t bad, but work at the office can get a little too mundane and tedious at times. My co-workers like to pile on extra work.

I guess, life wasn’t always so boring, at least it wasn’t like this back in the days when I was a kid, but the older I got, the more socially disconnected I seemed to have gotten. I don’t remember the last time I got together with old high school or even college friends, not that I had many friends to begin with. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a loser or anything, I mean, I’m actually quite the looker (except, people who try to flirt with me are always shady Ahjusshi or people with a for tall people). I don't know why I never had it in me to reach out to people, but one of my biggest fears is loneliness, and to grow and live in the same way every single day, to the possibility of never meeting a soul mate, drowns me in despair. Yes, I do believe in soulmates. I believe in Prince Charming. And yet, I haven’t dated anyone since I was 15, not that it really counted since the relationship only lasted for a short amount of time. Like. 2 weeks.

Despite it all, despite my moody demeanor, I’m actually a romantic. Yep, I believe in meeting the one true love that would sweep me off my feet, and we’d be together forever, living the rest of our lives in eternal happiness, however, I have yet to meet that person. My mother believes that my non-existent love life stems from me as a workaholic, or rather, I’ll just let her keep believing that.

Frankly mother, I just haven’t met the right person yet, not to mention anyone who has met my sky high list of expectations and stairway to heaven standards. It might be ridiculous of me and a beggar can’t be a chooser, but deep down, I really believe. I really believe with all my might that the right one for me is out there somewhere, someone who fits my requisites, but right now, he’s just busy dating other people. Or if I’m lucky, just busy building a fortune. No, I’m kidding, I’m not a gold digger. Maybe.

As shocking as it may seem, and as ordinary as my life seems to repeat each day, I have hope. It’s silly, but I’d wake up hoping that just maybe, I’d finally meet him one day. Maybe it’s today, maybe it’s tomorrow. Perhaps, it could be on my usual train, on the bus, in the coffee shop, or even maybe while taking a walk, we’d bump into each other. My best friend tells me I’m unrealistic, but who knows? It doesn’t hurt to dream. Mother tells me otherwise though. She thinks I’m not trying hard enough to actually go out there and meet people, but oh mother, I do try. I really do. It’s just I never meet the right one.

So here I am, on my usual train to the office, the same one I take to get to and fro from work. I sat in the same seat, if not same row if the seat is occupied, staring out the window idly. Passengers got off. Others got on. However, with each new passenger, I couldn't help but turn to look, hoping, maybe that he’s the one I’m supposed to meet. I picture it in my head of the possible meeting. Maybe I’d trip on the way and he’d catch my fall, or maybe by chance, we bump each other and drop our belongings where I accidentally take something of his and he’d take something of mine. Or maybe, he actually was just a usual passenger like myself, and we’d never notice each other even though we take the same train, going to the same stop, on the same day.

Today, I found myself turning abruptly to check out whoever that just now entered the train compartment. To my disappointment, it was an elderly man with his grandchild. Even an elderly wasn’t single and available. I chuckled to myself softly at the passing thought. I turn back to stare blankly out the window once more.

I felt someone sit beside me. This time, I didn’t bother to check. I’m pretty sure it’s probably another old man, or even an old lady. Perhaps I’d get lucky to guess that it’s a pregnant lady. Whoever it was, he or she was probably someone who couldn’t even dream of getting on the waitlist of my list of interests.

The endless moving walls eventually got boring to look at, so I decided to face the other side, people were always interesting to watch. It's not a crime ok! French expressionist painters use to do it all the time, they call it flaneur; to people watch.

I was right. The dude beside me wasn’t more than who I expected. He’s just some porky middle aged man with a pop belly and grizzly untamed beard. I sighed at my own fate, turning back to stare out the window again, but from the corner of my eyes, I spotted something. I spotted someone. The guy sitting across from me had one of the most handsomest faces I’ve ever seen on a person, well hopefully, since I can’t see the details clearly (you know, like those people who look really good but only in profile view, yeah. What if he’s one of those.) Plus, I didn’t want to stare too intently since I don't’ want to be caught staring. But I saw enough to confirm, that the guy is super handsome, even exceeding my standards. Yes! Maybe it’s him, maybe he’s my destiny! I sneak sly glances at him (he would never know that I was checking him out because I can pull off one of the most moodiest expressions anyone can have hehe). Okay, I admit I am a bit shallow for caring about looks, but I mean, who honestly wouldn't? Everyone likes good looking people, and honest to goodness, they’d be lying if they only cared about personality. I always believe that in order for chemistry to exist, there has to be an attraction first. Personality might be great, but you can’t be with someone forever if you can’t even look at them in the face. Karma would probably get me for this and that’s probably why I’m still single. Don’t get me wrong, personality is very (and I must stress) important too, because no one wants a douchebag or a , and even if a person is good looking and had a bad personality, they’d still be better to look at compared to someone who looks ugly and also has a bad personality. Yes. Fine. I am shallow. But anyways, that man seriously looks like a celebrity. He was staring off into space, occasionally checking his phone. He seemed to be texting someone.

Of course, texting means he probably already has a girlfriend or boyfriend, maybe even a spouse, who knows. Bottom line, he probably wasn’t available. 99.99% of gorgeous or nice looking men are taken (except me, but notice that). For a second, I could’ve sworn we made eye contact, and I thought I felt him staring back. I stiffen up and looked away for a second. I can feel my face burning up from his stare.

The train stopped to pick up more passengers and the cabin became crowded as each new passenger boarded. A pregnant woman barely made it on before the doors closed on her. There were no seats left and I was about to offer her my seat when the the handsome piece of eye-candy stood up to offer her his seat. Good good, he’s handsome and he’s nice! Two out of however many criteria on my list are accomplished!

However, what he did next didn’t surprise me at all until I started to notice.

The man stood with his back facing me, hanging onto the bars above his head. I stared up and down his broad shoulders and muscled back. Yeah he has pretty nice muscles. I lowered my eyes since I was done observing. Or at least, I thought I was done. ….and a nice too. I thought unconsciously before my eyes widened in shock at what I just thought and I mentally slapped myself.

The phone in his pocket rang, calling for his attention. It also caught my attention as I instinctively placed my hands over my own phone in my pocket. We have the same customized ringtone! It’s an intro cut of INFINITE’s Be Mine Remix, my favorite group andmy favorite song. We could actually be soulmates if he really liked INFINITE enough to put it on his phone! I hope his bias isn’t L or anything or else we’d have to fight. He smiled upon looking at his screen before sliding his fingers across the screen and picking up the call. From a very slight side profile of his face, his smile sprouted from glancing at the name on his caller ID. He has a really, really nice smile.

"Helloo! I'm on my way! Yes...yes I know I didn't forget. Yes of course.  I miss you too. OK love you. "

Of course! Why was I not surprised? That was probably his girlfriend on the other line, and he was probably meeting with her. He got off at the next stop and I couldn't help giving him a final lingering stare as I watch him exit the compartment.  Ok, I was really looking at his . Two more seconds and he is out of my life forever. I'll probably never see that handsome man again. That's too bad, because he really had a nice too.

I sighed thinking to myself, that perhaps my mother and best friend Daehyun was right, I really need to get out more and maybe even go find myself some blind dates. Feeling a bit dejected, I committed into memory that I should  give mom a call after I get off work.

Yes, I am Lee Sungyeol, age 26 with a one way ticket heading towards: Forever Alone-ville.

AN: Hehehe how you guys like Sungyeol? Does he come off as arrogant? LOL  I hope you still like him, I'm just trying to make him like real...you know like not afraid to say the worst things, because this chapter is basically narrated by Sungyeolie, and I'm sure in everyone's own minds there are times we think of the meanest and most shallowest thoughts.  Happy reading. Please subscribe, upvotes, support and comment. Thank you readers. I love you.