I stare at the odd text. Why would Namjoon want to get together one day? It takes me a moment to reply, a little stunned.

y/n: okay, sure. But how did u get my number?

Namjoon: o, I asked jin hyung

Interesting.

y/n: alright, when do u wanna hang out?

It took him a while to reply, in the meantime, I continued walking home from work. Thankfully, this shift wasn't overtime. Minhee closed it early due to a lack of customers. I started to think about Jin and his friends. A few seemed very familiar: Yoongi, Jungkook, and Jimin. Hmm...

Oh my god, my brain is slower than a snail.

I first saw Jungkook and Jimin at the cafe. And Yoongi hosted the party Jessica dragged me to. Curse my terrible memory.

After some walking, I finally reached home.  Just as I was trying to find the correct key, my phone buzzed.

Namjoon: how about the mall near your house?  the cafe there? around 3 today?

y/n: i cant today, my friend wants to go shopping :( tomorrow works tho

Namjoon: okay, cya then y/n

I wish I could ditch Jessica's shopping trip. Even if it's to hang out with someone I don't know that well. The last time I declined to go shopping, Jessica lectured me for nearly an hour about how I don't go out as often as I should and so on, how I need to keep up with the trends as she does, things like that.

I made it home faster than usual. I think I walk more quickly when I complain to myself.

Jessica wanted to go shopping at 3 p.m. sharp. I glance at the clock. 3:26. I roll my eyes, knowing she's the type of person to arrive an hour late.

I took this blessing in disguise to shower and not look like a gremlin. It didn't take me too long. Shortly after I put on my sweater, my phone continuously buzzed on the dresser. It was Jessica. "Hello?" I answer, looking for my other shoe.

"I'm outside," She ended the call before I could respond. I put on my shoes and grabbed my stuff before heading out. 

As I entered the car, she was fixing her mascara with the help of her rearview mirror. "(Y/N), when was the last time you went shopping? It feels like forever ago..."

"A couple of weeks or so ago..." I thought back to when Jin and I first met. 

"Wow. You need to get out more." And with that, she sped off to the mall.

~

"Jessica, can we please sit down? My arms are killing m-"

"OMG! Is that Chanel?" she ran to the purse in question, and I was forced to follow. We've been shopping for nearly three hours. The clothes resting on my arms seemed to get heavier by the second. Jessica was the type to never repeat an outfit. On the other hand, I find a good pair of jeans and stick with them until I can't anymore.

For as long as I've known her, she'd steal her father's credit card and go shopping whenever she could. She would always say, "Retail therapy is just like normal therapy, but better!". She always had this need to be at the forefront of the trends at every moment. In a way, I respect it. I couldn't imagine waking up at dawn just to look as perfect as she does every day. But then again- my sore arms do not respect it.

I rolled my eyes. "Jess, I'm gonna sit outside." I placed the pile of clothes on a shelf and left the store before she could protest. I sat on an empty wooden bench. Sweet relief. I could feel just how sore I would be later today and cursed at myself for letting it go on this long.

Moments later she came walking out of the store with shopping bags filled to the brim with clothes. "(Y/N), I thought we were in this together! Friendships are supposed to be fifty-fifty. I go shopping, and you hold my things!"

I watched as she sat down beside me. "Jess, I felt like I've been carrying around an elephant this whole time. This is why I never go shopping with you."

"Hey! Don't have that attitude... I mean, maybe I could even lend you some clothes after I've worn them? Or after they go out of style. Like giving to the poor, just like Peter Pan, or whoever..."

Huh!? "Whatever, I'm going," I said, standing up from the bench and walking away. I could hear Jessica's protests behind me. I did my best to ignore them. I was too fed up with this. I didn't even get a chance to look at clothes for myself as my arms to too full.

As I faced the full parking lot, it dawned on me that she had driven me here. Thankfully, there's a bus stop not far from here that - I'm pretty sure - has my neighbourhood on its route. I headed in its direction. I shoved my hands in my sweater pocket. I wish I had brought my earbuds, walking in silence is astronomically boring. I watched the trees sway in the breeze, the gloomy sky in the background. Wait... gloomy...? 

Small dark, wet dots started appearing on the sidewalk. It started slow, few and far between, before gradually getting hastier. I curse at myself for not at least checking the weather forecast. 

"You've got to be kidding me..."

I reach the bus stop. Instead of having its normal bus shelter, all it has is a sign listing the bus routes. I stand beside the crooked pole, crossing my arms. I start to shiver as the rain pours harder and harder. 

I watch as traffic slows down. I check my phone for the time, careful not to get much water on it. 6:47 p.m. Are these buses even still in servic