Five minutes past midnight.

Surely it’s been more than a minute since you last tapped your phone screen awake, squinting through the blinding glow as sleep fails to take you in for the night.

And as if programmed to do so, your fingers find its way swiping and scrolling through the apps you’ve left idled, finally stopping over a particular contact.

Kim Jinwoo

You pause, letting out a quiet sigh because you’ve been going back and forth, staring at his name for heaven knows how long, it’s starting to look like it belonged to a stranger.

They told you not to get your hopes up, that Jinwoo wasn’t a regular guy. He wasn’t the kind to drop by during weekends for an impromptu movie date, not the one you’d see waiting by his car to pick you up from class. But the kind to say no, that he’s not seeing anyone when asked more than he’d like to, declaring that his heart belongs to the thousands that adore him through the lenses that he’d memorized so dearly.

It was easier said than done when you absently agreed, not having a clue then that you were already falling.

You like to think that your finger slipped so coincidentally onto the green call button, the line ringing longer than usual before the voice you’ve heard of so many times whispers through. So many times yet you still needed time to get used to the sound.

He skips the formalities, poking a smile on your face because he was finally comfortable enough to be this loose.

“Couldn’t sleep, hm?” He asks, the warmth of his tone springing butterflies in your stomach.

“How come I always end up calling you when I can’t fall asleep?” You confirm with a small laugh, turning to your side as you sink in further into the duvet.

“I don’t know, you tell me.” He was smiling, you could tell, “Is it my fantastic talking skills?”

You grin out loud at his blatant sarcasm.

“Must be so. Now enlighten me, Jinwoo-ssi.”

Jinwoo possessed an endearing shyness at first glance, he wasn’t loud, only talks when spoken to yet he still manages to catch attention even without intending to do so. People walked into walls and closed doors at the sight of him.

But the more you peeled at his layers, the more he knows about you in return, he was a delight to talk to.

“Shall I enlighten you with something else instead?” There was eagerness tinged in his voice, and you stare through the darkness, unblinking, taken in a  sudden anticipation.

“What is it?”

“Are you up for a movie?” He was strangely hopeful, and your heart tightens over how a virtual, so called streaming movie date through a skype video would get him so excited. Given the complicated circumstances, it was the closest thing the both of you will ever get to a proper date, but you didn’t mind and neither did he.

“Sure, yeah. Lemme get my laptop first—”  

“No, I mean, can I come over for a movie?”

You were halfway across your bedroom, your toes curling into the carpeted floor at his request.

“What?” It came out more defensive than you intend, asking just to make sure if you heard him right.

“You’re right, it’s late. That’s a stupid question, never mind I asked.” He laughs awkwardly from the other end.

“Come over.”

There was a brief pause from him and you wanted to laugh all of a sudden, almost hearing the panic in his loud thoughts.

The idea was horribly tempting and you weren’t sure whether your were serious or not earlier, but your senses and right mind returns, snapping you back to reality. Jinwoo remains quiet, catching a mumble of incoherent shuffling in the background and you fall back onto the edge of the bed, trying to make out what on earth this boy was doing.

Your eyes widen at a beep, and you know he was out the door.

“Jinwoo…?”

“Yeah?”

“What are you doing?”

“Coming over. I can’t wait to see you.”

//