( happens to me today and also yesterday lol but yeah im ok and feel like to pen this off)

Uber driver x passanger AU, 1770 words.

Seunghyun is an uber driver to a mute Jiyong. 

p.s :

Einaudi's music link here

Rain sounds link here

Seunghyun had been working as an uber driver for awhile now, and just like tonight since it's friday night, despite how packed the road is, he still turn his app on, and searched for passangers to get in. He was always eager on friday-saturday-and sunday cos at almost midnight like this, the company would give the driver who take trips at time like this, nice bonus, despite being tired from driving uber all day, Seunghyun still waits for his next customer patiently. He's been online, and then suddenly this tick came in, the user's name is Kwon Jiyong. A korean, just like him. He's glad he doesn't need to pull an english tonight, he can small talk freely in Korean, that he doesn't need to even think to translate before speak, he's glad it's gonna be easier. But something is strange, the gps of his passanger, of Jiyong is actually in the middle of this bridge, Manhattan Bridge, Brooklyn. Seunghyun can't see where his passanger going since he hasn't on going yet, but he really hope that, that his bad thought won't come true. Turns out it was, worse. He was driving past the half of the bridge, his gps stopped there, but he can't see him. He went out of his car, text, and then call, but still no answer. It's been minutes, and he walked and walked and suddenly he heard a cellphone ringing, by the time he speed his walk and towards the 2nd pylon, he found a man curled up on the floor whose cellphones he'd been calling. So he put his phone back to his pocket, braced himself, and get ready to die, cos Jiyong could be someone drunk or even someone who carry a gun and would shot him? Like who knows? Was Jiyong lose his conscious or something??? As always, being in the unknown grey area, had never been Seunghyun's virtue.

"Sir, are you okay? Are you Kwon Jiyong? I am your uber driver, Choi Seunghyun."

He asked for the 4th time and still no answer, so he tried to shake the man before him and still the man won't answer, and also won't lift his face.

Seunghyun was afraid and don't know what to do. It's only his 3rd month being an uber driver and this is by far the scariest thing that he'd ever face with.

He tried to lift the man's face and he was met by the most beautiful crying face, Jiyong was crying without sounds. Not the kind of wail-crying nor sob, Jiyong's tears was just there and kept leaking and Seunghyun really was confused and afraid and also sad and wanted to take this man's pain away.

"Mr. Kwon Jiyong?"

Jiyong finally showed reaction after being called a lot of times, he finally look towards Seunghyun's eyes.

"Let's get you home, sir? I'll help you up."

Seunghyun helped Jiyong up to stand, and walk with him to his car, while having his arms around Jiyong's shoulder to keep him there, afraid that Jiyong would slip and fall. He wonders what made the man cry painfully like that. Even if he's not crying anymore now, the hiccups still there, and Seunghyun hope, hope that whatever this man's go through, he hope the universe would help this man.

"I already put your seatbelt on, Is this your address, sir? I'll go and follow the direction then. You can rest if you wanted, I can go, the gps is working fine. I hope you'll feel better."

Seunghyun never heard any responds to whatever he says, Jiyong just curled to himself, hugged him self and tugged his sleeves.

"I am sorry, sir. I will turned the aircon down."

They've been on the way to Jiyong's destination and it suddenly rains, the silence was defeaning, so Seunghyun tried to small talk. He was confused whether to talk in Korean or in English, and his greetings was in formal English but now that Jiyong seems to be calmer, and not crying anymore, he decided to talk in Korean, to be a little bit more friendly, he decided.

"I always like the rain, especially when it's midnight rain, the rain is always honest and fair, it hits you but you won't get hurt. I like the idea of that. 

Just like before, he didn't get any reaction from Jiyong. But he like to challenged himself, so he kept talking in korean, while Jiyong who sits on the passanger side, kept his gaze straight.

"See the droplets? I like to think that the droplet of the water is the metaphor of life, the water came down from the sky and it vanished and the new one came down again and vanished and the process continues - almost the same like how life works. Bad things happened, good things happened, and it all would come and go, just like the rain. Like when bad things happened, we could try to let it vanished and embrace the new things to come, the good things to come. I'm sorry if I overstep my boundaries but I hope you'll feel better. I'll put on music and stop talking."

Seunghyun put on Ludovico Einaudi's Divenire album on speaker and keep driving. 

The gps said he will reach the destination in about 20 minutes. Just then, Oltemare, his favourite song came on the speaker, he can't help but feel at ease, to be able to hear and be calm under the rain with Einaudi like this, he hopes this would calm and help Jiyong too.

Jiyong had been doing nothing but gazing to the view up front, and suddenly he tried to reach his phone from his pants' pocket.

Seunghyun saw Jiyong typing something and then he felt Jiyong tugs his left sleeve.

He heard sounds from Jiyong's phone that turns out to be google voice.

"Seunghyun, Thank you for helping me earlier, would you mind if I asked you to stop here? I wanted to hear to this beautiful piano tune, to see the rain and to sit with you, if you don't mind. I will pay the added fare."

Seunghyun was confused at first cos why would someone typed and used his phone to voice it out, instead of just talking, but he said okay anyway.

So they stopped near Jiyong's apartment complex, and stay inside the car, listen to the rain and the song.

He parked his car in front of an open soccer field, and stay there. There was a convenience store and a few shop that still open near them. 

Seunghyun was thinking what to talk about and then he heard the voice from Jiyong's phone again, he turned towards Jiyong to look to Jiyong's face and he listens,

"I used to play soccer here a lot when I was young, do you play sports?"

"Yeah. I used to be an attacker, how about you?"

"I used to be a referee, I make people out a lot and also scolded them a lot."

"Do you still play? sometimes?"

"After school? No, the field and people got really louder and louder and most of time, they won't hear me, can't hear me."

"I see. Do you want anything, Jiyong? I'll get water from that convenience store, If you want?"

"No, it's okay. It seems weird, but I feel at ease here, with you. Perhaps I wanted to stay here, for a little while, if you're okay with that, that is. I will be out and go home soon, I promise. After this album end, I will be out and I won't disturb you anymore, sorry. Something about you, just make me calm. I will pay more."

"I'm willing to spend and sit here with you and if you wanted to put it that way, I don't mind to be disturbed. You didn't even disturb me, though, not even slightly."

"Okay."

"Okay."

"I like this song and the previous one the most, what's the title?"

"You have great taste in music, Jiyong. It's oltemare and fly, I believe."

They kept looking at each other while conversing, even when Jiyong must typed his talk first, he would let the speaker go on while looking at Seunghyun. They stayed there until it's almost the ending of the album, and Seunghyun thought it's only fair, if he also used google voice instead of talking now, regardless what is the issue and the problem with Jiyong - as to why he doesn't talk, he doesn't care.

"Are you feeling better now?"

Seunghyun stared at Jiyong and then he saw something that he had been waiting for, Jiyong's smile."

"Yes, thanks to you. Thank you, Seunghyun."

"You're very much welcome, Jiyong. Ready to go home, now?"

Seunghyun walked Jiyong to the front door of his apartment building and when Jiyong was trying to open his wallet to give tips for him, Seunghyun refused. He typed and put it on speaker. He decided he likes the way their type of conversing is different from other people, it makes this even more special, Seunghyun thought.

"No, Jiyong. It's okay, you were a nice company, beside I already got bonus from the company for taking a friday midnight ride, you don't have to pay me more. It was also my pleasure to stay and sit with you, together."

"Thank you, you saved my life tonight, Seunghyun. I guess you deserves to know that. Would you mind if we exchanged contact and we'll maybe meet for coffee, someday?"

"And here I hope that someday would come soon like within this week, Jiyong."

"Ah, how about This sunday?"

"Sure, I'll look forward to it."

Jiyong then open the gate and walked inside, Seunghyun was still watching him, just to make sure that Jiyong was really save and okay, and then he saw Jiyong turned back and walked slowly towards him. He saw Jiyong mouthed Thank you, so he mouthed Thank you back, and also See you this sunday. Then Jiyong mouthed See you too, soon.  

Maybe on their sunday meeting later, Jiyong would tell him why did he cry earlier? Why did he sit and curl up like that in the middle of Manhattan Bridge? Or why Jiyong doesn't talk but chose to type and let the phone speaks for himself? But then Seunghyun thinks, it doesn't matter. Cos it seems that Jiyong was feeling better and he made Jiyong feel better, better than when he found him on the bridge earlier. By that, he decided it's okay, he doesn't need and won't demand any explanation, life is always up and down for everyone anyway. Seunghyun drives home with the thought of meeting Jiyong this sunday, already.