The Chocolatier

 

You’ve always admired this small and quaint chocolate shop on the corner of a busy street in the city while growing up. It had a large window near the entrance for children and adults to admire the chocolatier making sweets and greeting the audience with a friendly smile. The warm aroma of cocoa beans and vanilla seeped out of the shop when you walked by it.

 

During winter was their busiest time of the year, as chocolate was a perfect gift to give to a loved one, or to warm up your soul with a cup of homemade hot chocolate. The line would go out the door, but people who left the small shop had the biggest smile on their face with a small, golden box adorned with a deep red ribbon in their hands.

 

This winter was particularly crowded as the line went around the block. You overheard a friend boast that there was a new, handsome chocolatier in the shop who was stealing every girl’s heart that walks in. As you expected, her heart was snatched as well. 

 

“Did you want to go inside?” You snapped out of your thoughts as you turned toward the figure beside you with a curious smile across his face.  “You’ve been staring at the shop for the past five minutes.”

 

Chuckling, you buried your pink nose into the thick, checkered scarf and shook your head. “No, I don’t. I was just lost in thought.”

 

“You say this every time we pass this place. Have you ever gone inside?”

 

“We should go...it’s cold outside.” You stood up from the bench, taking your boyfriend’s warm hand. The two of you merged your way into the city crowd, turning your head to take a final glimpse of it. There was only one time you had their chocolate, just one.

           

Tears dripped down onto your hands as a hiccup erupted from your throat. You sat on a bench in the crowded streets of the city; blurred bodies passed you left and right, showing no remorse of an abandoned young child

.

“What’s an angel like you crying about?” 

 

You lifted your head up at the sudden voice, a young boy standing in front of you, his large, brown eyes looking right into yours, some chocolate smeared across his cheek.

 

“My mommy and daddy got in a car crash…I won’t ever see them again and I don’t have any friends.” You sniffled loudly, more tears rolling down your cheeks. “And now I’m all alone!”

 

“You’re not alone…I’ll be your friend! Please don’t cry.” He frowned. “My mom always said a person is most beautiful when they smile.”

 

“I don’t feel like smiling.” You whined, wiping the snot on the sweater of your sleeve.

“Here, have this then.” You saw his hand extend toward you, a small piece of chocolate in clear wrapping. “My daddy owns the chocolate shop next to you, he let me help him make sweets today. Will you be the first one to try my chocolate? Chocolate makes the tears go away.”

 

You eyed it with hesitation, but with a strong sweet tooth, you couldn’t help but pick it off of his palm and unwrap it, tossing the small cube into your mouth. It melted instantly, revealing the sweet, vanilla cream that was in the center. You could feel the tears slowly halt as you ate the chocolate in surprise. It was so rich and it tasted like home.

 

“My mom was right, people do become more beautiful.” The boy beside you stated with a gentle, warming smile. “You have a lovely smile.”

 

You never saw him after that day. You even went into the small chocolate shop every day and asked for the boy, or even the owner. One of the chocolatiers said they went abroad not long after, but they had no knowing of when they would come back. Years passed as you grew into an adult and you eventually gave up hope. You assumed he wouldn’t have remembered you anymore anyway.

 

The chocolate shop became very popular as time passed, but you never went into it or never had their chocolate. That one piece of chocolate became a precious, dear memory of yours; you knew no sweet in that shop would ever be the same. You only wanted that boy’s. But whether you would ever get to have it again or not, the outcome was uncertain.

 

----------

 

You sipped the hot coffee that warmed up your palms, wincing when it burnt your tongue.  You never quite mastered the skill of drinking hot drinks and coffee wasn’t your thing, but a friend of yours had been begging to take you out to coffee for weeks now. After another hour or two of her pleads, you eventually gave in. You hadn’t been social much these days besides spending some evenings with your boyfriend but you decided it wouldn’t have hurt to see your friend for once.

 

“You’re so quiet these days...tell me something exciting!” You shrugged at your friend’s hopefulness, setting the mug back on the small dish.

 

“I’m the least exciting in the world Jiwoo, you know that.” You watched her sigh and roll her eyes. You took in her appearance as she sipped her coffee. It never failed to surprise you how you two were best friends yet complete opposites. She was extremely feminine and high class with her aesthetic wardrobe. Never had she had a day where her hair and makeup wasn’t on point. She obviously put hours into planning her look every morning.

 

You on the other hand, you preferred to dress in comfort. It wasn’t all dresses and galore for you, but rather a simple skirt or high waist shorts with a sweater. Makeup wasn’t a priority and you preferred your hair in a braid, out of your face. Nothing too over the top, nothing too fancy.

 

“Well what about you and Youngsoo? You’ve been going on pretty strong now, haven’t you? Almost a year!”

 

“I don’t really know, he won’t talk to me much these days. He avoids my phone calls and keeps changing his plans last minute.” You bit your lip and leaned forward. “Do you think I’m doing something wrong?”

 

Jiwoo shook her head, her curls bouncing back and forth. “Other than you being the most boring person alive, I think he just wants some space.”

 

You sighed and tilted your head down, your fingers playing with a loose strand sticking out of your sweater. “No, no, no.” You heard Jiwoo mutter. “No, we will not be having any of that sorrow hanging around us. Look, I have an idea; let’s go to that chocolate shop around the block. The new guy there is honestly so cute. You need to see him for yourself.”

 

You shook your head at her offer. “I don’t want any chocolate, but thank you though.” You jerked as Jiwoo suddenly slammed her hand onto the table, causing your mugs to rattle. She may have looked like the most elegant, put-together girl out there, but she had one fiery personality that terrified many.

 

“Look, just because you had some sort of little fantasy moment where you tried some boys chocolate and it was the best thing you’ve ever had but he disappeared after that and went god knows where doesn’t mean you need to avoid other sweets for the rest of your life. ‘Oh, but he was so kind and comforted me.’ ‘Oh but no chocolate will ever taste like his.’” Jiwoo waved her arms dramatically in the air as she mocked you. “Look, you had a cute little first love for like 5 minutes, but he may not ever come back and all chocolate in the world is the same. It’s just milk, sugar and cocoa. Get over it. Now, finish your coffee and put on your jacket.” Jiwoo abruptly stood from the table with fire in her eyes.

 

“You’re coming to the chocolate shop with me whether you like it or not.”

 

You didn’t know whether to laugh or be mad at her sudden rant. You understood that she was right, but you still had the smallest glimmer of hope tucked deep inside of you. You never forgot the young boy, but you knew he might have forgotten you.

 

You followed beside Jiwoo on the cold streets of the city, shuddering at the wind that blew through you. You almost wished that you asked for another hot drink to go, but it was far too late by then. You were already outside of the shop in minutes.

 

It was the middle of the week, the shop wasn’t particularly crowded during those times, just the weekends where the tourists came and locals had their days off. Before you entered the small shop, you were already able to smell the welcoming scent of chocolate seeping out of the door.

 

“Come on, come on.” Jiwoo grabbed your hand and pulled you in. The atmosphere of the shop was so warm and inviting. Fairy lights hung along the ceiling, emitting a soft, amber glow. The displays in front of you were lined with all sorts of chocolates in different shapes. They were decorated so elegantly and carefully, making them look too beautiful for anyone to eat.

 

To your left was a small arrangement of chairs and tables for the customers and a small love seat in the back, while to your right was a bar with the open bakery behind it for anyone to watch. Several chocolatiers were busy piping and decorating small truffles scattered across the long table while one was at the register, taking another customer’s order.

 

You felt quick tucks and Jiwoo lean over, whispering in your ear. “It’s him, it’s him. Look at how swooned those girls are. The one on the left is practically drooling.”

 

You took in his appearance, dark brown hair swept over his forehead with deep brown eyes to match. His full lips were pulled to a smile and you heard him tell a short joke, the girls in front of you giggling loudly. He was handsome, indeed, but there was something about him that already irked you. But one shouldn’t judge at first sight.

 

“Welcome ladies, what can I interest you two in today?” The man smiled as Jiwoo pulled you toward her.

 

“This one is being a bit of a downer today. Nothing treats a gloomy mood better than chocolate, no?” She giggled. “Also, I’ll take a few of your dark chocolate truffles. They’re my favorite!”

 

“Of course, dark chocolate for a fine young lady like you. One moment.” You rolled your eyes as he left the register toward the display, putting a few of the decorated truffles into a small, red box. Your gut instinct was right about him, a lady-killer. You couldn’t stand those kinds of men.

 

“As for you, just about any kind of chocolate can cure a little gloominess. But I did make a special today I haven’t released yet.” The man finished tying the gold ribbon onto the box before handing it to Jiwoo, giving you another smile and leaned over. “It may just be one of the best chocolates out there. Would you ladies care to try a sample?”

 

“No, I don’t want any chocolate. I told her plenty of times I have no interest in trying your sweets. Like she said, it’s just milk, sugar and cocoa.” You watch the man’s expression grow hurt and confused as Jiwoo gave you a slight shove. “Sorry, I’m not interested. I’ll be going home now. Thanks for the coffee.”

 

You turned around and exit out of the shop into the cold, windy city, your nose growing numb.

 

----------

 

“But we had this planned for while Youngsoo, what do you mean you can’t do it?” You sat in your chair, running your fingers along the wood grains of the desk.

 

“I’m sorry honey, something came up. I’ll make it up to you any way I can. I have to go back the meeting now, I’ll talk to you later.”

 

You set your cell phone on the desk with a defeated sigh, scribbling out the small date night mark written on your calendar. You two had planned to go up to Namsan tower and then take a drive out of the city to relax at a hot spring for the night. But now that Youngsoo had completely dropped it last minute, you had nothing to do.

 

Your phone lit up following with a ringtone of some obnoxious song Jiwoo secretly changed it to. Speak of the devil.

 

“Hello?”

 

“Good morning dear! Getting ready for the big adventure?” Jiwoo’s voice piped through the line as you slumped over, your head landing on the desk a little too hard.

 

“Not anymore.”

 

“Huh? Didn’t you have this planned for a month now?” Her voice rose. “What an absolute idiot, do I need to say a word or two to him?”

 

“No! No, it’s okay. I’ll get over it.”

 

“Why don’t you come over? We can be the most cliché friends and watch a chick flick while whining over how dumb boys can be. Does that sound good?”

 

You gave Jiwoo a smile although you knew she couldn’t see it. “I’d love that, I’ll be over soon.” Just as you were about to put the phone down, you heard Jiwoo’s voice yelling for you to wait. Curiously, you put the device back to your ear.

 

“Could you be a dear and get me a box of truffles from the chocolate shop? I haven’t been able to stop thinking about the ones we got a few days ago!”

 

You rolled your eyes and took in a deep breath. “Fine. Be there soon.” You hung up the phone and grabbed a thick jacket from the hook before exiting your bedroom.

 

----------

 

The bell chimed lightly as you stepped into the empty shop, your eyes searching for one of the chocolatiers. The kitchen was vacant and there were no customers. It was an unusual sight, but you shrugged it off. Approaching the display of chocolates, you hunched over, admiring the different swirls and designs adorned on each piece. Some had a sprinkle of glitter; others were decorated with edible pearls.  

 

“Can I help you with anything?”

 

You jerked up suddenly, facing the handsome man before you. How long was he standing there?

 

“Ah, the girl who wouldn’t try my chocolates. Are you here to get some today?”

 

“Of course not!” You said too suddenly and cleared your throat. “No, I’m getting truffles for a friend. She’s obsessed with them.”

 

“The one that dragged you here, I assume?”

 

“That’d be the one.” You sighed.

 

“Give me just a moment.” He pulled out a small box and slipped on latex gloves before sliding the door of the display open. You watched him pick out the same truffles your friend ordered a while back and carefully wrap them before setting them into the golden box.

 

“How do you do it?” The man glanced up, taking a pause from tying the red ribbons.

 

“Do what?”

 

“Don’t you get hundreds of customers a day? How could you have remembered me? Or more specifically what my friend ordered days ago. It’s creepy.”

 

“Well…” He let out a light chuckle, resuming his careful work to make the perfect bow on the box. “You’re the first person to reject my chocolates. That’s something I can’t forget easily.”

 

“Ah-“ You crossed your arms, raising an eyebrow. “I see, you’re still holding a grudge over that?”

 

He finished the bow and slid the box in my direction. “Are you sure I can’t offer you any of my chocolates?”

 

Shaking your head, you set the cash on the counter and grabbed the box, quickly leaving the small shop. You heard him calling out to come visit again soon, but you ignored it and headed in the direction of your friend’s place.

 

---------

 

 

On a cold, Sunday morning, you waited on the street for the arrival of your boyfriend. After days of talking him into doing something, he finally asked you to join him for a cup of coffee. You checked the time on your phone. Ten minutes passed as you waited on the bench, your patience was growing thin.

 

Your phone suddenly made chiming noises, a picture of your boyfriend’s face appearing on the screen. Swiping the answer button, you put the phone against your ear.

 

“Youngsoo, where are you?”

 

“I’m sorry, I can’t make it today. I have a project proposal to do for work, it’s important that I get it done as soon as possible. We’ll get coffee later this week.”

 

“But Youngsoo-“ The line went dead and you let out a frustrated sigh. Day after day, he did this to you. You grew tired and annoyed. Was it so hard to take one hour of his life to get coffee? Just one hour? At this point, you couldn’t figure out when the last time you saw him was.  

 

With no plans for the rest of the day, you shoved your phone into the pocket of your jacket and got up from the bench, heading in the direction of your apartment. But before you crossed the street, the sweet smell of chocolate wafted in the air and you peered toward the small chocolate shop.

 

In moments, you found yourself entering the empty shop, staring into curious expression of the tall, handsome man that stood behind the counter.

 

“You’re back again.” He said. “Does your friend need more chocolate?”

 

You opened your mouth, trying to find a perfectly good excuse of why the hell you walked into the chocolate shop. “Honestly…I don’t really know why I’m-uh, I was supposed to get drinks with my boyfriend. Um, but now I’m here, I’m not sure-“

 

“My break starts in a minute. I don’t know about something sweet, but could I assist you with a cup of tea? It’s been a little quiet all day, I could use some company.” He gave you a pleading smile

 

You hesitated for a moment, but then replied with a nod. With Youngsoo ditching your plans for the day, you had nothing better to do. Watching the man disappear into the back, you pulled out a chair from one of the small tables and took a seat. You glanced around the small shop, fidgeting with your fingers. It was strange to you that, again, there were no customers. But you enjoyed how peaceful it was, the chocolate shop was far too hectic when it was full of customers. You were able to take in all the small details of the shop you never noticed before. Little paisley patterns carved into the wood grains on the counter, small gold flecks scattered along the walls, and the fairy lights hanging along the ceiling had little wings attached to them.

 

“Here you are.” The man returned with two cups of tea, setting one carefully in your hands. It smelled like jasmine with a faint hint of honey. You watched as he sat beside you, examining his features as he dropped some sugar cubes into his tea, mixing it carefully. This was the closest you’ve been to this man and you couldn’t help but take in his beauty.

 

His eyes were as dark as the city’s night sky but with more stars in them than you probably have seen in your life. His lips were pink and plump and his dark hair was perfectly trimmed and styled to accent his tanned face. He really was quite beautiful.

 

“So, care to share about this drama you’re experiencing with your boyfriend?”

 

“Well,” You bit your lip and set the cup on the table, your finger still wrapped around the warm, ceramic mug. “I mean today, I was supposed to meet him for coffee, but he was late and called to cancel it.”

 

You sipped some tea before continuing. “But this isn’t just a one time thing, he does this every time we plan something now. We were supposed to go on a weekend trip a while back and I’ve been planning it for months, but he cancelled it last minute because work came up.” You explained. “And it takes me days to convince him to even do something! He won’t return my calls or texts often anymore. I’m not even that clingy of a person! I don’t know if his work is just really throwing projects at him or if it’s me. I’m not sure, but I’m loosing my patience for this. I-Am I blabbing too much?”

 

“Not at all.” He chuckled. “But it sounds like he doesn’t seem to be trying hard to impress you these days. How long have you been with him?”

 

“Almost a year now, I don’t know...these days, it doesn’t really feel like we have anything.” You huffed quietly.

 

“Well, I don’t think you deserve to be treated like this, after a year together too...” He said but you weren’t listening. You stared into space, reliving the memories with your boyfriend over the past year, trying to nitpick what went wrong.      

 

“Hello?” He waved a hand across your face. “Hey, listen, how do you make a Kleenex dance?”

 

Your eyebrows rose as your attention adverted toward him, taking a sip of your tea. “What?”

 

“You put a little boogie in it.”

 

You stared at him for a moment before snorting, nearly spitting out the hot drink. You choked and broke into the loudest laugh. Tears of laughter blurred your vision as you wiped them away. “That was…the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.”

 

You watched as he gave you the biggest grin, a squeaky laugh emitting from him. You couldn’t help but get the faintest fluttery feeling in your stomach when you saw his smile, warm and genuine, it wasn’t like the smile he usually gave his customers. No, this was a certain smile you felt like only you were allowed to see.

 

“Oh-“ You set down your tea. “I feel so rude, I never got your name?”

 

“Jin,” He replied, still giggling over how great his joke was. “It’s Seokjin. And what is yours?”

 

You introduced yourself to him and eventually sat quietly at the small table, sipping on the tea and exchanging nothing but small smiles. The silence was comfortable. You didn’t feel like this with Youngsoo before. Whenever it became quiet between the two of you, you always felt like you had to quickly save the situation from becoming awkward. But with Seokjin, it felt natural. There was no need to say anything, it was just a matter of enjoying each other’s presence. “You know, if you’re not too busy, you’re welcome to come visit again. Having company is so nice, this place has been so dead these days.”

 

“I don’t know how this place could possibly slow down, everyone loves the chocolates here.”

 

“It’s just the calm before the storm. It's pretty empty after the weekend ends, but then when the holidays come around, you don’t have any time to breathe.” He shared, waving his hands dramatically. “No time to sleep, no time to do anything! By the end of the day, my sanity is out the window!”

 

You laughed, rolling your eyes but began to think of the little boy that comforted you. The warm taste of the chocolate that melted in your mouth, the sweet smile the boy gave you. “So, tell me about yourself.” Seokjin asked, pulling you out of your thoughts once again.

 

“Well...there’s really not much to share.”

 

“That’s not true! You’re an entire person who lived a whole life I don’t know about, I’m sure there’s a thing or two fascinating about yourself.” You let out a sigh and chuckled as he gave you a smug shrug. After taking a few seconds to think over it, you began sharing the little things about your life as he leaned over, resting his head in his hands, listening with utmost interest. The minutes ticked by and turned into hours, you and Seokjin drowned yourselves into the deepest, intimate conversations. Just the two of you in a small, secluded chocolate shop, it felt like all the secrets could be shared in this space and no one will ever know about any of it.

 

At that moment, you began to question why you believed he was such a playboy in the beginning, or why this man even irked you so much. Just getting to know him the past few hours, you learned that he was such a kind, gentle man who told really bad jokes. Someone that you can share all of your deepest thoughts with.

 

When it fell silent between the two of you again, you glanced out the window, your eyes widening. You looked at the time on your phone, not realizing how late it had gotten. Thanking Seokin for the tea and declining his offer to walk you home because you were only a few blocks away, the two of you exchanged your goodbyes and parted ways. Walking home along the street, you smiled to yourself as you replayed the conversations from earlier. Despite how cold and bitter it was outside, you felt so warm and happy.

 

As the weeks passed and eventually turned into months, you grew more and more frustrated with your boyfriend constantly turning down your plans. But instead of moping about, you always found yourself sitting at the small table in the chocolate shop, sipping on a hot cup of tea, laughing over Seokjin’s terrible dad jokes. It eventually became a daily routine to stop by and join him for tea, talking for hours until long after the sun set behind the sparkling buildings of the city. As Christmas and New Years were nearing, the small shop was bustling with customers again. Some days, it was more difficult to find the time to converse with Seokjin, but you didn’t mind.

 

On those days, you bought a book with you and sat on the loveseat, reading for hours while listening to his soft voice in the background, chatting with the customers. When his short break came around, Seokjin would join you on the couch. Sometimes you two would exchange words, other times, it was just a peaceful silence as you both did your own thing. You eventually found comfort not just in Seokjin, but the small, sweet shop as well with its homey decorations and warm atmosphere.

 

Every laugh that emitted from Seokjin, or the gentle smile that he gave you across the shop when you both made eye contact left a feeling that stirred in your stomach. You didn’t understand why you felt this way at first. With your boyfriend, you never experienced those tickles, or the giddy feeling that washed over you moments before you saw him, or laughed so hard together that tears formed in your eyes.

No, you were just together, existing, doing the generic things boyfriends and girlfriends would do, and you began to realize that you didn’t like it, and it confused you.

 

You wanted to spend more time with Seokjin than your boyfriend, you woke up every morning, excited to spend another day there, talking and loosing track of time until the sun set, leaving you two no choice but to part ways until the next day.

 

You weren’t sure if that made you a terrible person or not. Your heart was yearning for another person while you were with Youngsoo, but growing weary of all the failed attempts you made to see him again, you weren’t feeling things anymore. You were ready to move on. In the back of your mind though, somewhere in that space, your heart still beat for the young boy you hoped to meet again.

 

But despite all that time you’ve spent visiting Seokjin in the small, sweet shop, you never once had a piece of chocolate.

 

----------

 

 

One chilly evening, you walked along the streets of the crowded city, your eyes focused on the small device in your hands, sending texts to Jiwoo, making plans to go out and get some dessert. The chocolate shop was closing early today, you wanted Seokjin to get some rest for once and besides, you hadn’t seen Jiwoo in weeks. It was about time you relayed all your feelings and asked for her opinion on it, being a love guru and all.

 

You finished the messages and slipped the phone in your pocket as you turned a corner and froze in your tracks. Just a few feet away from you stood Youngsoo, locked in an embrace with an unfamiliar girl just a few inches shorter.

 

“Youngsoo?” You called out quietly as he turned his head, eyeballing you in surprise as he let go of the girl.

 

“Honey, who is this? Do you know her?” The young girl beside him asked, taking her hands into his, giving you a dirty look. Her dark hair was long and straight, her v-shaped face was perfectly proportional with a little button nose. She looked like a baby doll.

 

“Honey? Youngsoo, what’s going on?” Your heart raced at the sight in front of you, slowly connecting the pieces together.

 

“I can explain-“ He began.

 

“How long has this been going on?” You interrupted as you stared him down.

 

“Give me a minute,” Youngsoo sighed and left the girl, pulling you aside. “Listen to me, okay? It’s not that I just recently started seeing her, it’s us.” He stared you down, emotionless.  “Do you remember how I said a year ago my company was doing a huge experiment?”

 

You nodded, unsure of where he was going with this. “Well, I’ve been meaning to get around to this for a while. But this was the experiment.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“The experiment was an undercover project…of what relationships were like when the feelings were mutual. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to put you in the situation, but it just ended up working out for me.” He apologized, but there was no guilt in his eyes, no regret, nothing. “I was going to say something eventually, but I never found the time.”

 

“Time? Time? You avoided me for weeks!” Your voice rose. “We had an entire year together and you couldn’t say one thing? Instead, you just led me on to believe that we actually had something?”

 

He opened his mouth as you took a step back. “No, I heard enough. Congratulations, glad I could be a little project of yours.” You said bitterly and backed away. You spun around and fled from the two, wishing everything you heard was just a dream.

 

You ran along the streets as the sun set behind the buildings, the sky being covered with little bright dots. Before you knew it, there was small ding as you opened a door, standing in the warm building.

 

“I’m sorry, we’re closed now.” The tall man in front of you murmured as he turned around, his mouth opening in surprise. “Oh, I thought you were visiting you friend today?” His smile faded as he saw your expression. “Did something happen?”

 

You bit your lip as you stood in the empty shop, staring into his eyes washed with concern. You didn’t know why you came here, you didn’t understand why your feet led you to this place, all you knew is that your chest hurt and your eyes brimmed with tears, letting out choked sobs.

 

Seokjin ran over, wrapping his arms tightly around your shoulders, pulling you into his chest. He gently your hair, as your sobs grew louder. “I’m an idiot.” You whined. “I’m such an idiot!”

 

“No, no you’re not.” He whispered gently, pulling your chin up to look into his dark, solemn eyes. “Don’t ever say that about yourself.”

 

“But it’s true!” You choked. “A year…a whole damn year wasted! I was just an experiment, just a project for his work. Nothing was real!” You buried your face into your hands. You weren’t heartbroken over the fact that Youngsoo never loved you; you weren’t heartbroken that you caught him with his real girlfriend because you lost that liking for him a long time ago. All you wished was that things had been a little different.

 

“I wish it was you I would have met instead of him, I wish I would have realized this mistake a long time ago and broke it off with him…and asked to be with you instead.” You sniffled, your honest feelings pouring out like a waterfall.

 

“You just make me so much happier than he does, and your jokes are so dumb that I can’t help but to just roll my eyes at them. And just being in this shop with you, whether you’re busy or not, gives me so much comfort and I-”

 

But you finally felt free to express your feelings, to let those emotions out, instead of restricting it in you. You were just never able to say anything about it because all this time you felt something; you were trying to understand what was happening between you and Youngsoo.

 

“I’m sorry I’m saying these things so suddenly…I understand if you don’t feel the same, I just had to tell you this.” You wiped your damp cheeks, your eyes on the ground, your heart pounding.

 

The little boy you met years ago may have been a happy, sweet memory you held onto, waiting for his return. But you accepted that it was just a memory to embrace and the person right in front of you was real, a comforting presence, someone you grew to like so much more than you thought.

 

Your chest squeezed in pain as you saw the figure quietly turned around and walk away, realizing that the feelings you just poured out had been rejected. But you understood, to grow so fond of someone in such a short period of time, while having a ‘boyfriend’ and then dumping out all your feelings to him, it did sound too sudden.

 

As you were about to turn around and leave, you heard him return as he grabbed your hand. You lifted your head, glancing in his eyes with your blurred vision. He carefully pulled you over to the small couch against the wall and sat closely, brushing the tears away from your cheeks with his thumb. “An angel like you shouldn’t be crying.”

 

“What’s an angel like you crying about?” 

 

He lifted up your hand, placing a small piece of chocolate in a clear wrapping into your palm. “Please eat this, I know you’ve been rejecting them, but this is a special one I made. Besides, chocolate helps with the tears.”

 

“Chocolate makes the tears go away.”

 

You bit your lip, staring at the small truffle in your hand. A sense of déjà vu washed over you as you slowly unwrapped the candy and popped it into your mouth.

 

There it was.

 

You tasted that same sweet vanilla cream as the chocolate melted in your mouth, that euphoric feeling of sitting on the bench years ago returning. It was a painfully bittersweet day. You found out about the death of your parents, but a small angel came down and left an impression on you that stayed day after day, growing into your first love.

 

You turned toward him suddenly, observing his features. How could you have not seen it all this time?  He was the same exact kid, only his chubby cheeks were now more defined, his tan skin glowing, his hair trimmed and more styled and obviously a couple of feet was added to his height.

Your chest pounded. He wasn’t just a memory anymore. You actually found him this whole time. “You remembered me?” You asked curiously as your tears dried in streaks down your cheeks, your eyes, puffy. Suddenly, you felt a bit ashamed about your appearance.

 

“I never once forgot.” He gave you smile.

 

“Why didn’t you say anything before?” You stammered, eyebrows rose in surprise. “Where have you been all this time? What made you come back?” Questioned spilled out as you watched him chuckle, taking one of your hands in his.

 

“I was afraid you wouldn’t remember.” He replied. “I had to study abroad with my father, but I came back after I finished, hoping I could find you again, even if it took me years. It seems that fate had the same idea though.”

 

You returned a smile, a warm, bubbling feeling growing in your stomach. All the emotions you experienced in just a few hours, you couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of today’s situation. “You really do become more beautiful,” Seokjin suddenly said. “When you smile.”

 

You stared into his chocolate brown eyes, your fingers tangled with his, embracing that comforting silence between the two of you. “I’m happy I found you again.” He said quietly.

 

Although Seokjin’s chocolate was sweet, there was still nothing sweeter than the gentlest kiss he left on your lips that night.