Who are you?

You always pass by

in a moment..

When I was already feeling worn out

You’re a holiday that came to my everyday.

Baekhyun groaned. The shrill ring of an alarm clock was certainly not his favorite way to wake up. Flicking his arm out, he tries to stop the annoying tone but after hearing a thud and feeling nothing but air, he gives up and rests his head back on his pillow. What’s five more minutes? It’s nearing the end of winter but the air is still a bit crisp. His blankets are so warm it feels nearly dangerous to roll out of them.

Begrudgingly, he opens his eyes and sees the room swamped in darkness. Not even the sun is awake yet. Somehow, he feels that’s a little unfair.

Leaving his warm cocoon of blankets, he grimaces at the sudden coldness. The day just seems like it’s starting out more tiresome than usual. Feeling the hot water running through his hair and onto his body still does nothing to wake him up. His mind feels as hazy as if he were still asleep. It’s when he’s fixing himself a cup of coffee, praying the caffeine will give him a jump start, that he realizes the reason the day feels like it’s taking so long even though the sun has just broken through from the early hours of dawn.

It is Monday. Another long wait until the weekend.

Walking leisurely to the bus stop, he rests his body against the stand. Leaves tumble through the masses of people arriving for the last bus. He queues up, his fingers already feeling up the back pocket of his jeans searching for the bus pass that isn’t where it should be.

“I’m sorry, I can’t find my bus pass.” Baekhyun smiles apologetically. The driver, who isn’t the usual, kind old man who offers him peppermints but a rugged looking man, raises his eyebrow and scowls.

“No pass, no ride kid.” The driver shoves him to the side, prompting the next person to scan their pass. Baekhyun pouts, his cheeks burning at both the embarrassment of the situation and the anger of possibly having to run to work. He stuffs his hands in his jacket pockets praying to anyone that’ll listen that his pass is there.

“I’ll cover his ride.” A soft whisper can be heard but the obnoxiously stern voice of the bus driver takes its place.

“Well, go on.” Baekhyun scowls back, turning to make his way to the back in quick haste. The bus is packed with people. The passengers’ different scents-sweat, medicinal, a vague hint of jasmine- overpower the air. He holds back a cough as he makes his way to the less crowded part of the bus.

He sighs in regret because he didn’t get to thank whoever it was that paid for his ride. He hopes good karma comes their way. Smiling at the thought, he leans his head against the window.

This time, he can’t help but chuckle. He’s suddenly in a good mood. Even the sudden surge of warmth from the overcrowded bus can’t bring down the bright smile on his face.

Because she’s there, just as she always is. A few seats in front of him this time.

When he first started riding bus #1485, he would play a game to pass the time. He tried to make stories up about each of the passengers. There was the grumpy woman who was always yelling at the unlucky person at the other end of the call she always seemed to be on. The grandparents taking their grandchildren to play bingo at the rec center. For the usual passengers, he had a story and even for the few not so usual ones that came and went like the weekend.

But this girl.. she was a special case. No matter how much he thought about her while on the long bus ride to his boring nine to five, he couldn’t quite match her to any story he made up.

Her slender fingers move to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, her eyes never leaving the thick book that’s nestled in her lap. Her reading habits are more amusing, he decides, than watching the usual traffic outside the dirty window. Her nose wriggles, her eyebrows furrow, and the tip of her tongue darts out every now and then to moisten her lips as she mouths a few scattered words.

He jolts forward, sharply taken out of his musings. He’s reached the end of his ride.

Making sure he has all his belongings, he steps out of the bus. The sun greets him once more. His nose crinkles and his eyes squint behind his round glasses at the sudden light.

He glances at his coffee cup, which is still full and wonders what it was that finally snapped him out of his Monday morning haze.

*

The girl walks along the sidewalk, kicking pebbles softly now and then. Her eyes have yet to leave her book. It probably isn’t really safe to not pay attention to the surroundings but this way to her university is usually pretty empty. Her only company is the sound of the almost-spring breeze flowing through the many tall oak trees.

“I’m surprised you haven’t fallen, Belle.” Luhan snickers. She goes back to pretending her only company is the wind.

It’s kind of hard though when he keeps singing the villagers’ song from Beauty and the Beast. She has half a mind to whack him with her book-it’s thick enough to leave some damage- but that would probably ruin it.

“Can you shut it, you hyperactive seven year old. And quit calling me Belle.”

Luhan pouts. “I’m not hyperactive. And at least Belle is pretty!” He then goes on to defend the entire Disney franchise and his Don’t you dare insult Mr. Donald Duck in my presence again you street rat rant.

Spotting the tall, chic looking guy her brother has a crush on, she’s finally able to shut him up.

“I’m going to tell Oh Sehun you sleep with your collection of Donald Ducks in your Donald pajamas on Donald and Mickey bed sheets.”

“That’s not true! It’s Donald and Goofy bed sheets, thank you. And I doubt he’d care. His friend Chanyeol sleeps on Zootopia sheets.”

“How the heck do you know that?”

“Oh I didn’t tell you? Hehe… well you see, we exchanged numbers. It was technically just for a project but you know I'm such a great conversationalist that eventually, we kind of went from classmates to acquaintances to semi-friends.” Luhan smiled, not noticing his younger sister's slight jealousy at his outgoing personality.

He makes friends so easily. He even managed to talk to his crush without b