"Curiosity killed the cat, you know. Don't you have something better to do that doesn't require butting into a stranger's personal life?"  

 

Song of the chapter: IU - BBIBBI

 

-

 

Sooyeon never really knew why she loved the cold.

 

Maybe, it was because of the way the bitter winter air wrapped around any exposed skin like a blanket. Or, the tingling sensation that spread throughout her hands and numbed them after being left under cold water for too long. The love could've even been sparked by that high she felt as a child from running around in a cold rain, unsatisfied until her clothes were dripping wet and clinging to her small frame.

 

However, those were only possibilities and while she couldn't pinpoint the exact reason, Sooyeon was sure she'd always been that way.

 

Even as a little kid, no matter how many times her parents tried to force her into a jacket, it never ended well as she never listened. Sooyeon thought she wouldn't have to be lectured about such things anymore after she left home for university, but thanks to her best friend and roommate Eunjin, things weren't exactly going as planned.

 

"Kang Sooyeon, how many times do I have to tell you?" Eunjin shouted, her loud voice echoing throughout their apartment. Sooyeon was on the floor, too preoccupied with tying her shoelaces to turn around and acknowledge her friend. No doubt the other watched Sooyeon in a judging manner, complete with arms folded across her chest. Eunjin didn't wait for a response before continuing, "it's cold out, genius, if you don't start wearing a jacket you're gonna end up with hypothermia. Do you want to die young?"

 

Sooyeon stood from her crouched position and gave her simple clothing choice of a t-shirt and rolled up jeans one last look. Once she deemed the attire suitable enough, she finally turned toward Eunjin to shrug.

 

"Maybe I do," she said, cocking her head to the side to in a challenging manner. She then quickly exited the room before the other girl could start yelling.

 

It isn't even that cold Sooyeon thought when she stepped out into the slightly chilly mid October air. A little windy, sure, but only enough that it blew a few strands of hair around her face and made the fallen leaves on the sidewalk rattle around her feet.

 

Thankfully the park wasn't a far walk from the apartment building, and within a few minutes Sooyeon was sitting down on one of the benches that could be found in nearly every corner of the area. She opted for one underneath a tree this time, enjoying the feeling of being alone and secluded by the branches hanging above.

 

Sooyeon didn't know why she loved this particular park so much. All she knew was that it gave her an excuse to go outside when otherwise she'd stay closed off in her room, only leaving when it was time for class.

 

More importantly, no one bothered her here. Anytime someone would pass by, Sooyeon would keep her head down to signal that she didn't want to speak. For the most part, people got the memo and decided it best not to disturb the girl. It was nice, peaceful even.

 

This park was her only safe haven, the only place she could get a break from Eu-

 

"Hey! Kang Sooyeon," the familiar voice yelled.

 

Sooyeon jumped at the sudden outburst and turned her head in the direction of the noise, only to see Eunjin running towards her.

 

Her eyes immediately narrowed when she noticed the thick black jacket draped over the other girl's arm. She knew said jacket had to be for her since Eunjin was already appropriately bundled up for the temperature.

 

Actually, 'appropriately bundled up' was an understatement. Ridiculously overdressed was a more fitting description of the outfit Eunjin wore.

 

"Go away, Eunjin," Sooyeon said, tone harsh.

 

"As nice as always," Eunjin muttered when she stopped in front of her. However, the quiet didn't last long and the girl reverted back to her usual loud, serious tone almost immediately. "Now, you're going to put this jacket on no matter how much you hate it. Whether we do it the easy way or the hard way is entirely up to you though, dear."

 

Sooyeon rolled her eyes, "whatever you say, mom."

 

She immediately realized she'd said the wrong thing and turned away, trying to avoid what would inevitably come. However, when Eunjin cleared to get her attention back, she had no choice but to face the look. Sooyeon really didn't want to give in, but the last time this happened, it had resulted in Eunjin quite literally forcing the suffocating article of clothing onto her much weaker friend.

 

The friend in question was in no mood for a repeat of that today, which gave her no choice but to cooperate.

 

"Okay, okay. I'll wear the stupid thing," she reluctantly agreed. "But only if you leave now because you're cutting into my Eunjin-free time."

 

A look of hurt briefly crossed the other girl's face, but it was instantaneously replaced with a big smile when Sooyeon grabbed the jacket and dramatically slid her arms into the sleeves.

 

"See, now was that so hard?" Eunjin asked.

 

"I will hit you," Sooyeon said through clenched teeth.

 

Eunjin laughed and shook her head, but decided to walk away before the two could get into another argument.

 

As soon as the other girl was out of sight, Sooyeon shrugged the jacket off and threw it haphazardly over the back of the bench. She then picked up her bag to pull out her cell phone and earbuds, needing something to tune out the noisy surroundings. The brief feeling of enjoyment she'd felt earlier vanished the moment Eunjin showed up and now everything was too loud for Sooyeon's liking.

 

At this point, she closed her eyes and tried to listen to the music playing through the headphones, but it only ended up being background noise to the thoughts that continuously raced around her mind.

 

Now, where was she before she was so rudely interrupted? Ah, yes.

 

This place was her only safe haven, the only place she could get a break from Eunjin. Sooyeon loved the girl, she truly did, but she just wished she would lay off sometimes. Sure, she appreciated her concern. However there was no reason for Eunjin to constantly take the overprotective act to the extent that she did. Sooyeon was much too stubborn to change her ways, she hadn't for twenty-two years and she wasn't going to start now.

 

Her friend knew that, so why not let it go?

 

A tap on the shoulder suddenly broke Sooyeon out of her thoughts. She ignored it at first, thinking it could possibly be Eunjin coming back to yell at her, but eventually decided it wasn't when the person tapped again. Eunjin would have been much more persistent and forceful if she had to try more than once to get her attention; so Sooyeon opened her eyes and pulled out an ear bud, acknowledging the man who'd interrupted her.

 

When he didn't speak, it caused her to raise an eyebrow and ask "C-can I help you?"

 

He cleared his throat and motioned to the spot next to her, "Do you mind if I sit?"

 

Sooyeon hesitantly nodded and moved over to the other side of the bench so they would both have plenty of room. An awkward silence consumed them, and Sooyeon wondered why he'd asked to sit there when there were several empty benches around the park. The situation was weird and made no sense whatsoever.

 

It didn't take long for Sooyeon to become uncomfortable in the stranger's presence so after a few minutes, she looked at the time and decided that it was getting late anyway. If she didn't want to deal with her overprotective friend, she'd better head back home before it got too dark. Sooyeon stood and started walking away from the bench without a word.

 

Maybe that was rude, but she was not good at talking to people. Even the thought itself made her sick to the point that she couldn't breathe, let alone think hard enough to form any kind of proper sentence. It was a nightmare. One that she preferred to avoid given the option.

 

Granted, the stranger didn't necessarily look or seem scary, but that didn't make a difference one way or the other.

 

However, when the telltale sound of footsteps sounded from behind, Sooyeon felt fear course through her body and picked up the pace.

 

"Wait," the man yelled.

 

Sooyeon took a quick look around to make sure there would be a witness if anything happened to her and took a deep breath before she turned towards the stranger.

 

"Yes?" she asked.

 

Sooyeon watched as he fumbled nervously with his fingers, seemingly trying to find a way to say what he wanted to say without coming off in the wrong way.

 

"So, um, how do I word this without sounding creepy? I've kind of been... watching you? I mean, not really watching, but observing? I know you're probably about to run any second now but please, at least answer my question first," he said. Sooyeon instinctively took a few steps back from him. "Why do you always take off the jacket?"

 

Sooyeon had been all prepared to break out into a full on sprint before those words made her stop dead in her tracks like a fool, deciding to listen to whatever else he had to say.

 

Had she heard him right?

 

Sooyeon had no idea how to answer that as this wasn't something she was used to. People typically didn't come near her, let alone ask such ridiculous questions. Was her unapproachable aura wearing thin, or was this person just so dimwitted that he didn't see it?

 

Either way, she would have to carry on a conversation and she just knew this was bound to end horribly.

 

"W-What? I um," was her ingenious reply.

 

"Why do you always take the jacket off? It's not a hard question," the boy pressed again. "I've been coming to this park every day for the past week, and I keep seeing the same thing happen. In case you haven't noticed, it's getting colder, and your friend always comes to your rescue with a jacket. You put it on and then the second she's out of sight, you take the thing right back off like it's on fire or something. Call me creepy, but I just can't help noticing these things and I'm-"

 

"You're what?" Sooyeon demanded, cutting the other off. "Curious? Because curiosity killed the cat, you know. Don't you have something better to do that doesn't require butting into a stranger's personal life?"

 

She then picked up the cause of all the fuss and made it a point to shove her arms into the sleeves. Did this make her look like a complete and total drama queen? Most definitely, but the boy didn't respond, proving her actions to be successful.

 

"See? I'm wearing it. Now, if you would please drop your accusations so this conversation can be over and I can leave, that would be great," Sooyeon proposed, a hint of a victorious smirk on her lips.

 

"No," he retorted, and Sooyeon's smirk immediately disappeared. "I already told you, I'm curious. And I'm the kind of person who likes to help people when I see a problem, so this is far from over."

 

With that, he started to walk away, leaving Sooyeon alone and confused.

 

Who did this guy think he was? She didn't even realize how mad the whole ordeal had made her until she looked down to see her fists tightly clenched. Her fingernails had begun to dig themselves into the palms of her hands, tiny crescent-shaped marks left in their wake.

 

The anger gave Sooyeon the willpower she needed to speak and against her better judgment, she decided she wasn't quite done yet.

 

"Hey!" she snapped, only just loud enough for him to hear. "What's your problem? You can't just say something like that to someone and then walk off like nothing happened!"

 

The man stopped and Sooyeon took a few hesitant steps closer to where he stood, an accusing finger pointed straight at him. As much as she hated it, Sooyeon was ready to defend herself if necessary, but before she could get a chance to let all the anger out, he spoke again.

 

"What's my problem?" he asked. "I don't have a problem. But I am fully prepared to help you with yours, sweetheart."

 

Oh no he didn't.

 

Sooyeon wondered once again if she'd heard him correctly. The tone of his voice and choice of words showed that he was mocking her, and it only made the already annoyed girl angrier.

 

"Ok, so I don't know what gave you the impression that I have a problem, or why you're trying to get involved when I don't even know you. But, it'd be nice if you could get rid of that little attitude of yours and stay out of my business. And," she added as an afterthought "don't call me sweetheart. Not if you like the way your face looks, anyway."

 

Sooyeon was beyond shocked, and somewhat proud of herself, at the number of words she'd just spoken to a complete stranger. Letting herself be powered by anger seemed to give her a bit of courage, which she was grateful for. 

 

"I'll drop my attitude when you drop yours," the man countered.

 

The two glared at each other for a decent amount of time before the man's gaze suddenly began to soften. The mood changed rather quickly when he gave Sooyeon an apologetic smile, and the girl didn't know how to process it.

 

With the hostility in the air seemingly evaporated, something triggered a burst of warmth to pop up from somewhere deep inside Sooyeon's chest. As the calm feeling took over, her tight fists finally relaxed. It was such a weird sensation; one that she wasn't sure if she loved or hated as it was something that had never happened before.

 

The girl wondered if this guy had used some sort of sorcery on her.

 

Sooyeon could tell he wasn't finished talking and she had no idea how she'd be able to make herself respond without the anger to aid her now.

 

"Before you decide that I'm a horrible person," the man said after some time. "I should at least apologize for coming at you the way I did. So, I'm sorry. And I'm Hoseok, by the way. Jung Hoseok."

 

"Kang Sooyeon," she quietly introduced herself. "And I don't accept your apology."

 

She half expected him - Hoseok - to go back to the attitude he'd had just minutes before, but she is shocked once again when he does the opposite.

 

He laughs.

 

It wasn't even a sarcastic laugh. No, instead it showed nothing but amusement.

 

This did nothing to help Sooyeon's situation. The warmth continued to spread throughout her body, making her more and more uncomfortable by the second. She still couldn't figure out what was happening, or why it was happening. All she knew was that Kang Sooyeon, a girl who hated heat and anything to do with heat, was on the verge of sweating in such cool weather.

 

And that, my friend, was one hundred percent not okay.

 

"Well then, Sooyeon. It was nice to meet you."

 

He offered his hand out for her to shake, but Sooyeon just stared.

 

"Sorry, I can't say the same." Sooyeon muttered with as much attitude as one could muster using that tone of voice.

 

Hoseok shrugged his shoulders as if to say oh well.

 

"Either way, I feel like we'll be running into each other quite a lot. So see ya round, sweetheart."

 

Before Sooyeon could come up with something creative to say to him for calling her that horrid name again, he was already disappearing from her line of sight, leaving the poor girl alone and confused. Again.

 

Seriously, what just happened?

 

Sooyeon continued to stare in the same direction long after he'd gone until the ringing of her phone jolted her back into reality. She hadn't realized how late it had gotten until she saw the time on the screen, and she feared she wouldn't hear the end of it when she answered the call.

 

"What now, Eunjin?" she asked, ready and waiting for the yelling to begin.

 

"Kang Sooyeon! Where are you?" Eunjin wailed, "You're usually home by now!"

 

"I'm about to leave the park." Sooyeon answered, already beginning the walk back to their apartment building. She could tell Eunjin was about to start yelling again, so she stopped her before she got the chance. "Don't start on me now, Eunjin. I'm not in the mood."

 

"Well excuse me for worrying about my best friend. You never know what kind of weirdos could be lurking about after dark."

 

'I think I just met one of those weirdos', she thought.

 

"WHAT?" Eunjin screamed.

 

Whoops, had she said that out loud?

 

Sooyeon sighed, "nothing. Chill, ok? I'll be home in a minute."

 

With that, she ended the call to turn and take one last glance at where Hoseok had disappeared wondering when, or if they'd meet again.

 

 

 

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a/n: if anyone is reading this, I just want to say thank you so much! I hope you enjoy this story. Thoughts/comments/constructive criticisms/etc are always appreciated :) - tay