According to Yixing, it was 8:29, and luckily, it was a Saturday. Jungah trailed behind the older boy in hasty steps as she tried to keep up with him through the thick crowds. She had no clue to where they were going. Multiple times had she tried to ask lure an answer or at least a hint out of him, but he simply just shook his index finger, and told her, ‘just follow me.’

“They sell the best food here,” he smiled as he led her out of the neighborhood. She followed his gaze; there were food stalls line up next to each other, ahjummas and ajusshis serving food to both little kids and adults. She inhaled, smelling the different variety of foods. “Do you go here often?” she asked as they walked further down, scanning the choices of food.

He nodded. “Yeah, actually, yesterday I was on the way here until it starting pouring. Anyways, pick whatever you like. My treat, yeah?” She looked up and bit her lips, smiling sheepishly. “Actually… I don’t know what’s good. You pick for me.”

“Then we’re going to get my favorite!” he said, walking over to a stall on the right. The ahjumma there greeted him warmly. “I see you brought your beautiful girlfriend here with you today Yixing.” Jungah’s eyes widened. “I-I’m not his girlf-”

The said boy suddenly wrapped an arm around her waist and grinned, “I did! She’s beautiful isn’t she ahjumma?”

“She sure is!” The girl felt her cheeks turning into a tint pink at the ahjumma’s comment.

“Thank you ahjumma! I’ll be sure to come here again next week.” Yixing said and bowed after he had paid.

“Remember to bring your girlfriend along with you too!”

Jungah bowed slightly before getting dragged away by the older boy, who just hummed with a tiny grin on his lips.

“What was…,” she glanced down at his hand that was now interlocked with hers, “that for?”

“What?” he asked as he led her to an empty table. Actually, the boy knew exactly what she wanted to ask. Why he told the ahjumma that she was his girlfriend, why he held her hand. And to be frank, he had absolutely no idea to why he did it either.

Unwillingly did he had to remove his hands from her, something he caught the girl frowning upon, making him grin but then wiping it off as they sat down. “Oh look at this,” he said, pulling out two buns. “Ahjumma gave us two extra buns!”

“Thank you,” the girl smiled as she took the two buns away from his hand. He smiled back, “You’re welcome.”

For the next hour or two, the two had spent time talking and laughing to each other about life, school, and in general, things that weren’t even important. Yixing stopped talking as he noticed the dab of sauce on the corner of . Unconsciously, he extended his arm and wiped the sauce off with his thumb, an action that caused the girl to freeze. Realizing what he was doing, he retrieved his hand back and uttered an apology. “There was sauce there.”

“T-thanks,” by now she was for sure that her cheeks are pink.

They both knew that once he stepped onto the bus, they wouldn’t be able to see each other again. Earlier, as they were walking back to the phone booth, Yixing received a phone call from his mother. She insisted that he goes back to China as soon as he can since his father was taken into the hospital a night ago, something the boy wasn’t too happy hearing.

“Thanks for the food,” she finally spoke up but in a quiet tone. With his hands in his pockets, he said, “No problem.”

“I-I hope your father is okay.” He smiled weakly, noticing the bus coming towards them. “I hope he is too.”

People who were waiting for the bus started to stand up as soon as the bus came to a halt. Yixing turned around and with one hand out of his pockets, he ruffled her hair. “I have to go now as you can see. It was really nice meeting you Jungah.”

Should she hug him? She wanted too, but she couldn’t move an inch, she just stood still, looking at the ground. Seeing that she made no response, he started walking backwards. “I’ll take your action as if you’re happy with meeting me too, okay? Okay!” With one last glance at her, he sighed, turning his heels and boarded the bus.

As soon as she heard the sounds of the bus tires screeching, she peered up. This was the ending; he was gone from her life, forever. She felt a pang of pain in her heart as she watched the bus drove further and further away. It had actually never crossed her mind that she would ever encounter a stranger through a phone booth, befriend him, and have him affect her to the point where she felt empty, as if a part of her were gone. With a dejected sigh, she plopped herself down onto a random bench. She rubbed her arms and realized that she was still wearing his white hoodie. Throwing her head back, she stuffed her hands into the pocket of the hoodie, only to find a piece of paper in there. Furrowing her eyebrows, she took the paper out and read it:

“If fate decides to be kind and take our side, then we’ll meet again.”

Ah, the story is coming to an end soon :c.