I’m sitting here again. I’m sweating. I’m waiting. Again. It somehow feels like déjà vu, like all the other times I’ve been sitting and aimlessly waiting for nothing. But this time is slightly different. Wufan isn’t here and I’m actually waiting for someone this time. It isn’t just a waste of time. I don’t have a drink in front of me this time either because I’m waiting. I decided to pay for the stranger’s drink; a thanks.

My hands were restless, but not underneath the table surface, they were on top of it. People sent me weird stares, probably because I constantly cast glances at the door every time I heard it open. I knew I’d been fifteen minutes too early, but I didn’t want to look ungrateful.

I almost didn’t notice — who am I kidding? Of course I noticed; I looked at that door as if it were going to give me life sentence or not — that the stranger went through the door. When he noticed me sitting at the same table I’d sat at yesterday too, he smiled. Nothing extravagant, but just a normal, friendly smile. I couldn’t stop my own lips in forming a smile too. I relaxed when I saw him with his brown, almost black, hair and dark brown eyes. His teeth showed when he smiled.

He approached me and placed his bag on the chair in front of me. I looked up at him. “Should we get something to drink?”

I stood up and nodded to him. He let his stuff be at the table, the same did I and I made sure to remember bringing my wallet with me.

We walked up to the register and as we waited in line we said nothing to each other. We only looked at each other. It was so embarrassing and I don’t know why. Why did this embarrass me? There was no reason to be embarrassed. We were just two guys meeting up to talk over some drinks, nothing serious. But then I noticed his face. It was so innocent and childish and I just wanted to pinch those full cheeks. And those lips… please don’t let me get started on those lips. My eyes lingered on his lips for a second or two before they travelled up to his eyes.

The cashier interrupted our staring — it was probably only me who stared.

“What can I get you two?” her voice was very stern and she didn’t sound the least excited. She looked at us and she couldn’t even crack a smile. Most people smiled when they saw me, most of them probably tried to look more attractive, but she didn’t smile, not even when I had the stranger by my side.

I motioned for the stranger to go first.

“A latte please,” he ordered just like yesterday.

She pushed some buttons and then her eyes went to me and she almost looked annoyed, expecting my order.

The stranger hadn’t specialised his drink, so I would probably seem like a snob if I did. So I just stuck to what was on the menu.

“An iced tea with milk,” I said and looked at her.

She nodded and pushed some more buttons. “10,000 won please.”

The stranger’s hand went to his pocket and before he could pull out his wallet I said: “This one’s on me,” and smiled a smile I knew would melt most hearts, and if you ask me, it looked like his heart melted.

He nodded and let me pay for the drinks, and then we just had to wait. We stood beside each other and a pretty pink coloured his cheeks. I’m pretty sure my cheeks looked similar.

And that’s how the four long and painful minutes went by with no words exchanged. We just stared at each other as the girl grounded the beans and set water to boil or whatever she did. I didn’t really care; the only thing I cared about was the beautiful rose colour tinting the stranger’s cheeks.

“Your orders,” she announced and two drinks towards us.

We grabbed them, nodded to her and then left her hanging at the register. The stranger turned around after we’d taken two steps.

“Minji,” his angelic voice sounded throughout the shop and I couldn’t understand how that voice could come from the man right beside me. It sounded too distant, too unbelievable, too perfect. “Remember to smile, or else you’ll scare the customers away.”

And he thinks about others too? Why’s he so perfect? He’s so intimidating, it’s almost as if he’s glowing.

He turned around and had a smile plastered to his lips as we made out way down to the table again. Another minutes went by before any of us said anything.

I cleared my throat as quietly as I could because I was afraid I would scare. “Thank you for yesterday, but I think you owe me an explanation.”

“You think so?” he almost sounded… daring? He had and excited glint in his eye. “What about we play a game? You ask a question, then I ask one and we continue like that?”

“I’m not a kid,” I pointed out, but I felt kind of tempted to play along. I’d tried the game before and before you know it you’ll reveal a really stupid secret you should have kept to yourself. But I was ready to give it a try; I’d never tried playing the game with a complete stranger.

“C’mon,” he smiled and I could feel myself giving in, “it’s just an innocent game and when you say stop, we’ll stop and the other way around, okay?”

I nodded. “But I’ll start. What’s your name?”

“Kim Minseok,” he answered and I almost couldn’t believe it.

“Your real name.”

“Kim Minseok.”

I looked a second or two longer at him, trying to see any trace of dishonesty in his face, but all there was was honesty. I nodded, accepting his answer.

“What’s your name?” he asked and leaned back in the chair with his drink in his hand.

“Luhan,” but you probably already knew that,” and all I received was a nod with a cocky smile that I liked way more than I should. It suited his face in some kind of twisted way. “How old are you?”

“23. You?”

“23,” I could feel the thrills go down my spine as I answered him. Two facts I’d mentioned about my made up boyfriend matched this guy. Creepy. “Where do I know you from?”

“You don’t know me, we’re strangers,” he said, smile plastered to his lips, and his next words were kind of strange. “You don’t know me, but I know a little bit about you.”

“What do you know about me?” I asked, but he shook his head.

“It’s my turn to ask a question,” he put the cup on the table. “You’re Chinese?”

I nodded. “I’m from Beijing. Why did you help me?”

He looked down at the cup, like he was thinking really hard about what answer he was going to give me. He opened and closed his mouth a few times before finally answering. “I thought you looked troubled so I just wanted to help you.”

“But how did you know what to answer?” I asked and I knew it wasn’t my turn to ask a question.

“It’s my turn—“

“Stop,” I cut him off. “I don’t want to play anymore, just answer my questions. I deserve to know.” I also wanted to know if he was a stalker, because those people are scary. Really scary I tell you.

He sighed and placed his hands in his lap. “It all started some months ago. I noticed this really tall, handsome-looking man.”

“Wufan,” I said, or tried to help him. I don’t really know.

“Yeah, Wufan,” he smiled, he didn’t look at me and he said the name in some dreamy tone. It somehow made some really disgusting feeling fill up my gut. “How can you not notice him? I mean seriously. He’s a tower. Anyways, after that I noticed you.”

That made the disgusting feeling ease a little, but not much and my chest ached.

He continued: “You looked so nervous while sitting in front of your friend. I almost thought he was some kind of drug dealer you owed a lot of money to. Well, I only sat a few tables away from you doing my homework and I could keep up on your conversation. That’s how I caught on and I got a few hints about who this person you were talking about was. I didn’t notice anything suspicious until the second time you were here. You looked just as nervous as the first time and when you’d waited half an hour, still with no third person joining you just like the first time, I knew that something was wrong. And then I continued to listen until I jumped in yesterday. It looked like you were ready to kill yourself of nervousness before I came and helped you.”

So he… secretly listened to our conversations? I can’t blame him; Wufan is loud whenever we’re in public. He still hasn’t adapted to the Asian culture yet and he’s been here for almost 2 years now. I can’t be mad at him though, how could I? I admire him for knowing three languages fluently and learning another one that he’s almost mastering. A language that took me a year to just learn basic conversation.

“Thank you for helping me out,” I said once again. I was getting tired of hearing myself thanking him over and over again. “So you were here every time Wufan and I were here?”

He nodded. How come I never noticed him? He was cute, so why?

“Do you come here often?” that just sounded like the start of a very very bad pick-up line.

He nodded again. “I come here almost every day. I study and do my homework here because it’s quiet and just a few minutes walk away from my part-time job.” He smiled.

“Part-time job,” it probably should have come off as a question, but my voice decided not to. “So you really do work at the video rental store?”

“I do,” and then he finally looked at me with an insecure smile. Oh gosh, he was cute.

“So…” I looked him in the eyes as I asked the next question. “You study architecture?”

He nodded, smile on plump lips. He checked his phone and he almost panicked. He quickly got up and gathered his stuff. I just continued to sit there, watched him making swift movements, with a blank look in my eyes.

“My shift starts soon so I have to go, I’m so sorry,” he apologised with his bag over his shoulder. It looked kind of heavy.

“That’s okay,” I smiled it off. “Will I get to see you again?”

He smiled back politely and it was a smile you’d only send strangers. “Maybe,” he answered and then he was out of the door.

-

The door. It looks frightening from here. I’m standing a little bit away from it, so far that you can’t see me through the windows to the shop. The door looks huge even though it’s normal sized.

I pulled myself together, took the few last steps until I reached the door, put my hand on the door handle and the door was much heavier than I’d imagined. I didn’t look at the cashier and went directly to a row of movies, nonchalantly looking for nothing, just browsing through the movies. I didn’t try to sneak any glances up at the register and I was happy I didn’t.

There were three other customers in the shop, not that I cared about them.

As I browsed through their selection of different movies, the people in the shop left and no new customers came in. When I heard the bell ring for the third time a few seconds went by before I heard someone clear their throat.

“You’ve found anything yet?”

The voice was the exact same one I’d heard whisper close to my ear. Just as I remembered it. I turned to him and saw a kind smile on his lips. I returned it.

“No,” I didn’t move closer to him, my fingers still between the movies and my gaze fastened to him. “Can you recommend anything?”

He nodded and took out a movie from underneath the disk he was standing behind. ‘Kick ’.

I moved closer to him and grabbed the movie. I looked at him. “I’ll take this one and do you want to play truth or dare?”

He took the movie after I’d placed it on the disk so he could beep it in. He furrowed his brows. “Truth or dare? We aren’t kids.”

“I choose truth.” Yes, I admit that I kind of dragged him into it.

He eyed me weirdly, but laughed it off. He shook his head and came with a question anyways. “Why did you lie about having a boyfriend?”

“I was forced into it because my friends were flaunting about their love lives and then the lie kinda slipped out. I’m not proud,” I answered honestly. “Truth or dare?”

He’d forgotten the DVD and I had too. “Truth.”

“Do you have a boyfriend or girlfriend?”

“I don’t,” he answered and smiled a little cheeky at me. I liked it. “Truth or dare?”

“Dare,” I answered and I didn’t know why. I didn’t know what dare would be possible at a video rental.

His eyes left me and looked up at the ceiling in a thoughtful way. He looked like he’d gotten an idea and looked back at me. “I dare you to tell the next person who walks by the shop that you’re a big fat liar and you will never lie again. And then tell them that you’re Chinese and your name is Luhan.”

I nodded a single time and then left the store, but only to stand in front of the door and wait for the victim. A little girl — probably a high school student — made her way towards me while texting and she definitely didn’t look like someone who would enter the store afterwards, so I stood in front of her and she looked up from her phone when she noticed that someone was in her way. She looked annoyed at first, brows furrowed together, but they soothed out after she cast a glance at me.

“Hi, my name is Luhan,” I introduced myself. She looked quite stunned. I don’t know if it was because of my looks or because I was literally speaking to her. “I’m Chinese and I’m a big fat liar. I promise I’ll never lie again.”

And then I winked at her and her cheeks went bright red. She grabbed her phone tighter in her hand, but before she could say anything to me — probably introduce herself — I left her to go to Minseok.

“Truth or dare?” I asked him after the door closed behind me as I went to the disk.

“Truth.”

“Are you busy next Saturday?”

“Are you serious?” Minseok asked. He looked unbelievingly at me, eyes widened, and I couldn’t do anything else but smile and nod enthusiastically. He sighed and shook his head. “I’m free.”

I smiled. “I choose truth.”

He considered what he should ask me, and it looked like he was lost for a moment, but he quickly found a question. “What’s the most cheesy pick-up line you know?”

I didn’t even have to think about it. I didn’t know if it was cheesy, but I found it really cute somehow. “’I didn’t know I was lost until you found me.’”

He blushed. How could he even do that? It was him who asked the question so of course I would answer. He looked way too cute with those rosy cheeks and shy look in his eyes. I just wanted to put him in my pocket and take him home.

“Truth or dare?” I asked so we could change the topic.

“Dare.”

I’d waited for this. “I dare you to give me your phone number.”

He nodded and looked shyly down at the disk. I handed him my phone so he could dial his number. When he handed it back I couldn’t help but smile. I’d gotten his number. I saved it as ‘Kim Minseok (Stranger)’. His number was easier getting than expected.

“Truth or dare?” he asked.

I leaned onto the counter. “Dare.”

“I-I dare you to,” he sounded nervous, insecure; almost as if he would regret this later, “call me at 9 PM today.”

“Okay,” I agreed easily and smiled politely to him. I tried to make him feel more comfortable. “Truth or dare?”

I could almost guess what he would answer. “Dare.”

“I dare you to go out with me next Saturday.”

He nodded understanding and tried to smile up at me.

He agreed. I almost couldn’t believe it. I came here thinking I’d only get a phone number and now I’d gotten a phone number, a phone date and a real date. Am I lucky or what? I couldn’t be happier and I think my face emitted that.

“Truth or dare?” he asked.

“Truth.”

He looked at me. He looked serious all of a sudden and I could feel that maybe it was my time to run off before it would turn ugly.

“Will you be able to like me?”

I looked at him at first, no emotion in my face. Then I looked at my phone, checking the time. “I’m late,” I excused myself even though I had nothing planned after this except for the phone date at 9. I slowly backed away. “I’m very sorry.” False excuses. Wasn’t I the one who just told the girl I’d never lie again? I guess I am a big fat liar. “But I have to go.” I was almost at the door when I noticed the DVD I was supposed to rent. Forget it.

I opened the door behind me, my gaze not leaving the area where Minseok was. When I stood in the doorframe, close to closing the door, I yelled to him: “And to answer your question; maybe. You’ll never know!”

And then I ran off like the young boy I was, forgetting all about university, friends, tomorrow, yesterday, because I had not one, but two dates with the cutest boy I’d ever seen. Life couldn’t get better, or well, it could and it got better, but that’s a different story.

A/N: So... erh... I was supposed to upload this chapter tomorrow, but meh, here you are xD I hope I didn't fail too much ;;

And!!! What the actual guys!?!!? Why all the up-votes and subscribers and all that ;AA; I don't deserve it and this story doesn't deserve it either ;w; Anyways, thank you all very much!!! I'M VERY GRATEFUL THANK YOU

This is the end of 'A Strange Stranger', may they live happily ever after