Next Time

 “Second floor, second door to the left.”

Both Kai and the giant with his twitching eye are shocked at the statement and their eyes both widen.

The giant because the cold guy finally talked to him and even told him of Baekhyun’s whereabouts. Kai because he actually said something to a non-customer.

“Oh. Thank—“

But before the giant could bow down and thank him, Kai darts away, cursing at himself, and at that giant, and at everything.

He knew it. He will end up doing something he doesn’t like because of what happened. Uncaring about the people glaring at him when he bumps into them, Kai makes his way to the convenience store. That convenience store where that Kyungsoo person works. He already has made up his mind about going to that store and thanking the person who helped him so that it would stop bothering him. He doesn’t even understand why it’s bothering him in the first place. He is not           supposed to be affected by it. But he is, very much so. And he needs it to stop before it gets worse.

+ + +

Kai repeats the words he is planning to say to that man, who works at the convenience store that he is heading towards, not noticing that he’s already standing on a certain intersection. He looks up at the arc sign.

Do Convenience Store.

“Do?” He tilts his head slightly to the right. His eyes drift to the store’s glass wall and to the male standing behind the counter who is busy reading something.

Slowly, he enters the store, his eyes never leaving the man behind the counter. Their eyes meet. There’s something about those doe-like eyes that has Kai feeling like he is trapped inside them. His brain is screaming for him to look away and just do as he planned, but he couldn’t move. It’s like he is under a spell and he can’t control his own body.

A few more seconds and Kai already feels very uncomfortable, as the man keeps staring at him like he is in a trance. Kai is finally able to look away from the man—specifically to the floor.

Just do it, Kai. Just walk over there and thank him and ask for the compensation he wants. He repeats this over and over in his head as he walks straight toward the counter. Just thank him and ask for what he wants. Just thank him and ask for what he wants. Just thank him and ask for what he wants. Just thank him and ask for what he wants.

But Kai makes the mistake of looking up at the man and their eyes meet again. Seeing the man from afar with his eyes widening is not something normal. But seeing it up close and watching how his eyes dilate is a whole different level and Kai wants to punch himself square in the face.

Look away. Look away, Kai. Look away.

But nothing works. It seems as if he is already under a very strong enchantment and he can’t look away anymore. It takes only a few seconds, but it is the longest time Kai ever had eye contact with someone except when concerning his work.

In that short span of time, Kai is able to notice the features of the Kyungsoo person who’s been stuck in his head for weeks now. The man is shorter than him by a few inches, but he can see that the man is sturdy; not too thin, no too fat. He has milky white skin and black hair that falls to his eyebrows and is pushed to the side. His face has soft features; with his nose and jaw perfectly sculpted, thick lashes that emphasizes his doe-like eyes, and plump red lips.

“W-What can I help you with, s-sir?”

It’s when the man asks him in an almost whisper, but still the same trembling voice, that Kai is able to snap out of the ‘enchantment’. They stare at each other again.

 “I—” he looks away and pauses.

He is about to say it. He is ready to say it. But then he makes the mistake again of looking back at the man and suddenly something about what will happen when he says it makes him hesitate. He just has to say it and all this will end. Isn’t that what he wanted? He looks away and fists his hands on both sides.

Say it, Kai. Damn it, just say it.

But his heartbeat is starting to speed up and he is feeling that weird thing in his stomach again, damn it. He slowly inhales and exhales in an attempt to calm his nerves. Why is he always like this when he’s around this man?

“Do you perhaps sell Band-Aids here?”

He was supposed to say I came here to thank you for saving that time. I am willing to provide you with anything you request in exchange for saving my life.

But nothing came out. He forgot everything he practiced to say, again. The first thing he was able to think of is the Band-Aid he has hidden in his pocket.

The man stares at him for a couple of seconds before blinking.

“B-band-Aid?” he softly repeats and Kai takes a quick glance at the man only to quickly look back down because he feels something unusual when their eyes meet, like electricity shoots inside his body, and that is something he does not like feeling.

“I—We—” he hears the man stuttering again and he looks up, unable to think of what he should answer the man, or if he is supposed to answer. “I-I’m sorry sir, we’ve ran out of Band-Aids as of the moment.”

He isn’t aware he’s been staring at the smaller male. And as if being pulled by gravity, Kai realizes what the other said.

“Oh,” Then you should leave, Kai.  Now.  

He argues with himself whether he should just quietly walk away or thank the man first. Because that’s what he was there for in the first place, right? To thank the man for saving his life.

“Okay, thank you,” he says before turning on his heels and before he could take a step the smaller male speaks again.

“B-but s-sir!” the smaller male’s voice is strained and it cracks at the last word.

He turns around and faces the man, looking at the man’s face, avoiding his eyes.

“I...We…I mean I have Band-Aids here, sir. If you want, I can give you one—” the smaller male offers and Kai doesn’t know why but he racks his head for the appropriate answer to that—to reject the offer. But before he could talk, the smaller male has already quickly crouched down. His brows crease together as he hears the clattering noise of glass and plastic bottles toppling over. The man appears in his sight again with a stash of Band-Aids that he didn’t want in the first place.

“Y-you can have this, s-sir…” the man’s voice is more shaky than usual and it makes Kai wonder if he really scares the man that much. Kai stares at the stash of Band-Aids offered to him. Should he take it? But he didn’t want it in the first place.

And why is he actually thinking if he should accept it in the first place?

Only staring at the milky white hand offering him the Band-Aids, Kai is not completely aware that he is already actually reaching out for them.  It’s only when the tip of his thumb slightly brushes over the man’s finger that he realizes it. The effect of the action electrifies Kai, starting from the tip of his thumb and travelling all over his body in the speed of light. He instantly withdraws his hand, brows creased and pulse accelerating.

What was that?

A moment of silence occurs. It is him that breaks it.

“Thank you.”

They look at each other again and the man’s eyes seem to glimmer, like the stars when the night sky is clear of clouds. He does not want to look away. He thinks he should, but he doesn’t want to.

“You’re welcome,” he hears the soft voice of the man. Kyungsoo’s voice. And for the first time, it isn’t shaky. Not wanting to look away, as if wanting to memorize every angle of the man’s face, Kai starts walking backwards a few steps before looking down and turning around. He completely walks out of the store. He feels lighthearted as he walks to his apartment.

It isn’t until he has entered his apartment and has shrugged off his clothes to take a shower that he realizes he forgot everything he planned to do. Why he went to that convenience store. Why he bothered to read what its name is. Why he bothered to look at the man’s face.

The face of that man appears before him. He turns on the shower and closes his eyes. Every angle, every facial expression, every move; everything that Kyungsoo person did keeps replaying in his head in slow motion.

Kai grunts and leans on the bathroom wall.

Next time. I’ll go back for the last time. And this time, I will make sure to end all of this.

A/N:  *smiles* I was supposed to include this on the last chapter but I could not finish it this morning. Blame laziness. o3o

But I already want to update this morning so instead I cut it into half. <: