KYUHYUN'S POV

“The fresh ones are out by exactly 8:15 am every other day. I am never late and I never miss it! Remember to get this exact one arasso? Memorize the shade of red…not exactly ruby in colour, but it’s neither rose red.”

I can’t even take in exactly what the hell this mad man of a friend is trying to say since he’s pulling my arm as if it was the last missing piece for some kind of puzzle. Any harder and I might be walking around with one limb less. He goes on about the shape of this and that as he’s ruffling the empty package inches away from my face. Damn him for being a handsome fellow…if it was the other way around my fist would have easily welcomed him with a little punch to the jaw.

While some just nudge you once or twice, this is the unique way of how the guy tends to wake me up…are you serious right now?

“Changminnnnn one more minute puh-lea-suh.”

I beg him like it’s a dying man’s final wish.

“Look here. Open your eyes Kyuhyun. Open! Look at the font. It’s one of the keys in differentiating it from the others. Are you still sleepy?”

...But nope, ignored. My inconsiderate bastard of a friend everyone.

I can’t even say anything since he has my head in between his arms in no time, leading me up and standing in front of the sink as he splashes a good handful of water in my face. Note to self: I need to buy this guy a new type of deodorant. No chick is gonna want a man’s scent to match that of some cinnamon spice. Pshh or at least I can’t imagine one that would…

Yet, here I am caught with the whiff of cinnamon gracing my nostrils as if that’s how oxygen originally smelt.

PURRRFECT. Just P-E-R-F-E-C-T.

“Now I’m going to head out to start my day’s errands. I expect you to be home with what I asked for when I come back here.”

He hands me a dry towel to wipe the remains of water that glistens down my face which seconds ago was whipped to me by him. Typical of the guy, just when you think you dislike him for a moment he does something the next to redeem himself.

I glance at the clock that hangs crookedly at the wall in front of the toilet. The thing is barely hanging on for its life, yet alone it’s not even working. There’s a slight crack on it as well…My eyes dart curiously at my friend and I can’t help but question if he’s seriously the stingy type of person who refuses to let one penny escape their pockets unless it’s a matter of life and death.

“Changmin. That. Why don’t you just change it?”

He turns halfway and I notice his eyes glance up to where I am pointing, but only to be darted away in an instant. He smiles and taps my shoulder before I can say anything else and with that, he disappears out of my sight.

It was odd, the way he stared at the thing as if it held some kind of forbidden secret. The way he easily dodged whatever he decided I would ask more about it; before I myself even had the thought to do so.

Gone. He just left without allowing my curiosity to fully kick in.

-----

I look like a ing hot mess right now and it’s not even funny. That is the only thing that occupies my mind as I stare at my strange reflection from the floor length model mirror in the living section of the super store. Aren’t I lucky? The first thing I see after the food section, just one foot further into this store and I’m greeted with is my hideous appearance. It’s against the law for me to look like this at this age.

Oh hell no.

Just what the am I wearing? There’s a damn teddy bear like thing on my shirt. To top it off there’s some sort of nasty fabric thing on my head. Apparently it’s a hat, but I doubt it. Looks like a sock if anything.

Damn you Changmin..couldn't lend me better clothing? I know for a fact that he gave me his that he wore when he was probaly just hitting puberty ugh. I swear the guy is ting on me because I somewhat bombarded him yesterday with my drunk .

But hey, brothers share everything. What’s his is mine and vice versa…right?

“Aish whatever.”

I sigh hard and let out a mini grunt. You know the cute little kind that’s slightly manly in the same way? Well you if you don’t get what I mean. Just understand that it’s not a sissy grunt ok?

Anyways, I turn around ready to get the out with the measly one item in the cart that Changmin was pleading for this morning when I knock into something that topples down quickly onto the floor.

“Holy ! Minahae. Gwaenchanayo?”

I hurry to help the victim up while grabbing what they had dropped as well.

“200 won.”

“Bwoh?”

She lifts up her head and I see those eyes once more. The club chick! , I really need to stop bumping into her like this…in the literal terms that is.

“Ya! Remember who I am?” I ask a little to anxiously.

“Ne. The drunk guy from last night. You owe me exactly 200 won.”

“Eh? From what exactly…”

“Taxi fare. I’m the one who dropped you off your house. You probably don’t quite remember any of it huh? Well I’m not lying, so it’s 200 won flat.”

She’s standing there raising one hand up, waiting for money to grace it while the other one is brushing the little specs of dust that got caught on her jeans.

Cute.

“I don’t have much money. Mianhae.”

It doesn’t look like she paid any attention to what I just said. Instead, she keeps staring at what I’m holding in my hands. Whatever is inside the plastic bag is definitely ruined or altered quite a bit from its original form as it probably took the hardest impact from the collision. That’s when I realize that this thing isn’t mine, but actually is hers. I offer it back to her, but she refuses to accept it.

I quickly look inside the bag and find the packaging to be somewhat awfully familiar. The red, the font…

“CINNAMON BUNS!”

I practically yell out like I won the lottery causing all eyes to focus on me for a few seconds. Yup, the awkward moment when a stranger is screaming nonsense in a store…that’s me.

I pick up the lonely package that lies inside the shopping cart and showcase it to the saddened girl standing before me. The sight of it making her eyes sparkles a tad bit.

One thing led to another and the next thing you know, I’m letting her devour a few of the cinnamon buns while we sit on a nearby bench. We don’t say much.

Her excuse is probably because she’s focused 97% on the food.

My excuse? Well she looks like a chipmunk munching on the dessert.

Cute.

Those minutes flash before me like some kind of fast super power. She stands up quickly, whiping the little traces of crumbs from the corners of and smiles,

“I guess we’re even now.”

She walks off simply just like that. 

“8:15 AM!!! EVERY OTHER DAY!”

I scream out to her, hoping that maybe she’s stop and turn once more to me…which luckily, she does.

I race over to her, but not too obvious as I try to hide my excitement.

“That’s when the fresh ones are out.”

“Neh. I know…Regular customer right here; I’m just late today since my clock just broke keke~”

“Ah! Then you must know my friend Ch-”

“I doubt it. I know the ahjumma who works here. She keeps one warm for me and I usually just pick it up when I get the chance.”

“Ah I see…never mind then.”

She turns again before flashing that smile of hers again. How can one’s smile be so damn pretty?

“CHO KYUHYUN!”

I scream my name out at her as if she wanted to know it, which there has GOT to be a small fraction inside of her that did want it.

“And yours is?”

I lied. I knew all to well that she went by the name Sooyoung. At least that was what people called her at the club.

“Choi Sooyoung.”

“Is there a number that would connect me to this Choi Sooyoung?”

She giggles a tad bit. My foolishness always gets to girls…it’s the timing that’s key and I know for a fact that this time I hit the bulls eye.

Rummaging through her small bag thing she has over her shoulder, she hands me a small yellow card over.

“Nice hat by the way…I like it. Haha kinda reminds me of—never mind," she giggles before saying her final goodbye.

-----

I push the doors open and that ing Shim Changmin practically scares the living hell out of me. Lifelessly like a possessed zombie he sits there hunched over the dining table with fists out holding a knife and fork.

“It is now 11:00 AM. I have finished everything long time ago and you still weren’t back. Cold now huh?”

“Oh no, it’s still pretty warm outside actually…”

“Not you! The cinnamon buns!”

I hand over the box of what is left. As his fingers pick at the opening, my mouth goes dry and I can feel my heart pounding. My eyes scatter left and right looking for the nearest escape route before he kills me with that butter knife in his hands.

The room goes completely silent and Changmin’s eyes enlarge to a size I’ve never seen before on any human being.

“HOW DID YOU KNOWWWWW?!?!”

“Bwoh?”

“I absolutely hate the middle parts…and you took them all off? Thanks bud!”

I smile awkwardly at him. I have no idea what the he’s talking about, but my head isn’t currently being ripped open so I play along with it.

“The middle part? I swear that’s the area with the most cinnamon. I would have figured that you loved that section like it was your future wife or something…I guess not.”

“I hate it. I don’t really like cinnamon actually…but for some reason I often crave for it…”

He spurts out from the little space as he continues to shove more into his mouth.

He uses cinnamon scented deodorant and regularly buys cinnamon buns. The freak knows the exact time for goodness sake. That isn’t him being a fan of the spice?

Bull , there’s gotta be more to it. Changmin, my dear friend...you're not kidding anyone with that.

====================

FLASHBACK

“TADAAAAA~”

Sooyoung screams out loud while she throws colourful strands of confetti over their heads. The blues and yellows fall nicely down onto the grassy field underneath their beloved willow tree.

“What is that?”

“Cinnamon bun pabo.”

“It looks weird…I don’t like it.”

Changmin pokes at the thing with the end of his chopstick. The next second he pulls the plate millimetres to his nose, but automatically withdraws the ‘thing’.

“Yah it smells like that is burned plus pepper and some more odd stuff mixed up to create the end result of .”

“But it’s delicioussssss baby!!! The store just opened and it’s the only one in Jeju that sells this. Think of it as a limited edition ne? You’re going to have to go to Seoul to experience this, but we finally have one in town!”

“It’s odd though! Why is it so brown as if it’s burnt to a crisp? I hate the taste of burnt stuff…such a waste to the natural flavour of food.”

Changmin puffs his cheeks completely and crosses his arms across his chest while eyeing Sooyoung who easily shoves a bite into .

“YA DON’T EAT IT ALL!!!”

“I thought you didn’t want it…”

Sooyoung carefully looks up in a clueless manner only to be faced with Changmin’s jealous childish face.

Cute.

“You secretly want some don’t you?”

She teases as she pokes the side of his chest.

“…well uh…maybe…just..uhmm maybe a bit? Not a lot of the brown stuff though…”

He casually answers to her with his mouth that starts salivating as his girlfriend carefully trims the centres out for herself and the rest for her love.

“Here, try. Say AHHH~”

She playfully spoon feeds him a bite and stares at him, waiting for the epic response that she knows she’ll receive any time now. But nothing.

“Ehhhhhhh~wae? You don’t like? Aigoooo fine, all mine then.”

She grabs his plate and pushes it towards her once more, but Changmin’s swift arm beats her to it and in a blink of an eye all that remains on the simple plate are the utensils that were used to cut it.

Sooyoung smiles at him. His face covered with stains of cinnamon and sugar upon his lips. She pulls him towards her and cleans him up nicely, gracefully kissing the deliciousness away. Sweet kisses had a new definition that day.

“Baby, do you still hate it?”

“Who said I hated it?”

He laughs while pulling her in once more and she grabs hold of his hat upon his head.

“I’ll always think of you when I eat this 'thing' now.”

She lightly bites his bottom lip before whispering softly in his ear, “There’s something y about the traces of cinnamon scent blending upon your skin babe.”

“I might just eat you up~”

She pushes his chest away from her and sticks out her tongue.

"In the second though, maybe NOT~kekeke"

“Soooooo, DON’T PLAY WITH ME LIKE THAT!!!!!”

He chases her joyful girlfriend around the tree as the little vibrant red packaging shines brightly on the green grass beside them, reflecting that of how powerful their red hearts burned inside of them that very same moment.   

==================

“Yo man, did I tell you that I met her again?”

“Who?”

“The one.”

“…you’re really going to bring that up again? I thought you were knocked out cold. How would you even know how she looks like? Maybe she’s actually a guy HAHAHA.”

“Trust me man. You wouldn’t forget her smile if you ever saw it.”

“Interesting…”

“Here, this is the card I got from her.”

“SM Entertainment? WTH is that?”

“I have no idea either. She’s probably a model…or an actress. Or maybe a singer…I have no ing clue. All I know is that she’s gorgeous enough to be any or even all of that.”

“This isn’t even a personal card…looks like a business card. There's no name or anything. Dude, is this person a cougar?!?! Some older chicks are hot, but uhm if she’s old enough to be our mother than I think you shouldn’t cross that line man…”

“Naw Changmin. She’s young…just like us. I’m determined to bump into her again…and this time the right way. You my dear single friend shall come along with me as well. You’re bound to find the one for you there as well I bet.”

"I'm going to properly clean up now..." Kyuhyun replies while whipping the hat towards his friend.

Landing perfectly in his hands, he stares at the thing.

"Btw, she said she liked your hat. You see? Don't you approve of my future wife already?"

"Future wife? Chingu, go scrub your head clean...you're getting more ridiculous each second!"

Sooyoung was the only one to ever compliment this thing...hmm this unknown girl must be really something to actually like this as well...

Changmin thinks to himself, caught in a wave of unkowingly deep concentration over a measly homemade hat he once made back during his high school days in Jeju Island.