Summer of 2012 – California

          It was the second Saturday of the summer and since it was the weekend it meant that it was Min’s job to do the laundry at the Laundromat that was down the street.

“Bye Mom! I’m going to the coin wash now!” Min hollered in English.

“Okay! Don’t forget to straighten them out before throwing them in the wash!” Mrs. Kwon had been on the treadmill for fifteen minutes now and was glad that her sixteen year old daughter had been doing chores more often than not. It gave her less to worry about, “Be safe!”

Min hummed in assurance and picked up the laundry basket full of clothing; balancing it on her knees as she put on one converse at a time. Once she was done she didn’t forget to grab a hand full of coins from the change dish or wrap the Polaroid strap around her neck. Kicking open the front door, Min fastened her grip on the basket’s rim and happily strolled down the sun kissed, newly paved sidewalk.

Being the Kwon Minji everyone knew she was, she gallantly greeted everyone she knew or not, “Good evening Mrs. Davis, is Troye back from the Army reserve yet?”

The woman smiled and tucked strand of her golden hair behind her ear, “Oh no not yet darling, Just a couple more weeks; any who, good evening to you too my dear!” She walked on and Min continued to hum the newest in-song, ‘Call me maybe’ while turning the corner, dodging every civilian that refused to greet her. 

As she neared the coin wash she saw through the window that a boy her age, her ethnicity, had taken her spot. As a man opened the door for her, she thanked him and slowly looked around. She had to think back if she had seen him before or even remotely recognized him. Thinking backwards, Min recollected her thoughts: He was unrecognizable.

She walked closer to the unknown boy and placed her laundry basket on top the machine two away from his. She pulled up her Polaroid and clicked the button twice. Two sheets of film had come out and he looked up shocked.

As she waved the sheets in her hands back and forth fast, she lifted her head up. The boy was looking up at her peculiarly. She caught his drift, “Oh,” making and actual O shape and then biting her bottom lip while she holds out her right hand, “I’m being very rude aren’t I? Hello, I’m Min, nice to meet you. Are you new around here? I don’t think I have seen you around before.” His eyes are wide and his head is slightly tilted. Mentally face palming, Min places her hand back by her side and takes a wild guess and shoots out a greeting in her own tongue, Korean, “Anyeonghasaeyo, Min imnida. “

He smirks and arches his eyebrow slightly, “Anyeonghasaeyo, Jungkook imnida.”

Bingo.

:::::

          Min unloaded her laundry into the machine next to where she would usually go but since it was occupied before she had arrived, she made the best of it. A conversation had been struck like gold; good thing Min knew Korean.

“Ah, so you flew in?” She asked as she separated one graphic tee from another before throwing it in the wash and stealing another glance at the stranger next to her.

“Yeah, I’m learning how to dance.”

His response was short and simple. The foreign syllables rolled off of his tongue and Min wanted to hear more but she didn’t want to be such a pest…

…but that’s who Kwon Minji was, a pest.

“You came all the way from Korea just to learn to dance?”

Jungkook looked up and clicked his tongue finding the right words in Korean to say to the outlandish girl, “My Company sent me to America to learn how to dance with emotion.” He nodded his head satisfied with the answer he had given.

“Company? What Company?” Min asked again.

Jungkook slouched over and sighed. He didn’t even know if he should even be talking to a girl let alone about the company. Who knows maybe she was a Sasaeng fan trying to get details for the Godfather of America’s Sasaengs, “Think of it as a I don’t know, Company,” He tilted his head making no sense even to himself, “Think of it like Lifestyle movement; a performing arts kind of company.”

“Ah, I’ve been there before.” Min shook her head in acknowledgement and threw in the last of her clothing into the wash, added the detergent before closing the top and choosing the setting. Twisting the knob she places her elbows on the top of her machine, expecting the boy to speak more.

He throws the last of his clothing in and does the same, only leaning on the machine with his back and taking out his phone.

Tapping her fingers against the machine’s top her stomach growls; grabbing her stomach she eyes the boy next to her. Jungkook’s eyes wander from him phone to Min slowly, “Hungry?”

“Not that much.” Reaching into her pocket she grabs out six quarters, “Assa!” Pumping her fists her runs the vending machine and inserts the coin and presses the code she had memorized. The machine buzzes and drops out a pack of cookies; like a child she crouches down and reaches through the slot. Walking back casually she opens her pack and breaks the cookie in half and hands it to Jungkook, “Want some?” With a shy snarl he looks up at her in disgust, “Oh Goodness, Jungkook, I didn’t contaminate it. You saw me just take it out.”

Awkward with the sudden casualness he passes, “No thanks, have to keep my shape.”

Min chortles and whispers in English looking in the opposite direction, “Psh, what shape?”

          After a few minutes more the washing machine had tuned and you took out your wet clothes and transferred them to the dryer. Jungkook did the same a few minutes after you. Honestly, if you hadn’t been there to show him how to work the machines he would be as lost as a child in a jungle. Let’s be real here: LA is a jungle… Well, at least to foreigners. Of course, Jungkook wouldn’t and didn’t thank Min but deep down underneath this pubescent child’s shyness he was secretly praising her.

“I’m going to go,” Jungkook puts his clothing into the basket and grabs his belongings, “Nice meeting you…”

“…Min” She finishes for him, “Oh, Do you think we can hang out some other time I mean-“

“-Jeon Jungkook,” An unfamiliar voice had grabbed the attention of both of the teens before Jungkook could have replied, “What are you doing? You have a schedule to run through. What will they say when you stayed to chat all summer with a girl?”

Min scowled at the man. Obviously he thought she didn’t speak Korean so before she could have responded in an intelligent phrase to rub it in the jerk’s face Jungkook spoke up, “You have it wrong, Hyung. She’s no one. She was just trying to get some details about the company and I was foolish enough to let it slip out. I’m sorry, it won’t happen again.”

Minji looks to her side confused. Had she been betrayed? Most likely, but it was an awkward trade because whoever the jerk face was, he had been so confused. He shook his head and grabbed Jungkook’s arm…

…Neither one of them looking back.

:::::

          Retrieving the clothing from the machine and throwing them into the basket, Min sat down and slouched. It had been ten measly minutes since that Jungkook boy and his very rude hyung had left, “Tch,” Min scoffed, “That man got me into a crude mood.” Min stood up and picked up her basket, not forgetting her Polaroid and the two pictures.

Min walked back down to her house not bothering to greet people as she passed by. Walking up her front steps she kicks open her unlocked door and places the laundry basket down. Pouring the change into the change dish she yells, “Umma, I’m home!”

“Already?” Her mother comes down the stairs still in her workout attire and is holding a glass of water.

“Are you still working out?”

“No,” Mrs. Kwon walked to the kitchen and put the glass in the sink, “I just didn’t feel like changing after I noticed that, that one k-drama was on.”

Min looked at her mother weirdly and treaded up the stairs, “Okay mom, call me when you need me, I’ll be in my room.”

Min opened her bedroom door and walked to her window; peeling the blinds back and opening the window, she sits on the ledge and looks out. As she sighs a breath of air out, she slouches against the frame, “Finally, summer is here and yet, I’m already bored.”

Moments passed and her head dropped.

She fell asleep.

          Min woke up abruptly by getting too comfy against the ledge and falling off. Landing with a thud, she rubs her sore bottom.  While she was on the ground she stretched and reached for her phone. It was only 5: 37 pm. Her stomach growled and Min rolled lifelessly on the carpeted flooring. Groaning and she sat up and cracked her neck to the both sides.

With a brilliant idea, Min grabs her wallet and her school’s letterman jacket, “Mom?” Min poked her head outside of her bedroom door and searched the hallways. A deep voice was heard and her older brother stood to her left, “Can you tell mom I’m going to the convenience store?”

He leans against the wall, “That is, can you get me food?”

She squints at him, “Goodness, Daejoon oppa, I spoil you more than you spoil me. No fair.” Spinning on her heals, before she goes downstairs and walks out the door her brother called out, “Next time my treat, Ji!”

          With her hands clutching the wallet and phone, Min walks toward the convenience store to get some snacks for her and her brother. Pulling open the door a bell rings lightly, “Hello.” Min greets the newspaper reading, store clerk and retreats to the back of the store, “Alright let’s hit up Arizona, Doritos, and-“ 

Before Min could grab the last item of choice that she wanted, a hand collided harshly for the last bag cookies.

“Ah,” Min groaned as she pulled her hand away. The stranger grabbed the last pack of her favorite pastry and they both gazed at each other.

“Sorry,” The guy said in perfect Korean, “The cookies you offered earlier looked too delicious for me to pass up.”

He smirked lightly and pulled his hood up, leaving Min to blink at him in utter confusion and ponderous thoughts, Was that…Was that, Jungkook?

A/N

Hello and yes this is my first flash back for this story. Heads up it will stay in flashback mode for a while… And school is ending soon. Well not too soon but in a month or so due to the 5 snow days Chicago had.

Love you always,

Barely-finished

P.S. sorry for the horrible poster I'm new at making banners.

P.P.S. if you like Jackson Wang from Got7 make sure to upvote and subscribe on my sister’s aff account. She also has a Kim Jongin or Kai from Exo fic. How Tempting. 

Imprints (OC & Jackson Wang)and The Art of Body Language (OC& Kai).