Summer or 2012 – California

          Just for the kick of it, Min had made her way to the convenience store every night after 6 o’clock just to spot the mysterious boy named Jungkook, in action. He either knew she was there and didn’t acknowledge her or he had just been that oblivious to his surroundings.

Tip number one: when in America, know your environment; you never know what the creep next to you may do.

Of course, in this case, Jungkook was the little girl and Min was the e. Min had seen Jungkook walk in and out casually buying little snacks; sometimes he would stop by with his hyung and chat for a moment, get what they desired, and left. It was quite simple, thought the store clerk had probably caught onto Min’s games.

“Hello, miss,” The cashier finally showed his face behind the newspaper. Surprisingly, he was Chinese, “I have noticed you come around the same time that, that boy comes. Do you know him?”

“What’s it to you?” Min looked over her shoulder and gazed over magazine counter.

“Nothing,” He pushed up his spectacles and folded his newspaper under his armpit, “The boy asked me to ask you.”

Min slowly looked up at the man and turned her heels, “In Korean, did he ask in Korean?”

He deeply frowned and in a thick heavy accent he spoke, “No, more like rough Mandarin.” 

       The doorbell had rung which indicated the opening of the door. A hooded stranger had walked in, stopped and turned down the soup’s aisle. Min bit her lip and watched as the boy took down his hood. He looked flushed and tired as if he had been working out for the past 3 hours. The cashier told Min that he would be in the back. She nodded and watched as the boy had grabbed a ramen bowl. He looked over the counter with his item and wondered where the man went.

 Min waited for a bit and spoke in Korean, “He’s not going to hear you; he’s in the back. So, you can just leave the money on the counter.”

Jungkook does as he was told and took a seat next to her. Pulling the cap back and pouring the bubbling liquid over the packaged noodles, he closed the lid and set it on top waiting for it to cook.

An awkward silence had erupted, Jungkook turned his head and for the first time in days, he had acknowledged her presence, “Minji, right?” His hands make a little gesture on his lap in a ‘pointing in recognition’ at her.

She shook her head and smiled, “Well, Min, but yeah,” She paused and did the same gesture as him, “And it’s… Jungkook, right?”

He smiled and nodded. He took the lid off of the soup bowl after a minute or so and started to stir the ingredients together. Lifting the long strips of noodles into the air with chopsticks, he opens his mouth, she snaps her camera’s clicker, “Sorry about what happened the other day, I had to protect you from getting criticized by hyung. If he knew you were just a random Sasaeng that wanted to know things about the company, he would just brush you off.” With that he put the noodles into his mouth and slurped them into one huge bite.

Min faced forward and sighed with relief and waved the film back and forth. Never in her life has she been brushed off so harshly by anyone before. It relieved her to know that wasn’t on purpose.

He was protecting her.

:::::

          “Ah, do you like to do photography?” Min interlaced her hands under her chin and leaned forward.

Jungkook had finished his ramen roughly 35 minutes ago but he had decided to stay and talk to the girl. Their conversations were simply simple. Min noticed that whenever she brought up the talk about business matters he was uncomfortable; so she restrained herself. She knew that if she was more of a pest than last time, when they first met, he would really avoid her.

“Yeah, I love photography,” Jungkook stopped for a moment and looked out the convenience store’s dark windows, “I also like to draw and travel and-“ He relieved a breath of air and faced Min, “-I don’t know; I just enjoy this life so much. There are so many things to be drawn to.”

Min shook her head and acknowledged what he had meant, “Hey,” Min glanced out the window and then to her watch, “It’s getting pretty late. I bet your hyung would get worried for staying out late in America.”

Jungkook scrunched up his nose, “Not really, Hyung is really laid back, but since it is getting pretty late, don’t you need to get home?”

“Me?” Min hadn’t thought about that. In fact, she couldn’t really process anything since it was after all the summertime, “Huh, I guess you’re right,” She gets up and bows a bit, “I guess I’ll leave now.” Walking towards the exit her name is called.

“Wait, Min,” Her head turns at the casualness of the name, “Let me take you home.”

:::::

          Kicking the pebbles on the Los Angeles sidewalk, Jungkook and Min’s steps became synchronized, “Do you like America so far?”

Jungkook shrugs and places his hands inside his red hoodie, “It’s different than what I had expected.”

Min copies his movements and then looks at him, “What do you mean?”

“Well for starters, there aren’t that many obese people,” Min laughs aloud at his comment and ruffles her dark brown hair, “What?”

“Nothing, it’s just that everyone I know from back home always told me the same thing when they came here.” She wipes away a nonexistent tear from her laughter and encourages him to go on.

“Well, I noticed that everyone here is just-“

“-here?” He looks up from the ground and smirks, “Yeah, I knew you were going to say that.”

“Why?”

“Because here, people take the easy route, although some may have it harder than others just to accomplish the same task as the one next to them.” Min purses her lips and shakes her head in agreement. Jungkook speaks more, “Yet, back home, it seems as if everyone wants to become the same things; never an individual mind.”

Min throws her head back and looks at the night sky as she walks, “Finally, someone agrees with me,” He bumps into her casually and she looks at him with an eye smile, “You know, for all the time we’ve spent talking, I can relate to you more that the people I have known since grade school.”

He opens his mouth with a smile to speak but Min cuts him off, “This is my stop.”

His mouth closes and his eyes wander up and down the regular coast-line, suburban house, “See you later.”

Before disappearing behind her wooden door he croaks, “Wait!”

She bites back her smile and turns around with a tied back smile, “Yes?”

He rubs the back of his neck with one hand and puts the other in his pocket, “D-do you want to hang out tomorrow?”

Her bottom lip quivers with excitement but she holds it in, “I’ll think about it.” He shakes his head in an understanding gesture and turns away, “But!” She yells and grabs his attention, “But, you know, if I’m free, just stop by the Coin wash at around maybe 11?”

He smiles and shakes his head, “Okay, 11. Goodnight, Min.”

“Goodnight, Jungkook,” Closing the door she does a little victory dance and walks triumphantly to her room.

Little did she know Jungkook did some fancy foot work of his own.

          Hello my lovely sub-babies! How are you? It is extremely hot here and since my school is ending in a week it means finals and ugh. Hopefully you guys understand the amount of pressure I am under right now. Bear with me and let’s make the most of it!

With love,

Barely-finished