Too late today, he thinks. Too late today, love.

He rolls a gum ball easily between his fingers—he's been doing it since a long time now in her wait, after all—and stares hard at the pretty, gingerbread house wall clock of the store.

7:48 PM. Late by three minutes today.

Where are you . . . ?

With the gum ball in hand, he looks at her other favorite candy in store: gummy bears.

Maybe looking at them would make her appear faster.

"Yah, Suho!" his fellow worker at the store yells at him, using the name that he only wants her to use.

He only wants to be her guardian.

A dark scowl decorates Joonmyun's face when the said man slaps his shoulder. "Get to work. Now."

Joonmyun is about to make a nasty remark about their lack of customers at the moment—but she enters.

The windchimes hung above the door ring when she timidly opens the door as always.

Joonmyun drops the gum ball like an amateur.

She's dressed the way she always is: an oversized T-shirt, tights, and a pair of blue sneakers, faded with repeated washes.

To him, no one could be more beautiful.

She looks around the candy store as always—her head slightly bobbing to the eerily-cute xylophone beats coming from the back of the store—before her eyes land on what she always buys: gum balls and gummy bears. Placed together by Joonmyun for her convenience.

She doesn't look at anything or anyone else then. Just walks straight up to the dispenser with her candy bag.

Two gumballs. Four gummy bears.

Like always.

Joonmyun smiles at the familiarity of her actions.

But his eyes turn dark once she approaches the counter to pay.

"Hi," she says, holding out just the right amount for her candies.

But it's not directed to Joonmyun.

His co-worker smiles out of habit, not even looking at her as he takes her bag and the money.

Joonmyun clenches his fists to stop himself from hitting the man getting to interact with her.

The fact that Joonmyun saw their fingers brush against each other when he handed her the bag doesn't help, either.

Without even a glance in Joonmyun's direction, she leaves, infuriating him now.

It's okay. She's still only yours.

Joonmyun carelessly pulls off his name tag—not caring if he injured himself in the process—and turns to face his friend.

"I am done for the day."

He can hear his friend yelling after him to come back and help him shut down the place, but he ignores it all.

Just makes his way out, slipping on his black hoodie, to look for her.

He finds her exactly where he knew she'd be: at the crossing around the corner.

The p