Request: OC (Kim Sunji) x Seventeen's Joshua in which Sunji gets on a bus and the only seat left is next to a stranger which happens to be Joshua.

“Excuse me!” Sunji yelled as she wove through the crowded city streets. 

“Hey, watch where you’re going!” a voice called after her, clearly upset that Sunji had run into them. Normally Sunji would turn around and apologize for her behavior. She usually was very calm and collected, and it immediately bothered her conscience that she was passing people rudely.

But she couldn’t turn around and apologize- not today. 

She was an hour late for one of the most important interviews of her life. Well, it wasn’t like the job she was seeking was important- it was more of the fact that it was her first interview for her first job. All her life she had been coddled and told that her only job was to make good grades, but now that she was finished with high school, there were bigger priorities like paying for college tuition.

So Sunji couldn’t stop and apologize because she needed this job like a kid needed candy. And to make matters worse, when her alarm hadn’t gone off and she woke up 45 minutes late, she plastered on some makeup and dressed as quickly as she could in the dark, praying to whatever higher being that’s up there that her socks matched.

Finally, Sunji saw the bus stop within reach. She shoved a few people gently out of the way and ran as fast as her legs could carry her. However, it seemed fate had a different story in mind for her that day, because just as she reached the curb, the bus began to take off.

Oh no. She wasn’t going to just let it happen like that. She had somewhere to be, and dammit, she wasn’t going to wait another fifteen minutes for the next bus to arrive!

“Hey!” she yelled out, waving her arms frantically and running alongside the slowly accelerating bus. She saw a few people begin to notice her from the windows, and she knew she was being pointed at and made fun of. But that didn’t matter, just as long as the bus stopped.

“Hey, wait! Please!” she yelled, reaching the door. She continued to run as she kept up with the bus, and finally, finally, the driver turned his head.

Sunji let out a puff of air as the driver slowed down and opened the door for her.

“Really? You couldn’t have waited?” the driver angrily questioned as she ran up the steps. She swiped her card and shook her head.

“Nope, but thank you for slowing down. I’m sorry to cause a disturbance,” she panted, out of breath, and bowed deeply.

“Whatever. I think there’s one seat left in the back,” the driver grunted, and Sunji appreciatively bowed again.

She began to walk down the aisle and noticed the stares and judging looks from the other passengers. She looked down to make sure she wasn’t in her underwear or something, which, thankfully, she wasn’t (in fact, she had done a damn good job getting dressed in the dark). So Sunji just sighed and continued on to the last seat available on the bus.

“Excuse me, may I sit here?” she asked the man in the last row quietly. He had his head turned and was looking out the window, but when she caught his attention and turned his head to her, she felt like she had just been thrown out a window.

“Sure, go ahead,” he replied, and Sunji just stared at him for a moment before quickly sitting down, trying to shake whatever feeling was constricting her heart.

“Were you the one running to catch the bus just now?” he asked her, and Sunji knew her face had turned a deep shade of red. Oh God, that’s how she was going to be remembered: the wild girl running to catch the bus.

“Ha... yeah, that was me,” she laughed stiffly and tried to avoid the stranger’s gaze. 

“Why are you in such a rush? You couldn’t have waited for the next bus?” he asked her, and Sunji looked up to respond. She felt her breath catch in . She swore she had never seen a more attractive person. If she wasn’t supremely winded from running just now, she would have reached her hand out to see just how soft his hair really was...

“Hello?” he asked, waving a hand in front of her face. Sunji blushed again, knowing just how much of an idiot she must have seemed like.

“Er, no. I couldn’t wait. I’m an hour late for a job interview, so...” she said, trailing off, trying to dispel the awkward air around the two of them.

He laughed at her response and she gulped when she saw the laugh lines form around his eyes, the way they crinkled as he smiled.

“An hour late? I’d be surprised if they were still waiting for you to show up,” he said, and Sunji sighed.

“I know, but I can hope, right?” she asked and leaned back into the bus seat. It was only then that she noticed the stranger had a guitar case next to him.

“You have a guitar?” she asked him before she could think better of it. Here she was, already making a fool of herself, and now she was trying to start a conversation.

“What? Oh,” he mumbled, bending down to grab the case, “Yeah. I’ve been playing since I was little,” he told her. Sunji nodded her head and pretended to be occupied with her phone, even though there was absolutely nothing new on her SNS feeds.

“I’m Joshua, by the way,” he said, sticking his hand out to her. She glanced up at him, somewhat surprised that he was introducing himself.

“I’m Sunji,” she started, “Joshua... is that-”

“I’m American,” he said, cutting her off before she could start jumping to conclusions, “My real name is Hong Jisoo. Sorry about that. I just came back from Los Angeles. I’m not used to introducing myself that way yet,” he laughed. 

Sunji smiled in response. The pretty boy was from the States. Figures.

“So why are you here instead of Los Angeles? If you don’t mind me asking,” she spoke, genuinely curious now about the stranger sitting next to her. He seemed to be around her age, maybe a year or two older. 

“Oh, it’s fine. I’m here on scholarship, but I also wanted to play music here,” he replied. 

“That’s neat,” she answered. Honestly, Sunji had no idea how to make small talk. It just wasn’t her strong suit. Joshua had to pick up the conversation once again.

“So where are you interviewing?” he asked her.

“Oh, just some small coffee shop,” she said, dismissing the topic. She didn’t want it to seem like she desperately needed this job. Unfortunately for her, Joshua, like fate, had other plans.

“Really? What’s it called?’ he asked.

“I think it’s Jaemi’s Coffee, or something like that,” she answered, rubbing the back of her neck.

“Woah, no way!” he suddenly exclaimed, “I’m playing there tonight!”

Sunji gasped and stared wide-eyed at him. Okay, yes. Yes she definitely wanted to talk about the coffee shop now.

The two continued to talk about their lives and how it was so funny that they ended up sitting next to each other on the same bus, going to the same place. Sunji began to marvel at just how weird it really was. She wouldn’t have sat next to him if she hadn’t ran to catch this particular bus that was an hour later than the one she was supposed to catch in the first place. Was there really such thing as fate? Because if so, it was doing her a really nice favor today.

~

“Congratulations, Kim Sunji, you got the job,” Sunji’s new boss, Jaemi, proclaimed as the two stood up to bow and shake hands. 

“Thank you so much. I’m so sorry I was late,” Sunji apologized to Jaemi profusely.

“No, no, it’s totally fine,” Jaemi said, before smiling at Sunji, “Can I tell you a secret?” she asked. Sunji nodded, curious to know what her new boss had to say.

“I actually got here late, too. I was only here for about fifteen minutes before you showed up. I figured you saw the shop wasn’t open and you left, but hey! I guess that’s the universe’s way of telling me to hire you,” Jaemi laughed.

Sunji smiled and laughed inwardly. There was a lot going for her today all thanks to these nice coincidences. 

For the next few hours, Jaemi showed Sunji the ropes- how to make certain drinks, how to set and clean up the tables, how to take orders, etc. Sunji wasn’t sure where Joshua had gone, only that when they’d arrived he said he had some errands to run but that he’d be back later to play his set.

At 8:00 that night, the coffee shop was bustling, and Sunji could barely keep all the orders straight. 

“Excuse me, miss, could I get an Americano?” she heard a familiar voice say. Sunji looked up and broke into a smile when she registered the person’s face. It was Joshua, and he had something in his hand.

“I-is that for me?” she asked him, pointing to the dainty red flower in his hand. 

“Well, I mean, I was going to give it to the bus boy, but since you asked, I guess you can have it,” he answered, giving Sunji a wink. She blushed and took the rose from his hand.

“Thank you,” she said, giving Joshua a gentle smile. She noticed herself starting to get lost in their eye contact, but it was quickly broken when she heard someone clear their throat behind her.

Sunji looked sheepishly at her boss who was giving her the “business-before-pleasure” look. She ducked her head and turned back to Joshua.

“I’ll have your Americano ready in a bit, sir,” she told him and he smiled back at her before turning away and finding a table. 

About a half hour later, Sunji knew that Joshua was about to start his set. The chairs had been turned to face the stage and Joshua was tuning his amplifier with precision. She had wanted to hear him play all day, and now she was almost anxious for it.

“Alright, hi everyone! My name is Joshua- er... Hong Jisoo, and I’m here to play for a bit, so enjoy,” he began, and Sunji’s heart raced. She thought back to the rose and smiled. 

“This first song,” he started, “Goes out to the girl who ran to catch the bus today. I’m glad fate led us to meet,” he said, looking back behind the counter where Sunji stood, and she nearly fainted. 

Did she believe in fate?

Oh, yeah.