SUPERMARKET

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INTRO:
AU: Cashier Byulyi

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September

"She's here! Yay!" Jin nudged Namjoon's arm making the taller boy knock over a pile of pineapples, scratching his palms in the process.

"Who are you talking about, hyung?" Namjoon checked his hands and was thankful he didn't knock over the pile of durian. He looked up to see Jin hide behind a stack of tomato sauce near the check-out area. "Oh."

"

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The said boy crouched down peeking his lovestruck eyes over towards counter number 19.
After the morning shift had ended, a young girl with long dark brown hair began to put on her apron and name tag.

With the little information Jin had gathered, mostly from the ladies that frequented the Asian market, her name was Byulyi, and had just moved into town with her family. Kim Seokjin was instantly in love.

With an exasperated sigh, Namjoon took their forgotten trolley and walked towards Jin's not-so-inconspicuous hideout. "Jin-hyung. You could just walk up and say hi."

"Sure. That worked easily for you and Hyejinnie," Jin gave him a hamster-like smile as he recalled a drunken love confession to the pretty barista. "Jjangkaman! I take it back! Joon-ah! Come back here!"

As revenge, Namjoon pushed their trolley to counter 19 and waved toward him. "That's my friend. He's the one paying. Jin-hyung, see you at the party!"

Before Jin could reach their trolley, Namjoon started to leave.

Like a deer caught in the headlights, Jin froze as he made eye contact with the twinkly eyes of his crush. Growing up, Jin's face easily turned red when all attention was on him. That day he felt like his face was about to explode. Even though Byulyi was the only one looking at him, he felt like the entire supermarket patrons had their eyes on the star-struck boy.

"Birthday party?" Byulyi asked with a small smile.

"Mwo?"

Byulyi pointed to the things on Jin's trolley. Aside from typical food items like sliced pork belly, vegetables, and sodas; other things suggested a birthday celebration. Once out of his revere, Jin placed his purchases on the counter one by one. First were the streamers, ice cream cones, then multicolored sprinkles.

"A kids' birthday party?" said Byulyi brightly as she received the items for scanning.

"Kid's?" Jin looked at his hand as he held up a party hat with pink bunny ears. Come to think of it all of their party favors had rabbits and the color pink on them. "Oh! No. No. This is for one of my friends. We're throwing him a surprise birthday party. You know what, yeah, he is a kid. He's the youngest in our group. Tends to cry a lot. He- Oh. Sorry. I'm rambling."

Now as the two stood awkwardly, Byulyi's small smile widened to a cheerful one. Jin could not look away and found himself with a goofy grin.

"Gwenchanayo. It's sweet. You guys are such good friends," Byulyi beamed as she handed Jin back his card and receipt.

A light brush of fingertips confirmed to Kim Seokjin that September was his new favorite month.

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December

Jin fought not to fidget while he waited for his turn in the queue. The teenage group in front of him was taking their sweet time picking out candies at the impulse bin, making Jin's patience wear thin.

Knowing that Byulyi was shooting him an apologetic look, he held his usually savage tongue and chose to wiggle his right foot.

When the teenage boys were finally done with their choice of sweets, Jin bent down to pick up his shopping basket. His parents were visiting him for his birthday and he was planning to prepare them seaweed soup, japchae, and marinated bulgogi.

Giddiness rose through his heart as he was ecstatic to see his crush once again. But before he could step forward one of the little devils exclaimed.

"Jjangkaman. I forgot my strawberry milk! I'll be back!"

The world around Jin became more and more difficult and he looked up at the ceiling asking the heavens why it was not his lucky day.

From the corner of his eye, he saw the teenage boy give his friends a thumbs-up and a mischievous grin. His friends mirrored the same naughty look.

"Get some for me!" one of them shouted followed by the rest.

"Me too!"

"Yah! Get ten for me!"

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February

Kim Seokjin was a brave man. Nothing was going to stop him from his goal. It was Valentine's Day and he was determined to ask Byulyi out on a date.

He had planned that afternoon almost to a tee. In his trolley were two portions of steak, a packet of spaghetti noodles, parmesan cheese, tomato sauce, and a bottle of red wine.

Willing his knees from shaking Jin gave a suave smile, the kind that made girls swoon. Somehow that suave smile was all he could do as he found his mouth unable to utter a word.

"Date night?" Byulyi asked with the same happy demeanor but this time with a knowing look in her eyes.

"Yes!" Jin mentally scolded himself for suddenly forgetting how to speak Korean. Say something else, Kim Seokjin!

"Kojima (Lie)," Byulyi smirked as she scanned Jin's items. Once done, she did not ask for his card but chose to rest her palms on the metal counter. "You don't have a date tonight do you?"

"W...w...wae?" said Jin monosyllabic.

"That's because you don't have dessert," Byulyi looked side to side and took a bar of dark chocolate from the impulse bin and a container of strawberries left by a customer. She then scanned both items and leaned a bit forward. "There. Now it's a date. I clock out in 15 minutes."

Kim Seokjin could only open his mouth like a fish as the girl he had been crushing on gave him the cutest of winks.

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