Mon Amour // ATEEZ

21 Pinki Minki

"Hello?" I cautiously called out, unsure of whether anyone was present.

In a sudden twist, a small trapdoor in the ceiling sprang open, causing me to instinctively take a step back. From it emerged a man, defying gravity as he suspended himself upside down. I couldn't help but wonder how his glasses managed to cling to his face in such an unusual position. Nevertheless, he greeted us with a warm smile. "Greetings, unfamiliar faces. Welcome to my humble shop"

What truly caught my attention was his vibrant pink hair, and surprisingly, it suits him perfectly.

He jumped from the ceiling and landed on his feet. It's probably not the first time he does that. "What can I do for you today?" He asked casually with a smile as if he didn't just jump from the ceiling?

"Umm, we're looking for fuel for our boat. We're kind of in a predicament right now" I explained as I observed Hongjoong's curious gaze as he examined the array of intriguing trinkets within the shop.

"I have just the right thing for you" The man said before disappearing into yet another mysterious hole in the ground. I hurried over to check on him. To my relief, he seemed perfectly fine, frantically rummaging through his belongings. With a thumbs up, he assured me that everything was under control. What a strange man. My life seems to be filled with an abundance of peculiar men already. I glanced over at Hongjoong, who was curiously sniffing a candle, his face suddenly twisted in disgust. He vigorously shook his head, clearly unimpressed.

"Forgive my curiosity, but how on earth did you find yourself stranded without fuel?" The man asked from within the depths of the hole.

"Well, it's a long story but we didn't exactly plan on embarking on a spontaneous boat ride yesterday. It sort of just...happened" I explained, without the illegal parts.

"We stole the boat, that's why" Hongjoong chimed in from beside me with a deadpan expression. He literally magically appeared.  My eyes widened in shock.

"Shh, you can't say that," I peer down at the man and vigorously shook my head to dismiss the outrageous claim. "He's just joking"

"My bad" Hongjoong said before sitting down at a nearby table and looking at a little boat trinket. The man simply looked up and laughed before coming out of the hole with a gas can.

"You guys are quite the funny people. The name's Mingi, by the way. And you?" He stretched out his arm, offering a handshake.

"I'm Dalhae," I replied, stealing a glance at Hongjoong, who seemed strangely mesmerized by the trinket. "That's Hongjoong. It's a really long story. But tell me more about yourself, Mingi"

"I'm actually from the big city," Mingi shared. "After my grandfather passed away, I inherited his shop. I initially thought adjusting to a small town would be challenging, but it's surprisingly peaceful here. People are kind with everyone. Just not Mary, she keeps stealing the eggs from my chickens!"

"I'm sorry for your grandpa" I sympathized.

"No need for that," Mingi dismissed with a wave of his hand. "The old man was a real pain in the neck, to be honest" Oh my gosh. I wanted to laugh but I just nodded.

He handed me the gas can. "But here you go guys, what about one day in the near future, we go have coffee all together and I could hear more about your adventure with the stolen boat?" He suggested with a smile.

I chuckled, he saw right trough us. "Sure, how much do I owe you by the way?"

Mingi waved his hand dismissively. "Nah, no need for that. You guys are always welcome here" He replied casually.

"What? No I should pay you-" I couldn't finish my sentence as Hongjoong grabbed the gas can. "Well then, thank you very much, kind sir" He said with a grateful smile.

"Thank you so much" I expressed my gratitude, gripping his hand tightly. Mingi responded with a warm smile, exuding an aura of trustworthiness.

As we stepped out of his shop, Mingi shouted after us, "Don't forget about me guys!" We bid him farewell with a wave.

"What a strange man" I remarked, a chuckle escaping my lips as we reached the scooter. Hongjoong smiled mischievously at me. "What?" I asked. This is strange.

"Hehe" He giggled as he took out the little boat trinket from his pants pocket. Oh my gosh, he can't stop stealing stuff, seriously. It's becoming a pattern at this point. "Wow"

He shot me a sly grin. "I know"

"Let's go home now" I smiled warmly at him. It's been great our little outing, but it's time to go back.

His gaze wandered, taking in the surroundings. "I like it here. Life is tranquil, and the people are genuinely kind to me"

"Should we come back in the future?" I asked. He bashfully nodded his head, clearly delighted by the idea.

We returned the borrowed clothes to the grandma and she even gave us snacks for the road. Then we made our way to the boat, we filled it with gas. Mingi was really a life saver for this. Thank you.

To ensure we didn't lose our way, I quickly snapped a screenshot of a map on my phone, at the motel. Let's just hope that my phone won't give up on me.

Hongjoong assisted me in boarding the boat, and soon enough, we set sail. One thing that truly impressed me was how swiftly he absorbed new knowledge and skills. I think that's cool.

I love the smell of the ocean. I love the warm sun in the sky. I love that there's also Hongjoong with me right now. This little adventure made me learn more about him. He's actually quite nice to be around. Maybe we have more in common than I thought.

I closed my eyes, feeling the sun on my face. When I opened them back, I caught Hongjoong stealing a glance at me before hurriedly diverting his eyes.

"Have you always wanted to be an archeologist?" He asked, sounding genuinely curious.

I shook my head. "No, my original plan was to pursue a career in business. I attended college with that goal in mind"

"What made you change field?"

"It might sound stupid but I actually watched the movie 'The mummy' with Seonghwa. I think that's when we both found that it was actually fun and interesting" I admitted with a smile, noticing that he had been lost in thought.

"You must be aware that your friend has feelings for you" He said out of the blue.

I dismissed the notion with a wave of my hand. "Seonghwa? Nah, we've been friends since even before university. I don't think so"

His eyebrow arched in response. "Believe me, he is utterly consumed by his infatuation with you"

"No, he's not.." I muttered under my breath. It can't be true, could it? It's true that in all the years I've known Seonghwa, he's never had a girlfriend. But me? No. We're like partners in crime. Bonnie and Clyde.

"Liar" I scoffed, crossing my arms defiantly on the boat. He glanced at me, a futile attempt to convince me of his supposed honesty. Oh, please. As if a vampire could possess any shred of genuine emotion and understanding of what love is.

•••

"We've arrived" The sun had already disappeared beyond the horizon. With utmost caution, we skillfully docked the boat, ensuring not to disturb the tranquility of the surroundings. And then, we ran for our lives, scared that maybe the older man would come out of his house. Going back into the sand hole that leads to his mansion.

After walking a while, we were back in his office. I let out a sigh of relief, unable to contain my laughter. "That was crazy, Hongjoong"

He smirked in agreement. "I liked it"

We didn't have time to talk more about our escapade before we heard people walk up the stairs. The entire crew appeared, their faces etched with worry. "Oh my god, Dalhae! Sir Hongjoong! You're alive!" The director practically shrieked with relief.

Seonghwa approached me and enveloped me in a tight hug. The rest of the crew soon followed suit. "I'm still alive and well, and mister Hongjoong too-" I reassured them, scanning the room for Hongjoong, but he had disappeared.