Forget-me-not

Cynthia

Seungmin bought a pair of Crocs and a new outfit for her. The entire time, Cynthia followed him around the store feeling a bit guilty for causing him so much stress. Their playful banner had rolled back into a timid caution. Neither of them wanted to upset the other.

Cynthia slipped out of her soggy clothes and changed into a pair of black sweatpants and a forest green shirt. After realizing his hoodie was a little damp, he bought Cynthia her own gray hoodie. Besides the different logo on the front, it was the same shade as Seungmin's.

When Seungmin began to put sunglasses on himself, in front of a mirror, she raised an eyebrow. Seungmin realized it and pulled off the black framed pair "Don't mind me, I forgot that I have fans."

"Oh, right. I forgot about that too. Is that something that's difficult to deal with a lot? It must be a lot to deal with the fans."

"Some days, it's the best thing in the world. Other days, it feels a bit like a burden. I'm really glad I have fans, but sometimes I just want to walk around unrecognized. I can get away with it in smaller places, but this is Seoul; the idol industry is so big here."

Cynthia nodded and watched him pick up another pair. She glanced around the area observing the place. They were in some unfamiliar retail store that she had never been in before. The only time she went to the store, Flora would haul her along to the grocery store.

Flora would whine and complain the whole time, but Cynthia didn't mind it. Walking around and collecting items felt similar to a treasure hunt. It was the modern version of hunting and gathering without all the work.

Animals were already butchered and ready to cook. Fruits and vegetables were already plucked from the ground or ripped from stems. Everything else was an added bonus in the material world.

"What do you think?" Seungmin asked. He held up two pairs of sunglasses for her to choose from. One had plastic black frames and dark rectangular lenses. The other pair had wire frames and the lenses were circular and much bigger.

"I don't know."

"Which one do I look better in?" He put on the plastic frames and posed with a peace sign and duck lips. The side of Cynthia's mouth quipped up in a smile before it fell. He ripped them off and tried on the other pair. "Hmm?"

"I-"

"Be honest."

She glanced between the two pairs of glasses before her eyes darted back to the shelf. "What about that pair?" She pointed over to a pair near the bottom. "It's the perfect mix of both, it has the wire frames and the rectangle lenses."

"Are you saying I don't have good taste?"

"What? N-no, no, of course not! I-"

"I'm just screwing around." He took a step forward and placed a pair of the glasses back on the display case. "You're right, I think those are perfect." He went to place the second pair back when they slipped from his fingers and hit the ground with a clatter. "Oh, fuck."

Both of them dropped down to grab the glasses and their hands accidentally bumped into each other. A slew of apologies streamed out of Cynthia immediately and she pulled her hand away. Her cheeks went tomato red and she went to stand back up. She was nearly up when her knees buckled and she hit the ground.

Seungmin's eyebrows drew together in worry. "Cynthia? Cynthia, are you okay?" He leaned over and grabbed her hand hoping to get a response. She was bent over at the waist and kneeling. Her hand was pushed against the floor and supported her weight to keep her from falling over entirely.

The pair were suddenly on a sandy beach. Their hands were connected and they gently swayed them back and forth. The foamy white water from the lazy tide drifted across their feet. The warmth of the sun's rays filled both of them with delight.