Remnants of the Heart | Kim Taehyung

03: espoirs

ACT. 1 – SCENE 3
SHE HOPES.

          SEOJUNG SPENDS her first day of summer break alone up until three hours before midnight. Her parents won't appreciate her roaming around the town alone in nothing but her pajamas and a maroon cardigan over it, but it's summer break, so fuck it. It's not like her brother's never snuck out this late before.

The cool breeze feels nice against her cheeks. She lets the wind blow her hair back as she walks without actually knowing where to go. Her sandals scrape against the pavement, the sound oddly soothing to her ears. Night walks like these are something she hasn't been able to do lately. Her nights are usually jam packed with homework and things she needed to review for the next day's lesson. Seojung has always been someone who likes to stay on track, and if possible, be way ahead of everyone else. She's a goody-two-shoes, as her brother likes to put it, but the way he says it makes it seem like a bad thing.

It's not. Maybe she is a little more of a homebody compared to other high schoolers, always the one playing it safe when everyone else is in the mood for some mischief, but at least she has a spotless permanent record and promising grades to back her up in the future.

Most of the shops she passes are either closed or closing soon with the exception of the small restaurant at the end of the street. Its bright lights are overwhelming to the eyes, but stands out in the dark of the night. Her stomach rumbles, as if her stumbling upon the restaurant is not a coincidence. It never is, really. She always tries to find a reason to come here, to help out, or sit in her usual booth with nothing but her favorite vanilla milkshake. Maybe with a textbook in front of her, but her eyes would always glance at one particular boy working more than she pays attention to her schoolwork.

The girl takes small steps to kim's, until the open sign on the transparent door is visible and she can see how empty it is inside, minus a boy hunching over his phone behind the cash register. She pushes the door open, the familiar bell chiming, the familiar aroma of chicken hitting her sense, and familiar eyes look up, light up at her entrance.

"Seojung!" Taehyung greets with a tired smile. Even if her eyes are starting to weigh with fatigue, she smiles back. Taehyung's smiles are always contagious. "The usual?"

"Yeah. Take-away."

Taehyung puts his phone down. Seojung watches his fingers punch the numbers on the cash register and imagine what it would be like to have her intertwined with them. She's gone accustomed to paying attention to every single thing Taehyung does. Every single act, every single detail of his features, it's like her eyes can't get enough despite seeing him almost every day for the past ten years.

He disappears into the kitchen and comes back a few minutes later with her order––chicken strips with honey sauce, fries, and a vanilla milkshake. Tries to ignore how giddy she feels that Taehyung remembers her favorite order. Of course he would, Seojung has been here so many times. Taehyung doesn't let her pay, going off about how she has willingly helped out for free many times before and that it's the least he could do before she can protest.

"I asked for a takeaway," Seojung says when she looks down at the tray.

"Too bad, because the place is closing up soon and I have a whole fridge of soju all to myself, and I kinda don't feel like closing up on my own."

Looking at Taehyung's pleading eyes, Seojung doesn't know how anyone can even think about saying no.

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