Noctura

four

minho

THE MICROWAVE beeps, signalling to me that my popcorn is done popping.

I get up off my couch and head behind me into the kitchen. I take the bag of popcorn out of the microwave and pour it into a bowl. Then I take the bowl back over to the couch and start eating as I continue watching the show on TV.

I'm not really sure what the TV show is because I haven't really been paying attention to it, it's just one of the only things on, so I'm watching it. It's about some family or something like that. I don't know.

I eat my popcorn and try to pay attention, but my mind drifts elsewhere.

Tomorrow, I've got to go into work around noon, just like I did today. I'm not a huge fan of the noon shifts, though, because it's not early but it's not late; it's like that weird in between.

My job isn't bad, though. I work in a flower shop. My boss is a really nice lady who gives me reasonable hours and pays well. She was friends with my mother a while back and was happy to give me a job working with her. Her name is Nikita Klimov. She's got to be around fifty, but she's a very strong woman so she doesn't seem like she's fifty.

After working many different jobs, I was really glad when Nikita gave me the job at the flower shop. All my other bosses were rude or didn't care. Nikita cares, though. And she's very kind. She enjoys my company and I enjoy hers.

I mean, I guess that would make sense, though. We're pretty similar.

I throw another handful of popcorn into my mouth.

Suddenly, I hear a sharp knock on my door.

I set the popcorn to the side and stand up, heading past the kitchen toward the front door.

Who would be coming over? It's almost eleven.

I get to the front door and unlock it before pulling the door inward.

A young man stands outside. His black hair is somewhat falling over his forehead on the sides as he looks at me with his dark brown eyes. I notice the two rings in his left ear, only one in the right. His full lips are pulled up into a grin.

Recognizing him takes half a second.

A smile grows on my face and I run a hand through my pink, dyed hair, that's always brushed back and lying over my head.

"Seunghoon," I greet him. "What are you doing here?"

He shrugs. "I was working on some work stuff at home but I got bored, so I decided to come see if you were awake."

"Well, I am." I grin. "Come in." I open the door wider and gesture for him to come inside.

He steps inside the house and moves toward the kitchen. I close the door behind him and then follow him inside.

He's already getting out some wine glasses and moving toward the pantry.

"You know your way around, huh?" I ask as I lean against the counter.

He pulls a bottle of red wine out of the pantry and then grins at me. "Oh, come on. You know your way around my place, too. We're practically roommates, just in separate houses."

I chuckle lightly as he pours both of us a glass of wine.

He sets the bottle down on the counter and then takes a sip of his wine. "Mm, wow. Where'd you get this stuff? It's good."

"Just down at the liquor store," I tell him. "I asked for a good red wine and the guy gave me this one."

He takes another small sip. "It's really good."