starved ; s.mh

014

early in the next evening ivy sat behind the counter of the grocery  store with her head buried in a book. suddenly the door flew open and someone ran towards the counter.

slowly she raised her head and put down the book to find song minho running towards her. "ivy! ivy!" he stopped right in front of the counter. "guess what!"

"you got accepted?" a wide smile grew over ivy's face as minho nodded. "yes! it's all thanks to you!"

this time she was the one caught off guard when minho wrapped his arms around her. "thank you so much!"

it wasn't like ivy didn't want to hug him, but she had decided to take a step back the day before; now that he seemed to be okay with it, she hugged him back after a while.

although minho looked broad shouldered from the outside, ivy could feel his bones through his sweater and it made her realize how starved he was. with all her heart she hoped that he would get better from now on. "i'm proud of you, baby boy."

suddenly minho let go and ivy was painfully aware of how much she had longed someone else's warmth. "why would you call me that?"

"because you're younger than me? and i like confusing you like this." she laughed. "how about i treat you for dinner tonight?"

minho was pretty sure that his heart had skipped a beat. "don't you have to work?"

"nah, i'll just call the owner, to be honest i never took a day off since i started working here."

about twenty minutes later another employee arrived and they left the store behind them. minho watched ivy while he walked next to her and noticed that she was wearing the same grey hoodie that she had lend him once.

without realizing it he smiled like crazy.

"so i don't have much money either, but i'll take you to a place that i like." said ivy softly and minho shrugged. "whatever you want, i'll be happy with it."

ivy laughed, took his hand in hers.

they ended up on the plastic chairs of a street vendor and stuffed themselves with fish cake soup and pickled radish, while downing a few bottles of soju.

for the first time in forever minho felt completly full and as he looked at ivy in the dim light, she seemed even more ethereal than ever. due to the alcohol she had a thin layer of sweat on her forehead and her grey hair glistened in the cheap illumination.

he wasn't even capable of what made her beautiful to him, he just knew that he had never wanted anything more than her. (on the other hand it could've just been the alcohol causing him to feel light headed.) 

they didn't talk much, since both of them usually walked around with an empty stomach they just ate and smiled.

even on the way back ivy held his hand and hugged him before they parted ways. that night minho went to sleep relieved and with a warm feeling consuming him.

meanwhile ivy opened the door to her apartment and sank to her knees. what had she been thinking? she was well aware that she was stealing that man's heart and still did it anyway.

right then he seemed to be the only person, who would be willing to accept her for who she was and she didn't deserve him; still she wanted him to be happy unlike herself, even if it was just for a while.