stardust | park seonghwa ✓

10

WHEN I see Yeosang curled up on my couch that morning, a wave of sadness hit me. He is clutching his arms tight and as he sleeps, I could see the creases of discomfort on his forehead. His brother must be home and had a fight with his parents again, I can feel the swirl of emotions he is feeling in the atmosphere of the room but all I can do now is sigh. My feet take me to the kitchen and I make the both if us a cup of warm drink to start the day - tea for him, an espresso for myself. Once I've made sure his wasn't too hot, I bring his cup with me and I crouch next to him on the couch before tapping his shoulder lightly.

"Sang?" I whisper, smiling a little when he stirs and mumbles a few words of nonsense. "Sangie, I made tea for you. It's still warm."

My best friend burrows his face deeper into the couch, saying that he wants to sleep and never wake up. His sentence makes me chuckle and I run my hand through his hair. Gosh, he really feels like my own child sometimes.

"Come on, Sang, if you need to sleep you can sleep on my bed," I tell him, helping him sit up then hand him the cup of tea.

Yeosang's eyes are still swollen, hinting red with tiredness. They're half closed as he blows on the warm drink, both his hands wrapped around the small cup before taking a sip. I smooth down his messy hair and rub his ears, he looks like he could really use more sleep.

"You can't sleep here, you'll hurt your back," I tell him once he tries to lay down on the couch once more. "Let's go to my room, hmm? You can sleep there, okay?"

Yeosang nods sleepily, I can sense his relief when I don't question why he was here so early in the morning and let him waddle to my room. Once he's settled underneath my covers, I turn the electric blanket back on a medium heat for him and place his tea cup on my bedside table. I hear him sigh as he snuggles into my pillows and his hand reaches to touch the left side of his upper back.

"Is there anything wrong?" I ask him worriedly. He shakes his head, "they know what I'm feeling, that's all."

Smiling softly, I turn off my lights and set the nightlight into a dim brightness. "I'll be heading out soon, maybe in an hour. You can use the shower, eat, watch the tv, whatever. I'll try to cook us something later on so make yourself comfortable, okay?"

Once he nods his head, I return to the kitchen and sit on a stool as I sip my morning coffee, looking through the kitchen window to see the morning that had greeted the world outside. I'm glad that Yeosang could come here whenever he feels uneasy and although I know he won't talk about it straightaway, at least he finds some comfort where I am.

Today I was supposed to buy some supplies for another project due in a month but it seems like Yeosang needs me more than I need that project so maybe, I'll head to the market instead and cook something for the both of us to eat since it's also been a while since I, myself, had home cooked food. Let's hope I won't burn the kitchen this time.

seonghwa
good morning!!!
u said ull be going out to buy
some supplies right?

My cheeks become warm on this cold morning when I read the message sent from him. Seonghwa and I have been talking for a few weeks now and we had been at Hongjoong's KFC place numerous of times to the point where the boy memorised our orders already. A fluttering feeling blooms in my chest as I reach for my phone, trying to contain my small smile as I tell him that there'd been a slight change of plans.

seonghwa
oh?
where u off to?

That's how I find myself pushing a shopping trolley inside of the supermarket alongside Seonghwa. The man next to me pauses at the vegetables section, before proceeding to motion for me to follow him. He gets to the potatoes stand and begins to pick out the ones he liked while I watch him quietly from the side. He places each potato in a plastic bag carefully before turning around to face me with a questioning look. "Will this be enough?" he lifts the bag for me to see.