SUNRISE (minsung)

SUNRISE4

One overcast Thursday morning, someone is sitting in his seat.

Danbi comes to an uncharacteristic halt in front of Minho, urging him to stop immediately as well. He reaches out cautiously, confused when no handle bar seems close to him.

It's been weeks since there had been a interference in their schedule, that it takes a few moments and a startled gasp for him to realise that his usual seat by the doors in occupied by not one, not two, but three people.

Anxiety churns in his stomach as he hears the shuffling and mumbling of the strangers, but he doesn't move, too nervous to try. Danbi, sensing her owner's discomfort immediately, pushes back against his legs, acting as an anchor, but doesn't push him to move either.

"Oh sorry!" Someone finally shouts, their voice deep and slightly accented, "Do you want to sit here, Minho?"

"How-" he cuts himself short, eyes wide and throat dry at the sound of his name. Does he know these people?

Minho doesn't answer after that, giving himself a few moments to calm down from the change to begin any sort of human interaction. He vaguely realises the bus is yet to depart from his stop, and only then seems to understand that the bus driver always waits until Minho is safely sat down before starting the journey.

He feels himself flush in embarrassment, feeling the stares of millions eventhought it's less than a dozen.

"Uh." He clears his throat meekly, and below him Danbi presses further back into his legs, and he pushes forward, finding a balance to her pillar like stance. "I-"

He doesn't get far into his next pathetic excuse for a comprehensible sentence, because Danbi softens her stance and pulls on her harness, indicating a clear path ahead, and that she would begin to move forward unless told not to.

Minho is once again startled and rendered speechless as Danbi takes that as her queue to continue forth, leading him safely to his usual seat. He reaches out again, and this time, is met with the cool metal of the handle bar.

When he finally sits down and Danbi situates herself under the seat and between the gaps of his ankles, Minho feels the knot in his chest loosen. He rubs her wet nose against the exposed skin of his calf in attempt to comfort him, but he feels too overwhelmed to take it.

The group of strangers (or maybe not?) have stayed quiet, which is unnerving, especially since one of them is sitting beside him and the other two in front of him.

"I hope you don't mind me asking," he quietly says after an ounce of courage grows in his stomach, feeling the person next to him stiffen in surprise of Minho talking to them, "But have we met before?"

"Uhm-" one of then sitting infront of him starts, struggling to find strength in their words, "No. But we share a mutual friend?"

Minho scrunches up his nose, "We do? Who?"

"Well, I think we do atleast? Your name is Minho right?" The person beside him with the deep voice, who had said his name before, asks hesitantly.

Minho clears his throat, feeling slightly uncomfortable and out of the loop, "Yes, that's me."

It's one thing not being able to see what goes on around you, but not understanding is even worse. He's the centre of the conversation yet feels like a complete outsider.

"Ah, one of our friends said that he sees someone...like you...on the bus every morning. So we just assume that...it was you."

Someone like you.

Although that phrase was not said with any out right malice, Minho feels his heart drop to his stomach as a wave of self hatred and absolute dread washes over him. He feels his breath cut short, and Danbi is instantly out from under the seat and by his side, pressing her snout under his chin.