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“Be careful, it bites.”
Doyoung’s heart stops for a moment, suddenly frozen where he was crouching over in front of the cat. Oreo, on the other hand, reacts cutely when Doyoung scratches on its neck and purrs comfortably.
When Doyoung looked up, he’s met with the most beautiful brown eyes that were unrealistically big and clear. He’d recognize this boy anywhere, had thought about him more often than not, maybe even fantasized about meeting him again; yet the unexpected encounter made his heart beat a little faster.
A lot faster.
“Oh?” His eyes get wider and gleaming with excitement as he stares at the cat and then back at Doyoung. “You know him?”
“Her. She’s pregnant so she’s a bit feisty to strangers.” Doyoung tried not to sound so preachy. Thank god his voice didn’t crack or something.
The boy is inching even closer now, smelling faintly of ramen and some kind of citrus detergent as he squats down next to Doyoung. He offers his hand out as an attempt to pet but is pretty reluctant to put it on the soft fur.
“Oh nice, you’re a mom now.” He decides to wave at the cat from a distance.
Doyoung smiles at his comment, turning to look at the cat on the ground, her tail curled against her protruding belly. He couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Oreo is gonna have mini Oreos!”
“You name her Oreo?”
“Well, the black spots on her white fur explain pretty well.”
Doyoung quickly hides his blush in his palms, trying to clear his throat as a way to calm his thumping heart. It’s stupid, oh no, it’s so stupid. This anime dream guy is gonna think he’s some nerd who names cats as snack brands and doesn’t have any friends.
“And what is your name then?” The boy asked, still hasn’t broken his gaze on Doyoung.
Huh?
Doyoung double-checks that he’s, in fact, not hallucinating, while suppressing the lump in his throat to croak out a decent answer.
“I’m Doyoung.”
Nice, excellent move.
It takes three seconds, a deep breath and a whole lotta nerves to look up into those eyes - beautiful and sparkly - without collapsing onto the ground. Doyoung is a man of steel.
“Well, aren’t you gonna ask my name, Doyoung?”
He’s usually smoother than this, but with Oreo smirking back at him with judging eyes, Doyoung can’t think of a word.
“Hey Taeyong, let’s go!” The bells chime suddenly, and two other boys emerge from the convenience store. There’s one with bleach blonde hair holding onto their drinks, and the other with gangly limbs, a plastic bag full of snacks dangling on their forearms. Both of them looked hyper and refreshed despite the deep dark circles under their eyes. Must be the redbulls during finals season.
“I guess I don’t have to ask then, Taeyong.” Doyoung flashes a smile, although inside he was punching himself with agony. Oreo was purring quietly, like a mocking laugh in his face.
“Hey there.” The blonde guy waves a hand at him, his sunny smile for Taeyong dwindles slowly. “You’ve got yourself a new friend, Taeyong?”
“Two new friends.” Taeyong smiles back, pointing at the cat. “Say hello to Oreo.”
“You met the stray cat two minutes ago and already got a name for it.” The other one hovers above them, radiating a confusing aura that Doyoung cannot pinpoint whether it is intimidating or friendly. His height is pretty scary nonetheless.
“And he’s Doyoung. He was the one who named Oreo.” Taeyong beams, ignoring the awkwardness of his two friends assessing Doyoung in silence.
“Hi.” Doyoung said, still trying to keep a small smile while tall guy stares at him like Tyra Bank would if he was a contestant on Next Top Model. “Nice to meet you all.”
“Well, nice meeting you Doyoung but we have a test tomorrow so we gotta cram.” Blonde Guy breezes through him, already pulling Taeyong back up on his feet. Doyoung takes it as a sign to stand up as well, patting away invisible dust on his pants. Seeing Taeyong’s face, his friend then follows with the pleasantries. “I’m Yuta, and this is Johnny.”
Johnny nods at him, still in evaluation mode. Doyoung tries to ignore the chill running down his spine.
“Um, do you guys go to Dandae University too?” That was Doyoung’s puny attempt at prolonging his conversation with these guys (mostly Taeyong) while shouldering the scrutinizing gaze of his friends. It was an attempt.
“Oh, yeah! How do you know?” Taeyong brightens at that, still rooted in his place although his friend Yuta was already tugging at his sleeves.
“Your jackets.” Doyoung shrugs. The attempt was a success. “I’m a first year, though.”
“Oh cool, we’re in our second year.” Taeyong said, testing Yuta and Johnny’s patience as he giggles cutely. “What major are-”
“Nice meeting you, Doyoung.” Yuta repeats, this time it’s final. “We gotta go, study group starts in ten.”
“Yeah, guess I’ll see you around.” Doyoung presses his lips into a thin line, clasping his hands together behind his back. Oreo meows softly, eyes lidded and tail swiping on the ground, as if waving them goodbye.
“Okay. See ya.” Taeyong raises his hand and salutes him animatedly.
He watched as the trio walked towards the direction of the campus, Taeyong skipping along with Yuta, who nags on Johnny with pointed fingers. Must be something either serious or ridiculous because he can see Taeyong throwing his head back laughing, his other friends just stare at him with annoyance yet fondness.
Doyoung shakes his head. He waves at Oreo one last time before entering the GS25, hearing the bells chime sweetly.
It looks just the same no matter how many times he pushes his way inside. Ms. Jung stands behind the counter, reading the morning newspaper while her coffee cup steams her glasses between sips. There’s not much space to cramp all of the products so he usually has to bend himself through the snack racks to reach the cooler, picking his favorite chocolate milk before slithering his way back to grab a kimbap or sandwich. Just normal slow morning routines before his class.
Slow morning, yeah, but that day wasn’t normal for Doyoung.
You see, this GS25 is his usual go-to place because of its small size, cozy enough for him to feel like he still has his life figured out. First year in university far from his hometown, no familiar faces in sight - Doyoung craves for something not too grand. Something like this small corner convenience store, where he met the lovely people of his life.
“Ah, Doyoungie.” Ms. Jung snaps out of her reading, her coffee almost empty. Her eyes wrinkle with a smile as she takes the chocolate milk box and sandwich from his hands. “Shall I heat these up for you?” She gestures towards the sandwich.
The question is left unanswered for a second or two because something caught Doyoung’s eyes. It’s more obvious now as he stands at the cashier, the glass window on his right welcomes in the bright first sun rays of the day. The clock strikes 7, not too early to be up, but definitely too early to be completely slumped over in the middle of a GS25.
“Are the people over there okay?”
Ms. Jung looks over to the direction of his pointed finger, chuckling with a shake of her head. Doyoung watches the three figures splay across the only table in the store, seemingly asleep judging from the soft snorings. The interior of the store is packed with products so there is only a small table near the window, while outdoor seats are more spacious and comfortable. Those people must be really exhausted to choose that single table as their temporary sleeping place.
“Finals season, I’ve heard.” Ms. Jung answers between the beeping of the barcode reader, picking up Doyoung’s items and dropping them all into his tote bag. After giving her the card, he couldn’t help looking over his shoulders again. They must be from the same university as him since this GS25 is the only one near campus; although it was surprising to see college students taking a nap here instead of the library or student’s lounge, better yet their dorm. The trio were all draped in their hoodies with the Uni logo, one got a bear beanie on their brightly-dyed blonde hair. Their limbs tangle awkwardly around each other, two others have a slightly broader frame and one, more petite, seems to drown in the middle.
That’s gonna be a massive neck strain, Doyoung thinks briefly before turning back to the cashier, pondering whether he should eat the sandwich on his way to class or sharing his meal with the stray cat just outside of the GS25 despite the chilly weather. After all, there’s no more seats left and he wouldn’t want to disturb the tired people.
Ms. Jung smiles before quickly popping his food out of the microwave, pouring herself a cup of hot coffee along the way. “So, how’s school Doyoung? Not as tired as those boys?”
Ah, boys.
Doyoung hums, taking a sip of his chocolate milk.
“Ah, same as ever. I did sign up for a program in Seoul next month, though, so I’ll go and bring some gifts back for you.” He beams. Ms. Jung has been his companion on early mornings like this ever since his freshman days and even helped him build his confidence immensely. Despite his dorm in the opposite direction, Doyoung frequents this convenience store anytime he could to meet his favorite friend.
“That sounds exciting, Doyoung-ah. I hear that the scenery in Seoul is pretty nice in May, do take a lot of pictures!”
They flurries into a small conversation about the weather, how Ms. Jung found a new figurine to add to her collection displayed on the store’s window sill, and how Doyoung’s lab partner probably hasn’t washed his lab coat for two weeks now.
Doyoung steals one last glance at the table, where three people are still fast asleep, their breathing slow and quiet against the chirping of birds outside.
“Did they tell you to wake them up or anything?” He looks at the clock mounted on the wall above their heads, it reads 7:30. Class usually starts in 30 minutes, but he isn’t sure their schedules are the same.
“Nope, they just came in for snacks and energy drinks, talked about some tests they had then collectively collapsed on the table.” Ms. Jung said with a giggle. “I’m just glad they don’t snore too loudly.”
Doyoung agrees. Who is he to worry, anyway? He quickly collects his things, thanks Ms. Jung and bids his goodbye. When he exits the store, he sees a faint reflection of one of the boys in the big convex mirror above his head. It’s the petite boy sitting in the middle, warming himself up with a big stretch. Doyoung couldn’t see his face or even his hair because he got his hooded pulled over his head, but he paid no mind to it.
The bells on the entrance door chimed.
“Ah, Doyoungie! I saw you outside with the boys.”
Doyoung softens at the sight of Ms. Jung, wrinkled eye smile and coffee aroma sprinkled in the air. He nods at her, not adding anything further before scaling the aisle for some snacks. Final season has just ended and although it’s not that stressful to the point he has to sleep in a convenience store before class, Doyoung feels like he deserves some treats after the chains of tests.
“Yeah, they’re quite nice.” He tries to act nonchalant. After dropping two bags of potato chips, a bottle of Milkis and a bar of snickers on the cashier table, he sees the inquisitive gaze of Ms. Jung on him. “What?”
“Nice boys, for sure.” Ms. Jung laughs, dutifully picking up his items. Her coffee cup beside her is always full and magically steaming. “Don’t try to fool me, Doyoungie. I see the way you look at him.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Ms. Jung.” He retorts, his voice uncontrollably high-pitched. His cheeks are getting a little warm. “This is like, the first time I talk to him.”
Ms. Jung giggles again. That’s partly true, both of them know that.
Two days after the first time he saw them, Doyoung finds the trio again after his afternoon run, still knocked unconscious and cramming against each other on the single table. He’s not an athletic person or a health freak at all but jogging helps ease his mind from time to time. He gives Ms. Jung a small wave and there they are, still in their hoodie, bear beanie and all. It was a strange deja vu, but the window above their heads was tinted the shade of sunset this time.
He curves the corner to reach the cold drinks section, head still bumping to the music from his earphones. Final season is creeping up on him, making him pop a few pimples and his neck stiff so Doyoung opted for a Pocari and a big pack of sweet potato chips so he could munch on while doing his essay later that night.
A hand reaches out and overlaps with his hands on the chips, startling him so much he drops the Pocari bottle onto the floor.
The blaring music made it impossible to sense the figure standing right beside him, hair ruffled and face clearly in a state of just-woken-up. The boy isn’t much shorter than Doyoung but he has to crane his neck a little to see his face, searching for an explanation on why they’re both clutching on the same bag of chips for at least a minute now.
“Uhm, I think that’s mine.” He pulls the packet back, and surprisingly the boy didn’t put up much for a fight. Doyoung stares at him, pondering if he should say something a little mean to shoo the boy away, or just leave him at that.
“Sorry.” His voice is soft and hazy, gripping on Doyoung’s heart in a way he cannot explain. All of the words he wanted to say were swallowed down his throat.
Weird, Doyoung thought as he caught himself staring at the boy standing just meters away from him. Long eyelashes, rosy cheeks, a small scar at the corner of his eyes. Very weird.
“Taeyong-ah, you want something?” Ms. Jung spoke, breaking his train of thoughts. Taeyong is his name, Doyoung figures that she is talking to the dreamy boy. Dreamy, as in not properly awake.
The boy, Taeyong, slowly retreats to his seat, where his other two friends are still sleeping soundly. Was the nap that good? Doyoung did find himself spacing out like that after some very good naps, after he had finished a big project or a lecture or is in dire need of a recharge. Crawling on the table of a GS25, though, would never sound appealing as a recharge at all.
It was interesting to watch Taeyong sit there with his eyes still drooping, his lips pouted a little. Strands of dark hair ruffled artfully on his forehead, and it’s kinda unfair to see even in such a daze, he still managed to look good.
“The boys come by every now and then, you know. They were so nice and asked me to wake them up if they start to snore or something.” Ms. Jung mused, handing the card back to Doyoung. He didn’t even notice he had handed it to her in the first place. “The blonde is Yuta to the right, the big boy is Johnny to the left. And well, you’ve met Taeyong.”
“Hah, I don’t think Taeyong is aware of that.” Doyoung chuckles. He takes the bag of chips and bottle in one hand, the other hand waving at Ms. Jung. “I’m gonna go now.”
“Wait, Doyoung-ah.” She hands him a small box of candy; and to his surprise, her smile resembles that of his mother. “You look like you need a rest too, this might help with those late nights. I know you can’t drink coffee.”
If it weren’t for the counter in between, Doyoung might have given her a hug. Something blooms inside his lungs and it’s so warm. He thanks her numerously, clutching the candy box close to his chest.
The bells chime happily as he walks out of the store.
Doyoung is not that superstitious, but he thinks people say “third time’s the charm” for a reason. He got his driving license on his third try, succeeded to register for his classes on his third attempt refreshing the school’s web page, and even got his drink back from the vending machine after punching it three times. He’s not superstitious! But sometimes, the universe has its way to tell him he might as well be.
Right now, he’s counting on that third charm because he hasn’t seen Taeyong and his friends ever since that day with Oreo. Maybe they decided that the neck strain from sleeping on top of GS25 tables is not worth it, or Doyoung didn’t manage to match their time. Did he even meet them or was it a hallucination from his sleep-deprived brain, piecing together some faces he saw on the street to make a weird scenario?
“You just missed them, they left a while ago.” Ms. Jung smiles, chin resting on her palms. Her coffee emits a warm aroma spreading across the small space of the store. Doyoung can’t drink it but he likes the smell.
“Oh.” Was all he could say, still biting on the straw of his chocolate milk. “How are they doing?”
“Hm well, sleepy and tired. They’re rowdy when they wake up, especially Yuta. I figured you all might get along well.” She recalls, taking a sip of her coffee. The steam from her cup spread on her nose, making it a little red. “Taeyong plays with the cat in the front yard every time he’s here. He’s such a sweet boy.”
“Oh really. I thought Oreo isn’t that easy on strangers, she used to give me such a hard time.” Doyoung chuckles, still itchy with the thought that Taeyong had been here so many times and yet he couldn’t get one chance to see him. He internally curses himself for not asking for his number.
“You aren’t easy on strangers yourself.” Ms. Jung giggles. “He asked for you today.” Her smile was getting more mischievous.
Just the thought of Taeyong asking after him has already made him redden up. Doyoung prays Ms. Jung doesn’t notice that.
“Who did?”
“Oh, come on. I saw you guys under the patio that day with the cat. You’re blushing!”
“I’m not.”
“You are.”
“It’s hot today.” Doyoung pouts. The weather is not on his side because as soon as he glances at the window, he sees droplets of water begin to splash onto the glass surface.
Ms. Jung quirks her eyebrow at him while sipping the remainder of her coffee. It has been gloomy the past few days and the level of fine dust is fluctuating, it’s a miracle a homebody even bothered to drag himself outside like this. Before he could say another word, it begins to pour outside, rumbling onto the roof. There goes his chance of meeting Taeyong by pure luck because who would go out in such awful weather?
“Why don’t you do what young people do nowadays, text or katalk something?” Ms. Jung asks, still very invested in studying his expressions. He doesn’t feel irked by it, only getting more embarrassed.
“That’s the problem, I didn’t get his number.” he sighed.
“Ah, I see. Young people’s problems.” Ms. Jung cradles her coffee cup, her eyes curved into a smile. “Well there’s nothing that I can do, but I hope you meet him again.”
“I don’t know who you’re talking about, Ms. Jung.” He pokes his tongue out at her, then giggles. “But thank you. I hope so too.”
The rain doesn’t seem to stop any moment soon, so he settles down on one of the chairs lined up beside the window, poking at the animated figurines on the window sill while watching Ms. Jung restock. He had offered to help but she declined, saying she does things her way and would love to just have a handsome young man sitting in her store to brighten up the rainy day. He was glad he could help entertain her anyway.
Picking at a lint on hí. Is he too irrational to fall for a boy he hardly met? They barely even conversed and all he could say was his name, he couldn’t even look him in the eyes. What a shame because Taeyong had such beautiful eyes, like he carried the entire universe in them.
The next time they meet, and Doyoung believes they will (because third time’s the charm), he will properly talk to Taeyong, ask for his number if he’s willing to share, and then…
Well Doyoung doesn’t think that far ahead. He just wants to see Taeyong again.
Raindrops keep tapping on the window.
The bells chimed.
The bells chime and there he is, soaked from head to toe with a silly, almost bashful grin on his face. Doyoung feels a sudden urge to sprint forward, but he forgot he was sitting on his chair and almost toppled over. Ms. Jung pays no mind to the dumbstruck Doyoung and goes over to Taeyong and spots the cardboard box he was carrying. Oreo meows softly, clearly drenched in rain water and a bit of dirt. It seems like she had put up quite a fight before Taeyong could lift her into the box and bring her inside.
“Oh my goodness Taeyong, come here.” Ms. Jung exclaims, her eyebrows knitted. “Put the cat under the counter, I’ll go get you some towels.” As she takes the cardbox from him, Taeyong turns to Doyoung and his eyes soften.
“Hi.” He spoke first. Though his hair has become a wet mop and his t-shirt a crumpled mess, he still looks as dashing as ever. Doyoung thinks his imagination cannot be this creative, so he has got to believe that this is all real. Ms. Jung smirks at him when she passes him a towel then she quickly ducks under the counter to take care of Oreo.
Taeyong approaches him slowly, droplets of water puddled under his every step. Doyoung could only stare, awkwardly holding the towel in front of him when Taeyong was standing only a meter away.
“Hi.” Great job Doyoung, you can speak. He mentally facepalms before wrapping the towel on Taeyong’s hair, gently patting away the water on his face. He looks like a wet puppy with drooping eyes and Doyoung just wanted to hug him so bad.
“Hi Doyoung.” Taeyong’s eyes are sparkly and bright as they stare at each other, anticipation filled. Doyoung huffs out a laugh.
“Hi Taeyong.”
“Aren’t you gonna ask why I’m in the rain?”
“Because of Oreo, isn’t it?” He said, paying a little too much attention to drying the hair behind Taeyong’s ears. His ears are shaped cutely, perky - Doyoung noticed that just now.
“Mm yeah, I saw her on the way in so I just brought her along for an excuse.” Taeyong replies, grinning his sheepish smile that is too endearing to be angry at. “I thought I might find you here.”
“Me?” Doyoung momentarily halts his movements. It’s impossible to miss now he could see Taeyong’s eyes in the clearest shade of brown. Under the fluorescent lights, he glows beautifully like an angel.
The rain tapping on the window sounds like his thumping heart. He hopes it’s beating in a normal amount or he might burst like a balloon right here, in a GS25: not the best place to sleep, or to die of a heart attack.
“Yeah, you. Doyoung. I said hi to you twice.”
“It’s raining for god’s sake. You could get sick!” Despite the smile creeping onto his face, Doyoung couldn’t help but nag a little. “Next time, call first.”
“I’m gonna need your number then.”
Looking at Taeyong’s grin sent butterflies to his stomach, and Doyoung knew for sure that third time really is the charm.
“Okay, if you insist.”
🏪
“It’s the third time you drag us out there.” Yuta complains, trying to shake the grip on his sweater off but Taeyong is persistent in the most non-aggressive way. Three steps behind them is Johnny, nonchalantly scrolling on his phone. When Yuta cranes his head back to beg for assistance, the tallest of the three just replies with a yawn.
“Come on, I know you guys want that banana milk discount. And Johnny said he wanted to grab some ramen anyway.”
“Didn’t say that.”
“You did! Just-” Taeyong pouts, stomping ahead with Yuta still in clutch. “Just come with me, for some support.”
“Yongie, we all know you have a crush on that runner guy but he’s not gonna magically appear just because you make us camp at the convenience store.” His friend doesn’t try to flick him away anymore, instead matching their pace together. Yuta’s eyebrows are in a pinch as he stares at Johnny once again.
“And we have finals coming up.” Johnny finally deadpans. “I’m kinda sleepy.”
“You can sleep there while I wait for the guy, I mean for the cat. You know, the cat that usually greets us when we go there.” Taeyong grins, sensing both of his friends are slowly giving in. “It’ll be fine, I’ll buy you some snacks.”
Johnny huffs out a sigh, but he smiles afterward. And if Johnny agrees then Yuta wouldn’t mind either. That’s just how they work.
“Alright, but I’m getting the biggest Shin ramen with cheese.” Yuta does give in, of course. He wants to squabble some more but runs out of energy to do so. They jog slowly towards the corner GS25, the lamp posts blooming to life as the sky bleeds into evening.
“Why are you interested in the guy anyway?” Johnny suddenly asks, his eyes still glued to the phone screen. It’s amazing he hasn’t tripped because that would cause a domino effect and three tired college students would come stumbling down in the middle of the street.
“Hm, well.” Taeyong smiles, unconsciously timid as he recalls the first impression of the runner boy he always sees when sitting outside of GS25. The boy looks like he’s detached himself from the world, just him with his music and nothing else - well, sometimes, the cat under the patio. Taeyong remembers watching him pat the cat with such gentleness that probably nobody can see, and it fascinates him, intrigues him.
“I just have a feeling, that’s all.”
And the bells chime.