The sun, a relentless clock, ushered in a new day, indifferent to the emotional tapestry woven the day before. Minho, a solitary figure in the kitchen, moved with a practiced ease, the clatter of pans a familiar rhythm as he prepared breakfast. The aroma of sizzling bacon and freshly brewed coffee filled the air, yet a subtle discord lingered. A shadow of absence clung to him, a feeling of something incomplete, a void where a presence once resided. Lost in thought, he didn't notice Lily's approach until her voice, laced with playful accusation, shattered the morning quiet. "You do really miss him."
A jolt, a blush, and a swift denial – "What?! No, I don't! I was just thinking about other things!" – betrayed his carefully constructed facade. Lily, her laughter a melodic counterpoint to his turmoil, strolled towards the dining table. "Yeah, right." she teased, the words hanging in the air like a playful challenge. "Don't worry. I made us a whole schedule for today, so you won't have the time to miss him!"
Minho, his expression hardening into a mask of indifference, met her gaze. "I don't miss him." Lily's giggle, a gentle acknowledgment of his denial, preceded her next words. "Okay, okay. Now, let's eat, and I will tell you the activities we will do today!" With a curt nod, Minho set the breakfast on the table, the promise of distraction hanging heavy in the air.
Seo-Jun's morning unfolded like a well-worn script, each action a familiar step in a routine that offered little in the way of excitement. The fluorescent lights of the office hummed overhead as he sat at his desk, the glow reflecting in the polished surface of his monitor. His fingers danced across the keyboard, but his mind was a world away, lost in a labyrinth of thoughts and feelings. A sigh escaped his lips, a gentle puff of air carrying the weight of his unspoken emotions. "Ha, I can't stop thinking about him. It's driving me crazy…" he murmured to himself, the words a quiet confession in the otherwise silent office.
In a futile attempt to distract himself, Seo-Jun reached for his phone, the sleek device a portal to a world of fleeting distractions. He scrolled through the endless feed, the images and videos blurring into a stream of digital noise. But then, a picture caught his eye, jolting him from his reverie. It was Lily's Instagram story, a vibrant snapshot of her and Minho, the two figures bathed in the warm glow of a sunny day at the mall. Lily's smile was radiant, her eyes sparkling with joy, while Minho's expression was more subdued, a subtle curve playing on his lips as he clutched shopping bags overflowing with purchases. Seo-Jun couldn't help but smile and giggle at the sight, a genuine reaction to the image of the two together. "They look so silly." he chuckled, the sound a brief moment of levity in his otherwise turbulent thoughts.
However, the amusement soon faded, replaced by a wave of conflicting emotions. He found himself drawn back to the photo, his gaze lingering on Minho's face, searching for something he couldn't quite define. He zoomed in, his eyes tracing the contours of his features, the lines around his eyes, the curve of his jaw. But the intensity of his gaze was too much to bear, and he closed his eyes in frustration, the image burnt into his mind. "No, it's for the best..." he whispered, the words a final, desperate attempt to regain control. With a deep breath, he steeled himself, pushing the phone away and returning to his work, the familiar click of the keyboard a small act of defiance against the turmoil within.
Meanwhile, at the mall, Minho and Lily strolled through the bustling crowds, their laughter and chatter echoing through the air. As they approached a bookshop, Lily's steps faltered, her eyes lighting up with anticipation. "Minho, can we please go inside this bookshop? I'm looking for a book that I was going to order online, but they might have it here in stock as well!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with excitement. Minho chuckled, his gaze softening as he looked at her. "Of course, let's go." he replied, his voice warm and inviting.
They entered the bookshop, the scent of paper and ink filling their senses. Lily immediately immersed herself in the search, her eyes scanning the shelves, her fingers brushing against the spines of countless books. Minho followed behind her, his steps slow and deliberate, his attention drawn to the various sections. He then stumbled upon a display of papers, their textures and colours intriguing. A smile spread across his face as he examined them, the simple act of discovery bringing a certain special memory back to life.
The silence had stretched before Lily finally broke it. She approached Minho, the book she'd been searching for now safely in her grasp. The vibrant cover seemed to glow in the dim light of the shop, a stark contrast to the muted colours of the paper display before them. "You want to buy some papers?" she asked, her voice soft, almost hesitant.
Minho shook his head, his gaze distant, lost in a memory only he could see. "No." he murmured, his voice barely audible. "They just... they reminded me of this one time when Seo-Jun and I made an origami together." The words hung in the air, a fragile confession.
Lily's surprise was evident in the slight lift of her eyebrows, but she wisely refrained from questioning. She understood the weight of shared memories, the way a simple object could unlock a flood of recollections. Minho reached out, his fingertips gently brushing against the smooth surface of the colourful papers. A wave of nostalgia washed over him. "Back then, I was hopeless," he confessed, a hint of self-deprecation in his tone. "I didn't know how to make origami. I even bought glue, convinced we needed it. Turns out, it was completely unnecessary." A soft chuckle escaped him, a sound tinged with both amusement and a pang of something deeper.
Lily watched him, her expression softening. The corners of her lips tilted upwards in a gentle smile. "I wasn't much better at first too." she admitted, her voice laced with empathy. She understood the frustration, the delicate dance of the hands, the way a single misstep could ruin the entire creation. Minho turned his gaze to her, finally meeting her eyes. Her gaze flickered from the papers to him, a silent understanding passing between them. "Jun taught me." she continued, her voice now filled with a quiet reverence. "He showed me how to control my hands, how to make them move with elegance, instead of just crushing the paper into a useless ball." A giggle escaped her, a light, melodic sound. She then turned back to Minho, her eyes meeting his. "You probably think Jun is this big, scary, cruel mafia leader, the kind who bosses everyone around, but... he wasn't always like that." Her smile vanished, replaced by a shadow of sadness. Her voice dropped, becoming almost a whisper. "The world did this to him. It took away everything he held precious, everything he loved. It was always taken away, or partly taken."
Minho's own smile faded, mirroring her grief. The memory of Seo-Jun, consumed by fever, his voice hoarse with desperation, flashed before his eyes. "Don't let them take her!" he had begged, his words a desperate plea not to take Lily away from him. The weight of that moment, the fear, the helplessness, settled heavily upon Minho's shoulders. The colourful papers seemed to fade, the vibrant hues dulled by the weight of the past.
Minho's jaw clenched, his gaze returning to the papers with a flicker of pity. A wave of understanding washed over him, a sudden clarity that illuminated Seo-Jun's guarded demeanour. "I suspected something like that must have happened to him to turn out like this…" he thought, the words echoing in the quiet space of his mind. "He has never seemed that scary to me, though ..."
Lily, sensing his shift in perspective, turned to him, a gentle smile gracing her lips. "He will tell you about his past when he is ready. Please, wait for him." The words, a quiet plea, hung in the air. Minho looked at her, surprised by the sudden vulnerability in her voice. He returned the smile, a soft acknowledgment. "I will." he replied, the promise echoing with a newfound sincerity.
Lily's smile broadened, her eyes shining with a quiet joy. "Great! Then let's go now! I found my book, so we are good to go!" Minho smiled too, the tension in his shoulders easing. "Okay, let's go!" And with that, they turned and walked out of the bookshop, leaving the scent of paper and unspoken memories behind. The sunlight of the mall spilt over them as they stepped out.