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it was 3 am. and we were standing in the middle of a 7/11, surrounded by rows of instant ramen and snacks.
Yejun was holding two ramen cups, studying the labels like they held the secrets of the universe. his brows were furrowed, and he looked way too serious for a midnight snack run.
“just take both,” i said, leaning lazily against the shelf. “unless you’re worried one will hurt your feelings.”
he glanced at me, unimpressed, but there was that tiny smile he could never hide. “i just don’t want to waste food,” he mumbled.
i grabbed a random flavor off the shelf and held it up. “if it’s bad, i’ll eat it.”
Yejun laughed softly, and it was worth every bad joke i’d ever told. we left with three different ramen flavors, a bag of chips, and a pack of those peach jelly cups he loved but pretended not to. outside, the night was cold, and the streets were quiet. he pulled his jacket tighter, clutching the bag of snacks like it was something precious. under the dim streetlights, he looked almost unreal, like he didn’t belong in a place that ordinary.
“you look too good for a 7/11 run,” i told him and he rolled his eyes. “and you look like you haven’t slept in days.” accurate.
back in the car, we sat with the heater on, eating ramen out of cups. Yejun ate quietly, focused, while i slurped as obnoxiously as possible, just to see if he’d react. he didn’t scold me, but i caught the corner of his mouth twitching like he was trying not to laugh. for a while, we ate in silence. the city felt distant, and it was just us, a couple of ramen cups, and the kind of quiet that didn’t need words.
i glanced at him as he fiddled with his chopsticks, careful and gentle like he always was. and in that moment i couldn’t help but think there was no other place i’d rather be.
Posted 12/29/2024, 3:00 AM