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donewithjeon · 8 years

Text

Petrichor

Characters: Yoongi x Reader

Word Count: 10,118

Genre: Fluff/Angst

You weren’t exactly sure when Min Yoongi had come into town.

To be quite honest, you didn’t even know when it was that he had first stepped into the coffee shop you worked at. It was hopeless attempting to remember each person who passed through the establishment, especially not when the interactions generally lasted less than a minute. The faces of the customers you encountered every single day just blended together, much like their orders of caramel macchiatos and green tea lattes. It was difficult to keep track of the cursory café connoisseurs, but you knew one thing was for certain.

He hadn’t been here before.

You had been working at this place as a barista for almost an entire year now, trying to survive the hardships of college life with the modest wage you earned. It had been nearly impossible to find a job near the university since most of the other students had already snatched up the available openings. You had been forced to search for work in the adjacent neighborhoods and ended up getting hired at this quaint coffee shop hidden away from the hustle and bustle of the main streets of Hapjeong.

The distance you had to travel in order to get here didn’t bother you all that much; in fact, you were happy to get away from the campus after hours of lectures and seminars. It was in a much quieter setting than the cafés in that area, and you enjoyed the less stressful environment and the lack of boisterous groups bursting in during the afternoon rush. It was a nice change of pace, but it only took a couple months before that pace settled and became a part of your dull and dreary daily routine.

Waking up to attend classes in the morning, heading straight to work in the afternoon, and closing up shop before taking the train back home at night—that was your routine. You didn’t hate it, but you couldn’t confidently say that you liked it either. It was tedious at most and a bit grueling on occasion, but you were used to it.

Nothing ever changed—and regrettably, you didn’t expect it to.

Other than it being the anniversary of your escape from the jaws of unemployment, next month beckoned the start of summer vacation. You seized the prospect of finally having a break, focusing on the light at the end of the tunnel no matter how many exams or assignments blocked the view. Your first year as a college student had been tough on you, to say the least, but you still held onto the hope that things would finally change next year or perhaps even as soon as summer arrived.

You most definitely didn’t expect the unfamiliar customer standing before you to kick-start that change.

The rich tone of the man’s black hair surpassed even the darkest roast of coffee, but his pearly skin posed as a stark contrast, and much like the steamed milk added to subdue the utter bitterness, the pale complexion softened his stony appearance. His eyes met yours once he stepped up to the register, but the shadowy brown orbs flicked back down to look at the counter before you had proper contact with them.

“Hello. What would you like today?”

Not even a split second after you greeted him, he placed his precise but not-so-accurate order.

“Hot coffee.”

His voice was almost like a deep grumble, but you knew you heard him clearly. You kept your friendly smile on your face, even though what he just ordered technically wasn’t on the menu. There were many different varieties of “hot coffee” that were served here, so you tried your luck and endeavored to read his mind and confirm his desired type.

“Will an Americano be alright?”

“Yes.”

“What size would you like?”

“Small.”

Your smile faltered in the slightest, but you refrained from openly frowning. Never minding the fact that your café’s drink sizes only came in regular and large, you just chose the former and inputted the order on the electronic screen. Before you could even finish keying up the total, there was cash being outstretched in his hand. He was already prepared with the exact amount needed as if he had made the oblivious order many times before—you were willing to bet that the morning shift cashier must have had similar thoughts while undergoing this same transaction.

The absence of change removed the extra interaction that would have happened between you two, and as he politely declined the receipt, the only thing left for you to do was get his drink for him. You watched him saunter away to the far end of the coffee shop where his belongings had already taken up occupancy of the booth in the corner.

There was a black backpack sitting on the seat next to him, an open laptop on the table, and a ceramic coffee mug donning the logo of the café positioned at a careful distance from the piece of technology. It seemed as though this customer had already made an order prior to the one you were now in the process of taking care of, confirming the thoughts you had earlier about his strange way of placing it.

This man had never caught your eye before, and almost as soon as you brought his replacement of caffeine for him, he was off of your mind—at least, for the time being.

The next day, he was in the same spot.

You noticed that he was already there when you came in for your shift at two o’clock. He was in the same position with a mug already on his table from having already ordered it prior to your arrival, and his laptop was next to it, a cord running from the auxiliary port that connected the earphones he was wearing and another plugged into the electrical outlet on the wall next to him. It was no wonder you had never noticed him before—you had never been the one to serve him until yesterday.

Now that your eyes were on this enigmatic fellow, it was like you were experiencing the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon; you had taken notice of something—in this case, someone—and suddenly that object of interest kept showing up in your life until it was all you could see. Every time you entered the café for work from that day on, your eyes automatically locked onto him before anything or anyone else, and you just couldn’t explain it.

His visits to the shop became more frequent, or it was more that you had become aware of his presence. He was always at the same table in the corner, not doing much to stand out but somehow demanding your attention with his mere existence.

He often wore a black leather jacket over his outfit, but it was easily interchangeable with a dark denim one on other days. The coffee shop tended to keep the temperature setting of the AC very low, and although it was nearing summer out in the streets, it felt like autumn had taken the building’s inhabitants fully in its grasp. You had goosebumps on your arms more often than not, the short sleeves of your uniform not doing much to provide warmth or coverage, but the man in the corner didn’t seem to mind it one bit—he always came prepared.

That wasn’t all he prepared, though. Aside from his laptop that was starting to fade and chip a bit towards the corners of the back panel, he always had a plain notebook with him without fail. More than half the time spent sitting there, you saw his laptop closed shut in front of him and the notebook of a different sort and much smaller scale taking its place.

You wondered what he so diligently scribbled onto the pages every day and how he managed to spend so many of his hours engaged in solitude. You wanted to know, but until an opportunity presented itself for you to find out, things were at a standstill.

A whole week passed without occurrence, until one day, the blue skies overhead disappeared as a thick blanket of ominous clouds rolled under to veil the city with a subtle monochrome filter. The first drop hit the ground followed by several more, and before long, rainy season had begun its reign over the city.

An umbrella became your accessory of choice starting that morning, one you did not dare to leave your apartment without. Your trip to school wasn’t affected too much by the rain, but going to work felt more like an excursion with the slippery subway steps and bodies forming blockades under awnings proving to be serious obstacles. You were lucky that you even made it to the café with dry socks.

Whenever the weather got gloomy, it was almost a given that business would be on the slow side. The location of this establishment relied heavily on foot traffic, and people were less inclined to take leisurely strolls in precipitation, no matter how light or heavy.

Yet, that didn’t stop your most loyal customer.

The man with the notebook was still there with his coat draped over the chair next to him, sipping on his Americano as if all was right with the world. No matter how much of a downpour was happening beyond these four walls, he would always be there, sitting at what you considered to be his personal spot at this point. He would spend all day within the shelter of this café and typically wouldn’t leave until you had to close up shop at ten o’clock.

If this place was busier like the chains around this area, your manager would have probably told you to kick the guy out for buying one or two cups of coffee and loitering all day, mooching off of your Wi-Fi and electricity. But your boss was a compassionate and generous person, and you weren’t just saying that because you felt an obligation towards the woman who gave you a job. This place was fairly humble and not as well-known as its competitors, so as long as there was room for other incoming customers, the lethargic man would remain as one of your regulars.

With the weather outside living up to the name “monsoon”, it went without saying that there was no need to worry about table availability—he was one of your only regulars.

By the time it was nearing an hour before closing, there were quite a few remaining baked goods that weren’t able to be consumed. The manager occasionally allowed you to take some of the leftovers home since they could not be sold the next day. In most cases, you took up that offer without question, but today, you warily looked over at the corner of the room with one thing in mind.

You had never seen your corner customer eat, which was a bit concerning. You didn’t know if he had meals before you arrived for your shift or perhaps after he left at night. Either way, eight hours was a long time frame to go without any sustenance other than black coffee, and that thought sent your hands to work.

You were just looking out for your most loyal customer—nothing more.

Gathering up your courage, you placed a few pastries onto a plate and shuffled your way across the room and between the tables. He didn’t notice you approaching, as most of his attention was fixated on the open notebook in front of him; unfortunately, it was being held at an angle that prohibited you from peeking at its contents. It was not until you set the plate of food softly on the table that he looked up from his focused stare, the smallest glimpse of astonishment in his eyes.

“We have some things left over for the day, and I thought you might like some. They’re on the house.”

You scooted the goods a bit closer towards him as if to coax him to take it. His eyes quickly scanned the items you brought him before he shifted his gaze back up to you and provided you with a nod.

“Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it,” you gladly replied, a smile sitting comfortably on your lips at the reception of your offering.

It looked like your efforts weren’t for naught.

With your mission completed, you were planning on going back to your station right away, but something peculiar stopped you from moving. He was still looking up at you, his dark eyes fixed on yours even after you had finished speaking. You had always seen this man as nothing less than stoic, if not a little odd, but looking at him at this proximity and seeing him look back with the same intrigue as you, this eye contact being the key connection missing in your first meeting, you felt an inclination to think otherwise.

Your line of sight dropped past his chin and landed curiously on the notebook in his hands. Before you could give yourself time to think twice about your next actions, your mouth opened to ask the question that had been on your mind ever since you had first observed him.

“Are you an artist?”

The question came out of the blue and a little too eagerly, and although you could tell that he wasn’t prepared for it, he was quick to react.

“I guess you could say that.” He tipped his notebook towards you ever so slightly, but it was enough for you to recognize that there were words on the lined pages, not drawings. “They’re lyrics.”

“You’re a musician?” you asked with newfound awe. It wasn’t what you were expecting, but somehow, that only seemed to illustrate this stranger with more of a mysterious wonder.

You didn’t understand what it was that drew you to him, but before you knew it, you were sitting in the chair across from him, listening with fascination to every word he had to say.

Yoongi was a wanderer.

With no location, person, nor circumstance to tie him down, he traveled from city to city, widening his perspective of the world and finding new inspiration for his musical passion along the way. He was always on the move and never stayed in one place for too long, almost like he was on a solo mission that no one else was aware of.

You were intrigued by his nomadic lifestyle, and when you asked him why he chose this part of the city out of all the others in the country, the answer was quite simple—when it all came down to it, the decision was merely a flip of the coin, a toss of the die.

He left his life to chance, and it was but a stroke of luck that he had decided to settle in this corner of the world for the time being.

From that night on, you found yourself having conversations with Yoongi whenever the customers were scarce and your shift just didn’t seem to want to end; those days happened more regularly now that the sky had apparently opened up and the rain was dialed up to 10. That was in the outside world, though. When you were in the coffee shop with Yoongi, it felt like you were in another dimension, far away from the exposure to the elements.

Yoongi recalled his previous journeys through the many cities of South Korea to you—so far, this was the fifth province he was in the process of exploring, and he was still going strong. You asked him if there were any photos he had taken during his expedition, but he unconcernedly presented you with a tight-lipped frown and a shake of the head.

“I don’t have a camera.”

“What about your phone?” you asked, knowing that everyone took pictures with their smart devices more than actual cameras these days.

“I don’t have that either.”

“What?” The word tumbled out of your mouth in surprise. You were taken aback by the confession, especially since it was one that was rarely spoken in the times you lived in. He noticed your eyes widen at the brand new information, but he merely shrugged his shoulders with disinterest.

“I never needed one.”

“What if you have to contact someone?”

“I won’t.”

You pouted at the definitive answer but decided that you didn’t want to pry any further. Who were you to tell him about owning a mobile phone? He seemed to be surviving perfectly well without it and in fact, didn’t have any other technological devices other than his laptop.

Inspired by curiosity and reverence, you wondered if you would be able to refrain from relying on technology so much in your day-to-day life. It seemed like a noble idea at first, especially after seeing Yoongi’s prime example, but every night you lay in bed before falling asleep, your hand automatically reached for your phone sitting on the bedside table, trying to pass the time before you finally slipped into slumber.

Perhaps one day you would succeed in taking a page from Yoongi’s book, but that day was not today.

The rumbling of thunder woke you up on a particularly stormy morning. It was like the weather decided that the 10 from the previous day was not enough and cranked it up to a haughty 11.

The pitter-patter of the drops hitting the glass would have lulled you back to sleep if it wasn’t for your alarm blaring through the speaker of your phone. You almost didn’t want to get out of bed when you glanced through the window and set your eyes on the flurry of wind and rain outside, but you decided against it once your mind drifted off to the coffee shop.

Without knowing, you had grown to look forward to work. Even though you didn’t have much to do on days like these, you were still counting on the small things to get you through the shift, like how you knew that a certain someone would keep you company, expelling the tedium with discussions that were extraordinary, mundane, and everything in between.

So, you begrudgingly rolled out of bed, but not without a groan emitting from your throat like a last attempt of resistance. You hauled yourself to school like a good student, and judging by the sizable turnout of soaked individuals sitting miserably in their seats, they all seemed to have gone through the same morning experience as you.

Unfortunately, by the time you had to begin your trek to work, the weather was still going strong. There was no way you could wait it out unless you wanted to stand there until the evening, so you braced yourself and your trusty umbrella and power walked your way to safety.

Needless to say, your socks were not dry when you made it across the finish line of the front door.

The rain had somehow worked its way under your attempts to shield yourself from it and had coated you in a watery sheen—you were positive that some of it was sweat, but it was as unavoidable as the first fluid. Just because it was raining didn’t mean that the temperature was any less warm.

When you busted through the entrance of the café, you almost let out a liberating sigh as you welcomed the cold, conditioned air now more than ever. As you dusted yourself off and recovered from the battlefield you just escaped, you glanced over at the corner of the room to see Yoongi sitting there, looking at you.

You swore you saw the corner of his lips tug upward into an amused grin when he saw you trying to fix your disheveled appearance. You might have felt embarrassed in any other circumstance, but the wave of relief that washed over you after seeing him smiling in his usual spot overpowered the rest of your senses.

Suddenly, the trip out here was completely worth it.

On this day, it seriously looked like a typhoon out there during the first half of your shift. The storm was brewing more than the coffee, and the lack of bodies cruising into the shop was just about what you had expected. It wasn’t long until you abandoned your post, and you wandered to the back where Yoongi already had your seat across from him pulled out.

“You’re here again,” you stated the obvious, trying hard not to let the smile engulf your whole face.

“As always,” he replied matter-of-factly, looking up from his notebook to greet you.

“I thought the weather would have stopped you.”

Yoongi turned his head to peer out of the nearest window before giving you a light shrug. “Well, a little rain never hurt anybody.”

“Yes, but a lot will kill you.”

You were delighted when he scoffed at your rebuttal—well, it was more of an action of exhaling a tiny gust of air out of his nostrils, but it was a reaction all the same.

“Do you live close by?” Your question left your mouth with no time for you to process the potential implications that went with it. Thankfully, Yoongi just answered without so much as an eyebrow raise.

“Not exactly,” he started, looking back down at his notebook. “I’m staying in Yeongdeungpo.”

You furrowed your eyebrows at the familiar district name. “But that’s on the other side of the Han,” you said in confusion, wondering what the point of crossing the river to visit this place was when there were perfectly good coffee shops in that vicinity. “Why are you going through so much trouble to come up here every day?”

He tilted his head up in contemplation, his eyes flitting across the edge of the ceiling before lowering to settle on your quizzical face.

“I like the roast.”

You smiled faintly at his response, detecting no sign of dishonesty in both his voice and his calm expression. Sure, this café was much better than most others you had been to, but there was one place it couldn’t beat, and you felt the sudden urge to voice your opinion.

“You want to know a secret?” you asked cheekily, and you knew you had Yoongi’s attention when his eyes twinkled with interest. “I know a special place where the coffee is the absolute best. It’s even better than this place, I dare say.”

“And where is that?” he inquired, his eyebrow raising in anticipation. It wasn’t in your place as an employee of this establishment to say such things, especially while you were on duty, but you couldn’t stop the sly and proud smile from forming on your face.

“My apartment in Sinchon.”

If there was an opening to boast about your roast, you were going to take it. You didn’t really divulge your “secret” with any intentions behind it, but as you looked at Yoongi process that bit of information, you could tell that he was choosing his next words very deliberately.

“I think I know a good pork cutlet place in that area.”

His voice was low and almost hesitant, but his eyes didn’t waver as he stared at you. There was a hint of mischief in his expression, and you felt something fluttering in the pit of your stomach at his following statement.

“Maybe we can make a deal.”

You had to admit, it wasn’t the most conventional way to ask you on a date, but you accepted nonetheless.

Once you were done closing up after your shift, Yoongi departed with you to the nearest subway station. As if it was a gift from the universe, the rain had let up substantially, paving the way for a relaxed and pleasant stroll together. You two hopped on the train and got off on your usual stop, but instead of heading to your apartment, you followed Yoongi as he guided you to your dinner destination for the night.

The pork cutlet restaurant was located closer to the outlying residential neighborhoods rather than the crowded tourist spots, and you were seated right away by the friendly workers. Between this and the coffee shop, you were starting to wonder if Yoongi had a hobby of finding hole-in-the-wall places within the city or if he just happened upon them. Whichever it was, he was doing an excellent job, because the food was undeniably amazing.

With how much Yoongi avoided buying food at the café, you were half-expecting him to just sit there and watch you eat while he sipped on his beverage. He invalidated your doubts by ordering and eating a hefty portion himself, and not only that, but when it came time to take care of the tab for the meal, his hand reached for the bill before you could even take a look at it.

You didn’t know what it was about the view of Yoongi’s back as he stood at the front counter nonchalantly paying for the food, but it left you grinning like an idiot and mentally berating yourself for becoming weak at such a simple gesture.

Perhaps the way to a woman’s heart was truly through her stomach.

It was not until everything was wrapped up and the two of you walked out of the restaurant did you see that the downpour had resumed, obviously not satisfied with the damage it had done thus far. You should have known better than to trust the universe’s gifts—there was always a catch.

It was almost midnight, a consequence of deciding to eat at such a late time, and the trains had stopped running for the day. There was no way Yoongi was going to walk to the other side of the city in this rain, and struggling to hail down a cab seemed equally as disastrous. Your apartment was not too far away from where you currently stood, so agreeing that it was the best thing to do for now, the two of you opened your umbrellas—they felt puny and insignificant in the moment—and started towards your home at a swift and steady pace.

By the time you hastily input the code to the front door of your apartment complex and slipped into the building, you had already given up the hope of making it even 50% dry. The sound of feet squishing against the soaked insoles of your shoes filled the empty hall with each step you and Yoongi took towards the elevator.

It wasn’t the most glamorous reveal of your living quarters, but Yoongi didn’t seem to mind as long as there was a working AC and running water. You seconded that notion, and after finding suitable clothes for him to wear for the time being, you two took turns showering and threw your drenched clothing in the washing machine before hanging them up to dry.

The air in the room was cool, mostly due to the request from Yoongi for it to be so. The temperatures were starting to gradually rise with each passing day, which meant that your electric bill was going to do the same in these following months. It wasn’t something you were looking forward to in your financial situation, but you would rather pay a little more to writhe in the heat less.

To top it off, this rain was also putting a damper on your enthusiasm for the summer.

You were afraid that Yoongi’s laptop might have been ruined on the way here, but he was more than happy to point out that his backpack was waterproof. Your initial impression of him was as solid as ever—he really was prepared for everything.

He was a bit reluctant to impose on you and your personal space, but when you laid out the extra mattress your friends used when they slept over, he seemed convinced that this was a much better bet than anything else that was available for him outside.

In an instant, Yoongi dozed off almost as soon as he received your consent of his overnight stay.

It was almost laughable how quickly the switch had flipped. There were no sighs or murmurs exchanged through the darkness of night, no deep or profound discussions that went on until the first hints of morning. The soft drumming of the raindrops and the gentle whirring of the air conditioner were all that remained as ambient noise until you yourself surrendered to the cradles of sleep.

The next morning, you woke up as you always did on a weekday—suffering and at the crack of dawn. The only difference was that there was a man on the other side of the room snoozing soundly and unimpressed by your alarm. You didn’t have the heart to wake him, especially without an ostensible reason, so in the process of getting ready for school, you made sure to leave Yoongi a note on your whereabouts along with permission to help himself to the contents of your fridge, no matter how sparse.

With that, you grabbed your dry umbrella, although it wasn’t going to be for long, and went on your merry way.

Your brain was sending signals that you should be warier of strangers in your home, regardless of how acquainted you felt, but your instinct told you otherwise—at least, you were fairly certain that it was your instinct.

No matter, all your apprehension was put to rest when you stepped foot in your place of employment again to see that Yoongi was indeed there. It was consoling to know that he didn’t just vanish after you left him with all your belongings, but more importantly, you were relieved that your college student den didn’t scare him off.

The moment you walked in, your eyes fell on his figure in the corner, and he looked up promptly to return your gaze. You offered him a sprightly smile as acknowledgement before walking to the back of the café, but you could feel his stare lingering on you even as you situated yourself behind the counter.

At first, you thought you were just being too self-aware, but when you looked over a little while into your shift, you saw that your suspicions were true. Not only that, but he had gotten up from his spot and was in the middle of walking towards the register. There was no one else in line at the time, so he easily waltzed to the front with an impassive expression.

“Hello. What would you like today?” you automatically exclaimed, trying to at least act professional to make up for the inexplicable skittishness in your chest.

“What do you recommend?”

Your finger was already hovering over the Americano option when his question stopped you. You looked up at him blankly, trying to recall the menu items you were able to vouch for.

“Um, well…The honey almond toast is a favorite of mine.” You didn’t know if Yoongi was asking for drinks or actual food items, but your mind went to the latter in an unconscious attempt to get him to eat more.

“I’ll have that, then.”

You were surprised that he didn’t even miss a beat with his answer, but you gladly entered the item with a nimble tap on the screen.

“No coffee?”

Yoongi’s eyes seemed to brighten at your question, but he shook his head to decline. “I was told that there’s this place where the girl makes much better coffee than here, and I was hoping to try it later.”

You stood there blinking, trying to make sure you were interpreting what he said correctly. Did he just ask to come over to your place again? To be fair, your part of the “deal” yesterday had been forgotten after the events of the dinner and a show—in this case, shower—so this was as good a time as any to uphold your end of the arrangement.

The sanguine smile growing on your face seemed to reinforce that thought.

“Well, you’re in luck. I think that place is open tonight.”

Although yesterday had been enjoyable in its own way, the second date was more than you could have hoped for.

Taking full advantage of the small window of time when the rain wasn’t at full blast, you and Yoongi headed to your apartment with some leftover noshes from the café to sate your hunger for the night. You made your highly-anticipated pot of coffee to go along with the baked goods, and the two of you sat together at your table, relishing one another’s company.

That night, you two talked like there was no tomorrow. The sound of your conversations drowned out the noises that had dominated the night before, and you were solely focused on Yoongi’s velvet voice as he spoke about everything from music to bath bombs. For someone who sat quietly in the corner every single day, he sure had a lot to say.

And you wanted to grasp onto every word he had to give.

As the days went on, so did the nights, and Yoongi had made his way into both, opening up a new gateway into your regular routine.

You left in the morning alone to head to your university, but when it came time to check in for work, he was always there in the corner, waiting for you. He started making it a habit to come up to the register when no one else was around and asking what your recommendation for the day was before ordering that specified item each time. You told him about the certain days when the croissants were baked to perfection, and you excitedly announced the return of one of your favorite seasonal desserts the moment it appeared back on the menu: the peach tart. You eagerly awaited this sweet treat for almost the whole year, because it was delicious, of course, but also because the perfectly ripe peaches meant that summer had finally arrived.

Your vacation had commenced, and so began the best months of your life.

As if the humidity during this time wasn’t bad enough, precipitation seemed to be a constant backdrop this year. The clouds were persistently floating above the city, and the pavement rarely dried up all the way before another burst of rain stained every section of it like paint on a canvas. The monsoons passed after a while—all you had to say was good riddance—but not without taking a dear victim: your poor, beaten umbrella.

Knowing you wouldn’t be able to survive the rest of the season without a replacement, you went out to the nearest supermarket in the morning to purchase a new one as soon as possible. Yoongi was kind enough to accompany you; he brought his own umbrella to try and shield both of you during the dash to the store, but needless to say, it was time for his worn weather comrade to retire as well.

When you were standing in front of the display in the process of contemplating which design to get, you saw his hand move forward to remove a long, black canvas umbrella with a wooden crook handle from the rack. It definitely looked larger and sturdier than any others you had owned before, and it didn’t seem like it would frantically invert every time a stiff breeze came along, but there was one other notable detail.

It was far too big for just one person.

“This one’s better quality,” he said, keeping a logical and factual tone. “And it’ll be more convenient than having two umbrellas.”

You didn’t realize that you had a grin creeping onto your lips until Yoongi turned back towards you, a look that could easily resemble a question mark appearing behind his eyes.

“Do you need anything else?” he asked, obviously asking about the items in the store, but the question somehow felt deeper than that.

“No, I think I’m good.” The pleased smile never left your face, and it almost looked like Yoongi’s lips curved up just the slightest degree as if involuntarily mirroring your expression.

With your conclusive remark, he took the umbrella up to the cash register and paid for it, before you two exited the building and found yourselves under the perfect conditions to test it out. Yoongi wordlessly opened the umbrella in front of him and lifted it up once the mechanism had locked. He casually extended his elbow out for you to take a hold of, and when you realized this, you stepped up next to him to link your arm with his.

“Stay close,” were his words of commencement before you began the walk back, and he surely didn’t need to tell you twice. You pressed up cozily against Yoongi, the side of your body in contact with him already starting to heat up a little too much for comfort, but it was vastly better than the option you faced on the opposite side. You maintained your footsteps as they fell in line with his, and it felt like you were being pulled closer towards him with each passing second—until it was over.

You thought that things went very well with the new recruit when you made it to the apartment complex safe and dry, but when you looked over at Yoongi as he shook off the excess water from the umbrella, you saw that the edge of his shoulder that had been facing away from you was completely wet.

This singularity persisted throughout all the other outings henceforth when you two shared the large umbrella, and no matter how many times you tried to convince him to shift his grip to cover more of his side, the outcome would still be the same—you remained remarkably unaffected by the rain, whereas he always had that soaked spot on his shoulder.

Although classes were not in session for now, the responsibilities and hours you had at the coffee shop were all the same. Other than that, most of your mornings and nights were spent in your apartment, finding delight in each mellow moment you had with Yoongi.

Somewhere along the line, the spare mattress Yoongi had utilized was now safely tucked back into storage. He now joined you atop your own bed where you shared warmth and whispers in each other’s arms, basking in the fresh and exhilarating emotions that prospered between you two.

Since coffee wasn’t the best drink to consume when the sun went down, you and Yoongi agreed on switching that occasion to the morning, which was probably the smarter thing to do. There was no need to fuel up on caffeine and stay up for a long period of time, although you were both guilty of doing it once in a while. Still, you couldn’t say that you minded, and you were sure that he didn’t either.

The two of you found plenty of things to do in order to pass the time.

For two months, the late nights were restless and the early mornings lazy as you woke up and slept whenever your body told you to, not having to worry about adhering to a tight schedule—that was the beauty of having a break.

It was another uneventful morning when you two were lying in bed together, curled up under the sheets. Your fingers were idly fiddling with the fabric of his shirt and drawing circles on his chest as your head rested comfortably under the crook of his neck. His arm was draped over your shoulders and his hands met in front of him to hold up a book he was flipping through; it wasn’t just any old book, but it was his small black notebook he always carried with him.

You could never decipher the sharp and compact handwriting that was scattered across the pages, so you had long stopped trying even though Yoongi had invited you to skim through his lyrics. You weren’t too interested in his chicken scratch though; while he was busy looking through his notes and verses, your eyes were set on admiring him.

His facial features were angular but had a distinct tenderness to them. Everything from the cut of his jawline to the dip of his cupid’s bow, the slope of his nose to the tiny mark beside it on his cheek—the curves and slants of his existence craved your attention more than those exhibited on the lined paper.

The forecast from the previous day had called for more rain—yes, a shocking turn of events—so you weren’t in a hurry to exit the shelter of your home nor the protection of Yoongi’s fond embrace. The AC was practically blasting, making the temperature of the apartment rival even that of the coffee shop, but he preferred it this way. Perhaps that was a determining factor of why he even chose to frequent your café of all places.

To be quite honest, you had learned to enjoy it as well. The cold environment didn’t matter when you were lying flush with Yoongi, enveloped in the accumulated heat from the contact of your bodies under the cozy blankets.

“Can I ask you a question?”

Yoongi’s voice broke through the stillness of the atmosphere, but it was one disruption you always welcomed. You felt the vibrations of his words under your fingertips as the gravelly but crisp tone resonated through his chest.

“You can ask two,” you retorted teasingly, knowing in your mind that he had already exhausted the first.

“Why did you come up to me that day?”

Yoongi held onto the notebook with an unchanging grip, and you stared at the intricate branches of the veins in the back of his hands, pondering both the meaning of the question and the answer you would provide. He sounded like he wanted a serious response, unlike the one formulating in your mind of how your offering was an attempt to make sure one of your customers didn’t die from impending starvation.

“I’m not sure,” you answered truthfully, not knowing exactly what drove you to approach him initially. “I thought you were drawing in the notebook, so I got curious.”

“Do you like to draw?”

You nodded, your cheek rubbing up and down against his shirt. “I actually wanted to become a painter.”

“Then why didn’t you?”

Yoongi shut the notebook in a fluid motion before setting it down to lay flat on the sheets over his stomach. You sighed languidly, having asked that same thing to yourself on several occasions in the past and disliking the answer every time.

“It’s not exactly a stable job to become an artist. Everyone always told me that I needed to plan with the future in mind, and I didn’t know if I would be able to succeed if I went down that rocky road.”

There was a minor pause as Yoongi mulled over your words, and by now, it seemed like you had his undivided attention. “Why are you studying the major you are now?” he presented as a follow-up.

“I’m actually pretty decent at it,” you admitted, although your level of enjoyment regarding the subject was not nearly as high as your natural-born skill.

“So, you’d rather be good and succeed in something you’re not passionate for?”

There was silence on your part now at the heavy question. You knew in your heart that you couldn’t agree and say yes, but in the situation you were in right now, that was exactly the endgame that awaited you.

“Don’t let the pursuit of success blind you from choosing the path you really want,” Yoongi spoke up again, taking the silence as an indication to keep going. “You’ll regret it once you reach a certain point down the line and take a step back to realize that you’re only there because you gave up on the things you cared about.”

He paused for a few seconds to give you a chance to chime in if you so desired, but you couldn’t find the voice to do so. You tilted your head up to face him, and you saw him gazing forward into the distance. You were sure that he was speaking from experience—there was no other explanation for his abstruse, faraway stare. You almost thought that you lost him for a moment, but then he continued on with his spur-of-the-moment discourse.

“There’s always a chance that you’ll fail at what you don’t even want to do, so you might as well take that chance and do what you love.”

You took a moment to embed his words into your heart, which wasn’t a difficult feat because they really did strike a chord within you. Yoongi looked down to meet your eyes, and you felt consolation in the gleam behind his steady pupils. His opposite hand reached up and clasped over your cold fingers that sat on top of his chest before giving you a firm, definite squeeze. His head dipped down a short distance before you felt his delicate lips being placed on your forehead, sealing his heartfelt advice with a kiss.

Just like that, you were a goner.

You didn’t mean to fall in love with the man who sat quietly in the corner of the café, undisturbed by the world. In fact, you had struggled with your feelings for a prolonged period, unable to make sense of them. But after stumbling on your feet for a while, you fell harder than you could have ever expected, and you knew that it was irreversible.

From the moment you two had started talking, he had made clear to you what would happen in due time.

Yoongi was going to leave.

You had been given a fair warning, even back during the earliest conversations revolving around his independent, wanderlust-driven lifestyle. You knew that he wasn’t going to stay for long—you felt the clock ticking now more than ever—and you knew that once he was gone, he would not be back—he made it a point never to visit the same place twice—and there would be no way to remain in contact or to track him down.

Yoongi had been residing at a low-cost motel on the other side of the city before you had extended your invitation into your home. He had originally planned to stay for a month or so before moving on, but the inconvenient weather had swooped in and delayed his travel plans. However, he had articulated to you that as soon as the rain let up and the sunshine was back for good, he would be on his way again.

You didn’t know where Yoongi came from, and you certainly didn’t know where he was going. All you knew and all you cared about was that in this moment, he was here with you. It was in this moment that you wished it would keep raining forever, until the entire world was submerged beneath the water, as long as you were with him.

A large part of you knew that this future was not possible or ideal, but a little part of you was selfish, and it swam and thrived with each downpour that brought you closer to your prospective flood.

Until, a sunny morning came.

You woke up in a panic when you saw the harsh sunlight trickling in through the window blinds, afraid that Yoongi might have stuck to his word and gone away. Relief and joy couldn’t even begin to describe the emotions that overwhelmed you when you turned to see him lying next to you, albeit away from you, with the young rays of the early morning shining down on his sleeping form.

You managed to let a weary smile make its way to your lips, and it struck you just how much you wanted this moment to last. Cautiously slipping out from under the covers, you skimmed the room to locate what you were looking for and tiptoed your way over to the other side of the bed. Reaching down to pick up the pen and notebook Yoongi always left on the nightstand near him, you stealthily plopped down on the floor next to the mattress, facing your muse.

Opening the notebook to the first blank page you could find, you apprehensively set the tip of your pen on the clean paper and started drawing. Alternating between observing Yoongi’s peaceful appearance and putting those observations into something tangible, your sketch started coming together little by little. You hadn’t drawn in so long, aside from the doodles everyone sprinkled on their class notes, but it felt remarkably natural; you supposed that you had muscle memory to thank.

About 20 minutes in, Yoongi turned in his sleep and faced the opposite direction with an airy sigh. It wasn’t an issue though, because you were already done with the drawing. It turned out better than you could have imagined, especially considering the long hiatus you had taken. Sure, it wasn’t as great as the proper paintings you used to create, but you were more than satisfied with the spontaneous sketch.

You closed the notebook and replaced the items back onto the nightstand the way you had found them. Rising up from your spot, you stretched out your limbs, a sense of accomplishment flowing rapidly through your veins. You knew you would not be able to go back to sleep now that you were awake, so you decided instead to get a head start on your morning routine.

It was not until you had taken a shower and was in the midst of preparing the usual coffee that Yoongi woke up and joined you in the kitchen. You spun around to greet him, but your cheery “good morning” got stuck in your throat when you saw that he was holding his black notebook in his hand, the page flipped open to reveal the sketch you had just done of him.

“Did you draw this?”

You nodded timidly as he stepped forward, closing the distance between you two. A frown appeared on his face, and for a split second, your throat tightened up because you thought that he would be angry with you for messing with his belongings, but then his eyebrows rose up to his hairline as he examined the piece a little more intently.

“This is pretty amazing,” he said, lowering the notebook back down to his side. “I can see why you wanted to become an artist.”

The tightening in your throat grew stronger, but for a different, almost opposite reason now. You knew he meant what he said, because Yoongi never lied. He had never done it from the time when you two met, and if anything, he had a fault of being a bit too upfront and honest. It was something you loved about him, and it confused you how a genuine compliment from him affected you in this way.

Immediately taking a couple brisk strides forward, you held your arms out and threw yourself into a hug; your body almost seemed to collide with Yoongi’s, but he stood sturdily in place, his arms automatically encasing you from behind to keep you balanced.

“Please don’t go,” you whispered, burying your face into his neck with the childish and desperate appeal. Yoongi remained silent, but you felt him pull you closer into his arms.

Your plea seemed to work, because he listened to you that day. You couldn’t be certain whether he was trying to appease you by fulfilling your request or if he truly didn’t want to go either.

The rain returned the next morning, and alongside it, the comforting feeling that was now associated with it. Maybe the weather was the real reason he didn’t leave, and despite the fact that you were thankful for the last few drops of precipitation, you knew that it would only postpone, not halt, Yoongi’s predetermined plan.

You knew the day would come eventually, and a week later, it did.

The morning was brighter than any others that had preceded it this summer, but your eyes were still closed as you lay in your bed—alone.

Yoongi had left earlier in the morning, not too long after the first trains had started to run. He had tried to be discreet, hoping to avoid waking you, but you had already been up since the night before. The feeling of dread had sunken into every fiber of your being after you had seen Yoongi checking the forecast for the rest of the week on his laptop previously that day.

There wasn’t a doubt in your mind that he had been aware of you feigning sleep when he had walked up to see you one last time. Nonetheless, he had leaned over to plant a kiss on your temple, his lips lingering longer than usual, before he had pulled away gently, whispering his words of farewell.

“I’m sorry darling, if you ever thought that you could change me.”

You weren’t exactly sure when Min Yoongi had come into town, but in the blink of an eye, he was gone with the rain.

When you finally had the resolution to get up from the bed hours after he had walked out your door, it all felt like an awfully vivid dream. Yoongi had completely disappeared from your life without leaving a single trace—at least, you wished that he hadn’t left a trace. You wondered if his existence had been a part of your imagination all this time, but then you noticed the telltale signs throughout your apartment; his scent still stubbornly held onto the crisp bed sheets, the coffee mug he had used sat obstinately upon the kitchen shelf, and the large, black umbrella rested by itself against the wall next to the front door, the last remnants of the storm that had passed already fading away.

After he left, things reverted back to the way they were, almost as if he had never been here to begin with, but you knew that wasn’t true—the pain was too real.

People were all masochists in one way or another, kind of like how you couldn’t help but constantly press a bruise that you discovered blossoming on your skin. You rarely remembered how you got it most of the time, but it hurt nevertheless.

Your current case was another fine example; you kept holding onto the hope that it would all work out, that maybe it would be different this time, that maybe you were special—but you weren’t.

As time slowly went by, the streets dried back into their naturally faded grays and the skies cleared up to bring out the vitality and dynamics of the city again. Before your very eyes, summer had been swept away like the tearful clouds that kept it company, and it didn’t take long for you to acknowledge that Yoongi wasn’t going to come back.

Classes started up again, putting your vacation at an absolute end, but you welcomed the distraction because it took your mind off of the illusory months you had encountered. Your weekdays fell into a routine again as you began your second year of university. The coffee shop was doing much better with customers than it was during the torrential rains, but unavoidably, there were still some slow days.

This was one of those days, and as it neared the end of your shift, you were thoroughly bored out of your mind. You were sitting behind the counter and had begun doodling on the backs of receipts that some customers had chosen not to receive, an act that canceled out the point of these wasteful pieces of paper. You had been anxiously sketching some objects around you—an espresso cup here, a blueberry scone there—until you spaced out somewhere in the process, staring off at the corner of the room as your hollow thoughts morphed into stressful worries of unfinished assignments and upcoming exams.

You were grateful to be pulled out of your reverie when an evening straggler entered the café. You hopped off of your stool to greet the customer with your service-ready smile, and after going through the motions to take and make the woman’s to-go order, you handed her the items purchased and she was out the door shortly after.

With another unwanted receipt clutched in your hand, you made your way back to your spot and sat down, trying not to audibly sigh as your shoulders drooped with the loss of energy. When you looked down at the last drawing you had done, your breath got caught in your throat at what was in front of you. You had unknowingly drawn the corner of the coffee shop you were eyeing, the one you knew far too well, but that wasn’t the part that dazed you.

You had drawn Yoongi.

It was a rough sketch, but there he was as ink on paper, sitting at the distant table like he always did. It was almost scary how accurately you were able to pull the image from your memory, almost like he was actually there like he had always been. As you stared down at the drawing, your mind wandered off to all of the words of encouragement he had imparted on you, both when you had sullenly declared your neglected dream and when he had finally been able to see a glimpse of your work. You were curious as to what else he would have said if he were here with you, but you could honestly say that you had a pretty solid idea.

Taking the receipt with the drawing, you carefully slipped it into your pocket with a keen smile, already giddy as you thought of plans to create a better, grander version when you returned home.

After that moment, it was like something clicked.

Your apartment was filled with art supplies by the start of the weekend, and you were practically bouncing off the walls with the excitement of picking up a paintbrush again. It had been so long since you felt inspired like this with anything you did in your life, and the bliss that bubbled up inside you was like none other. That excitement carried over to your weekdays as well, and you found yourself observing your surroundings and taking in the scenery and changes even as you walked in the streets.

Even though the rain was no more, you realized that the effects of it were still present. The minor rivers that ran through the city were brimming and rushing with life, the fields of grass in parks and cultural sites were bright and energetic, and the trees that lined the pathways and sidewalks were flourishing with healthy, vibrant leaves that would soon change into an array of warm colors for the imminent autumn.

The rain had passed, but it had left its influential mark, and after a while, you had come to recognize and appreciate that Yoongi’s presence had done the same for you.

Yoongi was a wanderer, but he knew where he was going. He was living the life he had chosen for himself, one that was not determined by anyone’s decisions other than his own. He was doing what he wanted, moving from place to place and letting nothing and nobody stop him—not even you.

Likewise, nothing was stopping you from doing the same.

In the beginning, you had thought that with Yoongi’s departure, you had lost something dear to you, but that simply wasn’t true. He had given you something in return through the sweet embraces and the even sweeter words that ultimately drove you to follow his advice and your true dreams.

Only you had the power to change the direction of your life, and with the mark that Yoongi left on you, the little push he gave to set you down the path you were now on, you were not only growing but blooming as a result.

Sometimes when the rain returned, the nostalgic scent of the first drops hitting the asphalt brought back memories of him. As the elements outside painted the skies with gray clouds and the saturated the ground with crystalline droplets, you couldn’t help but look over at the corner of the coffee shop, hoping that by some miraculous turn of events, Yoongi would be sitting there once more. It was a small glimmer of hope within you, but you didn’t dwell on it. The forlorn thoughts that once riddled your brain were replaced with requited gratitude, and you were content.

It was okay that you were never a destination for Yoongi, because in the end, you were just happy to be a part of the journey.

#another fairly long story for you guys to enjoy <3 #i hope i'm able to give some of you strength with my writing~#bts scenarios #yoongi scenarios #yoongi x reader #suga scenarios #suga x reader #yoongi #suga #bts #bts scenario #yoongi scenario #suga scenario #bts fanfiction #bts fanfic

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missguomeiyun · 5 years

Text

I’m back from Korea

I feel like October didn’t happen at all .. but at the same time, it happened & it happened too quickly =/

I was away for 2.5 weeks in Korea, & then when I came back, it was a mini series of night shifts so I practically did nothing. .. & by the time I realized it, it was Halloween & I was working evening shifts so I didn’t go out. O_O it has been 1 crazy month. But November is here now, & things are returning back to normal: my vacation withdrawal is over, & I have some “normal” combo of shifts, & it’s time to say bye-bye to the hot weather. It’s gonna be great~

Okay, let’s be real: I’m never “over” a Korea trip lol the other day, I was really craving that budae jjigae. The struggle was real. So I made it for lunch ^^

For my 1st return post, I’ve decided to keep things simple & just share a brief summary of my 2.5 week-long trip with you!

Day 1-4: I stayed at my usual Seoul home, Namsan Hill Hotel. I was unable to book a longer stay at this place =( These 1st few days, I revisited some places in Seoul: Namdaemun (for hand-cut noodles called “kalguksu”); Sinchon/Ewha Womens Univ area/Hongik Univ area for shopping & ; Gyeongbokgung area for Tongin Market & some art museums; Insadong/Samcheongdong/Bukchon Hanok Village for some relaxing strolls around traditional Korean housing. Some new places I went to include:

- a cafe called “Kopi Han-yak-bang” (lit. trans.: “coffee Korean pharmacy”). Look it up! It’s super cool! The owner believes coffee has a healing power, just like traditional herbal medicine, so the cafe is like a vintage herbal medicine shop/pharmacy. It feels as if you’re entering a movie set rather than a cafe.

- The Skyfarm for brunch! Pretty place with amazing view of Seoul.

- Seongsu area for industrial warehouse cafes. It was a valuable & memorable experience bcos Seongsu used to be an area for large factories (making of leather products & shoes, & car-fixing shops), but it’s revitalizing & the large factory spaces are now being converted to hip coffeeshops. Many of which do collabs with local/emerging artists & fashion designers so there’s lots of artsy things to see in these coffeeshops.

- Seoul Forest. There’s like a picnic area, some basketball & tennis courts, walking trails, etc. .. I had a convenience store goods dinner in the picnic area, & watched the sunset there.

Day 5-8: I moved over to Savoy Hotel located in the heart of Myeongdong. It’s ~15min walk away from Namsan Hill Hotel. Great location but also quite loud. My options were slim when I was booking stuff, & I needed to stay close to Seoul Station bcos I arranged 4x 1-day trips! I didn’t realize it at first but then I was like, “I have 4 back-to-back day trips right now.” I was essentially out every day from like 0700h to 2100h.

Trip 1: Paju~ for Heyri Art Village & Provence. I have been to these places before & really liked it so I went back, esp Heyri Art Village. After the day trip, I met up with 2 of my coworkers for K-BBQ in the Hapjeong area.

Trip 2: Jeonju~ I only went to 1 place in Jeonju & that was the Jeonju Hanok Village. It was raining all day that day. However, it was still very enjoyable. The village was a beautiful place, & under the rain, it looked even more picturesque.

Trip 3: Incheon~ for Incheon Chinatown & Wolmido, which is an island connected to Incheon via a highway. Due to its close proximity to China, Incheon became a major port for trades back in the day, & the Chinese immigrants basically settled here, hence it’s the largest Chinatown in Korea. I met up with my friend Ji Yoon in Chinatown & we spent some time catching up.

Trip 4: Gangneung~ For the annual Gangneung Coffee Festival; its title was “Voices of Coffee” this year! It was held at the Gangneung Olympic Ice Arena. I can’t recall how many shots of coffee samples I had that day, but it was a lot. I also went to the Anmok Coffee Street, which is a line of cafes along Anmok Beach - all the cafes face the beach so the view is pretty. Even more so on the day I went bcos it was cloudy =]

Day 9: remained in Seoul today. Went to the Seoul Botanic Garden, which opened its doors in May 2019. Very pretty displays~ Huuuuuge space too. It was like Telus World x Muttart Conservatory x Devonian Botanic Garden. Lots to see, & if you go, allot more time for yourself here. & then in the evening, I camped out by Yeouido Hangang Park for the annual Seoul International Fireworks Festival, which was named “Life is Colourful” this year. So many ppl! I was expecting that before going but it was beyond my imagination. It was truly an experience- the streets were blocked off for pedestrian traffic & literally, it took like 10mins to move 5meters after the show as over! Then at the subway station nearby, there was a bottleneck, where apparently the capacity inside the underground station was reached so we needed to wait outside the exit.. . still, it was fun!

Day 10-12: 1 way train ticket to Busan. Yes, train to Busan ;) I was safe though hehe Busan was beautiful! In hindsight, I should’ve spent more time here but . .. NEXT TIME! I went to BIFF Square & Gukje Market, which was like across from my hotel, Stanford Inn Busan. Gamcheon Cultural Village was super cute; although I would hate being a resident there =/ The Busan Int’l Film Festival was happening then, & I visited the Expo & Convention Centre for the film market. Can’t go into the exhibition, but that whole area was filled with ads/posters of BIFF - it was a big deal! It was cool to witness such a big event & to experience the sheer scale of it. I then went to Shinsegae Centum City, which is the largest shopping complex in the world. Haeundae Beach was also cool. I went on a cloudy day & it was awesome! That same evening/night, I checked out the Jagalchi Fish Market, which is the largest seafood market in Korea. It has 7 floors total, with 3 underground parking levels :O On the last day, bcos I only had the morning available to do stuff, I had Busan fish cake for breakfast & strolled in BIFF Square again.

*Note: I actually hit all the things on my itinerary EXCEPT for the Busan Museum of Art, which was closed on Mondays =( but the security guy let me in to see the lobby bcos he knew I was a tourist. Thank you!

Day 13-17: Flew from Busan Airport to Jeju Airport. I used more time than needed for the whole process- turned out foreigners have their own line at the Busan Airport, so it’s faster than locals. There’s also a domestic terminal & international terminal, so from arrival to being checked in & through security.. . it took less than 25mins. It was great! In regards to Jeju, I did the following:

- stayed in Jeju City for the arrival afternoon/evening, with my hotel being Astar Hotel. Had a street food dinner at Dongmun Market; they were having this night market/festival event so a bunch of street food stalls were open from 7pm-midnight. Smelled like heaven haha

- I did my 1st hike ever on Hallasan Mountain, specifically the Gwaneunsa Trail, & I reached the peak. It was.. . hard. I can’t say I particularly enjoyed it; however, it has proven to me that I am a land person, & I belong in museums, cafes, & street walking lol. Look up the details of the trail! Was it ambitious of me to go on this for my 1st hike ever. .. without any hiking gear? I went with what some ppl would consider gym shoes, a hoodie, leggings, & a backpack with water, juice, kimbaps, 2 bananas, 6 mandarins, & some snacks (cheese crisps & pineapple cream-flavoured crackers).

- The day after the hike, my legs were still okay. But it was my glut that was starting to get sore XD I went to Osulloc Tea Museum & Innisfree Jeju House. The aesthetics <3

- Went to Black Pig Street for black pig bbq. I was hoping a restaurant or two was taking solo-diners & thankfully, the 2nd restaurant I asked did! I ordered pork neck instead of pork belly - it was quite tender & kinda chewy, actually. Later that evening, I went to the Tamra Cultural Festival 2019. It was neat~ There was an outdoor night market, as well as a stage for cultural dance/play/music.

- Jeju Island is actually quite small, & it takes approx. an hour from 1 side of the island to the other side. Thus, for my 3rd (full) day, I went to the Jungmun (Jeju City is north of the island; Jungmun is south coast) & visited the Yellow Cafe, Chocolate Land, Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum, & Yeomiji Botanical Garden.

- From Jungmun, I took a local bus to Lee Jong Seop Street in Seogwipo, the next city over. The street is very pleasant & chill, with artwork along the street, coffeeshops & eateries, as well as little gift shops. Totally my thing! It reminds me Bukchon Hanok Village in terms of vibe, but minus the traditional housing look. The Seogwipo Olle Market is nearby, & is a great place to buy Jeju souvenirs. The pricing, I heard/read, is cheaper than Dongmun Market in Jeju City - it is true! There are also less tourists here, which was what made it enjoyable for me, personally.

- Only the morning on my last day was free for activities bcos my flight to Seoul was early afternoon. I visited the area around Jeju City Hall, which was ~20min walk from my hotel. It was a very leisurely morning, where I sat down & enjoyed coffee at Coffee Finder & had a build-your-own-ramen bowl at a place nearby. The architecture of Coffee Finder was unique; it used to be a 2-floor house, with like a driveway/sidewalk. But the ummm first floor ceiling/second floor flooring was knocked down so there’s a “hole” in the middle of the cafe. The cafe has very homely vibes as the placement of tables/chairs are in what was (at one point) rooms of the house. It’s open but also you can get some privacy at the same time.

Day 17-18: Back to Seoul, & stayed at Namsan Hill Hotel~ Itaewon is a must! I need to go to Passion 5 every time lol. & I also revisited the Leeum Samsung Museum of Art bcos I like it. & then I had my last day as a “free” day, where I didn’t plan ANYTHING. I’m a very intense planner & when I go on trips, I literally plan to the minute haha & guess what, I ended up in Hongdae. Honestly, it’s my kinda place. Sadly, the transportation situation there isn’t convenient for the rest of my itinerary, or else I would choose a hotel that’s in the vicinity. I nearly spent 2.5 hrs at Coin Su Noraebang haha I realized that if you score high enough, time gets added to your paid time :O I can’t let that go to waste =P

There ya go, Korea 2019!

PS: I haven’t decided what/how I’m gonna go about posting my trip. .. There are wayyyy too many photos & it will take me a million yrs to write/upload. Perhaps expect unexpected Korea posts scattered between my regular posts :P I will, however, share with you the coffees I’ve had in Korea. I tried diff ones, from franchise to small local cafes, adventurous flavours & the typical black Americano. I didn’t have any poor experiences but there was 1 particular one that I will likely never order again - tbh, I should’ve expected it but I still went for it anyway *shrugs* so I guess it was all my fault haha ok, I’ll ttyl~!

#korea #korea travel #travel korea #korea trip #korea 2019 #solo travel #vacation #seoul #busan #jeju island #paju #incheon #gangneung #jeonju #tourist

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