Chocolate Devotion [A Drama]
Khun tossed and turned in bed; the thought of his mother coming to him. He wrestled with himself, falling in and out of sleep, until he lay still.
(flashback)
Khun sat in the passenger seat of his mother’s car, watching the cars that passed them breeze by.
“Mom, seriously, you need to speed up.”
“I will not. There is a speed limit for a reason and it’s snowing outside.”
“That stuff doesn’t apply on the freeway, mom.”
“Shut up, Khun.”
He laughed but did exactly what his mother told him. He picked up his mp3 player and put his ear buds back in, drowning out all sounds around him. Khun noticed the amount of snow that was falling around them and the huge piles that sat on the side of the roads. He looked at the other cars and saw how some of them were having trouble, due to all of the ice. His mother definitely was right about going the speed limit, but he wasn’t going to let her know that.
Khun noticed his mother tense up next to him, and then looked ahead of them. There was a huge truck in front of them skidding sideways, blocking both of the freeway lanes. They could see the tires straining to stop the vehicle but instead of stopping, the truck tipped over onto its side and skidded to a halt. Khun and his mother were approaching the crash at such a high speed that collision was inevitable. The icy road would not let them slow down.
“Hold on Khun.”
He looked at his mother, with saucer like eyes. What exactly was she going to do to avoid this? Khun’s mother swerved to the side, missing the truck by inches, colliding with one of the piles of snow. The snow burrowed under the car and caused them to flip over and into the incoming lane of cars. Khun and his mother sat upside down as their car skidded to a halt.
“Are you ok?” she asked.
Khun was amazed that they had survived.
“Yes.” He glanced at his mother.
His eyes then went wide again. Khun was looking past his mother at the oncoming cars. His mother looked behind her and then back at Khun, oddly she wasn’t scared. She smiled at Khun.
“I love you, juice.”
(flashback)
Khun opened his eyes and let the sun fill them. He sat up and rested his face in his palms, sweat covering ever surface of his body. He was never going to forget that day, even though it was almost a year ago, he could still see it, feel it like it was yesterday. Khun wiped away the sweat, determined not to let this get the best of him. He rolled out of bed and headed for his bathroom.
---
Khun flew down the stairs, two at a time, his work uniform coming with him. He ran into the kitchen and grabbed an apple off of the table, brushing past his father who was making breakfast.
“Hey Khun.”
“Hi dad…bye dad.”
“Wait, what’s the rush?”
“Dad, I have to get to the airport early today. I told you yesterday.”
“Yeah, you did. I’m sorry. Let me drive you.”
“You don’t have to, really.”
Khun wasn’t exactly comfortable around his father. He did love him, but his parents divorced when he was young and he had lived with his mother in America the whole time. After her death he packed up and moved to Incheon and ever since they had been coexisting together, but not living.
“I want to. Come on, so you’re not late.”
Khun watched his father turn off the stove and leave his half cooked breakfast. He shuffled out of the kitchen after his father and followed him to the car. Khun knew exactly why his father wanted to give him a ride to work. Any other time he let Khun be on his way but the anniversary of his mother’s death was coming up and he had been acting differently.
“So, how’s work?” his father asked as he pulled out of their driveway.
“Fine.”
“Just fine?”
“I mix ice cream dad.”
“Not everyone can do what you do. Cold Stone Creamery is not an easy place to work at.”
“I guess.”
“Um…”
Khun’s father really was trying to avoid silence, but truth be told they didn’t have much to talk about, that wouldn’t upset Khun anyway.
“How’s school?”
Khun was currently a sophomore at Incheon College and he hated it. He was an American. His mannerisms were and his language was English. Sure, both of his parents were Thai, but all he knew was America and until his father moved to Incheon after the divorce, it was all he knew to. Khun was having severe trouble with his Korean, how he had managed to get a job was beyond him, but he had learned enough to please the customers.
“Just fine?”
Khun was annoyed.
“Yes, dad. Just fine.”
His father was quiet.
“I’m sorry, dad. I just…can you just ask me what you want to ask, instead of beating around the bush?
Khun’s father pulled into the Incheon airport parking lot and turned off the car.
“I wanted to know if you wanted to do something for your mother’s anniversary.”
“Was that so hard to ask?”
“In some ways Khun, you intimidate me.”
Khun was shocked.
“Yeah. It’s just that I haven’t been there for you and for you to have to come and stay with me out of the blue…I know it’s hard. I just don’t want to make you uncomfortable. I’m sorry.”
“Dad, don’t apologize. You’ve done nothing wrong. I haven’t exactly been the easiest person to live with this past year, so I’m sorry.
“Why would you ever think you need to apologize? What you experienced…”
Khun locked up again. He had been letting down his guard and there it was, that 20ft wall built back up in front of his father’s eyes. Khun hadn’t talked about that day with anyone and he was not about to.
“I’ve gotta go, dad. Um…doing something for her anniversary sounds good.”
He unbuckled his seat belt and got out of the car, then leaned back in the window.
“Oh and please don’t drive me to work again. Honestly, we live down the street.” He chuckled.
They did live close to the airport. So close that Khun could walk if he wasn’t so lazy, but the shuttle suited him just fine. His father laughed.
“You’re right.”
Khun smiled and waved good-bye to his father. He entered the airport and took in the commotion. Even at 8 o’clock in the morning he knew it was going to be a busy day.
---
Wooyoung yawned into his palm as his plane touched down at Incheon Airport. He stared out of the window as everything that had been a blur came into view. He had missed Korea and there was nothing that he could think of better than being home.
“Yah!!! Chansung, move your ass!” Wooyoung laughed as he pushed a sleeping Chansung off of the seat next to him.
“You’re a troll.” Chansung retorted, rubbing his face.
“Yeah, yeah. We’re back.” He chirped.
Chansung looked out of the window, in awe. He had been away with Wooyoung all this time and he was equally as homesick. Being Wooyoung’s best friend did have its perks, like being away in America for the last four mouths, for his movie filming or being able to ride in a private jet, but there were also downsides. Like not being able to see his family often or his girlfriend. Chansung experienced everything that Wooyoung did, the good and the bad and he had to admit that being the best friend the star was better than being the star himself.
“Let’s go.”
Wooyoung grabbed Chansung and pulled him off of the floor.
“The plane hasn’t even stopped yet!”
Wooyoung stood still until the plan came to a complete stop.
“Let’s go!!!!”
---
“Khun!!! Over here!!!”
Khun looked from behinf the counter at the Cold Stone Creamery booth and saw his friend Woohyun waving at him. Woohyun had been the only friend Khun was able to make in Korea, due to the language barrier. He was fluent in English and after he saw Khun struggling in school, he offered to tutor him. It had nothing to do with the fact that he had a huge crush on him, though.
“Hey Woohyun. What are you doing here do early?”
“My parents stuck me with picking up my brother this morning. Do you guys usually open this early?”
“We’re 24/7. You’d be surprised how many people want ice cream after a 12 hour flight.” He laughed.
Woohyun stared at Khun, his stomach doing flips.
“Khun!”
He turned around to find his boss standing behind him. He then said something in Korean that Khun only understood half of. He turned back around and rolled his eyes.
“Sorry, I have to get back to work and serve the people.” He said sarcastically.
Khun pointed to the long line of no one standing in front of the booth. Woohyun laughed.
“Alright, I’ll see you in class later.”
“Alright. Bye.”
Khun watched as Woohyun walked away from his booth in one direction and in the other, two men ran towards him.
“Welcome to Cold Stone Creamery.” Khun spoke. “How can I help you?”
Khun examined the young men in front of him. They both wore sunglasses, to hide their faces, he assumed but they weren’t very inconspicuous. But as far as similarities that was as far as they went. The taller of the two had red hair that fitted him but the smaller had a strikingly blonde head of hair that after a few blinks because less surprising. How in the world did he expect to hide with hair like that?! They had to be running from someone, Khun thought and he had to admit that he was curious who.
As they caught their breath, Wooyoung eyed the boy in front of him. He was cute and this was where Wooyoung was going to have his fun for the day. He removed his glasses and smiled at Khun. He looked at his name tag.
“Hello, Khun. How are you?”
“Good and you?”
Wooyoung hadn’t expected this. He had expected Khun to go into frenzy like most of his fangirls and boys did when they saw him. Chansung looked at his best friend and chuckled. He could tell form Wooyoung’s expression that he was not expecting that to happen.
“Um…I’m good.” He paused. “Do you know who I am?”
“No.” Khun answered honestly. “Should I?”
Wooyoung didn’t know how to answer. He didn’t want to sound like an ass and say ‘Yes, you should know who I Am.’ but hell he should know. Everyone knew who he was.
“No. Of course not.”
Chansung turned his head to cover up his laughter.
“Can we have two Chocolate Devotions?”
“No problem.” Khun smiled.
Khun opened up the glass freezer behind him and grabbed two small cups of chocolate chips, two brownies and a container of chocolate fudge. He then went into the freezer and scooped out four scoops of chocolate ice cream on to the marble slabs used for mixing the ice cream.
Wooyoung watched the obvious foreigner mix his ice cream and wondered why he didn’t know who he was. Sure, he wasn’t from here, his obvious accent and appearance gave that away, but even people in America stopped him on the street and asked him for his autograph, so what was his problem.
“Here you go.” Khun spoke.
He knocked Wooyoung out of his thoughts. He and Chansung grabbed their waffle cups full of ice cream. Khun then threw away his gloves and rung them up.
“Alright, that’ll be 6000 won.”
Wooyoung paid for the ice cream, staring at Khun, hoping it would make him realize that he did know who he was. Khun handed him his change.
“Have a great day, guys.” He smiled.
“Thank you. Come on, Wooyoung.”
Chansung pulled him away from the booth. Wooyoung put his glasses back on but not before being spotted.
“Yah!!! There they are!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
Khun watched as Wooyoung and Chansung sprinted down the airport with hundreds of girls and boys chasing them.
“Maybe I should know who he is.” Khun shrugged.
---
Wooyoung and Chansung ran out of the airport, praying for an escape.
“Why did we have to get ice cream?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?” Chansung yelled, out of breath.
“They would have found us either way! Don’t blame the ice cream!”
The fans chased them around the parking lot, as the ducked in and out of the traffic of cars.
“Your brother!!” Chansung yelled.
Wooyoung looked ahead and saw his brother sitting on the hood of his car.
“Start the car!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” he screamed.
Wooyoung’s brother noticed them coming towards him and made to wave until he saw the crowd behind them.
“Oh my god.”
He slid of the car and got into the driver’s seat, unlocking the doors and starting the engine. Wooyoung and Chansung got to the car and thrust themselves in. Wooyoung’s brother took off, barely getting away from the fans starting to crowd around the car.
“What was that?”
“That, little brother, is how much I am loved.”
“No. That is how dumb your brother is.”
“How am I dumb?”
“We just had to stop.”
“I thought you guys were supposed to have security and Oh Hyun with you.” He asked speaking of Wooyoung’s manager.
“Oh man. Oh hyun is gonna be pissed. Oh well, he can bring everything to the house.” Wooyoung easily forgot about him.
“Was the ice cream worth it?”
“It would have been if that stupid Creamer had known who I was!”
Chansung laughed.
“You didn’t seem too broken up about it while we were getting chased. You were finished you ice cream before we even got out of the airport. You never stopped eating!!”
Wooyoung’s brother laughed.
“Shut up, Woohyun. You too Chansung. Just take me home!”
They laughed even harder at Wooyoung’s sulking ways.
“I’m gonna have to thank this Creamer one day for knocking the Mighty Wooyoung off of his pedestal.”
Wooyoung blew air into his cheeks and then slowly exhaled. His brother and Chansung didn’t understand how bad this was bothering him, nor would they ever know. He wasn’t going to let on how much his popularity meant to him.