To A Stranger (Version Two)
Title: To A Stranger
Author: minhosims
Rating: G
Pairing: 2min
Summary: Minho is a college student in Seoul who has an amazing skills on writing. He has his own column on a well-known newspaper. He hates fanfic so much until he meets a stranger whom changes his mind about fanfic. This stranger gave him only four beautiful days before leaving him. But, will this stranger just be a good memory in Minho’s life? (Sorry, I stuck on summary)
A/N: Well, this is the second version of this story. I edited the first version to join a fanfic competition. Actually, I want to submit the original version for the competition but unfortunately one of the requirements is the story should be about 3rd anniversary so I edited the original version into this one.
24 May 2008
The cafe seems so quite this evening. There are only several customers who talking to each other while enjoying their coffee. This cafe isn’t too large or small. Being decorated so cosy, the cafe has become one of the most wanted places. The cafe has interesting scenery. Through the window, you can see the beautiful park near there. But, the most interesting view right now isn’t the park out there. It’s the four boys in corner of the cafe. Close friends who always spend their evening weekend there.
“Sorry, I’m not going with you tomorrow,” said one of them.
“Yaaah, you can’t skip tomorrow’s schedule hyung! Tomorrow will be my first time to go to movie as a college student. I want all of us come and hang till late,” said a boy next to the first boy.
“Sorry Key, my cousin from Japan is going to come and stay for several days. My mom asked me to take care of him. You guys just go without me.”
“No, Onew hyung. We can wait until your cousin back to Japan. It won’t be fun if it’s only three of us” said the tallest of them, the most gorgeous one.
“I agree with Minho, we can go after you’ve finished your business with your cousin,” said the blonde one.
Their decision made Key very upset since he was the most excited on their going-to-the-movie plan. But it wasn’t last long, he laughed soon after Onew started his sangtae.
“Minho, are you going to continue working at the newspaper this year?” asked the blonde one.
“Yeah, and I have a good news. I won’t be a temporary writer anymore. They gave me my own column on their newspaper. They said they love my writing. So, how could I reject such a great opportunity like that? Jonghyun hyung, you already knew how much I want to be a permanent writer on that newspaper.”
“Yeah. What about your college activities? And what about hanging out with us? I guess you wouldn’t have enough time to hang out with us. Have you thought about it?”
“Actually, they gave a little compensation for me. They let me not to come to the office every day because they’ve already knew that I should attend the classes. I just have to come to submit my article. So, I’m free as long as I make no mistakes in my article and submit it on time.” Minho smirks satisfied.
“Yah, do they love your article so much? You must be damn well on writing. Why you always that perfect?” Key shouted at Minho as his envy with his friend’s skill.
“Admit it, Key. I was born to be a perfect.” Minho teases Key and the rest laughing at Key’s reaction.
25 May 2008
Because they’ve been cancelled their plan for today, Minho have no idea about what to do. Key said that he’s going to spend his day on the salon and Jonghyun decided to sleep all day because of his lack sleep lately. So, here Minho is, alone, in the crowded road on the way to their favourite cafe. He wants to spend his time there with his laptop. He hopes he will get some ideas for his article.
He enters the cafe and goes to order his coffee. He sighs when he saw a boy is sitting on their usual corner. Bad luck, maybe he has to pick another seat for today. He decides to sit next to their usual table but an unwanted accident happen before he reached the table. That boy stands up in a sudden and accidentally hit Minho. The accident caused Minho’s hot coffee spilled on the boy’s shirt and paper on the table.
“Aargh,” the boy groans in pain as Minho has expected. The coffee was still very hot when it spilled on him.
“A-are you okay?” Minho asks him in worry.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m okay. Sorry, I didn’t know that you were behind me when I stood up.” The boy is apologizing while cleaning his shirt with tissue papers. He even doesn’t look at Minho. But Minho stares at his face like observing a rare thing. Minho doesn’t know why he suddenly couldn’t let his eyes go of him; his face is too beautiful to be ignored. So, Minho keeps staring at him until the boy tilts his face up to see Minho’s.
“It’s okay. Don’t be sorry. Is it still hurt? My coffee was still very hot when we bumped each other.” Minho voice was hesitant when he spoke to the boy.
“Not too hurt but maybe I should go home to check it.” The boy takes his bag, sighs when he saw his paper wet by the coffee, and leaves it on the table. Minho takes a look on his paper and complains on it. It’s a print-out of Korean Artist Fanfic. Yeah, fanfic, the only thing Minho hate in this world.
26 May 2008
“So, are you going to leave earlier?” Key asks Minho while they’re on the cafeteria for lunch.
“Yeah, I have no class after lunch break. I want to visit a park near our favourite cafe, look for an inspiration to write my article. What about you?”
“I have one more class then I will go to the bookstore with Jonghyun hyung and Onew hyung.”
“Onew hyung? Doesn’t he need to stay at home with his cousin?”
“Yaah, Choi Minho, his cousin won’t be in a trouble just because Onew hyung leave him for awhile.” Key yells at Minho. Key has being more sensitive to Onew hyung’s cousin after they cancelled their plan to go to movie.
“You better hurry now. It’s just twenty minutes before your next class.” Minho warns Key.
Minho walks alone to the park near their favourite cafe. The park is not too crowded this evening. He let his eyes staring the whole area before choose the best place to sit and think about his article. But, something caught his attention. He is looking at a puppy not too far from him. It’s a very cute puppy. Minho turns his head around to look for its owner but he finds no one around him.
“Come on little puppy, are you lost?” he takes the puppy gently and finds a necklace on it. A name Rockie is written on the necklace. “So, you are Rockie, aren’t you? Aigoo, don’t be sad. Let’s found your master first. Where is your master, huh?” he talks to Rockie happily. Rockie is too cute and Minho can’t hold himself not to play with the cute puppy. Minho put Rockie down and follows its way. It has been thirty minutes the cute puppy turning around the park before it finally stops behind a garden chair. Minho sees a boy is sitting there. He must be Rockie master, Minho said to himself.
“Excuse me; I think your dog went too far from you. It’s dangerous to leave-“ Minho stops when the boy turned his face to face him. Minho smiles when he realizes that the boy is the same boy he met in cafe yesterday.
“Hi you, the guy in the cafe!” the boy greets Minho with a wide grin on his beautiful cute face.
“Hi,” Minho replies his greet. Rockie is lying on his master’s lap now, licking his master’s hand. “It's nice to meet you again.” Minho is half staring at the boy’s cute face and at Rockie because he doesn’t want the boy knows that he’s staring at him. “By the way, your dog is so cute. I already fell in love with Rockie.” Stupid statement, Minho scolds himself after saying silly words like that.
“Yeah, that’s why I love him so much. Thanks for protecting Rockie.” A wide awesome smile appears on the boy’s face once again. Minho’s heart drops as he saw the smile.
“Oh, i-it’s okay, never mind. About the last accident, I hope nothing serious happened to your skin. The coffee was, you knew, very hot.”
“It’s absolutely okay. Don’t be guilty.” He smiles again. “What are doing here?”
“I just want to spend my time here, looking for an inspiration for my article. I think this place is good enough to come. May I?” Minho asks a permission to sit next to the boy and the boy moves to give some space for Minho.
“So, you’re a writer too?” the boy asks in excitement.
“Yeah, I’m a writer. You said too, so you’re a writer, aren’t you?”
“If it can be said so,” the boy answers him. “What do you write?”
“I have my own column on a newspaper. I write fact. So, my article is a kind of explanation. It explains an issue and gives facts to the reader about the issue. There’re a lot of hoax issues spread among the reader so I’m interesting on writing something that real. What about you?”
“Well, umm, I write fictions. I love fiction so much.”
“Is there any of your fiction that have been published? Maybe I already knew yours because I have a lot of fiction novel at my house. My brother is kind of fiction freak and sometimes I buy some for him.”
“No, no. I’m not that talented. What kind of publisher that will publish my story? I write Korean Artist Fanfic and post it on my blog.”
Minho’s face stiffs when the boy said that he is a fanfic writer. Minho never expects to meet a fanfic writer because he hates fanfic so much. But, he doesn’t know whether he should hate him or not. A big part of his heart doesn’t want to hate the boy but still he is a fanfic writer.
“A-are you okay? Is there something wrong with my answer?” the boy asks him.
“N-no, nothing. I just never expect to meet a fanfic writer.” He answers awkwardly.
“Aaah, so you’re a fanfic hater, aren’t you? You don’t have to hide it from me because I’m fine if you do.” Silence comes after the boy finished his words. Minho feels like he should starts the conversation again but he’s too late.
“Umm, I think I should go now. My cousin starts to worry me. Bye.” The boy smiles before leaving Minho alone in the park.
“Shit, I didn’t ask his name! You’re an idiot Choi Minho.”
Minho stands up and leaves the park. His conversation with the boy made him lost all his interest on doing an article. He walks back to his house and decides to go to the cafe tonight.
***
“Where are you going?”
“I’m going to hang out with Rockie. Don’t worry hyung, I’ll back at 10 or 11.” The boy is running towards the door, avoiding his anger cousin, and chuckling at his cousin’s expression.
“Yaaah, Lee Taemin. You're dead when you home.” His cousin tries to yell louder. “Yaaah‼ Don’t go over 10 p.m.,” but the boy has already disappeared. “Yaaaah‼”
Taemin is walking happily with a wide grin on his face. Rockie is tailing beside him. The only thing in his mind is staying at the cafe while doing a fanfic for the-guy-in-cafe, that’s the way Taemin called him because he doesn’t know his name and not have a willing to know his name too.
Taemin sits on the corner of the room, on the same table where he met the gorgeous guy. He put some crackers for Rockie and starts writing his fic. And at the same time, Minho is entering the cafe and making an order before his eyes stops at Taemin on his usual table. Smile appearing on his handsome face as he’s walking towards the stranger his stranger.
“Would you share a table with me?” Minho smiles to the beautiful cute face that’s now looking at him with widen eyes. “Why do you look at me with those eyes?”
“Ah, umm,” Taemin mutters because he doesn’t know what to say. He’s too shock when Minho suddenly greets him. “Why are you here?”
“Why? It’s up to me whether I want to be here or not. So, would you mind sharing the table with me?” Minho asks him once again, smiling at his confuse look.
“S-sure,” Minho sits in front of him. He greets Rockie before takes his laptop out and put it on the table.
“Are you going to work on your article?”
“Yes. Why?”
“Good. So, let’s start writing our own.” Taemin smiles before he put his attention back to his laptop. His face turns serious in just a second. Minho is staring at the boy’s face right now, enjoying the figure in front of him. He has been warned himself not too concerned to this boy but he can’t. He finds himself enjoying the boy’s face so much and unreasonably feels comfort whenever he see that face.
“Yaah, why are you staring at me?”
“Uh-huh?” Minho is totally caught up and doesn’t know what to do. “I just shocked on your serious face. I never know that writing a fiction will be so serious. I thought it will be easier.”
“Oh, actually it’s much easier and fun. But, I should finish this story by the day after tomorrow and I’ve just started this evening. So, I need to work fast.”
Taemin put his eyes back to his laptop and his fingers typing on it as fast as he can. Minho smiles at the serious face in front of him, he knows he will never ever able to let his eyes go of him. But he let himself starts to write his article so the boy won’t know that he secretly keeps his eyes on him. This is the first time for Minho having company while writing his article and he surprised to know that writing suddenly feels much easier right now.
27 May 2008
“Minho, did you eat unusual food this morning?” Key asks Minho with such a wondered face.
“What are you talking about? I ate my mom’s cook like usual.”
“Then, did you get a door prize or good news this morning?” Jonghyun turns to ask.
“Is there something wrong with you guys?” Minho looks at his friends when he asked them. He feels a lit bit weird with their questions.
“Yaah. I thought we are the one who suppose to ask that question to you. What’s wrong with you? You keep smiling to no one or nothing and your eyes are off to somewhere in your dreamland.” Key shouts at him.
“N-nothing. I just-“
“Oh gosh, are you in love with someone?” Key’s eyes grow larger on excitement.
“No, I’m not.” His words could lie but not his face. He blushes when he answered and of course, it caught his friend’s attention more.
“Since it was not about falling in love, you don’t have any reason not to tell us. Come on, what’s wrong?” Key asks him and gives him a puppy eyes that Minho knows he can’t resist.
“Okay, I know you will keep asking me all day if don’t. I met a boy in our usual cafe. He sat on our table when I came so I decided to sit on the table next to him. Unfortunately, he stood up and we crashed each other. That accident causing my hot coffee spilled at his shirt and some of his papers on the table. He left me after he said he’s okay and he left his papers too. Do you guys know what those paper about? Korean Artist Fanfic. Then, yesterday when I went to the park near the cafe, I met him again and we fell into a light conversation. He said that he is a fanfic writer and I have no idea how he made a conclusion that I’m a fanfic hater. It’s not ended yet, when the night came, I went to the cafe and coincidentally met him again. We shared table and worked on our laptop. But, last night, for the first time, I felt writing was so much easier. It’s not that I always feel difficult when I write but last night was different. Maybe because we both wrote so I felt like I have a friend who did the same as me.” Minho’s cheek blushes once again, Key makes a frustration face and Jonghyun smirks at him.
“Minho-ah, you didn’t think that it was all coincidence, did you? Come on, you guys met twice a day and you thought it was just coincidence? Aish, I have no idea about you and your mind.” Key yells.
“So, let’s say it was just a coincidence. You and your stranger met in a coincidence and because it was just a coincidence, it won’t be big deals if you won’t meet him again, will you?” Jonghyun pauses. He’s looking on Minho’s face that turned unpleasant at the moment he said about not meeting the stranger again.
“I-I thinks so” Minho replies hesitantly.
“Is he gorgeous?” Minho is about to jump hearing his question.
“Why suddenly you asked that?”
“I just ask whether he is gorgeous or not. I’m a little bit curious with your stranger?”
“Well, umm, he is cute. No, I think he is too innocent and pure or maybe beautiful.” Minho finds he’s not too sure how to describe his stranger perfectly. “Just think about a face. A face when you see it, you can never ever ignore it. He has a cute and sweet smile. And his eyes, he has eyes that anyone can’t resist it.” Minho’s cheek blushes once again and Jonghyun cuts him to make a conclusion.
“Stop it. You met him ‘coincidentally’ yesterday. You said it will be okay if you won’t meet him but did you notice your regretful voice when you said that? Then, you keep smiling in your own world, blushed several times when you talked about the stranger, no wait, I mean your stranger. You are in crush with him. Admit it Minho.” Jonghyun finished his words impatiently.
***
“No, I’m definitely not having a crush or falling in love with him.” Minho says to himself. Lying on his bed, Minho’s pushing his face on his pillow, trying to clear his mind.
“There is one way to proof that it was just a coincidence.” Minho pulls himself from his bed. He is going out of his house and rushing to the cafe right now. If he meets the boy this time, he will absolutely believe that yesterday was not a coincidence. If he doesn’t, it might be coincidence. But, a huge part of Minho’s heart hopes he will meet the boy again.
Minho smiles widely at the moment he enters the cafe. The stranger, no, his stranger is sitting on his usual table, typing on his laptop. No, yesterday wasn’t a coincidence, Minho told himself.
“Working on your fiction again?” The boy turns his shocked face to Minho, but a wide cute smile comes afterwards. He nods to Minho.
“What are you doing here?”
“I feel boring so I come here. Do you mind if I accompany you while you’re writing your fiction?”
“No. Sit down please. It’s nice to have a company while writing a fic.” The boy puts his eyes back to his laptop and continues his work. Minho is staring at him, enjoying the beautiful scene on his own. His cheek blushes every time he thinks that the boy is so cute.
“Why do you write fan fictions?” Minho asks him in sudden.
“Because I love it and I enjoy it.” The boy answers him, eyes never leave the laptop.
“Instead of writing a fan fiction, why don’t you try to write a fiction? I mean a fiction, you know, like novels.”
“I do. I write fictions. If it’s not a fiction, it would not call fan fiction. I’ve told you before, I’m not talented enough to write a novel and I don’t really like writing a novel. Is there anything else you want to ask about fanfic? Just ask me, I’ll give you the best answer.”
“I'm always curious with fan fiction readers. I wonder what is in their mind, wasting time just to read fanfic. Why don’t they read some novels or comics?”
“It’s different. If you read Harry Potter or other novels which have been filmed, you will imagine the actors while reading it. But, if it hasn’t filmed yet, you will make the character on your own imagination but some people found it hard to imagine a face that suits the character. In fanfic, in this case Korean Artist Fanfic, reading a fanfic is like watching a film which the character is your favourite one. And you can do it anytime anywhere because you still can read fanfic from your cell phone, but a film? You can’t. Reading fanfic is very entertaining for those who love fanfic.”
“But still, I hate it. It’s silly.”
“Then, I hope someday if you can’t like it at least you don’t hate it.” Minho is totally amazed at this cute little boy. His eyes never leave the laptop but he answered all his questions with a smile on his face. He even doesn’t hate Minho because he hates fanfic and anything about it. He seems so fine knowing that Minho hates the things he loves so much. He must be a kind-hearted person. And it makes Minho feels guilty to ask more about fanfic, so he sits silently and stares at his favourite face, enjoying the moment with his stranger.
28 May 2008
“Taemin, you can’t go out tonight!”
“Please hyung, I promise it won’t be long. I have something to do before back to Japan.”
“Yah, you haven’t finished packing you stuff yet. My mom will be angry if she knows. Please, don’t make me get her anger anymore or I’ll tell your mom not to allow you to come here anymore.”
“Hyung! That’s so cruel. I promise it won’t be long and I’ll back as soon as I finished my business. I will do packing on myself. Please hyung, I have to go.”
Taemin’s running out of the house, leaving his angry cousin behind. He should meet the guy in the cafe to give his fiction. The fiction he wrote lately is for him. Taemin hopes it will change his mind about fan fiction and he wants to say thanks to him through this story. These days were the most beautiful vacation days he ever had. He wants to thank for his company, his smiles, and anything else about him. To be honest, Taemin feels sad that he has to leave Seoul tomorrow morning, that means he will never see the gorgeous guy who fills his whole mind lately.
***
“Name, I should ask his name. Don’t forget about it again Minho.” Minho is walking to the cafe. He hopes he meets his stranger again tonight. He’s pretty sure about it because yesterday he met him at this time.
Minho smiles when the boy waves at him at the moment he enters the cafe.
“Have you finished your fiction?” Minho asks because the boy doesn’t type on his laptop like usual.
“Yes, I finished it on time.” Taemin smiles at Minho. He keeps staring on Minho until the latter feels a little uncomforted with it.
“Why are you staring at me like that?”
“N-no, nothing,” Taemin’s smiling at him to hide the fact his heart is crying right now. His heart crying because he knows this is the last time he can be with him. This is the last time he can see his face, look at his smile, and even talk to him.
But Minho isn’t an idiot. He knows there is something wrong with his stranger but he doesn’t know what. The boy keeps staring at him with a smile on his lips but a sad glance on his eyes and Minho thinks it shouldn’t be right.
“Oh, I have something for you.” Taemin opens his bag. Minho looks curious and excited at time same time, knowing that his stranger is going to gave him something.
“I hope you will like it,” Taemin gives an envelope to Minho. His smile’s still hanging on his cute face.
“Of course I will like it. But, why did you suddenly give this to me?”
“Hmm, I don’t know. Oh, I have to go now.” Taemin is leaving the cafe in hurry. Minho who’s lost his mind abruptly still stays on his position. Then, an unknown feeling tells him to look for the boy. He’s rushing out and luckily Taemin is not too far. Minho’s running towards him and holding his arm to stop him. Taemin is looking at him with a shocked face. Minho’s catching his breath for awhile before asking his stranger.
“Why did you suddenly leave the cafe earlier? You suppose to be there till 10 or 11 p.m. Is there something wrong?”
“No, nothing’s wrong. I have something to do tonight so I can’t stay any longer at the cafe. Okay, I’m going now.”
“Wait,” Minho’s trying to keep him a little bit longer. Taemin stops and turns to face Minho. He doesn’t know what makes him doing this but he’s hugging Minho tightly right now and Minho is hugging him back in confuse. “Thanks, thanks for these four days.” Taemin whispers on Minho’s ear before pulls himself and leaves Minho behind. This time, he won’t look back. He won’t look at his guy again. Tears are starting to fall from his eyes while he’s walking home.
On the other side, Minho is standing at the place he stopped his stranger, still confuse on what had just happened. But somehow he knows it was not a good thing.
***
Minho is sitting alone on his usual table in his usual cafe. He’s reading a fanfic which written for him from his stranger. At first, he thought that he will stop just at the first page but he was wrong. The story is very alluring; he even wants to read the whole story at once because he is curious with the ending part.
“You said you’re not talented enough?” Minho asks and laughs to no one. “This is more than talented. So, the reason you were busy writing this story was to give it as my goodbye present.”
Minho yells in frustration and buries his face on the table, thinking about his stranger who’s no longer here. At least, he wants to meet him once again, just once again to say thanks. He hasn’t thanked him yet. So, he’s thinking about how to meet his stranger, where does he live and how to find him. Suddenly, an idea jumps into his mind. He smiles brightly when he realizes that there is something he can do for his stranger, another way to say thanks.
24 July 2008
“Please, the story is very alluring and I’m sure it will be a best seller as soon as it published.” Minho begs.
“If it’s yours, I won’t think twice to publish it. I can’t publish something whose the writer is unknown. I’m sorry Minho maybe you will find another publisher for your stranger’s story.”
08 August 2008
“Sorry I can’t. We never publish fan fiction and we will never publish it. How if you change the characters and claim it as yours? I’m sure you will get a lot of attention since your column has become more popular today.”
“Sorry, but I won’t change anything in this story. Thanks for your time. Excuse me.”
17 October 2008
“But this story-“
“No.” The man cuts Minho before he finishes his words.
“Thanks for your time, Sir.”
09 December 2008
“Minho-ah, here you are. Happy birthday.” Minho’s boss suddenly greets him and congrats him for his birthday. Minho who’s in the middle of his way out of the office, stops for awhile and forces himself to smile but he fails.
“Thanks, Sir.”
“Aish, what’s wrong with your face? You’ve been hanging around with such unpleasant face for months. Is there anything in this office that bothers you?” His boss comes closer to him and pats his shoulders. Minho can feel the warm aura of his boss around him. Minho is like a son for his boss and he always takes a good care of Minho.
“Once again, thanks for your attention towards me, Sir. But, there is nothing in the office that bothers me. Don’t worry Sir; your office is as friendly as usual.” Minho knows his boss well; he will keeps asking him until he gets what he wants.
“So, if it isn’t the office, it must be something out there. Minho-ah, you know you can tell me if you want.”
“Sir,” Minho starts hesitantly. “If, if on my birthday, I’m asking you to do something for me, will you do it?” Minho keeps in silence, waiting for his answer in worry.
“Depends on what you’re asking me to do.” His boss gives him a warm smile.
“This.” Minho gives a map to his boss. “Please, I have no more idea about where I should go if you reject this too. Please Sir, I beg you for this.” Tears are falling from Minho’s bug eyes. He really has no more idea about where to go. It seems like he has reached the deadlock.
25 May 2009
“Mr. Choi Minho, this is your first novel, isn’t it?”
“Yes, but once again, it’s not my novel. I did not write it, I just published it. The true writer is someone out there whose name is unknown but I’m sure he is a talented writer.” Minho answers the reporter’s question calmly. It has been a year since the first time they meet each other. Minho never passes a day without thinking about his stranger and today is the most important day for Minho. Today, Minho is launching the story which his stranger gave him. He worked very hard to find a publisher who wants to publish the story as a novel. Now, his hard work is paid.
“Can you tell me about the writer? When did you meet him? How could he give you this story?”
“I met him in this day a year ago. We met in a cafe by accident. The next three days, I met him in the cafe at the certain time. We talked a few and from there I knew that he is a writer. In the fourth day, he gave me this story and left the cafe earlier. He never told me anything about him and I wanted to ask his name but every time I met him, my mind went blank and forgot what I should say. And now, he’s gone and never come to the cafe anymore.”
“What a sad story.” Minho can hear some reporter whispering each other in sympathetic tone.
“Then, is there any reason why you finally published it?”
“Yes, there are some reasons why I published it. First, I want him to know that he is not ‘not-so-talented-to-write-a-novel’. Second, I want the world knows how talented he is even though we don’t know who he is. The last, I want to say thanks to him through this novel. I haven’t thanked him yet but he has gone.” Minho keeps his smiling face in front of the reporters here. But, he and his three friends know that Minho’s heart is crying badly while he’s answering the question about the stranger.
“About the title, is it the original title from the writer?”
“No. When he gave me this story, he left it untitled. So, the reason why I choose this title is because I did this for him, that’s why this novel titled To a Stranger.”
“Last question, if you have to say something for this stranger, what will it be? Well, I’m going to make it as the head news so think about it before answering my question.”
“Okay, first I want to thank you about your plan. If I have to say something, I want to say-” Minho pauses and takes a deep breath. “Hey stranger, I do thank you. Thanks for those four beautiful days. Thanks for giving me this story, you wrote it very well.” Minto stops for awhile. “But, can we meet once again? Just once again, please.”
25 May 2010
“Aish, I want to hit his face and kick his ass. How could he keep having crush to a stranger for two years? Is it normal? Gosh, this is so frustrating. Can’t we do something to him?” Key yells annoyingly.
“We can do one thing for him. It’s letting him like that. Come on Key; just let him do whatever he wants. Try to understand his felling right now.” Jonghyun replies calmly.
“Yaah, Kim Jonghyun! Do you remember what happened to him when we decided to let him do whatever he wants? Firstly, we let him looked for a publisher to publish his stranger’s story. Do you remember how he worked so hard, forgot to feed himself, had less time to sleep just to come to every publishers in Seoul? He lost his weight dramatically and it was freaking me out to see how thin he was. He even contacted the artists to ask whether it was okay if he published a fan fiction about them. Second, on the day he finally launched the story, one year after he met him. Do you remember what he did after launching session ended? He stayed in the cafe with such a blank face till late. Hoped his stranger comes to the cafe that night. And now, it’s exactly two years after their first meet, Minho is standing calmly on that stage, answering the question about this charity event. What a perfect fake face! He is donating all the royalty from his stranger’s story that has become a best seller today. And let’s guess what he will do next! Staying at the cafe again, celebrating their second anniversary sadly all day, hoping his stranger comes to meet him! And you’ll let him do that, won’t you?”
“Key, don’t be too noisy. Okay, I’ll talk to him later but please be quite now.” Onew says to Key. Key does what he asked obediently just because Onew will talk to Minho later.
***
“Minho, let’s go to the movie. It has been a long time we don’t watch a film together.” Onew persuades him when they’re in the cafe.
“No hyung, not today. Sorry.”
“What about going to stadium? I heard your favourite team is having a play today.” Key doesn’t give up. He tries hard to make Minho out of this cafe.
“If you guys here just to persuade me to go somewhere, I tell you give up now. I’ll stay no matter what.”
“Yaaah, Choi Minho! You’ve reached my limit. Yaah, why do you like this? Just forget that damn annoying stranger!”
“Don’t-you-ever-called-him-like-that-again!” Minho sends a death glare to Key. “Go. Leave me alone.”
Jonghyun and Onew sigh in frustration. Jonghyun grabs Key to leave Minho alone in the cafe. Minho feels relieve when his friends leave him. All he wants to do is sitting in the alone, waiting for his stranger. But, tonight, the stranger isn’t coming too.
25 May 2011
“Let’s guess, Minho is having another sad anniversary alone in the cafe today. It has been three years and his stranger has never come yet. I’m pessimistic about it.” Key says in the middle of the lunch with Onew and Jonghyun.
“Me too, I think his stranger will never come again. How if we go somewhere today? I don’t think I can pass this day alone without worrying about Minho.” Jonghyun adds.
“I can’t,” Onew says and gets annoying glare from his two friends. “My cousin from Japan-“
“Again?” Key yells. “Aish, your cousin is so maddening.”
“And the worse is he’s going to live with my family from now. He accepted on Seoul University. I was shocked when I heard the news. I don’t think he prefer to study here rather than in Japan. But, actually he’s not that annoying, it’s my mom who always worries him too much and wants me to take care of him.”
“Just bring him here sometimes. Maybe Key will change his mind after meet your cousin.”
“Yaah, you make me look like a bad person.”
“You will definitely fall for his cuteness. His puppy eyes are the best, no one can resist.”
“Let’s see Onew hyung, how cute your cousin is, till you thought I’ll fall for him.”
“What’s his name?” Jonghyun asks.
“Lee Taemin.”
***
Minho is staying at the cafe like what he always does in their anniversary - if it could be called as anniversary. It has been three years and the stranger is still on his mind. He misses the smile of the cute face so much. He misses his soft voice. He misses everything about him. Minho will never give up waiting for him, even if it will spend all his life time to wait, he will do it.
“Aaargh,” Minho groans in frustration, buries his face on the table until suddenly he hears a voice.
“Hi, the-guy-in-the-cafe! Sorry for coming so long,” Minho lifts his head to face the voice’s owner.
Right now, his stranger is standing next to him with a wide lovely smile. Minho’s staring at him with a shocked face, mouth gaped.
“W-well, is there anything wrong? I’m coming here just to meet you and you seems dislike it-“
The boy can’t finish his word because Minho’s hugging him tightly. He’s hugging Minho back because he misses him like hell for these three years.
“Hey the-guy-in-the-cafe, you have no idea how much I miss you these years.” The boy says to Minho in the middle of his cry. He has no idea since when his tears fell down from his eyes.
“I know. I know you miss me like hell. Just like me.”
“Oh, I’ve almost forget to say something.” The boy pulls himself. He’s staring at Minho’s eyes, “Happy 3rd Anniversary.” He smiles widely and happily
“Do you still remember the date we first meet?” Minho’s eyes grow larger after hearing the boy.
“Do you think I’ll forget the most important day in my life?” The boy smirks.
They continue talking about each other and what they have done for these past three years. Minho sent a message to his friends. He told them that his stranger is sitting in front of him right now. Of course his massage’s shocking his friends so much. Onew is rushing to the cafe, Key and Jonghyun too.
“Onew hyung,” Jonghyun shouts. They’re in front of the cafe now, catching their breath after a long and tiring race. “Have you read his message?”
“Yes, that’s why I’m here. Come on, let’s get in.” Onew opens the door and stops in abrupt. His action causing the other two crashes his back.
“Ouch, Onew hyung. Don’t stop in a sudden like that. You know you-“ Key doesn’t finish his words because Onew isn’t paying attention on him. Key’s following Onew’s eyes and staring at two people who are sitting in their usual table. He knows it must be Minho and his stranger.
“I think we can see the old Minho again from now.” Onew says.
“What did you mean hyung?”
“Do you know the boy who’s sitting with Minho right now? He is Lee Taemin, my cousin.”
“Well, I’ve never believe in destiny and such a thing like that. But today, I do believe.” Jonghyun’s staring at the couple.
“I thought we’ve already found the reason why your cousin moving to Seoul, hyung.” Key smirks.
A/N: So, which one do you like most? ^^
Author: minhosims
Rating: G
Pairing: 2min
Summary: Minho is a college student in Seoul who has an amazing skills on writing. He has his own column on a well-known newspaper. He hates fanfic so much until he meets a stranger whom changes his mind about fanfic. This stranger gave him only four beautiful days before leaving him. But, will this stranger just be a good memory in Minho’s life? (Sorry, I stuck on summary)
A/N: Well, this is the second version of this story. I edited the first version to join a fanfic competition. Actually, I want to submit the original version for the competition but unfortunately one of the requirements is the story should be about 3rd anniversary so I edited the original version into this one.
24 May 2008
The cafe seems so quite this evening. There are only several customers who talking to each other while enjoying their coffee. This cafe isn’t too large or small. Being decorated so cosy, the cafe has become one of the most wanted places. The cafe has interesting scenery. Through the window, you can see the beautiful park near there. But, the most interesting view right now isn’t the park out there. It’s the four boys in corner of the cafe. Close friends who always spend their evening weekend there.
“Sorry, I’m not going with you tomorrow,” said one of them.
“Yaaah, you can’t skip tomorrow’s schedule hyung! Tomorrow will be my first time to go to movie as a college student. I want all of us come and hang till late,” said a boy next to the first boy.
“Sorry Key, my cousin from Japan is going to come and stay for several days. My mom asked me to take care of him. You guys just go without me.”
“No, Onew hyung. We can wait until your cousin back to Japan. It won’t be fun if it’s only three of us” said the tallest of them, the most gorgeous one.
“I agree with Minho, we can go after you’ve finished your business with your cousin,” said the blonde one.
Their decision made Key very upset since he was the most excited on their going-to-the-movie plan. But it wasn’t last long, he laughed soon after Onew started his sangtae.
“Minho, are you going to continue working at the newspaper this year?” asked the blonde one.
“Yeah, and I have a good news. I won’t be a temporary writer anymore. They gave me my own column on their newspaper. They said they love my writing. So, how could I reject such a great opportunity like that? Jonghyun hyung, you already knew how much I want to be a permanent writer on that newspaper.”
“Yeah. What about your college activities? And what about hanging out with us? I guess you wouldn’t have enough time to hang out with us. Have you thought about it?”
“Actually, they gave a little compensation for me. They let me not to come to the office every day because they’ve already knew that I should attend the classes. I just have to come to submit my article. So, I’m free as long as I make no mistakes in my article and submit it on time.” Minho smirks satisfied.
“Yah, do they love your article so much? You must be damn well on writing. Why you always that perfect?” Key shouted at Minho as his envy with his friend’s skill.
“Admit it, Key. I was born to be a perfect.” Minho teases Key and the rest laughing at Key’s reaction.
25 May 2008
Because they’ve been cancelled their plan for today, Minho have no idea about what to do. Key said that he’s going to spend his day on the salon and Jonghyun decided to sleep all day because of his lack sleep lately. So, here Minho is, alone, in the crowded road on the way to their favourite cafe. He wants to spend his time there with his laptop. He hopes he will get some ideas for his article.
He enters the cafe and goes to order his coffee. He sighs when he saw a boy is sitting on their usual corner. Bad luck, maybe he has to pick another seat for today. He decides to sit next to their usual table but an unwanted accident happen before he reached the table. That boy stands up in a sudden and accidentally hit Minho. The accident caused Minho’s hot coffee spilled on the boy’s shirt and paper on the table.
“Aargh,” the boy groans in pain as Minho has expected. The coffee was still very hot when it spilled on him.
“A-are you okay?” Minho asks him in worry.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m okay. Sorry, I didn’t know that you were behind me when I stood up.” The boy is apologizing while cleaning his shirt with tissue papers. He even doesn’t look at Minho. But Minho stares at his face like observing a rare thing. Minho doesn’t know why he suddenly couldn’t let his eyes go of him; his face is too beautiful to be ignored. So, Minho keeps staring at him until the boy tilts his face up to see Minho’s.
“It’s okay. Don’t be sorry. Is it still hurt? My coffee was still very hot when we bumped each other.” Minho voice was hesitant when he spoke to the boy.
“Not too hurt but maybe I should go home to check it.” The boy takes his bag, sighs when he saw his paper wet by the coffee, and leaves it on the table. Minho takes a look on his paper and complains on it. It’s a print-out of Korean Artist Fanfic. Yeah, fanfic, the only thing Minho hate in this world.
26 May 2008
“So, are you going to leave earlier?” Key asks Minho while they’re on the cafeteria for lunch.
“Yeah, I have no class after lunch break. I want to visit a park near our favourite cafe, look for an inspiration to write my article. What about you?”
“I have one more class then I will go to the bookstore with Jonghyun hyung and Onew hyung.”
“Onew hyung? Doesn’t he need to stay at home with his cousin?”
“Yaah, Choi Minho, his cousin won’t be in a trouble just because Onew hyung leave him for awhile.” Key yells at Minho. Key has being more sensitive to Onew hyung’s cousin after they cancelled their plan to go to movie.
“You better hurry now. It’s just twenty minutes before your next class.” Minho warns Key.
Minho walks alone to the park near their favourite cafe. The park is not too crowded this evening. He let his eyes staring the whole area before choose the best place to sit and think about his article. But, something caught his attention. He is looking at a puppy not too far from him. It’s a very cute puppy. Minho turns his head around to look for its owner but he finds no one around him.
“Come on little puppy, are you lost?” he takes the puppy gently and finds a necklace on it. A name Rockie is written on the necklace. “So, you are Rockie, aren’t you? Aigoo, don’t be sad. Let’s found your master first. Where is your master, huh?” he talks to Rockie happily. Rockie is too cute and Minho can’t hold himself not to play with the cute puppy. Minho put Rockie down and follows its way. It has been thirty minutes the cute puppy turning around the park before it finally stops behind a garden chair. Minho sees a boy is sitting there. He must be Rockie master, Minho said to himself.
“Excuse me; I think your dog went too far from you. It’s dangerous to leave-“ Minho stops when the boy turned his face to face him. Minho smiles when he realizes that the boy is the same boy he met in cafe yesterday.
“Hi you, the guy in the cafe!” the boy greets Minho with a wide grin on his beautiful cute face.
“Hi,” Minho replies his greet. Rockie is lying on his master’s lap now, licking his master’s hand. “It's nice to meet you again.” Minho is half staring at the boy’s cute face and at Rockie because he doesn’t want the boy knows that he’s staring at him. “By the way, your dog is so cute. I already fell in love with Rockie.” Stupid statement, Minho scolds himself after saying silly words like that.
“Yeah, that’s why I love him so much. Thanks for protecting Rockie.” A wide awesome smile appears on the boy’s face once again. Minho’s heart drops as he saw the smile.
“Oh, i-it’s okay, never mind. About the last accident, I hope nothing serious happened to your skin. The coffee was, you knew, very hot.”
“It’s absolutely okay. Don’t be guilty.” He smiles again. “What are doing here?”
“I just want to spend my time here, looking for an inspiration for my article. I think this place is good enough to come. May I?” Minho asks a permission to sit next to the boy and the boy moves to give some space for Minho.
“So, you’re a writer too?” the boy asks in excitement.
“Yeah, I’m a writer. You said too, so you’re a writer, aren’t you?”
“If it can be said so,” the boy answers him. “What do you write?”
“I have my own column on a newspaper. I write fact. So, my article is a kind of explanation. It explains an issue and gives facts to the reader about the issue. There’re a lot of hoax issues spread among the reader so I’m interesting on writing something that real. What about you?”
“Well, umm, I write fictions. I love fiction so much.”
“Is there any of your fiction that have been published? Maybe I already knew yours because I have a lot of fiction novel at my house. My brother is kind of fiction freak and sometimes I buy some for him.”
“No, no. I’m not that talented. What kind of publisher that will publish my story? I write Korean Artist Fanfic and post it on my blog.”
Minho’s face stiffs when the boy said that he is a fanfic writer. Minho never expects to meet a fanfic writer because he hates fanfic so much. But, he doesn’t know whether he should hate him or not. A big part of his heart doesn’t want to hate the boy but still he is a fanfic writer.
“A-are you okay? Is there something wrong with my answer?” the boy asks him.
“N-no, nothing. I just never expect to meet a fanfic writer.” He answers awkwardly.
“Aaah, so you’re a fanfic hater, aren’t you? You don’t have to hide it from me because I’m fine if you do.” Silence comes after the boy finished his words. Minho feels like he should starts the conversation again but he’s too late.
“Umm, I think I should go now. My cousin starts to worry me. Bye.” The boy smiles before leaving Minho alone in the park.
“Shit, I didn’t ask his name! You’re an idiot Choi Minho.”
Minho stands up and leaves the park. His conversation with the boy made him lost all his interest on doing an article. He walks back to his house and decides to go to the cafe tonight.
***
“Where are you going?”
“I’m going to hang out with Rockie. Don’t worry hyung, I’ll back at 10 or 11.” The boy is running towards the door, avoiding his anger cousin, and chuckling at his cousin’s expression.
“Yaaah, Lee Taemin. You're dead when you home.” His cousin tries to yell louder. “Yaaah‼ Don’t go over 10 p.m.,” but the boy has already disappeared. “Yaaaah‼”
Taemin is walking happily with a wide grin on his face. Rockie is tailing beside him. The only thing in his mind is staying at the cafe while doing a fanfic for the-guy-in-cafe, that’s the way Taemin called him because he doesn’t know his name and not have a willing to know his name too.
Taemin sits on the corner of the room, on the same table where he met the gorgeous guy. He put some crackers for Rockie and starts writing his fic. And at the same time, Minho is entering the cafe and making an order before his eyes stops at Taemin on his usual table. Smile appearing on his handsome face as he’s walking towards the stranger his stranger.
“Would you share a table with me?” Minho smiles to the beautiful cute face that’s now looking at him with widen eyes. “Why do you look at me with those eyes?”
“Ah, umm,” Taemin mutters because he doesn’t know what to say. He’s too shock when Minho suddenly greets him. “Why are you here?”
“Why? It’s up to me whether I want to be here or not. So, would you mind sharing the table with me?” Minho asks him once again, smiling at his confuse look.
“S-sure,” Minho sits in front of him. He greets Rockie before takes his laptop out and put it on the table.
“Are you going to work on your article?”
“Yes. Why?”
“Good. So, let’s start writing our own.” Taemin smiles before he put his attention back to his laptop. His face turns serious in just a second. Minho is staring at the boy’s face right now, enjoying the figure in front of him. He has been warned himself not too concerned to this boy but he can’t. He finds himself enjoying the boy’s face so much and unreasonably feels comfort whenever he see that face.
“Yaah, why are you staring at me?”
“Uh-huh?” Minho is totally caught up and doesn’t know what to do. “I just shocked on your serious face. I never know that writing a fiction will be so serious. I thought it will be easier.”
“Oh, actually it’s much easier and fun. But, I should finish this story by the day after tomorrow and I’ve just started this evening. So, I need to work fast.”
Taemin put his eyes back to his laptop and his fingers typing on it as fast as he can. Minho smiles at the serious face in front of him, he knows he will never ever able to let his eyes go of him. But he let himself starts to write his article so the boy won’t know that he secretly keeps his eyes on him. This is the first time for Minho having company while writing his article and he surprised to know that writing suddenly feels much easier right now.
27 May 2008
“Minho, did you eat unusual food this morning?” Key asks Minho with such a wondered face.
“What are you talking about? I ate my mom’s cook like usual.”
“Then, did you get a door prize or good news this morning?” Jonghyun turns to ask.
“Is there something wrong with you guys?” Minho looks at his friends when he asked them. He feels a lit bit weird with their questions.
“Yaah. I thought we are the one who suppose to ask that question to you. What’s wrong with you? You keep smiling to no one or nothing and your eyes are off to somewhere in your dreamland.” Key shouts at him.
“N-nothing. I just-“
“Oh gosh, are you in love with someone?” Key’s eyes grow larger on excitement.
“No, I’m not.” His words could lie but not his face. He blushes when he answered and of course, it caught his friend’s attention more.
“Since it was not about falling in love, you don’t have any reason not to tell us. Come on, what’s wrong?” Key asks him and gives him a puppy eyes that Minho knows he can’t resist.
“Okay, I know you will keep asking me all day if don’t. I met a boy in our usual cafe. He sat on our table when I came so I decided to sit on the table next to him. Unfortunately, he stood up and we crashed each other. That accident causing my hot coffee spilled at his shirt and some of his papers on the table. He left me after he said he’s okay and he left his papers too. Do you guys know what those paper about? Korean Artist Fanfic. Then, yesterday when I went to the park near the cafe, I met him again and we fell into a light conversation. He said that he is a fanfic writer and I have no idea how he made a conclusion that I’m a fanfic hater. It’s not ended yet, when the night came, I went to the cafe and coincidentally met him again. We shared table and worked on our laptop. But, last night, for the first time, I felt writing was so much easier. It’s not that I always feel difficult when I write but last night was different. Maybe because we both wrote so I felt like I have a friend who did the same as me.” Minho’s cheek blushes once again, Key makes a frustration face and Jonghyun smirks at him.
“Minho-ah, you didn’t think that it was all coincidence, did you? Come on, you guys met twice a day and you thought it was just coincidence? Aish, I have no idea about you and your mind.” Key yells.
“So, let’s say it was just a coincidence. You and your stranger met in a coincidence and because it was just a coincidence, it won’t be big deals if you won’t meet him again, will you?” Jonghyun pauses. He’s looking on Minho’s face that turned unpleasant at the moment he said about not meeting the stranger again.
“I-I thinks so” Minho replies hesitantly.
“Is he gorgeous?” Minho is about to jump hearing his question.
“Why suddenly you asked that?”
“I just ask whether he is gorgeous or not. I’m a little bit curious with your stranger?”
“Well, umm, he is cute. No, I think he is too innocent and pure or maybe beautiful.” Minho finds he’s not too sure how to describe his stranger perfectly. “Just think about a face. A face when you see it, you can never ever ignore it. He has a cute and sweet smile. And his eyes, he has eyes that anyone can’t resist it.” Minho’s cheek blushes once again and Jonghyun cuts him to make a conclusion.
“Stop it. You met him ‘coincidentally’ yesterday. You said it will be okay if you won’t meet him but did you notice your regretful voice when you said that? Then, you keep smiling in your own world, blushed several times when you talked about the stranger, no wait, I mean your stranger. You are in crush with him. Admit it Minho.” Jonghyun finished his words impatiently.
***
“No, I’m definitely not having a crush or falling in love with him.” Minho says to himself. Lying on his bed, Minho’s pushing his face on his pillow, trying to clear his mind.
“There is one way to proof that it was just a coincidence.” Minho pulls himself from his bed. He is going out of his house and rushing to the cafe right now. If he meets the boy this time, he will absolutely believe that yesterday was not a coincidence. If he doesn’t, it might be coincidence. But, a huge part of Minho’s heart hopes he will meet the boy again.
Minho smiles widely at the moment he enters the cafe. The stranger, no, his stranger is sitting on his usual table, typing on his laptop. No, yesterday wasn’t a coincidence, Minho told himself.
“Working on your fiction again?” The boy turns his shocked face to Minho, but a wide cute smile comes afterwards. He nods to Minho.
“What are you doing here?”
“I feel boring so I come here. Do you mind if I accompany you while you’re writing your fiction?”
“No. Sit down please. It’s nice to have a company while writing a fic.” The boy puts his eyes back to his laptop and continues his work. Minho is staring at him, enjoying the beautiful scene on his own. His cheek blushes every time he thinks that the boy is so cute.
“Why do you write fan fictions?” Minho asks him in sudden.
“Because I love it and I enjoy it.” The boy answers him, eyes never leave the laptop.
“Instead of writing a fan fiction, why don’t you try to write a fiction? I mean a fiction, you know, like novels.”
“I do. I write fictions. If it’s not a fiction, it would not call fan fiction. I’ve told you before, I’m not talented enough to write a novel and I don’t really like writing a novel. Is there anything else you want to ask about fanfic? Just ask me, I’ll give you the best answer.”
“I'm always curious with fan fiction readers. I wonder what is in their mind, wasting time just to read fanfic. Why don’t they read some novels or comics?”
“It’s different. If you read Harry Potter or other novels which have been filmed, you will imagine the actors while reading it. But, if it hasn’t filmed yet, you will make the character on your own imagination but some people found it hard to imagine a face that suits the character. In fanfic, in this case Korean Artist Fanfic, reading a fanfic is like watching a film which the character is your favourite one. And you can do it anytime anywhere because you still can read fanfic from your cell phone, but a film? You can’t. Reading fanfic is very entertaining for those who love fanfic.”
“But still, I hate it. It’s silly.”
“Then, I hope someday if you can’t like it at least you don’t hate it.” Minho is totally amazed at this cute little boy. His eyes never leave the laptop but he answered all his questions with a smile on his face. He even doesn’t hate Minho because he hates fanfic and anything about it. He seems so fine knowing that Minho hates the things he loves so much. He must be a kind-hearted person. And it makes Minho feels guilty to ask more about fanfic, so he sits silently and stares at his favourite face, enjoying the moment with his stranger.
28 May 2008
“Taemin, you can’t go out tonight!”
“Please hyung, I promise it won’t be long. I have something to do before back to Japan.”
“Yah, you haven’t finished packing you stuff yet. My mom will be angry if she knows. Please, don’t make me get her anger anymore or I’ll tell your mom not to allow you to come here anymore.”
“Hyung! That’s so cruel. I promise it won’t be long and I’ll back as soon as I finished my business. I will do packing on myself. Please hyung, I have to go.”
Taemin’s running out of the house, leaving his angry cousin behind. He should meet the guy in the cafe to give his fiction. The fiction he wrote lately is for him. Taemin hopes it will change his mind about fan fiction and he wants to say thanks to him through this story. These days were the most beautiful vacation days he ever had. He wants to thank for his company, his smiles, and anything else about him. To be honest, Taemin feels sad that he has to leave Seoul tomorrow morning, that means he will never see the gorgeous guy who fills his whole mind lately.
***
“Name, I should ask his name. Don’t forget about it again Minho.” Minho is walking to the cafe. He hopes he meets his stranger again tonight. He’s pretty sure about it because yesterday he met him at this time.
Minho smiles when the boy waves at him at the moment he enters the cafe.
“Have you finished your fiction?” Minho asks because the boy doesn’t type on his laptop like usual.
“Yes, I finished it on time.” Taemin smiles at Minho. He keeps staring on Minho until the latter feels a little uncomforted with it.
“Why are you staring at me like that?”
“N-no, nothing,” Taemin’s smiling at him to hide the fact his heart is crying right now. His heart crying because he knows this is the last time he can be with him. This is the last time he can see his face, look at his smile, and even talk to him.
But Minho isn’t an idiot. He knows there is something wrong with his stranger but he doesn’t know what. The boy keeps staring at him with a smile on his lips but a sad glance on his eyes and Minho thinks it shouldn’t be right.
“Oh, I have something for you.” Taemin opens his bag. Minho looks curious and excited at time same time, knowing that his stranger is going to gave him something.
“I hope you will like it,” Taemin gives an envelope to Minho. His smile’s still hanging on his cute face.
“Of course I will like it. But, why did you suddenly give this to me?”
“Hmm, I don’t know. Oh, I have to go now.” Taemin is leaving the cafe in hurry. Minho who’s lost his mind abruptly still stays on his position. Then, an unknown feeling tells him to look for the boy. He’s rushing out and luckily Taemin is not too far. Minho’s running towards him and holding his arm to stop him. Taemin is looking at him with a shocked face. Minho’s catching his breath for awhile before asking his stranger.
“Why did you suddenly leave the cafe earlier? You suppose to be there till 10 or 11 p.m. Is there something wrong?”
“No, nothing’s wrong. I have something to do tonight so I can’t stay any longer at the cafe. Okay, I’m going now.”
“Wait,” Minho’s trying to keep him a little bit longer. Taemin stops and turns to face Minho. He doesn’t know what makes him doing this but he’s hugging Minho tightly right now and Minho is hugging him back in confuse. “Thanks, thanks for these four days.” Taemin whispers on Minho’s ear before pulls himself and leaves Minho behind. This time, he won’t look back. He won’t look at his guy again. Tears are starting to fall from his eyes while he’s walking home.
On the other side, Minho is standing at the place he stopped his stranger, still confuse on what had just happened. But somehow he knows it was not a good thing.
***
Minho is sitting alone on his usual table in his usual cafe. He’s reading a fanfic which written for him from his stranger. At first, he thought that he will stop just at the first page but he was wrong. The story is very alluring; he even wants to read the whole story at once because he is curious with the ending part.
“You said you’re not talented enough?” Minho asks and laughs to no one. “This is more than talented. So, the reason you were busy writing this story was to give it as my goodbye present.”
Minho yells in frustration and buries his face on the table, thinking about his stranger who’s no longer here. At least, he wants to meet him once again, just once again to say thanks. He hasn’t thanked him yet. So, he’s thinking about how to meet his stranger, where does he live and how to find him. Suddenly, an idea jumps into his mind. He smiles brightly when he realizes that there is something he can do for his stranger, another way to say thanks.
24 July 2008
“Please, the story is very alluring and I’m sure it will be a best seller as soon as it published.” Minho begs.
“If it’s yours, I won’t think twice to publish it. I can’t publish something whose the writer is unknown. I’m sorry Minho maybe you will find another publisher for your stranger’s story.”
08 August 2008
“Sorry I can’t. We never publish fan fiction and we will never publish it. How if you change the characters and claim it as yours? I’m sure you will get a lot of attention since your column has become more popular today.”
“Sorry, but I won’t change anything in this story. Thanks for your time. Excuse me.”
17 October 2008
“But this story-“
“No.” The man cuts Minho before he finishes his words.
“Thanks for your time, Sir.”
09 December 2008
“Minho-ah, here you are. Happy birthday.” Minho’s boss suddenly greets him and congrats him for his birthday. Minho who’s in the middle of his way out of the office, stops for awhile and forces himself to smile but he fails.
“Thanks, Sir.”
“Aish, what’s wrong with your face? You’ve been hanging around with such unpleasant face for months. Is there anything in this office that bothers you?” His boss comes closer to him and pats his shoulders. Minho can feel the warm aura of his boss around him. Minho is like a son for his boss and he always takes a good care of Minho.
“Once again, thanks for your attention towards me, Sir. But, there is nothing in the office that bothers me. Don’t worry Sir; your office is as friendly as usual.” Minho knows his boss well; he will keeps asking him until he gets what he wants.
“So, if it isn’t the office, it must be something out there. Minho-ah, you know you can tell me if you want.”
“Sir,” Minho starts hesitantly. “If, if on my birthday, I’m asking you to do something for me, will you do it?” Minho keeps in silence, waiting for his answer in worry.
“Depends on what you’re asking me to do.” His boss gives him a warm smile.
“This.” Minho gives a map to his boss. “Please, I have no more idea about where I should go if you reject this too. Please Sir, I beg you for this.” Tears are falling from Minho’s bug eyes. He really has no more idea about where to go. It seems like he has reached the deadlock.
25 May 2009
“Mr. Choi Minho, this is your first novel, isn’t it?”
“Yes, but once again, it’s not my novel. I did not write it, I just published it. The true writer is someone out there whose name is unknown but I’m sure he is a talented writer.” Minho answers the reporter’s question calmly. It has been a year since the first time they meet each other. Minho never passes a day without thinking about his stranger and today is the most important day for Minho. Today, Minho is launching the story which his stranger gave him. He worked very hard to find a publisher who wants to publish the story as a novel. Now, his hard work is paid.
“Can you tell me about the writer? When did you meet him? How could he give you this story?”
“I met him in this day a year ago. We met in a cafe by accident. The next three days, I met him in the cafe at the certain time. We talked a few and from there I knew that he is a writer. In the fourth day, he gave me this story and left the cafe earlier. He never told me anything about him and I wanted to ask his name but every time I met him, my mind went blank and forgot what I should say. And now, he’s gone and never come to the cafe anymore.”
“What a sad story.” Minho can hear some reporter whispering each other in sympathetic tone.
“Then, is there any reason why you finally published it?”
“Yes, there are some reasons why I published it. First, I want him to know that he is not ‘not-so-talented-to-write-a-novel’. Second, I want the world knows how talented he is even though we don’t know who he is. The last, I want to say thanks to him through this novel. I haven’t thanked him yet but he has gone.” Minho keeps his smiling face in front of the reporters here. But, he and his three friends know that Minho’s heart is crying badly while he’s answering the question about the stranger.
“About the title, is it the original title from the writer?”
“No. When he gave me this story, he left it untitled. So, the reason why I choose this title is because I did this for him, that’s why this novel titled To a Stranger.”
“Last question, if you have to say something for this stranger, what will it be? Well, I’m going to make it as the head news so think about it before answering my question.”
“Okay, first I want to thank you about your plan. If I have to say something, I want to say-” Minho pauses and takes a deep breath. “Hey stranger, I do thank you. Thanks for those four beautiful days. Thanks for giving me this story, you wrote it very well.” Minto stops for awhile. “But, can we meet once again? Just once again, please.”
25 May 2010
“Aish, I want to hit his face and kick his ass. How could he keep having crush to a stranger for two years? Is it normal? Gosh, this is so frustrating. Can’t we do something to him?” Key yells annoyingly.
“We can do one thing for him. It’s letting him like that. Come on Key; just let him do whatever he wants. Try to understand his felling right now.” Jonghyun replies calmly.
“Yaah, Kim Jonghyun! Do you remember what happened to him when we decided to let him do whatever he wants? Firstly, we let him looked for a publisher to publish his stranger’s story. Do you remember how he worked so hard, forgot to feed himself, had less time to sleep just to come to every publishers in Seoul? He lost his weight dramatically and it was freaking me out to see how thin he was. He even contacted the artists to ask whether it was okay if he published a fan fiction about them. Second, on the day he finally launched the story, one year after he met him. Do you remember what he did after launching session ended? He stayed in the cafe with such a blank face till late. Hoped his stranger comes to the cafe that night. And now, it’s exactly two years after their first meet, Minho is standing calmly on that stage, answering the question about this charity event. What a perfect fake face! He is donating all the royalty from his stranger’s story that has become a best seller today. And let’s guess what he will do next! Staying at the cafe again, celebrating their second anniversary sadly all day, hoping his stranger comes to meet him! And you’ll let him do that, won’t you?”
“Key, don’t be too noisy. Okay, I’ll talk to him later but please be quite now.” Onew says to Key. Key does what he asked obediently just because Onew will talk to Minho later.
***
“Minho, let’s go to the movie. It has been a long time we don’t watch a film together.” Onew persuades him when they’re in the cafe.
“No hyung, not today. Sorry.”
“What about going to stadium? I heard your favourite team is having a play today.” Key doesn’t give up. He tries hard to make Minho out of this cafe.
“If you guys here just to persuade me to go somewhere, I tell you give up now. I’ll stay no matter what.”
“Yaaah, Choi Minho! You’ve reached my limit. Yaah, why do you like this? Just forget that damn annoying stranger!”
“Don’t-you-ever-called-him-like-that-again!” Minho sends a death glare to Key. “Go. Leave me alone.”
Jonghyun and Onew sigh in frustration. Jonghyun grabs Key to leave Minho alone in the cafe. Minho feels relieve when his friends leave him. All he wants to do is sitting in the alone, waiting for his stranger. But, tonight, the stranger isn’t coming too.
25 May 2011
“Let’s guess, Minho is having another sad anniversary alone in the cafe today. It has been three years and his stranger has never come yet. I’m pessimistic about it.” Key says in the middle of the lunch with Onew and Jonghyun.
“Me too, I think his stranger will never come again. How if we go somewhere today? I don’t think I can pass this day alone without worrying about Minho.” Jonghyun adds.
“I can’t,” Onew says and gets annoying glare from his two friends. “My cousin from Japan-“
“Again?” Key yells. “Aish, your cousin is so maddening.”
“And the worse is he’s going to live with my family from now. He accepted on Seoul University. I was shocked when I heard the news. I don’t think he prefer to study here rather than in Japan. But, actually he’s not that annoying, it’s my mom who always worries him too much and wants me to take care of him.”
“Just bring him here sometimes. Maybe Key will change his mind after meet your cousin.”
“Yaah, you make me look like a bad person.”
“You will definitely fall for his cuteness. His puppy eyes are the best, no one can resist.”
“Let’s see Onew hyung, how cute your cousin is, till you thought I’ll fall for him.”
“What’s his name?” Jonghyun asks.
“Lee Taemin.”
***
Minho is staying at the cafe like what he always does in their anniversary - if it could be called as anniversary. It has been three years and the stranger is still on his mind. He misses the smile of the cute face so much. He misses his soft voice. He misses everything about him. Minho will never give up waiting for him, even if it will spend all his life time to wait, he will do it.
“Aaargh,” Minho groans in frustration, buries his face on the table until suddenly he hears a voice.
“Hi, the-guy-in-the-cafe! Sorry for coming so long,” Minho lifts his head to face the voice’s owner.
Right now, his stranger is standing next to him with a wide lovely smile. Minho’s staring at him with a shocked face, mouth gaped.
“W-well, is there anything wrong? I’m coming here just to meet you and you seems dislike it-“
The boy can’t finish his word because Minho’s hugging him tightly. He’s hugging Minho back because he misses him like hell for these three years.
“Hey the-guy-in-the-cafe, you have no idea how much I miss you these years.” The boy says to Minho in the middle of his cry. He has no idea since when his tears fell down from his eyes.
“I know. I know you miss me like hell. Just like me.”
“Oh, I’ve almost forget to say something.” The boy pulls himself. He’s staring at Minho’s eyes, “Happy 3rd Anniversary.” He smiles widely and happily
“Do you still remember the date we first meet?” Minho’s eyes grow larger after hearing the boy.
“Do you think I’ll forget the most important day in my life?” The boy smirks.
They continue talking about each other and what they have done for these past three years. Minho sent a message to his friends. He told them that his stranger is sitting in front of him right now. Of course his massage’s shocking his friends so much. Onew is rushing to the cafe, Key and Jonghyun too.
“Onew hyung,” Jonghyun shouts. They’re in front of the cafe now, catching their breath after a long and tiring race. “Have you read his message?”
“Yes, that’s why I’m here. Come on, let’s get in.” Onew opens the door and stops in abrupt. His action causing the other two crashes his back.
“Ouch, Onew hyung. Don’t stop in a sudden like that. You know you-“ Key doesn’t finish his words because Onew isn’t paying attention on him. Key’s following Onew’s eyes and staring at two people who are sitting in their usual table. He knows it must be Minho and his stranger.
“I think we can see the old Minho again from now.” Onew says.
“What did you mean hyung?”
“Do you know the boy who’s sitting with Minho right now? He is Lee Taemin, my cousin.”
“Well, I’ve never believe in destiny and such a thing like that. But today, I do believe.” Jonghyun’s staring at the couple.
“I thought we’ve already found the reason why your cousin moving to Seoul, hyung.” Key smirks.
A/N: So, which one do you like most? ^^