12:18 am － lee seokmin (f)
the night air was cool and breezy. standing at the bus stop, you held your bag close, bouncing on your heels leisurely as you and seokmin waited for the last bus out of campus. a group study session had kept you in the library a bit longer than you usually lingered after your classes were over. but at least it had given you an excuse to travel with seokmin. you weren’t complaining.
just as you were about to run out of patience, seokmin leaned forward, grinning when the bus came into view. “it’s here,” he announced, stepping back as the vehicle wheezed to a stop before you. the doors flew open and you bounced up the short steps, scanning your card then heading to the back. the last bus was alarmingly vacant- a luxury not guaranteed to the crowded afternoon lot. seokmin followed after you, slipping into the seat right next to yours with a smile. “you look tired,” he observed, placing his backpack in his lap. you agreed with a small smirk, holding your bag the same way. “i’ve had a long day.”
telling as it was, seokmin wasn’t surprised when he glanced over to you, only to notice your eyes sealed shut, temple leaning against the cold glass window. the steady hum of the bus’ wheels on the smooth road had lulled you to sleep. he hadn’t the heart to disturb your peaceful slumber. yet the knot in your brows troubled him. you seemed uncomfortable. perhaps he could make things a little easier on you.
seokmin gently shifted your body from the window, against his shoulder instead. almost immediately, you responded to his warmth and softness, eliciting an admiring chuckle from him. wrapping your arms around his elbow, you snuggled closer to him, unknowingly making his heart flutter. if he had been feeling even an inkling of fatigue before, now, all of it had been tossed out the window, the adrenaline in his body making him hyperaware of the smallest movements on your part.
perhaps one day, if this barrier of platonic friendship between you both was lifted, he could feel less guilty about comforting you. just like that, minutes passed faster than the speed of light. before he knew it, your stop had arrived. reluctantly, seokmin shook you awake, “y/n, we’re here.”
the instant you remembered you were on a bus, you shot awake, forgetting your post-nap disorientation. scooping your back up, you planted a quick but lasting kiss on seokmin’s cheek and waved goodbye to him as you departured from the bus. he sat in stunned silence, touching his cheek in disbelief. the bus groaned to a start, and he looked out the window to see you still waving, until he was finally out of sight.
