Not my best work tbh, or maybe it is good? I don’t know, I am too critical of myself so I am going to be happy with it~~~ I decided it needs a part 2 so that will be coming later~
Summary: A stranger in a small town, a foreigner teaching English in Korea, a routine breaker. In a town where everyone has a set schedule and takes no risks, not a spontaneous soul in sight, you find yourself teaching English to the students who live there. One day, almost dying of boredom, you run into a man you’ve never seen in this small town before. There is something about him that excites you, but you can’t put your finger on it. His energy seems wild and fun compared to all of the polite, but bland people you usually see. What is he like and why is he here?
You lived in a small town that nobody really spoke of nor asked about in South Korea. A job teaching English to students was offered to you and you figured it would be a great opportunity to learn a new culture and to help you better your Korean speaking skills, so you eagerly accepted the job. Only three months have passed but you could safely say you already knew every person in that town’s name due to how small and personal it was. Everybody seemed to have a set schedule and more often than not, nobody broke away from that schedule unless absolutely necessary. Your neighbors watered their lawn every morning, left the house for work, returned and went for a walk with their German Shepherd, returned home and watched TV and then went to sleep only to repeat it the next day. This routine was getting pretty stale to you, nobody seemed to want to do anything spontaneous or crazy, “a waste of time” they would say. This place was boring but hey, it pays the bills.
On a painfully typical Saturday morning you decided to hit the gym rather early, a change in your own routine because you refused to fall into a pattern like every other person, damn it. A soft sigh slipped past your lips as you walked to the local gym, only a 7 minute walk from your house. Why does it have to be so cold? you pout inwardly. Fall was beautiful but it definitely wasn’t your style. With your dramatically over sized winter coat wrapped tightly around you, you quickly approached the gym doors and pulled them open, stepping inside.
Well, there isn’t a heater in here apparently, but it is certainly much better than out there. The gym was fairly empty, probably due to the fact that it was only six in the morning. Removing your jacket, you walked straight to the treadmill to do a short warm up before you really started your work out.
About three minutes into your warm up, you finally woke up enough to acknowledge your surroundings and spotted a man in front of the treadmills by the window. He was doing push-ups and was facing you, but for the life of you, you couldn’t recall seeing him there when you first got on.
As if feeling your eyes on him, his own looked up and met yours, a polite but big smile spreading across his handsome face. You immediately felt your heart clench in your chest but naively questioned why. For a moment you forgot where you were before realizing it was probably uncomfortable for him to just be gawked at, so you snapped out of your daze and returned his bright smile with one of your own.
With a nod of his head, he looked back down to the floor, hooded eyes only enhancing his attractive features.
Who is this? I thought I knew everybody in this town... I’ve never seen him around before. Too shy to say anything, you left him to his workout so that you could start your own.
The sun peaked through your curtains and coincidentally, directly into your sleeping face. With a groan of disapproval you slowly turned over onto your stomach and gripped your pillow, pulling it over your head. Unfortunately, only five minutes passed before your alarm went off. You always set it to make sure you could be a functioning member of society, but truthfully you deeply regretted it every single Sunday.
Rolling over a couple of times, half of your body hung out of the bed as you slapped the off switch on your alarm, another groan shortly following the action. Breakfast would probably be the prime choice in this situation, you sighed.
A plate of golden-brown pancakes sat on the table in front of you, which you slaved over all morning when you could have just made cereal. A craving is a craving though, and it was worth it. As you forked the soft heavenly bread into your mouth, your mind couldn’t help but to drift back to the stranger you saw in the gym the other day. How come I’ve never seen him before? This town is too small. Is he a visitor? Will I see him again?
After breakfast you got dressed in an over-sized peach-toned sweater and some white leggings, matched with your favorite white boots and headed outside. There wasn’t really a plan, but hey, fake it until you make it, right?
A couple of minutes passed of just wandering the streets for a while until you decided to go to the school and organize your classroom before Monday. You couldn’t really think of anything better to do, and getting ahead is always a great idea.
The doors opened with a slight squeak as you entered the building and made your way down the hall, though as you approached the music room, you paused. Is that... singing? Your brows furrowed in confusion as you proceeded to the door to listen a bit closer. It is a Sunday. Nobody should be here. You took the hardest object you could find in your purse out, as if it was any sort of threat to whoever was in that door.
Once your hand touched the knob, you couldn’t help but freeze again. It was a male voice, singing a song you felt you’ve heard before. You could make out the word “universe” but that was it. His vocals were smooth and soft, absolutely beautiful. You felt moved, with no clue why.
After a moment of hesitation, you yanked the door open, ready to yell at whoever was there, but you were stopped dead in your tracks when you were met face to face with the same stranger you saw at the gym the other day.
The man almost jumped out of his shoes at the sudden burst of the door slamming open, letting out a cute yelp.
“What are you doing in the school music room?! Don’t you know it is Sunday? How did you even get in here?” You grilled him, the flashlight in your hand raised threateningly.
“YAH, hold on a moment, don’t be so hasty!” The male responded in a panicked voice, quickly following it up with a softer tone. “I uh... I am a singer. They let me use the music room to practice, since the town is too small to have a studio” he explained.
Slowly lowering the flashlight, you eye’d the handsome man suspiciously. “A singer?... Do you live here? I’ve never seen you around.” He let a sigh of relief slip at your relaxing stance. “No, I came here for a quiet place to practice during down time.” Hi eyes widened, a realization hitting him, “I haven’t even introduced myself! My name is Junmyeon. I am sorry I startled you, though I think you startled me more.” He laughed at this, the beautiful sound causing butterflies in your stomach.
With a shy bow, you let your suspicions rest and smiled at Junmyeon. He did seem to be genuine, and from what you could gather, polite and kind. “I am sorry for almost killing you with my flashlight, I’m y/n” you replied with a soft chuckle. This only seemed to make Junmyeon brighten up more, his laugh ringing through the small music room and his eyes crinkling in the most beautiful eye-smile you had ever had the fortune of witnessing.
“Wow...” you muttered, unfortunately, out loud.
This received both a raised brow and a knowing, but soft, smirk from Junmyeon. “Yes, I know. I am pretty handsome.” he teased, obviously playing around with you.
Deciding to return his playful nature, you scoffed at his words. “Is that what you think I was thinking? You wish.” You rolled your eyes with a smile. “I was saying wow as in, wow, you really locked yourself up in a school music room on a Sunday. Don’t you have something better you could be doing?” you teased.
Now it was his turn to arch a brow. “What would you prefer I be doing? going out to lunch with you?”
You scoffed once more at the nerve of this handsome man in front of you, teasing you like that. That wasn’t very nice.
“... Well? Are you hungry?” He prodded, waiting for an actual answer.
... Wait, is he serious? Your face must have been one of confusion because he chuckled before continuing, “Come on, do I have to beg? At least give me an answer! I don’t want to go back to my dorm and have to tell my friends I was turned down in the music room of a school building.”
You couldn’t help but laugh at this, finally snapping out of your trance. “Sorry, I was just caught off guard,” you felt your cheeks warming up at this. Great, now you were blushing in front of this already cocky man. He didn’t need his ego boosted even more!
“Okay, I will go to lunch with you,” before he could make another teasing remark, you quickly followed up, “But only because I am curious.”
“Curious? About what?” He tilted his head, a confused expression on his face that looked way too cute to belong there.
“Curious to know what a man who works out one day, and then sings like an angel the next, is like.” You smiled softly at him. It may go to his head, but he deserves to know how his voice makes you feel.
His smile lit up the room once more, this time a genuine one, and his laugh once again filled your tummy with fluttering butterflies.
