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Life, as Mashiho would find out earlier, is just one giant paradox of opportunities and misses. Most things don’t happen all at once, unlike falling in love or meeting the most charming man you’ve met on a busy Friday evening. He was a logical man, one that believes in the sense of order, in making informed decisions, in the comfort of knowing that you are always one step ahead of everything because plans were made and executed.
So when it was raining on a Friday evening rush hour going to his work, with means of getting transport close to nil, it’s normal for Mashiho to feel frustrated. It doesn’t help to know that he’s already late for a business meeting and the high chance of probability that all his well-curated plans are now dissipating. So when a cab finally stopped after hailing one, he immediately sprinted to it, neglecting the droplets of water that fell in his well-ironed suit.
His cold hand grabbed the cab’s door handle, seeking the comfort of the automotive’s clean, dry seats. But just as he was preparing to tell the driver his destination, the other door of the passenger’s seat opened, and another stranger went in.
Their eyes met briefly, and he wondered if they saw each other already because the stranger’s face seems familiar or maybe because they are from the same area.
“Oh! Gosh, I-I didn’t notice another passenger is already inside…it was hard to get a ride, so…” The other trailed off. It amused Mashiho because as much as there was hesitancy in the other’s voice, the said stranger wasn’t budging at all.
Oh, what the hell.
“Where are you going? I know how hard is it to get a taxi today, so maybe if we’re going to the same route, we can share the ride?”
So for someone like Mashiho, who likes some sense of order and values his personal space, this is already throwing caution to the wind.
“Yeouido. The business district.”
What a coincidence.
A tsk was heard, and they both looked at the source of sound at the same time. Their driver was already getting impatient at their exchange, taking longer than usual.
“Same. I’m going there too. Hop in so we could finally get going.” Mashiho said hurriedly, moving slightly to make space for the other.
“Thanks, uh –”
On another day and some other time, Mashiho wouldn’t give his name that easily, but this day has been different; he found himself amused at all the internal rules that he broke in a span of a few minutes.
“Mashiho.”
The other slid in beside him and mumbled his thanks, partnered with an apology for probably intruding his ride. “Kim Junkyu.”
“Huh?” Mashiho said, not hearing the other clearly, his mind already moving to another thought, one that is worried if he can still make it on time despite the traffic and misfortunes that evening.
“That’s my name.” His co-passenger smiled at him, and Mashiho was momentarily charmed at the perfect beaming face of the other. “You may call me Junkyu.”
“Oh…uhm, yeah. Nice to meet you, Junkyu.”
An awkward silence passed between the two of them after that, and Mashiho was never one to initiate conversations, so he decided to glance at his side of the window watching the world unfurls like usual. It was too chaotic outside, and in this own little space, Mashiho found his solace.
A familiar old song played on the cab’s radio, and he heard Junkyu hummed along perfectly, the tone in the other’s voice jubilant as if they were not just stuck in a moving box in traffic.
“I love this song! Do you know this, Mashiho?”
Junkyu started a conversation, like some old friend, and it caught him in a bit of surprise at how some people could just quickly strike a chat with a person they’ve just met.
Mashiho nodded, not knowing how to respond.
“Cool. It used to make me remember about my ex, who should-not-be-named, ” Junkyu suddenly snorts, probably remembering something funny before looking at him and tilting his head, “Ah, I’m oversharing, aren’t I? You’d probably want to be alone. It’s just that, It’s a bad habit of mine to ramble when I get nervous, you know? Which I’m currently doing right now, by the way: rambling.”
Mashiho watched at the corner of his eyes how Junkyu fidgeted in embarrassment before he allowed his lips to form to a tiny smile, opening an invitation for the other to continue the conversation.
And the supposed 20-minute ride turned into a 40 minute one but the two of them were engrossed in the conversation, with Junkyu mainly talking and Mashiho listening.
As minutes passed by, Mashiho would found himself getting more and more enchanted at Junkyu’s personality; the other’s handsome face was merely just a bonus.
He would later found out during their talk that the reason why Junkyu was nervous was that he was meeting his ex, to which Junkyu affirmatively said he has no feelings for him anymore. Junkyu was just anxious at the thought of seeing him again after five years because he used to be his greatest love.
It was actually a wedding rehearsal of his ex he was attending, and Mashiho wanted to question the need for him to be nervous when it apparently ended such a long time ago, and his ex is already getting married.
Closure. Junkyu said. He just needed to prove something about closure, to which he ended up chuckling, with Mashiho not following him at all.
The more Junkyu talk, the more Mashiho became wonderstruck at how they are like two opposing poles of personalities. He was like an enigma to him, one that Mashiho could read and not read simultaneously, and he couldn’t wait to peel each layer one by one if given a chance.
So when Mashiho suddenly became quiet, Junkyu’s eyes peered into him, and he blushed! He never blushed.
Outside their small and temporary world, people and cars still keep on moving from one place to another – still chaotic – like the erratic beating of Mashiho’s heart.
A chance meeting and a chance conversation were all it took for him to develop the beginnings of a slight crush for someone he just met. Again a contradiction of everything that he is.
Just this morning, he was the same Mashiho as he used to be – cold, aloof, and calculating. But now, he’s just an enchanted person with a guy who’s just talking randomly about anything regarding his life.
So in Mashiho’s head, he would think what was it like to know Junkyu in another place and time, one that he could be more casual and charming as the other to the best that he could be.
As their destination nears, Mashiho wanted to ask for his number, but he couldn’t, he is not like that, and his cowardice would probably scream at his mind at this stupidity at 1 AM later in the morning.
Mashiho would be the first to go, so he knew he already lost the opportunity of getting to know Junkyu more when he decided to pay the cab, said his goodbye, and stepped out all in one go.
The cab’s door closed with resounding finality as Mashiho heard the soft thud and looked up at the sparkling night, wishing somehow that he had the courage to at least ask for something that will connect them, not just at that moment, and not just in their names.
This night is sparkling, don't you let it go
I'm wonder struck, blushing all the way home
I'll spend forever wondering if you knew
So with a final act of doing things that are so unlikely Mashiho, he turned around, ran as fast as he could before the traffic light turned green and opened their cab – the little world that they made just for the two of them – and asked:
“Junkyu, can I get your number?”
Mashiho just saw the most beautiful dimpled smile that first enchanted him,
“I thought you’d never ask, Mashiho.”
This is me praying that this was the very first page
Not where the story line ends
My thoughts will echo your name, until I see you again
These are the words I held back, as I was leaving too soon
I was enchanted to meet you