As soon as Jimin got out of bed, he rubbed the sleep from his eyes and checked his phone. A new message from an unknown number caught his attention.
Anonymous:
Hi, morning. Are you Mr. Kim's cutie?
Jimin furrowed his brow, curiosity piqued.
Jimin:
Who are you?
Anonymous:
I'm Mingyu's friend.
“Oh, did you charge your camera battery?” Jimin typed back, a mix of confusion and intrigue swirling in his mind.
Anonymous:
Can I call you?
Before Jimin could reply, his phone began to ring. Startled, he hesitated for a moment but then answered.
Jimin:
Urm, hello?
Anonymous:
Hi, I’m sorry to bother you. I’m more comfortable talking than texting. I hope that’s okay with you.
Jimin’s nerves settled slightly at the warm tone.
Jimin:
Ah, its okay.
“I'm sorry...” they both spoke at the same time, their voices overlapping. Jimin couldn’t help but giggle, the sound clear in Mingyu’s friend’s ear, and he laughed too.
Anonymous:
I’m the one who should apologize for making you wait for me.
Jimin:
I’m sorry too. Mingyu hyung told me to wait for you. But I’m really sleepy, and it’s snowing. My body can’t handle the cold.
Anonymous:
Oh really? You’re just like my brother. He gets sick easily if he’s exposed to cold weather.
Jimin didn’t know why he shared that with Mingyu’s friend, but it seemed to strike a chord.
Jimin:
.......
The line fell silent for a moment, both men lost in their thoughts. Only their soft breaths could be heard over the line.
Anonymous:
What is your name?
Jimin:
.........
Anonymous:
Sorry if that’s too personal.
Jimin:
Ah, yeah...
Anonymous:
I’m Jk.
Jimin:
Jk...
Anonymous:
Yes. Mingyu is the one who gave me that nickname.
Jimin:
Me too! He calls me cutie. He really loves giving everyone new nicknames, doesn’t he?
Jk:
Yes, he does.
Both Jimin and Jk chuckled as they thought about Mingyu, who always seemed to have a quirky nickname ready for anyone he met.
Jk:
So, do I need to call you cutie too?
Jimin:
I guess so...
Anonymous:
I bet you’re cute.
Jimin:
No, I’m not. Urm, Jk...
Anonymous:
Yes?
Jimin:
I’m sorry, but I need to get ready.
Anonymous:
Oh, I’m sorry to interrupt you.
Jimin:
It’s okay.
Anonymous:
Can we meet sometime?
Jimin:
Uh... maybe?
Anonymous:
Okay, when I get to Seoul, I’ll look for you. Sorry for disturbing you. Bye, cutie!
With that, both of them hung up the call. Jimin placed his phone down, bewildered. His heart raced unexpectedly, a flutter of excitement mixed with nerves.
“Oh my god... I’m late!” he exclaimed, scrambling to get ready, the interaction lingering in his mind like a sweet melody.
As he hurried through his morning routine, Jimin couldn’t shake the feeling that this unexpected conversation was just the beginning of something interesting.