trouble ¦ lee jeno (UNDER REWRITING)

ch ; 08

.・。.・゜⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽ 08 ☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅・゜・。.

S

eojin emerged from first period, blinking in the sudden sunlight. A wave in her direction made her smile – Mark, leaning casually against a nearby wall, waited for her after leaving first. He straightened and gave her a quick wave before heading off in the opposite direction.

She turned and made her way towards the elevator, hoping to avoid the usual midday rush. Just as the doors slid open, a hand reached out to hold them. A figure stepped in, and Seojin's breath hitched in her throat.

It was him. The guy from the canteen, the one with the unfortunate shoe incident. Her stomach lurched, and she scooted instinctively towards the corner, hoping he wouldn't recognize her.

Thankfully, he seemed oblivious, his gaze fixed straight ahead as he pressed a button for a higher floor. Relief washed over her, but it was short-lived.

With a sudden jolt, the elevator lurched to a halt. The lights flickered and died, plunging them into darkness.

A choked gasp escaped Seojin's lips. Trapped. The word echoed in her mind, dredging up childhood fears of enclosed spaces. Her heart hammered against her ribs.

Across from her, a muttered curse broke the silence. A faint outline materialized as the man turned, a flicker of surprise crossing his features when he saw her.

"Are we... stuck?" she managed to ask, her voice barely a whisper.

"Seems like it," he replied curtly.

Panic threatened to bubble up. Seojin sank to the floor, her breath coming in shallow gasps. She'd always hated elevators, always imagined this exact scenario. Now, here she was, trapped with a complete stranger.

The man clicked the emergency button repeatedly, his frustration evident. Silence descended again, broken only by the shallow rasp of Seojin's breathing.

He stopped pushing the button and turned to her. Their eyes met for a brief moment before he looked away, leaning nonchalantly against the wall. A glance in her direction revealed the telltale tremor in her hands.

He sighed, a sound of resignation more than anything. He fumbled in his pockets, pulling out his phone. No signal. With a muttered curse, he shoved it back in.

He stared at the blank wall opposite him, trying to ignore the girl in the corner. The sound of her ragged breaths filled his ears, a constant reminder of their predicament. He stole another glance. Her head was hung low, her fingers nervously picking at her bag.

He couldn't help himself. He cleared his throat. "Help is coming," he offered, his voice gruff.

Seojin didn't respond. He took a step closer, concern warring with his annoyance. Kneeling down, he placed a hand on her chin, gently tilting her head up. Her eyes, wide and glistening with fear, met his.

"I... throw up," she mumbled, her voice thick with panic.

Jeno's eyes widened. Memories of last Friday night flooded back, bringing a wave of nausea. He cursed under his breath, "Fucking hell."

This couldn't be happening.

He rummaged through his duffel bag, his fingers brushing against the dreaded shoe bag. He closed his eyes, hating the situation, hating the fact that he somehow always ended up sacrificing something for this girl he barely knew.

He grabbed the empty shoe bag and shoved it towards her. "Vomit. Inside."

Her confusion was evident, but desperation fueled her actions. She grabbed the bag as a wave of nausea washed over her. Jeno instinctively reached out, his hand finding a handful of her hair to keep it away from her face. He winced as she emptied her stomach into the bag, his own stomach churning in unwanted sympathy.