LITTLE ONES || NA JAEMIN

*CHAPTER 37

Jaemin, Jeno, and Mark sat knee-deep in silence, the only sound being the ticking of the clock marking seconds. Each passing moment led to the next, yet no one blinked, let alone utter a word.

Tension swirled in the room, the air so brittle that it could snap with one click. Jaemin let out a slow breath, pinching the bridge of his nose. He straightened up, letting the question roll out of his lips.

"What happened?"

"I..." Jeno trailed off, taking a moment to organize his mind. An exasperated sigh escaped his lips, and he cleared his throat in an attempt to sort his jumbled thoughts. "I honestly don't know what happened."

Small wrinkles appeared on his forehead as Jaemin frowned, making him look way older than he really was. "What do you mean?"

A groan escaped his lips, and Jeno fell back against the couch, massaging his temples. "When I reached the cafe, Jinhee was already yelling at Jia. Then in a flash, Jia was covered in coffee."

Jaemin clenched his fist, knuckles turning pale. As he let the words sink in, he couldn't help but feel bitter. Mixed emotions filled his mind at once- anger, sadness, pain. But guilt soon outweighed all others- the guilt of dragging Jia into his family matters.

An aggravated breath rolled out of his lips, and he leaned back against the couch, trying to loosen his tensed muscle. The knot in his stomach grew bigger, churning his guts in random directions.

A soft cough made Jaemin look at the invader only to find Mark's worried orbs bearing straight at his.

"I'm okay, Hyung." Jaemin immediately answered- a small smile etched on his lips, and Mark nodded, smiling back at the younger.

Chenle barged into the room, stumbling on his feet as he reached for the bubble tea left unattended on the table. A contented hum rolled out of his lips as he let the cool beverage slip through his throat.

"What?" Chenle drew his brows together, confused at the judging stares thrown at him by Mark and Jeno. He frowned so hard that little lines appeared on his forehead, deepening every second as he let his brain work out.

"Ohh!" A high-pitched laugh rolled out of his lips, his eyes soon sparkling as his brain connected the dots. "Noona is asleep. Hyung, you should check up on her."

"I will," Jaemin chuckled as he ruffled Chenle's hair. His heavy heart relaxed a little at the presence of his friends, the situation a little more bearable.

"We'll get going then." Jeno got up and looked over at Jaemin with a smile. "Take care, okay."

"Yep. Will do," Jaemin replied, watching them leave.

━━━━

Jaemin's heavy steps echoed through the house, coming to a stop when he reached his room. Knocking a couple of times, he opened the wooden door, only to find Jia sleeping peacefully on his bed. A soft smile appeared on his face as he laid down next to her, joining her on the bed.

Jia abruptly turned around, snaking her hands around his torso as she mollified at his presence. Scooting closer, she pressed her head against his chest, taking in his calming scent.

"You're still awake," Jaemin whispered, wrapping his arms around her shoulders as he pulled her closer. He closed his eyes, resting his chin over her head.

"Can't sleep," Jia mumbled, snuggling closer.

Jaemin's arms tightened a fraction, and Jia melted into his embrace. Her breaths evened out, and her tensed muscles relaxed at his hold, nerves calming down as his well-built arms protectively held onto her.

"Why?" Jaemin's voice softened, his eyes steadily raking the female in concern.

"Jaemin, I'm scared." 

A filler chapter. Sorry it's not much. I've been busy lately. But......

Is wattpad really taking down fanfiction? 🥺