ethereal | park jimin | ✓

chapter 6 finally, she eats

When I said I wanted to sit down with him, I didn't realize it included him, his two nurses, and my nurse. A knot of awkwardness tightens in the pit of my stomach as the nurses stare at us.

Jimin isn't helping our situation either. He hasn't stopped staring at me since we came to the table. It's as if he expects I'll vanish before his eyes in some cruel magic trick. His tension is making his nurses nervous, which makes Namjoon worried, and makes me feel uncomfortable and slightly irritated.

I understand why the nurses are here, but it doesn't stop me from wishing they would leave. Namjoon can stay but the others are acting as if Jimin would attack or try to run away. It's only making things worse.

I take a steadying breath, trying to ease my frustration and focus on the warm waffle sitting before me. My stomach growls, pleading to eat something. This will be my first meal since yesterday morning, and even that's a strength. One bagel doesn't count as a full meal.

Oh screw this, I'm so hungry. Even with the awkward atmosphere, I can't stop myself from digging into my meal.

I open a small packet of syrup and pour it over the crisp, golden waffle. I try cutting my waffle with a plastic fork but that fails miserably. I use the fork to tear off pieces instead, and finally dig in. I enjoy every bite of the heavenly waffle. Well, maybe it isn't heavenly but it certainly feels like it.

I start wolfing it down, temporarily distracted from the scene, and finish my waffle in record time. I move onto my massive chocolate chip muffin but pause when I realize Jimin is still staring at me. He hasn't touched his food.

I lower my muffin from my mouth. "Are you going to eat?"

Jimin's expression turns sour as he looks over his plate. "Eat what?" he asks bluntly.

His plate is literally filled with every food from the buffet table.

I raise an eyebrow and point at his eggs with my muffin hand. "That. Do you not like this type of food?" Do hybrids eat a different type of food? I know I've seen them at the store before, but he was once human, right?

Jimin sits back in his wheelchair and eyes the food. Then he turns his head away and shoots his nurses a withering glare. "I'm not eating their food."

I take a slow bite of my muffin, watching him carefully. Does he think they poisoned the food?

Then it hits me.

Of course he thinks they did. He was experimented on to become a hybrid. Nobody in their right of mind would trust doctors and nurses after going through such a horrible experience.

Even so, he must eat something. He looks as if he were starving.

If he refuses their food, maybe he'll trust the food I offer to him?

"Do you like chocolate?" I ask suddenly.

Jimin blinks in surprise. "What?"

I offer my muffin with a kind expression. "You can have mine. I already took a bite, but you can eat around it. You need to eat something."

With a hesitant hand, he takes the muffin from me. I notice his hands are small and soft; his pinkie is adorably tiny. Jimin sniffs the muffin top and takes a cautious bite.

I start on my fruit cup and offer him an encouraging smile. "See? Totally safe."

Jimin nods, lost in thought, and continues eating.

We lapse into silence and eat our food in peace, despite the looming nurses. I watch them through the corner of my eye, mentally wishing for them to leave us alone. There are too many people around to let me talk freely with Jimin. I am not sure how to get us alone.