solace - NCT PARK JISUNG

CHAPTER III

JUNG JIWOO

"Have you made any friends?" my brother asks. I would like to say he looks hopeful, but really he's just asking in case. For the first time, this irks me.

"Yeah," I say before sipping on the cool drink, averting my gaze and looking anywhere around the cafe except his eyes.

The silence tells me he's shocked. It lasts for too long though.

I look back at him slowly. I know that face. It's that face I wear whenever I tell myself I'm getting better.

"I'm not lying!" I lie.

He laughs. "Okay, I believe you. What is her name?" He sucks his straw pointlessly; his drink is finished.

He doesn't believe me. I clench my jaw. "Their names are Jisung, Chenle, Renjun, uh Jaemin and Jeno." Stop talking.

He stops playing around and places down his glass. "You made 5 new friends in a week?"

Oh who the hell am I kidding? He'll see right through me!

"Yep, I did." Stop. Stop stop stop.

He stares at me for a few moments then smiles, genuinely. He's trying to, no, he wants to believe it. "That's...that's great Jiwoo," he says sincerely. "But why do they all sound like guys?"

Jaemin, Renjun, and Jeno are guys, right? "What's wrong with that?"

He shrugs. "Just didn't think that the first friends you'd make in the last tw- in high school," he corrects himself "--were gonna be guys, that's all. Nothing wrong with it really."

I nod and take another sip from my glass.

"But...can I meet them?"

--

"IDIOT IDIOT IDIOT!!!" I groan while grabbing at my hair in frustration. I practically estranged myself from my group mates and now I need to introduce them, and 3 of their friends, to my twin brother on Sunday.

He's giving me time to reconsider and come clean.

Just tell him now, it'll be over quicker. He's probably waiting for your call anyway.

With a sigh, I reach for my phone. I hover over the call button, hesitating, even if I already know that the longer I wait the more humiliating it will be.

Ding dong.

I barely hear it over the sound from my earphones, but nonetheless, I do. I take one earphone off, thinking maybe I heard wrong. It's 8 pm. No one ever comes here at this time. No one comes here at all.

Ding dong.

I stand up abruptly, my heart rate increasing with every passing second. I take off my earphones completely and place my phone on my desk.

Ding dong.

I bite my lip and force myself out. I walk through the dark house, unbothered by the eeriness since all I can hear is my heart beating loudly.

I tiptoe to the front door. I look around and see a cane hanging. I take it off the hook carefully and take a deep breath before checking the peephole.

"What?" I breathe out. I pull the door open and frown up at my seat mate. He looks just as shocked as I am.

He looks different now that he isn't in his uniform. He looks...

"Oh...uh, Jiwoo. Hey," he says awkwardly, making me cringe. I watch as he shivers from the cold, pulling his jacket closer. I notice his shoes and the absence of his socks. What is this guy doing here?