solace - NCT PARK JISUNG

CHAPTER VI

PARK JISUNG

"Did you enjoy the movie?" I ask her as we walk. I try not to think about what she thinks of me after seeing me ball my eyes out over Winnie the Pooh.

She nods. "I loved the show as a child. It made me feel very nostalgic," she says with a small smile. She purses her lips and I can tell she wants to say more.

"What?"

She glances at me hesitantly. "Just....didn't peg you for the emotional type." We step out of the building. "Not that it's a bad thing!" she adds quickly. "I mean, not that I had already assumed you were a certain kind of person. I guess you gave off a different image? That was my..pre-judgement? Not that that's something I do consciously..."

I start laughing and she turns red. "It's fine. I think most people who don't know me that well will be just as shocked if they find out I cry because of these types of things."

"Yeah, I wonder what Jisung's fans will think when they realize he's actually all soft," Chenle teases. We have arrived at the bus stop.

I glare at him. "I don't have fans."

"Yeah right, you have a whole fan club at the dance academy!" Renjun objects.

"It's because I hang out with you guys," I point out. Girls go crazy over Jeno and Jaemin especially. "I think I'd be invisible if I stuck to myself... What?" I ask when I see Jiwoo looking at me skeptically. All heads turn toward her and she shrinks.

"See, even Jiwoo doesn't think so," Chenle says.

I roll my eyes. "Let's just go please," I say, giving up. The boys laugh and continue to tease me as we board the bus.

--

Even if Jiwoo doesn't say much, I get the feeling that she doesn't despise our company. She watches us with amused eyes when we start joking around. Every once in a while the look in her eyes goes down all the way to the corners of her mouth that turn up ever so slightly.

While walking toward Chenle's house, Renjun lags behind so he can chat with her. She looks extremely shy, but I see her make an effort.

"She looks like she's enjoying," Chenle whispers to me.

"Yeah," I sigh with relief, glad that he thinks so as well.

"By the way, do you know where she lives? You seem to have conversations outside of school. Or did you finally get her number?" he asks curiously.

"Oh, she lives 3 blocks away," I tell him.

His mouth forms an 'O'. "Does she live alone? Or does her brother stay with her?"

"He doesn't live with her; she lives alone. It's a really big house as well, I can imagine it gets lonely."

Chenle's house finally comes into sight and like we usually do, we start racing toward it, leaving Renjun and Jiwoo in the dust. Being so immersed in their conversation, they don't even glance our way. We leave them be and enter the house.

--

Chenle, Jaemin, and Renjun cook lunch while Jeno and I go to use Chenle's game console. When I see Jiwoo standing by the door awkwardly, I motion for her to follow us and she hurriedly does so. "Do you play video games?" I ask as we go up the stairs.

"Before," she says. "I used to play with my brother a lot, not as much now."

I lead her into Chenle's room. It's very spacious because the area is big and he doesn't have much stuff. The largest items are his queen-sized bed, the sofa at its foot, a piano at the corner of the room, and a desk at the other.