Watching Over You • Nomin

eleven

Jeno was arranging unordered books on the shelf before his shift was over when  Jiya walked over to him.  He looked at her and went back to looking back at what he was doing. Jiya was looking at him and was smiling. 

“What is it?” Jeno asked and looked at her. 

“I just don't understand you,” she began with a smile not wearing off her face. “I don't know what I would be without you...” she sighed to which Jeno just smiled back. 

“You decided to work here?” Jeno asked a few minutes later when he was done with the work. 

Jiya hummed. “For you,” she said and giggled. Jeno rolled his eyes. 

“Yeah, sure. Admit it, you're broke.”

Jiya laughed. “Hmm… I'm not. I'm here for you, really,” she said. 

“Yeah, fine. Whatever,” Jeno said and tried to walk away. But Jiya didn't bulge. She looked down and played with her shirt. 

“What?” 

Jiya kept quiet and still looked down. “Actually-” she began but immediately got cut off by Jeno. 

“Jaemin-ah,” he called out when Jaemin walked into the store and gave him a million-dollar smile. “Cya later, Jiya. Gotta go.” 

------

For the next few days, Jeno thought things were going easy. He was finding answers for his problems in his subjects, and it seemed like life was going smoothly. Jaemin's dishes tasted divine and their quality time was worth remembering forever. Times when they called it a day and ended up doing nothing on their porch but looking at the vast night sky felt like therapy. That part of the day was the only thing he remembered the most besides his lectures. 

Jiya was acting completely different from what he had known about her for months. He didn't understand if she was acting shy around him or just decided to keep her head down and shut her mouth contemplating what to talk about whenever he met her. But that didn't stop her from flirting with him. 

The moments when Jiya's face became red whenever he initiated a conversation or when their hands touched a little completely went unnoticed by him.

“Why can't you spend time with me this weekend? You're always with that Jaemin guy. Isn't it annoying when he's being too sweet?” Jiya asked after their English class. 

“Wow,” Jeno was dumbfounded. “No, he isn't annoying. Ugh, I just don't understand why you hate him.”

“Why not?! He's always in your personal space. How are you so dumb to not realize that he isn't giving you enough space?” 

Jeno raised his eyebrows and chuckled. “I don't know what you're talking about. I like him in my personal space if I'm being honest. And we are-”

“Really? I kinda feel like he's using you, nobody acts that sweet for no reason at all.” 

Jeno chuckled in disbelief. “What are you talking about?” 

“You don't understand… I do. I've seen people like him, sugarcoating their demonic personalities and acting as if you're the world to them. My uncle tells me stories of such creepers all the time!” 

Jeno nodded, fighting back another chuckle, “If he turns out to be one, I'm informing you first, alright?” he said, sarcastically. “I'll catch you later.”

“Hanging out with that boring sugarpie again? I'm sure he would leave you one day and then don't say I didn't warn you.” 

“You're insufferable,” Jeno retorted with disgust.