✓ SIX THIRTY ━ johnny suh

. . . . chapter twenty-four.

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SONG OF THE DAY :
slow dancing in a burning
room - john mayer

. . . . . .

CW : mentions of body image issues

[ the next few chapters are just johnchia chilling inside the unit for weeks ? ]

during a very quiet 3am, youngho did not expect chia to be rolled on the bathroom floor's corner, noticeably drunk. she resembled a ghost : her lips were pale and chapped while her eyes showed no emotion. the fresh wetness on her cheeks indicated that she had been crying.

he jumped the moment he opened the lights and saw her accompanied by empty bottles of soju. kneeled right away to serve as a helping hand too.

"are you okay?"

she sniffed. "that's such a dumb question. do you expect me to say no? i'd look like an attention-seeking bitch if i said no. i'd also look like an attention-seeking bitch if i lied and said yes. it's like- it's like you're setting me up to appear as an attention-seeking bitch."

her state of vulnerability was pitiful. her hiccuping in between sentences, her dependency on soju sips, her lip fidgeting, her blank yet sore eyes, and everything else. all of it made out a painful sight.

way different than how she appeared on normal days.

"what happened?"

it wasn't hard to squeeze the answer out of her at all. it was as if she longed for that question.

"the girls from my ballet class earlier," she shakily answered, "the ones 12 years younger than me. they- they just- they said i should just quit! they bully me all the time for being a hag and i didn't care or maybe i acted like i didn't, but now i- it- fuck."

"they said i weigh too much for ballet. and you know the worst thing? they're right! they're- i've gained fifteen pounds in one week. fifteen pounds, dude! other people pull it off, but me i . . . only ever look great when i'm thin.

"who's gonna swipe right for me on bumble now that this happened? who's gonna like me? i- i just fuck around nowadays but i wanna have a someone too, but how am i gonna get that when i look so fucking . . . haggard. ugly."

"me," youngho said so nonchalantly.

"what?"

"what?"

they acted as if nothing happened after, her going on with her ranting as he went on with his listening.

"i wanna hit a cig too! fucking shit," chia continued, tears still streaming. "it kept me skinny after all, right? and my mouth feels so dry without it. a-and i even cry myself to sleep every night thinking of it. it's killing me! why is life so hard?"

"i don't believe in anything you've said. i think you're the best. in everything. definitely not someone a 13 year old's bitchiness can break," he said (a poor attempt of comforting. but give him a break, he's been fed up with case studies), "and do you want me to go buy you a pack right now? we can call the bet off if it's that draining for you."

"no i- i'm a big girl now i can handle . . . urges. i can even handle this i don't know why i was crying in the first place," chia said, wiping her tear evidences.

in a split second, she already appeared fine.

"big girl? okay then." he stood up, extending his arms for her to assist herself on. "let's get up, big girl!"

she frowned. "i can't feel my legs though."

within minutes, she spread her arms. he was aware of what that signal was, but still did not get to it right away.

"you sure?"

"do it. i don't like waiting."

gently, he carried her in his arms with her own arms slung on his shoulders (bridal style, basically). on the way to her bed, she kept whispering drowsy nothings. he did not understand any of them, so he just chuckled when it happened.

"sweet dreams, chia."

"sweet dreams too, youngho-ah."

the drowsy greet made him, who had already closed her room's door, stop walking. the man was absolutely stunned. an indescribable smile crept up his lips.

"youngho-ah? youngho-ah. wow. damn. 'youngho-ah'. oh my god."

soon enough, he found himself repeating that mere word which got him head over heels until he fell asleep smiling.

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