1996 | Y.Jw

| 42 |

The car came to a stop at the clearing of the cliff making me sigh quietly and look up to the front seat, where Sunghoon and Soomin both sat stiffly.

"Listen..." Sunghoon sighed as he turned around in his seat and looked between Jungwon and I, "I see you as a sister," Sunghoon admitted to me, not getting any reaction from Soomin at all, "and... be careful. Please take care of each other."

"If one of us have to go, we'll both go," Jungwon assured quietly, "but if we can avoid it, we will."

"Just get home safely okay?" Soomin murmured quietly, "I've enjoyed finally having a brother around."

Jungwon went silent before just nodding and looking to me. I didn't say anything I just got out of the car and walked ahead towards the cliff. Not long after I could hear another car door slam behind me and the car engine soon starting and disappearing as fast as it had started.

"Ji!" Jungwon called out and I hummed before walking up to one of the big stones and sitting down on it, facing him and the path to the glade, "are you alright?"

"This is just something I have to get over with," I murmured quietly as he walked up to me and sat down beside me on the stone, his thigh flush against my own.

"I'm here with you," he reminded quietly as he took my hand in his.

Without a word he carefully turned my wrist around and looked at the lock of the bracelet I had been wearing for so long. He quietly picked up a nearby stone, just a small one.

I only watched as he quietly worked the stone into the lock of the bracelet, making it tighten slightly around my wrist before a small clicked out. Hesitantely he grabbed onto the bracelet and pulled it apart, letting my wrist go of its grasp.

"There," he murmured quietly before running a thumb over my wrist, where the bracelet had left a few marks. I didn't see what he did with the bracelet, but I suppose he had shoved it into his pocket, "much better."

"Why did you do that?" I quietly questioned and he simply smiled at me.

"It was a small burden, wasn't it?" he questioned quietly, "besides, I had noticed it getting tighter around your wrist... it was nice for a change," he excused softly, "seeing you finally gain some weight."

"Soomin used to say gaining weight was bad," I muttered in confusion.

"I don't think so," Jungwon whispered with a small shake of the head, "I like seeing you gain. Means you eat enough. Makes me calm..."

Landing on the ground in front of us, was a fun white airy blob. I smiled slightly at the sight before abruptly looking up at the sky once I realized what was happening.

"The first snow..." Jungwon trailed off, "you got to experience it outside."

"Yeah... I might as well go back before it finishes falling," I hummed quietly.

"Enjoy it," he shook his head, "this is what you dreamed of."

"With Lin and Emi," I shook my head quietly.

"Lin will be in it," he assured softly, "Emi is looking out of a window in the lab, knowing you two are experiencing it."

I smiled slightly as I looked towards the sky, waiting in anticipation. I knew Jungwon was just there to mainly keep an eye out for me, but I kept feeling like I wouldn't be able to keep both of us safe.

"I will help you when they come," he spoke up, as if he had read my mind, "I know I can't do as cool things as you... but it'll be enough, don't you think?"

I only hummed in return, mainly because I didn't get to answer properly before I heard fast footsteps somewhere nearby. It seemed like Jungwon heard them too, by how he tensed up.