Talk Nerdy to Me

Chapter 2: A New Problem

Summary:

Chris has a late-night heart-to-heart with Changbin, and discovers that Ra is in more trouble than he thought - and comes across something that might help her out.

Chapter Text

Chris could not sleep. This wasn't new for him, he always had trouble sleeping. But tonight he did actually have an excuse. Ra. What an odd name, that was. He could tell she was foreign - no Korean had those wide green eyes - but he couldn't pinpoint an ethnicity, either. Her English had a soft lilt to it, American but not anywhere specific. Her Korean was smooth - good, if a little stiff and textbook.

He was worried about her. Chris didn't know exactly what to do. He didn't want to intrude on her life more than he already had. Offering to let her spend the night was probably not the wisest decision on his part. Stay didn't know where he lived, obviously, but that didn't mean that he wasn't prone to scandal if they did see her with him.

Chris went out of his bedroom to go use the bathroom, his gaze falling on the sleeping woman. Soft breathing, deep and even. She was quiet even in rest. Almost painfully so. He'd heard her crying earlier, but felt that he would only embarrass her further if he tried to help.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. After using the bathroom, he checked his phone - after midnight. The rain had stopped at last. He turned the phone down on vibrate and sent a text to Changbin.

"Hey," read the text. "I have a problem. You up?"

The phone was still as he walked back into his bedroom and shut the door. When he climbed back into his bed, it buzzed.

"I am now," read Changbin's response, with an annoyed emoji. "What's wrong?"

"TLDR version: I have a girl sleeping on my couch tonight."

The phone was still for longer than Chris wanted to see it. "Are you out of your goddamned mind?"

Chris went to try to explain via text, but then phone started buzzing, Changbin's number flashing over the text app. Chris sighed and answered it.

"I'm going to repeat that," Changbin growled, his voice sleep-rough. "Are you out of you goddamned mind, Christopher Bang Chan?"

Chris winced. Changbin didn't have that tone for no reason, after all. "I fucked up." He whispered back. "But hear me out before you go reaming me."

Changbin sighed. Chris could picture the younger man lying on his bed, the bridge of his nose pinched between two fingers. "Go ahead."

Chris walked to the farthest corner from the bedroom door, still keeping his voice hushed. "I was running down to the convenience store when I saw her run into an alley. Two men were following her. One was armed."

Changbin was silent. Chris heard a whoosh of breath run out of the other man. "Fuck me. Armed, Chris? You went in white knighting some random girl from two armed men?"

"He had a bat," Chris said. "I just. Told them the leave her alone. One of them came at me, and she threw mud at the other. We bolted. They know where she lives, mate."

"Surely she recognized you?"

"Naur," Chris said, lapsing into Australian. "She doesn't know Kpop."

"What about her friends?" Changbin insisted. "Surely she could have crashed somewhere else for a few days while the police look into this?"

"She only moved here a month ago, from the US," Chris said. "No friends. Or family. She was teaching English out of her apartment."

Changbin whistled. "Damn. She's brave."