FILTHY || J.JK

31| I can fix that

"Hey," having undone my seatbelt, I turn to the girl beside me and undo hers, whispering to not scare her and wake her up suddenly. "We're there."

She shoots open her eyes, the soft tiredness visible in them, "my phone..." She searches for it while I recall that she had put it into the glove compartment. "Is it in here?" I open the box and her phone inside it gets picked up by her, "thank you. I almost forgot."

She whispers in a small voice and opens the door, gets off the car and closes the door. I also do the same to make sure Haerin gets out too, but Cherry already opens the door for her. "Is that your house over there?" I point in the direction of an old apartment, that which was a well-known one back in the olden days; and she reacts to it with a nod. "First floor, that's the window."

She grabs the little one's hand and walks up to me, turning around and pointing at the closed window on the top, a beige-coloured curtain hiding the interior of the room. "Oh."

I simply soak in the information that she gives to me, watching her button up her cardigan, refraining from telling her that I hope she is safe and sound in her house, given the circumstances she's been going through. "Uh...so, thank you for the meal. It was really nice and kind of you, I enjoyed it. Now I'll get into my house," her lips turn up in a delight but her gaze reflects some disappointment, on the other hand, "good night, mister Jeon."

I glimpse down at her gentle face and soft smile, my icy hands warming up once I stuff them into the pocket of my trousers, maybe there's another reason why I'm cold, "no need to thank me. Good night to you too."

She breaks the eye-contact by taking a short glance at Haerin, and her red nose and cheeks worry me about her feeling cold, "make sure you put on some warm clothes." I show her that I care, because I do, "it's starting to get colder." She nods at me, "I will. Don't forget to have some medicine." She reminds me of the cold I have, a sore throat too, and I smile instantly at how she remembered.

"I will. You're coming tomorrow for classes, aren't you?" Not disappointing me, she answers positively, "yes."

The end of the conversation sliding up as we both stay quiet after the last word she spoke, I clear my throat and step back to remove my eyes from hers and let her leave. Noticing that Haerin is also dosing off, leaned on her thigh, she turns around after bowing towards me.

It would be too weird to even think about hugging her before she vanishes from my sight little by little, so I rather just stay where I am and I watch her leave.

Once I am assured of her getting into her apartment safely, I rub my face that's cold and I get in the car to also leave.

Next day

5 AM

My morning starting before me, I sit up and grab the lighter from my nightstand. I put the nicotine stick between my lips and light the butt of it, exhaling out to feel some action in my exhausted and rigid body.

Enjoying some minutes of this, I take my phone to give a call to my son who must be probably doing his homework right now.

"Hey." He picks up the videocall and I grab the blanket closer to my naked chest to hide my body and face, putting my phone up for him to not catch me smoking, "hey, homework's tough tonight? Hah?" I tease him in a rough voice that I can't help soften since I've just woken up. He rises his eyes at the screen, adjusting his camera to scribble into his notebook, "yeah! And don't try to fool me, I can hear you smoking, dad."

He's so smart. I chuckle, finding this weird and funny while I feel ashamed in myself at the same time but I can't let it show around him. He was only joking with me.