The Elephant Between Us || SKZ

chapter thirteen

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TO GLOAT OVER SOMEONE'S MISFORTUNE

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They thought it would be harder than it actually was. Jeongmin only had to ask Hyunjin where Changbin lived, and the answer came in less than one second. It was just like he was waiting for her to ask him that. It felt weird, but Jeongmin was quicker than a cheetah moving on.

"It's here, Jeongmin." Her brother said, parking the car in front of an old house. "Judging by the Christmas decorations in October, this dude loves Santa." 

She couldn't help but cringe at that. Changbin didn't even have the windows cleaned, not to talk about the completely forgotten garden. Did she really get involved with a guy who probably didn't even know how to brush his teeth? 

Jesus Christ.

"Are you sure this guy had the watch?" He asked, still looking at the house in front of them. 

Jeongmin didn't need to look at his face to know he was just as disgusted as her. She had told him everything along the way there, every part and every detail, and she was definitely not glad to know her brother knew the things she had done with the owner of that house slowly falling apart.

"What did you see in him to even get close...?" He whispered, and she heard.

"The watch." 

He laughed and took off his seatbelt, tapping on her thigh before leaving the car.

"Let's go. I don't wanna stay long around this... place."

Then, she followed right behind him, holding her own body tightly. 

I hate lemons.

In less than two seconds, Jeongin rang the bell and crossed his arms, visibly impatient. In fact, he couldn't believe it when he had to ring that damn thing another time and knock on the door almost at the same time.

"Wait," Jeongmin said, touching his shoulder. "We better stay calm and positive if we want this to work out, okay?"

"All I want is to break the hell of that face." He muttered.

She had no idea he was that pissed off, and that made her automatically regret bringing him. She should have calculated that Jeongin would behave like that. Of course he would, how could she have been so stupid?

Jeongmin was about to tell him to go back when the door suddenly opened.

Changbin could be so impertinent-

"Oh... hi..." It was a female opening the door. A young blonde female, obviously embarrassed as she was just on her way out.

Changbin clearly had a type.

"You might want to do something with your hair, hum?" Jeongmin said as the girl went past her, timid, her cheeks redder than tomatoes. Her brother pinched her arm the moment the female nodded and left the place. "What?"

"You don't need to be rude, sis."

Jeongmin rolled her eyes, taking the opened door as an opportunity to get inside the house. 

It was her who couldn't wait to leave now. Her brother hadn't closed the door yet when she started calling the other male. 

"Changbin? It's me, Jeongmin!"

She visibly had no time to waste. She just behaved as if it were her own space, finding the living room in two seconds and comfortably sitting on the couch in three.

"Get dressed and come downstairs, please!" Jeongmin said, her voice echoing through the entire house as crossed her legs and observed the room. 

It was almost empty and, honestly, the furniture left was probably older than the oldest person alive. It didn't even match, and she didn't need any more information to know that Changbin had been single for a long, long time.

Jeongin took longer to sit by her side. In fact, he stood up again in a few seconds, approaching the dirty window.

"I don't think he's coming down." He commented, looking outside with his arms crossed over his chest. Unlike her, he wasn't comfortable.

"Probably can't find his pants," Jeongmin murmured, rolling her eyes while taking a deep breath. "Changbin!! I'm not leaving without-"

"Hello."

Did that sound like him?

No. Not at all.

Jeongmin gulped the moment she turned to look at the place the voice had come from, finding a male with a towel around his waist and hair wet. Blonde hair. 

Changbin does not have blonde hair.

"I didn't know I was expecting guests, today." The male laughed at his own joke, heading to the kitchen to grab a glass full of water. "Anyone thirsty?"

Jeongmin just looked away from his muscles, finding Jeongin with his eyes stuck on the male's shape, clearly holding on to his rage.

"It's not him." She mouthed to her brother, her eyes widened, confused.

"Who is it?" He mouthed back, and Jeongmin shrugged.

Then, the man entered the living room with the glass still in his fingers, the little light in the room revealing his many freckles.

"Please, take a seat." He told Jeongin, who didn't move an inch. That caused the male to smile and look at her. "You're absolutely gorgeous." He paused. "How may I call you?"

Jeongmin stayed silent as she observed him sitting in front of her, arms stretched across the armsets and legs extended in front. If she was a few inches lower, she'd see things beyond that towel she wasn't sure she was ready to see.

The truth was that he filled the entire room. He didn't even need clothes. His gaze was intense, his words were challenging and his skin emanated some sort of lemon fragrance.

Whoever that male was, Jeongmin couldn't take her eyes away from him anymore.

"Let me guess..." He glanced at Jeongin. "You're Yang Jeongmin, and that person right there is your boyfriend."

She was about to speak when he continued.

"And correct me if I'm wrong here." The male chuckled, continuously smiling. He certainly believed himself to be a genius. "You're here to negotiate something related to a watch." He approached Jeongmin with his torso, pretending to whisper. "Does he know it was stolen?"

His laugh pissed Jeongin off.

"Who are you?" Jeongin asked, uncrossing his arms and taking a step towards them.

"Me?" The male leaned against the couch again. "Lee Felix. Used to own the watch."

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