The Astronaut || Kim Seokjin ✓

Chapter 15

It's been over a month since Jin landed on Earth. And today, he was about to receive his pay for working at the convenience store.

"Here you go. I added in some extra bonus so you can eat. Look at you all pale." Ms. Lee hit Y/n after handing her the envelope. She smiled back and bowed before walking back to the counter.

Jin was fiddling with his fingers enthusiastically as Ms. Lee approached him with a long envelope. His eyes glimmered excitedly and he forwarded his hand to take the envelope but the lady hid it behind her, glaring at him.

"Jin, patient."

Jin's expressions were saddened and he pouted, eyes moving to Y/n who didn't pay a single attention to them, solely concentrated on the machine and the bills in her hand.

"Since my customers increased drastically because of you. Here's a bonus for you too along with your pay. I never thought I would need two part-timers but if having both of you earns me extra profit then I'm down for it." She said and extended her hand to show him the envelope.

He beamed happily and snatched the envelope, ignoring the glare from Ms. Lee. He tore the seal, wondering why was it even there when it was bound to be opened, and took the fresh money bills out of it.

"Money!" Jin mumbled, eyeing the cash with blue eyes as he smelled the notes, the fragrance of the paper currency entering his nostrils.

"This is your first salary, right?" Ms. Lee asked and he looked at her before nodding. "You worked hard and earned it yourself. Make sure to spend it wisely." Ms. Lee patted his shoulder and walked towards the exit, leaving the store to them.

Jin looked over at Y/n and giggled before putting the money back in the envelope and then stuffing it inside the back pocket of his jeans.

"Butterfly~" he cooed but his smile faltered when he saw Y/n's teeth grinding against each other, lips and fingers trembling, brows joined together in discomfort. "What happened?" He asked, alerted, his voice laced with concern.

She looked at him and smiled, shaking her head. "Nothing." Pursing her lips, she focused back on work. Jin scoffed in annoyance.

Jin's eyes glowed but a hand landed over his eyes covering them. Jin frowned but held Y/n's palm which was freezing cold.

"You should stop scanning me every time, Jin! Respect my privacy!" She complained when he pulled her hand off his face but laced his fingers with hers, trying to share warmth.

"You're cold," Jin said, stroking his thumb over her knuckles and she sighed, looking away from the machine and then at Jin in exhaustion. "It is cold." She mumbled, pulling her hand back from Jin and looking out of the exit, towards the road.

It was cold indeed. Winter in January is really chilly here.

"Butterfly," she hummed, looking back at him. He bit his lips but then his lips curved upwards as he shook his head. She passed him an annoyed expression. "Weird."

He glared at her before hitting her arm gently, causing her to groan in irritation. "Don't call me weird."

-

"Weird," Jin mumbled and glared at the man who was following them, on their way back home. Y/n was silently walking forward but felt a strong arm wrap around her shoulder.

She blinked several times but then felt a familiar body get closer to her from the side. She gulped, turning sideways to look at Jin who had his head turned back to glare at the drunk old man.

They didn't stop walking but Jin frowned when Y/n took a left turn from the crossway, unusual for their route. The man turned to the right and stumbled his way leaving a frown on Jin's forehead.

"Why are we going here?"

Y/n kept waking, ignoring his query until they stopped in front of an ATM stall. Jin analyzed the outlet, releasing his grip on her shoulder and the guard standing in front of the door. Y/n entered it, Jin following but the security guard stopped him. "One person at a time."

"I'm one person. Do you see me as two?" Jin argued and Y/n stood beside her, smiling at the security guard politely. "He's with me." She said and Jin placed his hands on her shoulder from behind still glaring at the guard.

His tough demeanor calmed at Y/n's smile and he moved aside to let them enter. Jin rolled his eyes, entering the ATM outlet.

Y/n took out the white envelope that Ms. Lee had her earlier, took out the money, and then opened her sling bag to take out her bank passbook. She entered the passbook through the scanner.

"Please, turn your passbook to the last updated page and place it on the scanner."

She did as the mechanical voice instructed and Jin observed her curiously, not enquiring about anything. She opened the envelope and took the money bills out.

"Please enter the cash on the right shelf and coins, if any, on the token below that, one by one."

Y/n entered the bills on the shelf and the bills were pulled inside the machine.

The amount showed on the screen. But Jin was confused. "Uhm, butterfly-"

"Shut up. Don't disturb me." She warned, not looking away from the screen and Jin furrowed his brows in annoyance at the disrespect he was receiving.

After everything was over, Y/n took the passbook from the machine and turned back to Jin. "Let's go." She told him and exited the ATM. Jin jogged up to her, matching her pace, and kept his hands inside his pocket.

"Why did you save all of your earnings?" Jin asked and Y/n halted, eyes fixed on the ground, devoid of any emotion. "I don't need them now." She muttered and bent down, extending her hand to pick something up with her index finger.

Jin scrunched his nose in disgust at her picking things up from the road but then he noticed the black ant at the tip of her finger, moving down her finger and getting to her hand.

She stood up and walked to the side of the road and placed her hand on the fence of the home beside the road. Jin was getting confused but suddenly, he flinched when he heard the noise of a tin can being crushed by someone who walked past him.

His eyes widened as he realized what she was trying to do.

The lonely ant on the road would be crushed under someone's feet. So she helped it cross the road. Jin couldn't help but scoff at her unnecessary act of kindness.

"Isn't this too much?" Jin asked and Y/n walked back to him, raising her eyebrows questioningly. "What is?"

"Aren't you being like too kind? Like seriously, who helps an ant?" Jin asked and Y/n's eyes darkened. Her lips curled upwards. "According to your words, you are also a robot then. Should I toss you away?" She asked and Jin was taken aback.

He sighed and glided his tongue on his teeth, staring at Y/n intensely. "Everyone deserves to live. We should give them a chance to live." She said blankly and turned back, walking towards her home.

Something about her tone made Jin uneasy.

But he continued to follow her back home.

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I don't know how to put my dreams into this story. I hope it is working out till here.