Amaranthine | k.jh ✓

prologue

I never have been one for sports.

My mother had made me join several different teams over the years, but I had always proved to be a hopeless clutz with no natural talent in any field. Or court.

So despite being well-acquainted with injury, it does catch me rather off-guard when I get pummeled in the face with a volleyball during gym. Normally, that's the one sport I'm decent in. And yet, here I am, sprawled on the ground with blood gushing from my nose.

"Cool!" one of the boys says, gazing in amazement as I try to stem the waterfall.

"Ewwww!" a girl behind me squeals, jumping away in horror.

All these animated reactions, and yet no one offers to help.

Except for you.

My heart skips a beat when you kneel down in front of me, offering your sweaty gym shirt as a makeshift towel. I take it gratefully, my nerves alighting when my fingers brush yours.

"This is the second time we've met and you're bleeding again. You must enjoy it,"

"Oh, I do," I reply, muffled by the bloodied cotton, "Loads of fun."

You grin, your eyes crinkled into joyful crescents. "I'll walk you to the nurse's, if you'd like. Can you stand?"

"I think so,"

You pull me up as you stand, and I wobble precariously, prompting you to wrap your arm around my waist to keep me steady. Yeah, that's definitely why you did it.

Our gym teacher is completely unbothered as we leave the room. You don't hear it but my heart is beating a mile a minute, which doesn't even make sense.

My mind flies back to the first time we talked.

As you had said, I had in fact been bleeding then, too. My ever-clumsy, ever-accident-prone self had walked into a door as you were opening it from the other side.

A great first impression.

Literally. My lips had been so swollen, Kylie Jenner might have been envious.

"Oh, shit!" you had exclaimed, "I'm so sorry! Are you okay?"

"Mm- neber bedder," I had garbled, licking my tingling lips.

Your eyes met mine, shimmering with stardust and sympathy, and perhaps some amusement?

"You sure you're good?"

"Look on the bright side- I can cancel my lip filler appointment now, right?"

You had laughed, a full, bright, bubbly sound; it was higher than I expected, considering your baritone speaking voice.

"Seriously, I'm okay. I should have been watching where I was walking."

Your head had been cocked, and your hand cupped the side of my jaw so you could examine my injury. Sure, my lips were a little bloodied, but I'd live.

"I'm fine," I breathed, suddenly aware of the proximity between us.

"I'm sure," you said, and you said something else too, but my brain was fuzzy from your intoxicating smile.

I nodded dumbly in response, and you leaned in and pecked my bloody lips.

WHAT.

It was so fleeting I almost thought I had imagined it. Brief and sweet and soft and lovely.

"All better?" you had jested, and my mind reeled, "Okay, I'll talk to you later love."

Now in the present, I realize we are at the nurse's office. I glance at you for a moment, taking in your hazelnut hair, your glowing caramel skin, your smile white and glimmering as the stars above. It was unjust how fair you were.

"Hello? You're staring," you grin, and my already-woozy brain hiccuped.

"Sorry," I murmur, my eyes flicking to the ground.

"Hey, I was just teasing," your voice is gentler now, "I wasn't trying to make you feel bad."

"I know," my head is starting to pound like a gong is being hit inside, "I just- I gotta sit down."

"Shoot, yeah, here we go," you help me into a chair as a nurse comes over.

After examining me, the nurse announces I do in fact have a minor concussion, and that I should go home and rest. I groan. My mom is gonna love that.

As I'm waiting by the front door, you sit next to me. I glance at you, my head feeling heavy and my eyes drooping.

"Hey," you greet, almost nervously, "Uhm, can I check on you since you'll be gone for a bit?"

"Huh?" I face you, "How do you mean?"

"Uh, can I give you my number? Or can I have yours?"

It's my turn to grin at you. "Oh, yeah. Here, I'll give you mine."

So began the start of our life-changing friendship.

The rest is history.

And this is the history book.

a/n: 

if you're reading this, I love you. when written previously, amaranthine was a love letter to kim jonghyun, musings of a girl in love with a ghost. I suppose this version will be much the same, only I've grown, and now it's a little different.

I hope you love the story as much as I do.

-jules<3