It All Started With A Creepy Mail ⚊ Yang Jungwon [#4]

✗ twenty one ✗

⚊ chapter one

Weekends at Ni-ki's house had become a tradition for our group. Ni-ki's place was always the go-to spot, mainly because he had the house to himself most of the time.

It was our safe haven—a place where we could unwind, play video games, and talk about anything without being interrupted.

Well, unless Minji was over.

When that happened, Ni-ki would send us all a not-so-subtle message to steer clear. We didn’t ask questions.

Some things were better left unexplained.

The college guys—Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, and Heeseung—usually only hung out with us on weekends. With all of us being in our last year of high school, it felt like the elders would bring in a bit of extra energy we needed to survive the week.

Sunoo, Ni-ki, and I welcomed them like heroes returning from battle.

Today was no different, except there was an unexpected topic on the table—me.

“Hey, did you guys know that Jungwon has a crush?” Ni-ki blurted out, unable to contain himself, his mischievous grin growing wider with every word.

My face immediately heated up as all eyes turned toward me.

“Ni-ki!” I exclaimed, trying to sound annoyed, but the blush creeping up my neck betrayed me.

Sunoo, always eager to stir the pot, chimed in, “Yeah, her name’s Jillian. She lives right across the street.”

The room erupted into a mix of cheers, teasing, and laughter. I tried to act unbothered, keeping my expression neutral, but the heat in my cheeks said otherwise.

Heeseung leaned back, grinning at me. “You’re a dog, Jungwon. When were you planning on telling us, huh?”

“I wasn’t,” I mumbled, glancing away, trying to hide my embarrassment.

Jay, who I’d always been closest to, looked at me with an amused expression. “So, she’s the one, huh? The cat girl across the street?”

I shot him a look. “She’s not a cat girl…”

Before I could finish my sentence, a flash of white fur zoomed past the window, catching everyone’s attention.

We all turned to look outside, and there she was—Jillian, standing in front of her house, calling out to a kitten while holding another one in her arms. She was trying to coax its mother out from under a bush, her voice soft and sweet.

“That’s her?” Jake asked, peering out the window with a smirk. “She’s cute, man.”

Jay didn’t waste a second before adding, “Well, go on, Jungwon. Why don’t you help her out? You’re basically the neighborhood cat whisperer, right?”

“Yeah, man,” Sunghoon joined in, nudging me with his elbow. “It’s your time to shine.”

“Guys, stop,” I groaned, trying to sound stern, but my voice was already cracking under the pressure.

I could feel the heat rising in my face again. The last thing I needed was to be shoved out the door in front of Jillian.

“You could totally be her hero right now,” Ni-ki teased, eyes glinting with mischief. “Think of how impressed she’d be!”

“Come on, wonnie,” Sunoo joined in, “It’s just a quick trip across the street. You’ll be back before you know it.”

“No way,” I shot back, shaking my head. “I’m not going out there.”