𝗖𝗥𝗢𝗦𝗦𝗘𝗗 𝗣𝗔𝗧𝗛𝗦 재윤

( xiv )

xiv. afterwards
❝ both moments ❞

ヾ₊˚. crossed paths music box
is now rolling . . .

paranormal • enhypen
❝ when i think of you, my feet are levitating ❞

JAEYUN STARED UP AT HIS CEILING WHILE YEORIN'S FAINT LAUGHTER PRINTED INTO HIS IMAGINATIONS. her brother messaged her a few minutes ago and told her to get home, so she did, without having time to talk to him or apologize.

there was no thought behind those eyes, yet yeorin's smile stayed through them, as he imagined her on his ceiling.

his mind was empty like a blank white page with only one subject written on it: lee yeorin.

he groaned into his hands, recalling what he had spoken to her the day before. i need you.

he didn't expect to tell anyone about his condition so soon, let alone the girl he had only met three weeks ago.

but she didn't ask or make fun of him; instead, she was there for him. when he speaks to her, she will listen closely and respond with the same enthusiasm. she appeared more friendly, but he knew she didn't mean it. he practically called her while having a panic attack, expecting her to never talk to him again.

he never told anyone. not even his current friends. not a single a soul. he forgot about it himself.

but he enjoyed the thought of someone knowing about it. so that when he does, they are ready to confront him.

yeorin lee was his first 'female' friend, and he hoped it didn't feel too uncomfortable. however, yeorin did not appear to notice based on his actions.

after ninth grade, he decided to mature up and to become a better version of himself; he did laser on his eyes, looked up hair tutorials, and took care of his skin; he also grew taller. but he was still the old, terrified guy who had never experienced love.

he knew he wouldn't be able to experience it until his new friends (that left for vacation) showed up and began joining them in everything. he was feeling happy and he has since moved on from his past to focus on his studies and friends.

and he was glad he still made friends; yeorin's close friends were welcome and enjoyable to be around, and he didn't have to worry about having panic attacks, which he assumed he had overcome without knowing nothing about panic attacks. he still had difficulty trusting others, but for some reason, he would pour his heart out to yeorin, and he felt as if she would hold him until the world ended. by the way she showed it arriving less than a minute after he collapsed from the last time he remembered.

he was expecting her to call him rather than approach him in person, but the girl herself would go to any distance for her close friends.

he felt proud to be her friend.

but something in his heart flutters when he thinks about her—her smile lines when she laughed widely, her soft tone when she talked through the phone yesterday night, her in her pajama's when he got up, and her resting on his arm to avoid needless touching.

whenever he thought of her, a smile spread across his lips. jaeyun did not and will not like yeorin in that way. she likes sunghoon, and so does he.

he does not want to get in the way simply because of his unsure emotions. it's not like he enjoys her glowing smile, great style, gorgeous humor, or her giggle, which could help his pain.

a hug from her would heal him forever. he noticed the way she greeted sunoo and jay. a long, warm hug that appeared genuine from a distance.

one long conversation with her would recover him for good. he has noticed that whenever she speaks to sunghoon or her brother, she looks at them with full attention. she has one habit.

he remembered the time she asked him over to the pool; she stayed with him the entire time, and he enjoyed it; her laugh rang in his ears; it felt like yesterday he spent out with her, and how she kept messing around with him and only him.

then when they went to the market, she seemed excited, and her confused and amused expression showed when he strolled with her while she seemed to be glancing around.

he exhaled through the fingers that were still covering his face.

lee yeorin took her hands from her face and wiped the excess water with a towel while glancing at herself in the large mirror.

the tiny water pouring from her chin as she peered into the mirror, imagining jaeyun's state last night.

his heavy breathing and sobbing reached her consciousness, making her concerned and afraid for him.

but when she removed his hair from his face, he appeared calm and attractive. his heart-shaped lips, long lashes, stunning nose, and up-close features.

it was like the time he wore that blue majestic outfit and she found herself daydreaming about it, as well as his gestures while he interacted with others. he did something so simple and still looked hot.

or when jayun cheered her on to victory, or when he made sure sunghoon and her stayed together for the majority of the games. she assumed he knew she liked sunghoon. but since jaeyun arrived, she hasn't thought about park sunghoon—only sim jake and his beautiful face.

his personality makes him even better; once she apologizes, he ensures that everything is well and does action rather than just words. his arm was comfortable enough for her to sleep; holding her slim fingers in his veiny fingers felt warm and pleasant.

yeorin blinked back as she exhaled, waved the excess water from her hands in the air, and exited the restroom.

jaeyun entered his bathroom and decided to take a shower to clear his mind.

yeorin plotted on her bed, thinking that it was better to sleep than thinking.

she wasn't sure why she was thinking about him. she simply helped him because she was concerned, but she wondered why she would sneak out and use her mother's car when she could simply speak to him on the phone. why did she panic more than he did. why did she do all of this for a boy she met three weeks ago?

jaeyun went into the shower, tossing his head and warm water streamed over his body. while looking into the air.

yeorin hid her face with her hands.

in that moment, both of them were thinking about each other.