𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙍𝙀𝘼𝙎𝙊𝙉 𝙁𝙊𝙍 𝙈𝙔 𝙎𝘾𝘼𝙍𝙎 / 𝙃.𝙃𝙔𝙐𝙉𝙅𝙄𝙉 𝙓 𝙍𝙀𝘼𝘿𝙀𝙍

chapter 29; " walking home "

October 2nd, 19:33

Y/n walked home alone, the streetlamps providing a sense of calm. Her steps were slow and gentle, her expression stoic. A ring came from her pocket as she reached for her phone. 'Hwang' was the contact name, causing Y/n to furrow her eyebrows in confusion. She swiped and placed the phone to her ear.
"Hello?" she answered.

"Can you stay there?" Hyunjin didn't greet her or leave room for an answer before hanging up abruptly. He sped towards Y/n, who froze on the spot, turning her head to look around.

Hyunjin walked up from behind her, teasing her right ear with a single hand, causing her to look to the right before he appeared from the left. Y/n flinched at the action but felt a rush of relief upon seeing the familiar face.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, her face blank, though her eyes glinted under the gloomy night.

"I was just wandering around. You were too easy to spot," Hyunjin raised an eyebrow. His expression sent a strange fluttering feeling to Y/n, causing her to shudder.

"Too bad, I was trying so hard not to see your annoying face," Y/n said as she began walking forward, Hyunjin following along.

"Too bad, I wanted to see you," Hyunjin joked. Y/n's eyes dilated, but she ignored the comment since Hyunjin was always like that. Meanwhile, Hyunjin was internally regretting his choice of words.
'Really? That's so cheesy. Oh my gosh, I'm so dumb,' he thought to himself.

"What's with the silence?" Y/n asked. Hyunjin's gaze fell on her, the lamplight casting soft shadows across her face. Her eyes were like a porcelain doll's-mesmerizing yet surreal. The feeling coursing through Hyunjin didn't feel real to him. He'd never felt this way before.
'Why won't it stop?' Hyunjin thought.

"Hello?" Y/n snapped him back to reality, and Hyunjin flinched slightly.
"Oh, shit. My bad," he muttered, refocusing on Y/n.

They walked towards Y/n's neighborhood, Hyunjin keeping watch as they traversed the dimly lit streets. The flickering lights accompanied their every step.

A small raindrop hit the ground, unnoticed until more followed, filling the pavement. Y/n clicked her tongue at the sudden downpour.
"I knew this would happen," she sighed, pulling out her umbrella and letting the raindrops fall onto it, forming small pools. She motioned for Hyunjin to join her under the umbrella, catching him off guard.

"Your hands will hurt if you hold this for me," Hyunjin said as he gently took the umbrella, holding it over their heads as they walked in sync.

A faint meow sounded as they passed a trash bin. Y/n stopped abruptly, causing Hyunjin to stop as well. Her head turned toward the sound, spotting a fluffy kitten with a mix of black and white fur. Y/n's eyes glinted with awe.

"Oh my-who left this kitten?" Y/n said worriedly, walking over with Hyunjin following.

The kitten backed away slightly, prompting Y/n to keep her hand to herself as she watched it with guilty eyes. She extended her hand slightly, but the kitten didn't budge.
"She might have a mother-probably left to get food," Y/n muttered. Hyunjin listened silently, not adding a word.

"You can have the umbrella. I'm going to the market," Y/n announced suddenly, causing Hyunjin to blink in confusion.

Y/n ran to the market, and Hyunjin, rather than using the umbrella for himself, quickly set it up to shelter the kitten before following after her.

At the market, Y/n grabbed cat food, speeding through the aisles to the counter.

"And she got fired right on the spot! It's not like she didn't deserve it, though," two girls laughed behind Y/n as she reached the checkout. Hyunjin placed some snacks and sodas beside the cat food.