Nocturnal Buddies ✩ Yang Jeongin

Chapter 69

Hyunjoo had personally made herself Stray Kids' personal delivery person. She gathered the bags off the counter before announcing her departure to Taeyoung. The girl left through the door, the bell ringing above her, and made her way to the company. Hyunjoo hummed to herself as she made her way to the building, her face entirely covered.

When she made it to the building, she entered and was immediately greeted by the person at the front desk. She set the bags of pastries onto the counter to remove her sunglasses and lower her mask. Hyunjoo sent a quick text to her boyfriend, informing him that she was waiting at the entrance.

As she waited, she conversed with the receptionist. Her attention would be drawn away shortly after when she heard her name. She bowed to the receptionist before gathering the bags and meeting Jeongin in the middle.

"Hey, how are you?" he asked as his eyes raked over her face.

He could tell that she was tired. It only made sense, especially since she has expressed that her full-time shifts were draining her. Jeongin was no exception either, especially since he was relentlessly practicing for his last concert in Tokyo.

"I'm okay, just tired. I'm assuming it's the same for you?" she replied, also noting the exhaustion seeping from him.

"Yeah, pretty much," he said, letting out a quiet chuckle. "I want to do well for our last concert so I haven't been... sleeping well. I've been too stressed."

"And you will do well," she assured him. "I know you will."

He smiled a little and nodded his head, even if he didn't fully believe her himself. "Thank you, Hyunnie. Is this all of it?"

His attention shifted towards the bags in her hands before he took hold of it. She nodded in response as her eyes continued to linger on him. He looked like he's barely gotten a wink of sleep for a week straight. It worried her that might be pushing himself past his limit.

"We can always cancel today, you know," she decided to say. "I'm sure our parents will understand if you do. Your sleep is more important anyways."

Jeongin lips tugged into a small smile before he shook his head. "It's fine, I'll be okay. Plus, it just a family dinner- it's not like we're doing some type of physical activity."

"What if we are? What if my dad plans for us to do some boot camp training before we eat? You know, to burn off some energy," Hyunjoo joked, yet the sincerity from her previous statement continued to linger.

A brief chuckle fell from his lips. "Then I guess I'll have to stick it through. I'm going to go regardless of how drained I am right now. I want my parents to meet my future wife."

His last sentence caused Hyunjoo's heart to skip a beat. He was practically proposing to her at that moment. However, instead of a ring, he was holding two bags filled with pastries- she wasn't complaining though. 

"Yang Jeongin, you can't just say that nonchalantly in public!" Hyunjoo quietly shouted at the boy as she glanced around, trying to see if anyone was close enough to hear.

"Why not?" he laughed. "I know what I want for my future and that's you. Plus, it seems like you already like the sound of my last name, considering how much you keep calling me by my full name."

His response caused her mouth to fall agape, her face burning up from his words alone. "Did you and Taeyoung's decide to take the same flirting class or something?" Hyunjoo asked, pointing an accusatory finger at him.

"Maybe we did," Jeongin shrugged, a playful grin pulling at his lips.

Hyunjoo's breathed out in disbelief, completely flustered from his statement. "Anyways, if you change your mind, let me know. I just want you to put your health first, okay, Innie?"