edge ; knj

vii

seven

I ran to the laundromat with a whole basket of dirty laundry. My legs were numb, but I continued to run. After putting the clothes into the washing machine, I sat down and watched the machine spin my clothes around.

I made bets with myself. Like, when i was driving, if I could make all the green lights, it meant that I'd get an acceptance letter in the mail. Or, if I could get seven girls in a row to say hi to me, it meant that I'd ace a test. Or, if I could throw ten paper wads into the trash can across the room, I wouldn't feel depressed.

One, two, three. . . I was nailing the target every time. When I started thinking about the flyers again, i threw them harder. Four, FIVE. . I could have kept on going forever. Then, out of nowhere, someone yelled, "STOP IT!"

I froze in my seat.

"Are you done?" An angry voice said.

I turned around. She was sitting behind me.

"Well, are you?" She said.

"Uh, yeah. Sure. I guess." I answered.

She looked about my age. I've never seen her before.

"What exactly were you trying to do, dumbass?" she said, scowling.

I was shaken. She walked around the chairs and sat down next to me.

She had short brown hair and she was wearing a flowing black dress. On her feet were old-fashioned black boots. Her eyes were rimmed with black, too. The only color on her face was her bright red lips.

"I'm s-sorry, I didn't know anyone else was in here.

She looked conflicted. "Yeah," she finally said. "Yeah, I was here. So what? I would have made my existence known when i walked in, but I didn't want to. Did you want me to do so?"

I couldn't tell if she was serious or mocking me.

I extend my hand. "Hello, I'm Kim Namjoon."

When she didn't take it, I ran my hand through my hair, as if I had meant to do that all along.

"What's your name?" There was a butterfly tattoo on her arm. When she caught me staring, I felt my face flush.

"Jung Ah" she finally said. "You can call me Jung Ah"

"Okay, Jung Ah, it's nice to meet you."

"Isn't it though," Jung Ah said without a trace of affection. "You got a cigarette?"

"For real? We're inside," I told her.

"Do you have a cigarette?" She repeated.

I shook my head. "No."

"Damn," she said, "I could really use a smoke."

"Smoking really ruins your health." I said.

"We all die somehow," she shrugged me off.

Jung Ah was nothing like the girls at my school. If yerin or kisun ever came across her, they'd probably hand over their purses and run away screaming. Jung Ah had an edge to her. Warning signs were going off in my head. Every part of me was saying that this person was bad news.

I opened my mouth and heard myself say, "I could go get you a pack."

"Would you, Kim Namjoon?" She said, fluttering her eyelashes. I thought she was being sarcastic, but I couldn't be sure.

"Uh, sure. Is there anything else you'd like? A candy bar or something? Chips?"

She gave this some serious thought before stating, "Crunky's???. Yeah cigs and a Crunky. That sounds about right."

"Be right back," I told her. "Don't go anywhere."

I took off running, forgetting I had a leg cramp.

a/n a crunky is a chocolate bar btw lol