❝sometimes, home is not a place... but a person.❞
HE FINDS HIMSELF at a crossroad— yet again.
numerous job applications have not been successful, and jeongguk is really starting to lose faith. all around him, people buzz in excitement, telling their loved ones about their eventful days. times like these, he really misses his grandma. miss telling her about his day, because no matter how boring it is, grandma would always smile and respond. gives him the affirmation. makes him feel cherished.
when night descends upon the freezing streets of seoul, brown boots crush the blanket of snow on the pavements as the young man makes his way back to his rented apartment. keeping his head low and occasionally exhaling to warm his hands up, it is only coincidence that he catches sight of a figure lying on a thin blanket. on a closer look, jeongguk notes how the lone person wears a mere black jacket and a pair of black jeans, with no blanket to cover whatsoever.
people do look at the stranded person, but with nothing more than just a curious glance. footsteps do slow down, but speed up again after a moment of consideration.
is everyone is seoul really like that? jeongguk thought bitterly.
but of course, it is natural for people to stick with the norm ; go with the majority. if there's no one willing to step forward, then no one ever will.
jeon jeongguk can be snide if he wants to, but he's mostly a guy with a good heart. it is also the main reason why he finds himself pacing back and forth, casting glances at his surroundings, before finally deciding to approach the stranger. he knows he wouldn't let this go if he learns that the person died of freezing in the cold the next day.
a few feet away, his stance changes to one of caution as he crouches, trying to take a better look of the stranger whose features are covered by a black cap and mask. he does catches sight of long hair though, so one thing he can confirm is that the person is a female.
"e-excuse me?" he calls out.
the young lady stirs but makes no other move to acknowledge jeongguk's presence. sighing, he shrugs the comfy jacket off himself, feeling the vicious wind assault his frame almost immediately. as he drapes the warm jacket over the figure, trying to fight off the shivers that threaten to wreck his body, the lady finally looks up.
"oh. hey. um, just wait a moment. i'll make a call to the shelter for the homeless." jeongguk's hand darts to the phone in his pocket, before getting stopped by the lady. she sits up and pulls the mask down and removed the cap. now that her features are slightly more visible, jeongguk notes that she is more younger he had expected her to be. she is probably... of the same age as jeongguk himself? or maybe slightly younger, even.
dark, brown hair falls just short of her chest and messy bangs cut a little into her eyelashes. doe eyes stare back at his own, rendering jeongguk speechless. she definitely doesn't look like she's in a bad state— more of like a normal girl who just decided to sleep in the streets for tonight. he struggles to find the words again.
she speaks up before he can, "can you... get me a cup of ramen? i'm really cold."
that startles him, but instinctively, he replies, "oh... a cup of ramen? ... okay." pushing himself off the ground, he leaves to find a convenience store, throwing glances back at the girl every now and then.
fortunately, there is one nearby and as he pays for it, his heart sinks. a cup of ramen might not cost that much, but it still is money. money from his grandma to fund him for this job-seeking trip. every cent counts, and jeongguk knows that by doing this, he wouldn't be able to have a meal of his own tonight.
half-jogging back to the area where he had last seen the girl, jeongguk notes with relief that she's still in the same spot. he reaches her and hands over the cup of ramen, feeling a sense of satisfaction as the girl slurps the steaming hot noodles down.
he finds himself rummaging his bag for a bottle of water. "slow down, don't choke."
after her second mouthful, she reaches out to him with the ramen that isn't even half-finished. jeongguk raises his eyebrows questioningly. "hey, have more of it. i'm not hungry." he assures her.
but she smiles and shakes her head. clears her throat. "thank you, but this was a social experiment. i've been lying here for 4 hours straight and no one lent me a helping hand. i was freezing my ass off until you came."
he stares with his mouth agape.
frowning, the girl waves a hand in front of him. "hello?"
jeongguk snaps out of his trance and blinks. "oh." is all he can say, before feeling disappointment flood into his entire being. he had spent money, but only because he thought he's doing a good deed. and the more he thinks about it, the more he feels like he's getting fooled.
he places the cup of ramen down, pushing it towards her gently. gives a firm nod of farewell, merely out of courtesy, and slings the bag over his shoulders before standing to leave.
this earns a widening of eyes from the girl and she stands as well. hurriedly, she extends her arm out to stop him from taking any more steps.
"wait!" she squealed. "are you angry? this is for a good cause and i promise we have a camerman there—"
"mosaic my face, please." he bows before turning away again, taking large strides away from the girl. behind him, he hears her shout.
"at least let me know your name!"
he keeps walking.
