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chapter 6

J I S O O  P O V

i wake up to the sound of my alarm ringing at 4 am. i groan in discomfort, waking up to stiff shoulders and an aching back as i slept in a hunched position cradling my legs in the car. i was parked just outside of school near the back entrance behind a tree with large arching branches that practically hid my car under the tree canopy. it was a little chilly but i was able to prepare myself for school, wearing my hoodie over my uniform to keep my bruises hidden and wore black leggings under my skirt.

i've noticed my injuries have swollen overnight and it hasn't stopped hurting since. note to self, invest in pain killers.

hours later school begins, first class was science and jin and i were supposed to finish the final touch ups of our project (we both agreed finishing the assessment early was for the better) but he didn't come to class today. i message him throughout the day and he doesn't bother replying or worse yet, opening our online chats. assuming he had a reason for his inactiveness, i shrug it off and manage through the day.

my night shift at the japanese restaurant ended sooner than i had thought, once i said my goodbyes to my co workers and cleaned the counter, i picked out a few leftover sushi rolls and onigiri to snack on later and headed out after locking up. i had walked to work today and as i made my way near the traffic lights, on the other side of the road was a familiar figure huddled on the benches at the bus stop.

crossing the road, the closer i got to the bus stop the sooner i realized it was jin sleeping. he was shivering, his hands were tucked in between his legs and his head curled up towards his chest. what on earth was he doing here sleeping in the cold at 11 pm? he wore a collared long sleeve shirt hidden under his grey cardigan and had on black jeans.

"jin." i woke him up whilst taking off my jacket and placing them over his shoulders. he sniffed as he got up and turned to face me, half asleep.
"are you okay? what are you doing here at this time?" i asked gently. once he noticed he was discovered (the realization that hit him had his eyes and mouth suddenly stunned open in shock), he cleared his throat and tried coming up with an excuse.
"the cool air was refreshing?" he replied which sounded as if he was asking me whether that excuse was valid or not.
"wow says the person freezing to death."
"i'm not cold!" he whined and shoved my jacket back to me.

"just take it jin, please? you need it more than i do." i held out my jacket and he hesitates before he reaches to grab it, his hands softly grazing my fingers and i instantly felt the icy cold touch of his skin. i wondered how long he had been out in the cold and how i didn't notice him earlier when i was on my way to work.
"thanks jisoo." there was an awkward silence between us, i didn't know what to say, should i leave now or should i keep him company? did he need company or did he want to be alone?

my thoughts were interrupted when he breaks the silence, "you asked earlier why i'm here right? well i finally met my real mom."
this was unexpected but also seemed really personal too.
"jin you really don't have to explain if you don't want to, i'm not here to pry." i reasoned and he smiled softly.
"it's okay, i want to and i think you deserve an explanation seeing as i left you to do our assignment alone today."

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S E O K J I N  P O V

i don't want to go home, i haven't slept all night and i know i'm being an inconvenience by not coming home or attending school but i don't care. i've just been walking around the area with no real destination in mind. no money, no food and a dead phone. it's pathetic.

i make my way past a foreign restaurant, drooling over the sight of food and hold my stomach as i hear it growl in my ears. my energy was draining and i determined a place to rest was my main priority. a bus stop was suitable.

hours past and i wake up to the sound of my name being called and a jacket placed over my chest.

jisoo happened to be the last person i thought i'd see nonetheless out of everyone i knew i'm glad she was here with me. after a few moments of playful banter and a brief minute of awkward silence, i explain my situation that had me dreading to do anything productive today. she nodded as i explained about my mom and my thoughts on the matter.

"this is really serious especially since we're talking about a murder. what are you gonna do about it?" jisoo asks and i shrug lazily.
"nothing i guess. the case was over 10 years ago, it's only appropriate that the law states the case to be closed permanently."
she nods sympathetically, her eyes unable to keep still. that's when she makes eye contact with a plastic bag she left beside her and takes out boxes of food.

"all this talk is making me hungry, wanna share the sushi with me?" she offers and my stomach coincidentally growls, answering her question. i engulf the food within seconds while she stares at me with a big grin on her face.
"what?" i ask with rice stuffed in my mouth.
"on second thoughts i'm not that hungry, you have it all jin."
"no it's okay, we'll share!" i declared but she hands me all the food anyways and laughs.
"you have rice on your face..." she points to my chin and extends her arm to reach for the rice herself, wiping it off. a blush creeps onto my face and my eyes widen.
"oh um sorry i was just-" she stammers after registering how intimate she was being.
"no it's fine, thanks."

we sat in silence but this time we were comfortable in each other's presence. peacefully, we completely forgot about the cold.

photo is from @/cazanites on ig
cute chapter yayyy! tell me your thoughts? i have a really hard time writing cutesy stuff so i hope this will do. lot's of love everybody ❤️❤️❤️