Artificial Water

Chapter 3🥀

Kyungsoo

"Eat as much as you want," Jongin encouraged me as he saw me stuffing my face with the food. "There's enough."

I swallowed before saying: "thank you, it's really good."

He grinned as he watched me taking another spoon full of rice. "It looks like you haven't had a meal in ages."

I almost choked but didn't let the truth behind his words take away my appetite. I didn't have a real meal in ages, but of course I had eaten, and this tasted heavenly after everything that had happened. "I am just hungry."

Jongin nodded in understanding before speaking again. "So... What's your name again?"

I stopped eating and looked at him. If he was thinking he could get this over with smootly he had the wrong guy in front of him. "Nice try."

Jongin chuckled, "I have to call you something."

"Just call me Soo," I replied and continued eating.

"Soo," he said, trying the name. "Is that a part of your name?"

"Who knows?" I was starting to feel uncomfortable and Jongin noticed it, leaning closer over the table. "Maybe I understand why you don't wanna go home if you explain the situation."
I shook my head again and looked away.

Jongin sighed deeply before leaning back in his chair. "At least tell me how old you are."

"Eighteen." I ate the last piece of food on my plate and Jongin took it away, placing it in the sink.

"Well, Soo. I need to go to work tomorrow and you have school, isn't that right?" It wasn't really a question since we both knew he was right.
He sat down again and groaned when I didn't participate with the plan he probably had in his mind.
"Look, I am not a baby sitter okay?"

"Then what do you do?" I asked, trying to lead the conversation to another subject.

"That's not the point here," he spoke with a frown. "You can't stay here, so I need to know where you live."

I bit my lip and looked down at my hands. He could throw me out on the streets, but I was not going home. If he did, I would probably go back to try it again and he knew it. It wasn't fair to take advantage of Jongin, but I had no other choice.

"I see where this is going." He rubbed his face and looked at me. "I don't know what your plan is but I saved you and now my job is done."

I swallowed thickly and didn't dare to look up. What was I even thinking? He didn't know me and he had a life outside of this particular day, which means: me. I couldn't expect him to let me stay.

"Now you can't talk anymore?" Jongin shook his head. "I can't take away all your problems, Soo."

I knew he was right but it still felt like a hit in my stomach. "I know," I replied softly.

"So, where do you live?" He asked again.

Was he trying to break me? I'd rather be kicked out than him forcing me to go home, so I kept my mouth shut.

"Aish," Jongin sighed in a frustrated way. "What to do with you?"

And that's how our conversation ended. He stood up and walked into his bedroom, closing the door behind him. I just sat there for a moment before walking over to the couch, laying down on my back with my feet hanging over the edge. I lifted my hands in front of my face and studied them. There still was a fague red color painted on the skin. The water had failed to clean it and I hadn't taken the time to scrub it off. It was true that I didn't want to go home, but more importantly was the fact I couldn't go back. There was no home to return to. I felt hot tears burn in my eyes and it frustrated me. I had been so close to being numb but Jongin had to come in between. It frustrated me even more that he took me out of the water and now he didn't even care. He wanted me to tell him where I lived so he could take me there, but did he really think everything would be fine then? He doesn't care. All he wanted was to tell himself he saved someone, not thinking about what comes after. He said his job was done but no one asked him to do this. He simply didn't care and it hurt. I would have been better of if he had just looked away like everyone else had done.

I rested my hands on my stomach and concentrated on my breathing. I was still alive and I hated it.

The sound of the door being opened caught my attention and I quickly closed my eyes, pretending to be asleep. Hopefully he would let me stay and not start an argument. What he did surprised me though.
He just stood there for a few minutes before something warm was draped over me. I soon heard his footsteps shuffling away towards the bedroom again and I opened my eyes, looking down at the colorful blanket.
A smile appeared on my face as soon as I realised he cared enough to not let me get cold during the night and would let me sleep here.

I closed my eyes again and unlike other nights I soon drifted off to sleep. Leaving the painful truth in the real world.