Amor de mi Alma || 2Jae

Chapter 12

"Callisto, one flat white and one Americano!" Youngjae calls into the stationary, where Callisto is working with a girl named Anna. Callisto nods and immediately goes to make the two drinks as Youngjae takes another order.

It is a lot busier, and it is only a week before the Los Angeles trip, and Youngjae's mom has been adamant that Youngjae and Jaehoon begin to plan on what to pack (mainly shorts and shirts, as it will be warm in Los Angeles, but they also have to bring some nicer clothes for places like the restaurant after their performance, as Mr. Divins said that they wouldn't be in uniform the whole time.

"One Very Berry Refresher and a chocolate muffin, please," a lady with three kids says, seeming rather tired of her overly energetic children. Youngjae quickly notes it down and hands the note to Anna.

The day seems never-ending, and by the time Youngjae is off his shift, Anna and Callisto still have an hour to go. Youngjae grins at them both at their unfortunate shifts before heading out the door, jacket slung over his shoulder due to the fact that it is beginning to warm up outside. 

The sun is only beginning to set when Youngjae closes the door behind him. It is only eight in the evening and though it is still a little dark, Youngjae can still see clearly, and he begins to walk a different route home.

Ever since the accident in the alleyway, Youngjae takes a long way home, and though it means that he has to leave his house ten minutes earlier, he feels a little safer, but that doesn't stop him from still feeling odd today.

Much like the last time he ever walked home the short way, he feels a slight touch on his shoulder and Youngjae spins around immediately, hands raised to attack whoever is trying to touch him or whoever had touched him. 

He doesn't get too far, though, for he is pulled into a headlock and dragged toward a dark corner of the street, and a hand tries to cover his mouth with a cloth but Youngjae refuses, and once the man realizes what Youngjae is doing he presses closer and Youngjae can feel something hard against his thigh and his heartbeat begins to fasten and he begins to shake.

He screams and a bare hand covers his mouth to dampen the sound, but Youngjae bites into the man's finger and he is let go.

"Fucking - fuck!" the man curses. "You fucking bitch -"

The man reaches for a piece of broken beer-bottle glass on the ground and aims for Youngjae's cheek, but Youngjae dodges and protects his face with his hand, and he feels the sharp pain spread through his palm almost immediately.

Youngjae manages to pick up his jacket and run, and the man reaches out to take the same wrist he had bruised weeks ago, but fortunately, another hand stops him and the man gets a kick in the chest from who Youngjae realizes is Jaebum, and he all but clings to the older boy as he is dragged away from the dark corner.

"C'mon," Jaebum says quickly, hurrying to his car. "Let's leave before he gets up."

He opens the door for Youngjae to climb into the passenger seat and once Youngjae is settled, Jaebum takes the driver's seat and starts the engine, just as the man's face appears from the corner. Jaebum drives away before the man can do anything, though, and Youngjae breathes a breath of relief as he lets his head fall against the headrest.

"Is it bad?" Jaebum asks, his voice pulling Youngjae from his moment of silence.

Youngjae lifts his hand to his face while Jaebum clicks on the small light. Youngjae's hand is covered in blood and there is still blood coming from a deep cut in his hand. Luckily, it's his left hand and he is right-handed, but he doubts that playing percussion with this will be fun unless it manages to heal before the performance at Disneyland.