empty fridge | johnny seo

十二, more than just neighbours

white sugar scattered across the counter surface; small bits of butter unintentionally softened away near the warm kettle; broken egg shells crunched beneath their feet.

piping the vanilla cupcakes with buttercream icing, johnny inhaled the aroma of the cookies in the oven june opened to check.

the space was filled with a hint of sweetness, that came not only from the luscious confection, but deep down in their hearts.

with the playlist that johnny and june both happily agreed on, the gentle rhythm calmed many of their panicked moments of failing the desserts.

"i guess i won your sympathy this time," johnnt started,

"you just showed up all by yourself."

"duh nothing was wrong with you, you were just lazy last time." june replied back quickly, licking the cake batter.

"i was on crutches!" johnny joked.

"fake ones that your friend yuto randomly had."

"yuta. and no they weren't fake."

"well your injury was-"

"the icing is all done." johnny looked down at his little accomplishments.

june walked over, judging their appearance.

"you're surprisingly good at this."

he smiled, feeling as proud as ever over the mini cupcakes.

___

they squeezed in between the couch and the tea table, sipping on hot tea and munching on cookies. they had made way more cookies than they intended, which johnny suggested that his friends would die for.

june didn't know what she was going to do. baking was all that she planned.

now that the awkwardness had return, she had the urge to go back to her own comfortable space, opposite of johnny's. but the mission she assigned herself to held her back. she imagined sticking herself on the smooth floor and wouldn't come off it until she was certain johnny felt just a little bit happier.

softly, johnny hummed along the melody of the song that was played, while eating his cupcake by her side.

she took a side glance at him. is humming a sign of happiness?

"7 years." he caught her glance.

"what?"

"that's how long i've been in sm for."

june fell silent, she opened her mouth and closed again.

"i...

"i'm just ranting on everything, you don't have to listen-

"you know you're amazing right?" she hugged her knees closer to herself.

johnny turned to look at her, slightly flustered.

"i don't think i've ever worked so hard like you for my dream. sometimes i don't even know what my dream is," june rested her chin on her knees out of habit.

"so i think you are amazing. amazing for being persistent, amazing for inspiring me - because whatever you've been through, just inexplicably motivated me to work ten times harder. and doesn't that mean everything?" she was the one ranting now.

then johnny smiled.

he threw his head back, eyes turning into thin lines then opened them again. he could feel the warmness of his tears forming.

he blinked hard.

"thanks." he wiped his quick tears away with his sleeves.

"i haven't heard that in a while. you know, I've been bashing myself up for the past years. am I not good enough? am I not good looking? does my voice sound weird?  " he sniffled.

"and i never ever dared to look back to see how long i've came. because I was scared, i've became a coward of the uncertain future. and I felt like I would break down if I ever look back, and realize that my hard work has been sort of treated like shit."

june grabbed another cookie.

"so thank you. for making me realize that I've done a good job. now i just gotta keep going right? so that the world can maybe be inspired by the one and only johnny seo." he buried his face in his hands, feeling embarrassed at whatever he just said.

she pushed her hand out in a fist. he chuckled and fist bump in return.

then june saw johnny's toothy smile. and knew that everything was going to be a little better, for the both of them.

"so what do you say? are we more than just neighbors now?" she suggested.

"definitely."

a/n: yo yo so I am back with a semi long chapter! sorry if it's kinda crappy~ have a good day you guys! Stay healthy

Wei.