𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑨𝒅𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝑱𝑨𝑬𝑯𝒀𝑼𝑵𝑮𝑷𝑨𝑹𝑲𝑰𝑨𝑵

³

Jae had finished putting in the last box into his empty apartment home when he decided it was time for him to take a break. The boy wiped away the sweat from his forehead and sighed in relief, plopping down on the ground and soaking in the rays of the sun that beamed through the window.

The sound of traffic and others outdoor activities filled the apartment, blocking him from thinking straight about anything that could enter his mind. The brunette got himself up and headed to the window and watched as people walk down the sidewalk all smiles. Cars and trucks of all colors and sizes drove down the road in a slow pace, due to traffic being heavy.

"I was going to go out, but it doesn't seem to good to drive today." Jae told himself as he continued to stare out the window in dismay. The sound of his phone ringing from across the living room disrupted him of his thoughts, having him head over to the couch in a mannerly paste and pick up the phone.

"Mm, Hey Mom." The boy answered, a small smile beginning to form on his lips.

—"Hey honey! How's moving in coming along?"

"Um.." He took a look around the living room that was surrounded by unopened and scattered boxes that filled the apartment and let out a nervous laugh. "It's um, uh..going pretty well mom. I'm just taking a break."

—"Ah, that's good! Did you take a look around the town yet?"

"No, not yet. The traffic is pretty heavy today."

—"Jae, have you forgotten that you can walk? There are side walks there."

"But Mom— my feet will hurt. I'll just do it tomorrow."

—"What happens if the same scenario plays out tomorrow? What will you do then? Wait until the next day?" The boy groaned and plopped down in the coach, still upset with the idea of walking.

—"Cmon Jaehyung. It's not that big of a deal, honestly. The town isn't even that big and it's great exercise!" His mother informed him, earning a small sigh from the boy in the process.

"Ah..Alright mom, I'll take a look around, ok?"

—"Good job honey!! Alright, I'll leave you to go explore alright dear? Be safe please and make sure to eat!"

"Yes I know mom, I will. You take care too, alright?"

—"Ah you don't have to worry about me sweetie. Now go explore! Bye Jaehyungie~."

"Bye Mom." Jae said, ending the call. He let out a deep sigh and launched himself off of the couch. He dusted himself off and grabbed his keys, heading to the door where he placed his converse. Jae grabbed his baseball cap and quickly put it on and slid on his shoes, quickly tying them before exiting his messy apartment, locking the door behind him.

the boy headed into the elevator and hit the first floor button, silently waiting until the elevator reached its final stop. He exited the apartment building and began his journey to nowhere. It had been a while since he had lived in the town, and in all honesty, a lot had changed.

He continued down the sidewalk for ten minutes as he admired the scenery around him until he came to a full stop at a store. Jae looked up and read the sign that was displayed on the building in a bold red font, a small smile forming on his lips.

"No Strings Attached? Hm." He said to himself before entering, the bell chiming behind him, welcoming him inside. Jae was instantly greeted by a workers in the store.

"Welcome to No Strings Attached! How may I assist you?" The worker asked.

"I'm just looking around. I'll let you know if I need anything. Thank you though." Jae said before heading  straight to the cart that held many albums from each time frame. The boy began to scan through the albums until he picked up one of his favorites, 'FanMail' by TLC. He held it up and smiled, admiring the cover of the album.

"FanMail from TLC huh." Jae heard a voice call out, making him jolt up in shock. He turned to see it was the same worker from earlier.

"Yeah...I like TLC. What about it?" Jae said in a defensive manner.

"Nothing really, I like them too. Look, a scrub is a guy who can't get no love from me either. They knew what they were dishing out." Said the worker. Jae shook his head and let out a laugh from the boy's cringe worthy joke and sighed.

"Wow, you got jokes mister music store man." Jaehyung said as he continued to skim through the albums.

"You new to these parts?" Asked the worker, earning a nod from Jae.

"Mhm. Very observant are we."

"It's a small town. Everyone knows everyone here. I've just never seen you before." The boy said. Jaehyung let out a small 'oh' and nodded at his response.

"Yeah, I just came from overseas. I've lived here before but I moved away. I'm just checking out the place." Jae responded.

"Oh. Well welcome back sergeant!" The worker jokingly added in, making another laugh escape Jae's lips. The brunette looked down at his watch and sighed, putting back the albums.

"It's about time for me to go, but thanks for the kindness. Much appreciated dude." Jaehyung said as he turned and smiled at the boy.

"It's whatever. You seem pretty cool. I hope you move in just fine." The boy said returning a smile.

"Thanks. I'll visit more often when I get everything situated. Enjoy your day bro." Jaehyung said as he began to walk off.

"You too man!" He heard the worker call out before he finally edited the store, the subtle breeze hitting his face.

"I'll be sure to be back here again." He muttered to himself as he headed off and continued his journey to explore the city.