frenemies // jaemin

s e v e n t e e n

s o o y e o n
  with my hands full, i locked the door of the cafe. today was pretty lonely and boring because youngjae didn't come. that little brat probably stayed up watching youtube videos.

it is really cold tonight, thank god i remembered to wear a thicker coat. i smiled to myself happily. lately, everything is going my way. omma gotten well, work has been easy and i got my pay today! should i go shopping tomorrow? i thought, looking at my well earned money.the world is finally on my side. i stood at the cafe entrance, tapping on my feet. where is he?

"let's drink some more!" a middle aged man in office uniform shouted from across the street. of course the drunks are already here.

looking down at my watch, i frowned seeing that 5 minutes have passed. maybe he's busy. with a sigh, i walked down the cold street, gaining my pace at every second. ugh, i hate walking alone. at least my house is only a few blocks away.

i should've left earlier, it's so late already. omma's gonna be so mad at me. i sighed in my head. a yawn escaped my mouth and my eyes felt droopy. should i just take the shortcut instead? i looked to the direction of the dark path. no way! that's scary. but i could save 10 minutes though...

fuck it.

with a deep breath, i paced down the dimly lit street. it's okay. i will be okay. my stomach grumbled underneath the thick clothing. ugh, im so hungry...

walking through a dark alley, i paced even faster. should i have some ramyeon? do we have any left?

suddenly, i felt a sharp tug on my shoulder and a black figure running with my bag.

"hey!" i ran to the black figure, chasing him down. "thief! thief!" i screamed, trying to get someone's attention. running with all my might, i followed his every step. he turned to a busy road, making him blend in with everyone else.

-

"we will go through the cctv footages," the police said with a reassuring smile.

i sank back into the cold plastic chair, burying my face in my hands frustratedly. i should've just stuck to the longer way home. pabo! i hit myself on my head. frowning, i thought about all my belongings in there all gone. even my whole fucking salary!

worry clouded my head as i wrapped my arms tighter around me in effort to warm myself up in the cold room. my heart was still beating like crazy. just when i thought things were going fine. my phone vibrated on my lap, signaling a new message.

toeface
where are you???

sooyeon
something came up, i'm at the police station.
read

-

jaemin? i looked at the entrance of the station to see him standing there with a worried expression all over him. his hair was pressed on his forehead and his eyes wandering around the room. he finally made eye contact with me and ran to where i was sitting. doesn't he have practice?

"sooyeon! are you okay? are you hurt anywhere?" jaemin asked with his brows furrowed and his hands tight on my shoulder, scanning my face.

i quickly nodded, taken aback by his sudden appearance. what is he doing here? isn't he busy?

"what are you doing here? "

"what happened? did anyone hurt you?" he asked with a concerned tone, ignoring my question.

  "some guy stole my bag," i replied shortly, still taken aback by his sudden appearance.

"none of this would happen if i picked you up earlier," he muttered in a regretful tone.

"we haven't found anything yet, but we will call you when we have something," the same police officer from earlier said, earning a nod from me.

-

   will they even find the guy? as if i'm gonna get the money afterwards. ugh. all my money from my hard work was gone just like that. omma must be worried sick right now.

  "don't worry, okay? they will figure it out" he whispered softly, giving me a pat on the shoulder.

   "sooyeon-ah, don't be upset, yeah? smiiiillleeee," he giggled, stretching my cheeks into a smile. i rolled my eyes at him, swatting his sticky hand away from my cheeks. what should i tell omma? i don't want her to worry.

"you can go now, i'm alright," i said, shooing him with my hands.

"no! i'm not leaving until you cheer up," jaemin said, crossing his arms exaggeratedly. his aegyo earned weird stares from the strangers passing by, earning me secondhand embarrassment. how am i gonna deal with this guy?

"hey, hey! let me treat you to something yummy yeah?"

"no, omma will be worried," i muttered, turning down his offer.

"oh come on, your mom will be okay with it! she likes me," he wiggled his eyebrows.
-
  "make sure to eat well, little yeonnie. that way you can grow a little bit taller," he teased, handing a fork to me.

  seriously? i sent him a glare, snatching the fork from his hand. sticking the fork into the bowl, i took my first bite. i rolled my eyes back dramatically, doing an exaggerated moan.

  jaemin laughed at my acting skills and started eating too. he picked up a ricecake on his fork, but before he could put in his mouth, it landed on the table. his face was still for a second, then his nose scrunched and he faked a cry.

  i giggled at him, placing my ricecake in his bowl, replacing the fallen one.

-

  "jaemin-ah, gumawo. you were probably busy yet you still came for me," i mumbled, staring at the ground.

  his usual cocky expression disappeared, instead it was replaced with a confused one. his eyebrows raised and his mouth was shaped in an o.

  i bit my lip awkwardly, juggling the thoughts in my head. "i forgive you. let's be friends again," i smiled, extending a hand for him to shake. his eyes immediately lit up and the corners of his mouth turned into a wide grin.

  he completely disregarded my hand, pulling in for a bone-crushing bear hug instead.

  "you're my best friend," he whispered.