Days in Nights. /Yuta, Wonwoo/

Chapter 4

Yuta came the next night with the bank papers. Jinwoo bought him peach drink from the minimart.

"Thanks." He stared at the can.

"Let's start with this one first, okay?" Jiwoo pulled the chair to sit next to him. "This one here means your bank account number. You have that, right?"

"Here." He took a small piece of paper with notes on it.

"Don't show it to me, you fill the paper yourself." She handed him the pen.

He started to write under her instructions. After one paper to another, he had to try filling the blank documents by himself.

Jiwoo stared at him. There were no apparent cuts or bruises, but the scars were still obvious. She wondered if the bully had stopped beating him up.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

Yuta turned to look at her. "What do you mean?"

"Your face. Seems like you're not into fights lately."

"I know, right?" He smiled brightly.

She didn't know his smile would be that contagious that made her almost smiled as well. "Yea, whatevs." She held her lips not to smile.

"You're not smoking today?" He filled the paper again.

"I'm afraid you might want some."

She wasn't joking but Yuta thought it was a joke so he nudged her crossed arms with his elbow. "Eyy, that was quite funny."

Jiwoo had chills when their skins touched. She immediately put on her cardigan.

"Why? Are you cold? Want to borrow my jacket instead? That cardigan looks thin." Yuta put down the pen and took his denim jackets which he was wearing earlier.

"No, it's fine." But he insisted and swiftly put on the jacket covering her back. It was so covering that she could even smell his scent. A mix of baby powder and fresh shampoo, also a hint of citrus.

"There you go." He chuckled noticing that she was quite small under his jacket.

She tried to be calm as possible. "I said it's fine."

"I kind of have friends now at school." He spoke as he continued writing.

Reminded of her pact with Taeyong the other week, Jiwoo nodded. 'He keeps his promise, then.'

"I also joined soccer last week."

"Hm." Jiwoo listened as she checked her phone, whether Wonwoo would text her or not.

"Is it not interesting, my story? Is it, isn't it?" He finished writing. "I'm all done."

"Ah, it's not- wow you have a nice handwriting." She checked the papers.

While she was checking the documents, Yuta kept staring at her. She kept holding her phone close to her as if she was waiting for something.

"Your boyfriend?" He blurted out.

"What?" She heard him.

He pointed at her phone. "Your boyfriend?"

She looked at her phone. "What? No. My brother is quite a mess so..."

"It's a relief, then." He said with a thin smile.

She furrowed her eyebrows and shook her head. After making sure everything was correct, she handed all of the papers to Yuta.

"All done? Okay!" He quickly put the papers into his backpack and stood up. "Want me to walk you to the subway station?"

"No, it's fine-"

"No, it's fine." He copied her and smiled. "I knew you would say that."

She put away his denim jacket but he stopped her. "I'm lending you that. You can wear it."

"Tsk. Just how many girls have you flirted with this kind of trick, huh?"

"Probably just you." He hung his backpack on one shoulder. "I'm going. See you tomorrow."

With his jacket in her hands, she kept staring at his back, walking away from her.

Then she noticed something.

"Wait... 'see you tomorrow'??" Jiwoo was having a confusing moment that she wanted to curse and smile at the same time.

Jiwoo walked home alone as Wonwoo didn't contact her at all. She wore Yuta's jacket. It did kind of feel somewhat colder that night.

"Did something nice happen? Your smiling face creates these eerie vibes." Wonwoo's voice startled her.

He stood near the lamp post, with one hand in his jeans pocket and the other held a plastic bag. He was a block away from their flat, obviously was waiting for her.

"Isshh, you scared me! Why are you here??"

He handed the plastic bag to her. "Let's have chicken and beer. I'm buying."

"Then why aren't you contacting me earlier?" She checked what's inside the plastic bag. A box of chicken and four cans of beer. They started to walk home together.

"Out of battery." He replied simply, side-eyeing the unfamiliar denim jacket she was wearing. "So you're finally dating someone?"

"What? No. Why makes you think... ah, this jacket?"

"You can't be taking that from a homeless person, right?"

She kicked him.

"You're old enough to date, you know?"

"Tck. It's a waste of time." She got reminded by the hospital notice from weeks ago. 'A waste of time.'

"...But will make you less cranky." He teased her, chuckling.

"I like being alone better." Jiwoo shook her thoughts away and messed her brother's hair, tiptoeing because he was a giant beside her. "Especially when I have an annoying useless little brother to take care of."

He pried her hand. "That just gave me chills. Don't act like you do care about me, I'm scared."

She laughed. "I guess it shows."

"But I did mean it. Date someone. You should be happy, too. I mean, like me being happy with those boozes I have everyday-"

She kicked him again. "Then I have my cigs." Jiwoo knew her brother meant well, but she didn't feel like dating. Especially after what happened last year. She stared at Wonwoo again.

"What?"

Jiwoo nudged his arm with her elbow. "You're even younger. You should date."

He bursted into laugh. "Noona, can't you see my face? I have this perfect features and do you thin no girls like me?"

She rolled her eyes, regretting what she just asked. Taking bigger steps she ditched him.

Wonwoo smiled seeing his sulked sister. Messing his hair, he sighed. "...am I even in the right position to date right now, noona?"

He kept staring at her back until her shadow started to lose his sight.

"Ya! Wait for me!"

2019/03/27