Days in Nights. /Yuta, Wonwoo/

Chapter 22

The rooftop's air filled with awkwardness. Taeseong's gang members were all there.

Yuta stood before them. He wondered when this all would end so he could return to class.

"He's THE nishiken? Are you joking, hyungnim?" Eundo-go's third rank, Lee Myeonghwa, asked Taeseong. The big guy just sat in silence.

"If he is, why did he take our hits so well?"

"Too well, if not more."

"Ayy, no way. He looks weak alright."

The boys kept commenting, but Yuta just stood there, staring at Taeseong. He started questioning himself why did Taeseong ask him to be there.

Or why did he agree to accept his offer.

"Quiet!" Taeseong kicked a chair. He then stood up and walked toward Yuta.

Keeping Taeseong at his eye-level, Yuta remained calm.

"I heard Pyo Jinhyuk wanted to have a battle with the infamous nishiken." Taeseong stated. He looked around the boys. "We'll give him that..."

Yuta pierced his eyes at him.

"...but that means he'll be attacking Eundo-go, don't you think?"

"I see what your point is, but I thought it will be just us two? You promised." Yuta said.

"You know nothing about Pyo Jinhyuk. He won't be alone. Especially when he knows he'll lose."

The rooftop's door was kicked open.

"He's right. So that makes the three of us. Not two." Wonwoo walked toward them. He turned to look at Taeseong. "I don't like it when you have a new favourite little brother, hyung."

"You said you'll take Wonwoo's place. It's supposed to be just us two." Yuta asked Taeseong. The other boys were all tensed up.

"And why can't I join you two?" Wonwoo asked.

"We want to join, too." Myeonghwa stepped forward with the others.

Taeseong looked around with a smirk. The he clasped his hands. "There. Done. An army."

"I can only protect one person. If something happens to your boys, it's on you." Yuta glared at Taeseong.

"And who that one special person will be?" Myeonghwa wondered.

Yuta turned to Wonwoo for a second before looking away. "Anyone. Only if I had to."

He then walked away and headed to his classroom.

—

Jiwoo bought a new lighter at the minimart and was quite disappointed with the design.

"Who even made this ugly thing...?"

She decided not to smoke there that night. Her feet were somehow taking her home.

"Jeon Jiwoo!"

Her eyes lighted up as she saw Yuta across the street. He waved his hands at her. She returned the hand wave.

She waited for him to cross the street, lighting her new ugly lighter on and off.

"What about the minimart?" He asked, half-panting. He had his duffel with him.

"I think I'm going to smoke at home tonight."

"And?"

"And what? That's that. I'm going home." She chuckled.

"Too bad."

"What about?"

"There's a night market by the river. I was just hoping to check that place."

"I'm not quite sure..."

"Whoa, what is this?? So delicious!" Jiwoo exclaimed. She had a lamb skewer in one hand and a rolled potato in the other.

Yuta was in disbelief on how much she enjoyed the night market.

"Let's try that one next. Look at the long queue, that food truck must be making something good."

"Hm." He just agreed.

"Why?"

"Nothing." He chuckled. "For someone who was quite unsure you sure are enjoying this."

She had another bite on the lamb skewer.

"...and with a huge appetite, at that."

Jiwoo finished chewing. "Because Wonwoo's not home. I don't feel like cooking."

Yuta spotted sauce by the corner of her lips. He pulled his hoodie's cuff and wiped the sauce. "Should I ask him to go home?"

Jiwoo felt her heart raced.

"Should I? You should eat a lot and never skip any meals, you know."

"Should I?"

He nodded and took a bite of the potato from the one in her hand. "You should. You're teaching. You don't want to make the students worry, right?"

She pouted her lips.

"I worry about you, too." He tapped her shoulder and walked away.

"Where are you going?"

Yuta pointed the crowded food truck with his chin. "There. Didn't you want to try that, too? We need to queue."

She tried to keep her hot cheeks and followed him.

The two sat by the grass, listening to the live music playing on the stage.

She checked the time. 11.47 pm. Her phone was showing no notifications.

"Do you worry he can't go home by himself when he's drunk?" Yuta asked, as if he knew what was inside her head.

"A bit, maybe." She turned to him. "Is he..."

"He doesn't drink as much these days."

She nodded. "That's a relief, then."

"Jiwoo."

"Hm?"

Yuta turned his whole body toward her, seeing her face-to-face.

"Hm? What is it?" She put her phone into her bag.

"Will you date me?"

She looked at him.

"I know I'm still a minor, and I think you will have a hard time having someone like me as a boyfriend, but I want to be with you."

"..." She looked down, fidgeting her fingers.

"I will make sure I graduate high school and-"

"I can't."

"What?"

She held both his hands. "As much as I am happy to hear that... I can't. I'm sorry, Yuta."

"But why?"

She looked away. He held her hands tighter.

"Have you ever heard that? That someone who is just meant to live alone forever..." Jiwoo smiled at him. "I think I'm meant to live like that."

"You didn't mean that, right?"

She let go of his hands.

"I'm the kind of person who needs to live alone."

2019/05/04