Just A Few Numbers Away

Chapter 9

The Bearable Fear

Jin-hyung sat down beside me, and then he showed me his wrist.

"I know you don't see it, but the numbers written on my wrist are just steps away."

"Huh??"

I looked at Jin-hyung's face, shock written all over my own.

He remained calm, still looking at his wrist as if he were reading a simple watch.

"The person is somewhere around us. I also have a vague idea of who it is."

I gulped.

The air in the room felt thinner.

"W-who is it?"

"It's someone you and I probably both know," Jin-hyung said with a half smile.

The mystery in his eyes made my skin crawl, but in a way that distracted me from my own panic.

"Ohhh..."

I looked at Jin-hyung's wrist.

So he already found his soulmate.

How will this make me feel better?

"You're probably thinking about how this will help you."

I looked at Jin-hyung and nodded.

"Yoongi-ah, you and I both know we can't choose our soulmate. Nobody can. No matter what we do, a time will come in our lives when we will need to face such reality. We can't escape our fate, and even if we do try, the ones who'll suffer are just ourselves."

"I know. I completely understand. But I'm not ready, Hyung."

"Stop lying," Jin-hyung said with a stern look on his face.

His voice wasn't loud, but it had the weight of an anchor.

I look away from him.

"I'm not."

Jin-hyung sighed.

"Yoongi-ah, tell me the truth now, or do you want me to tell you your truth."

I look back at him and stood up, my heart racing.

"There's nothing to tell, Hyung!"

Jin-hyung also stood up.

"Then why do you look so afraid?"

I was taken aback by what he said.

"W-what? No. I'm not."

"Your expression tells me otherwise."

I looked at hyung tiredly.

"Hyung, please."

"Please what?"

"Let's just stop this conversation."