Namjoon cleared his throat. I could care less. I glared daggers at Hoseok, wishing the ground would swallow him up.
"Hyung, you should calm down, okay?" Namjoon again. I saw the way Hoseok gulped, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down with the action.
"I. Am. Calm" I grit out, fists clenched.
"Hyung, you are scaring me" Hoseok finally spoke up. I break the eye contact with him, turning towards the kitchen counter. Seeing this, Hoseok tried to come near me, hopeful that I calmed down and would not go through any efforts of murdering him. But he thought wrong. I leapt at him as soon as he was near, grabbing his collar.
"You really HAD to come in right now?!"
"I'm sorry! We didn't know she was going to stay with you yesterday night. We just thought you were meeting for dinner. How were we supposed to know we are going to interrupt something if we step in? You guys should take these things to the bedroom" I groan. I know it's no use to explain it to them.
"Wait....she told you we're meeting?"
"Yeah I dropped her" Namjoon speaks up this time "and 'Yoon', huh hyung? Wanna explain that at your shift?"
"You're supposed to go to your school today. Stop bothering and run off. I'm getting late. We'll talk later" I grumble, shoving them out of the house before proceeding to get ready for the day.
I knew Hoseok and Namjoon would drop into the shop after their school would get over, but the loud booming yell from Hoseok still got me whipping my head in his direction.
"How many times have I told you not to shout at the top of your voice in the shop?"
"You always say that, hyung. But you never actually mean it. So stop complaining about it like a five-year old who got his toy taken away from him"
"Ugh. Why do you always come to trouble me? And you're early. Don't tell me you skipped school"
"We may or may not be skipping school but we're just checking up on you, hyung" Namjoon covered up for Hoseok.
"I'm great now go back to school"
"No hyung. You know what I'm asking" he frowned at the reply, firing back at me.
"Yeah yeah, I get it. I'm not using alcohol to pass time, and I freaking love myself" I reply back, sarcasm glowing bright in my words.
"Hyung, I know it's not easy. I just want you to know that we are there for you. Now you've also got Eri to support you. Please don't fall back"
"Don't call her that. I won't. Jeez. I'm trying. Can't we talk about something else?" that was enough for Hoseok to start narrating his entire day at school while I continue to do my work, customers going in and out of the shop. Erica entered the shop in the evening when I was packing up my things, waiting for the shop owner to come and check the place like he always does before I leave.
"Ready to leave? Sorry I could not come earlier. Had to finish the assignments. Hey Yoon, you alright?" continuing to ignore her I keep on walking around the shop making sure I'm not leaving behind anything.
"Hey!! What's the matter? I did something wrong?"
"When did you start calling me 'Yoon'?"
"You're mad about that?"
"They've been teasing me for the entire day and you also told me not to kill them off or I would have shut them up long time back" I say, picking her up and twirling her around. She giggles at that, hitting my shoulder, asking me to let her down.
"So how was your day?"
"Do you not like 'Yoon'?" she questions me back.
"It's not that. I love it. I was just teasing you"
"I know. I just wanted to hear it from your mouth" and she takes off, running into the store just as I am about to pick her up again. The knock on the door refrains me to chase after her, finding the owner standing there with his hand extended for his keys.
"Come on, love. We got to go"
"Promise you'll not lift me back up again" she shouted from in there.
"I won't. Come on now. Mr. Chang is waiting for his key" I reply back, looking at the said individual who only raises his eyebrows in response.
"Oh sorry for keeping you waiting" she comes back out.
"Hello dear" he turns his gaze towards me after greeting her "I'm so glad you found yourself a sweet partner. Lee would be delighted"
"Yes. Uncle knows her. She is Ara's friend so yeah" I respond smiling as we watch him lock the shutter down.
"Good to know you're somewhat back to normal. Does she know?"
"Yeah she does. She is kinda helping me come back to the surface" I smile fondly at Erica who looks up at me, confused at the exchange between Mr. Chang and me.
"It's getting late. We'll be heading home. Night Mr. Chang"
"Yeah good night kiddo" he says as he starts walking to the opposite direction from us, waving at us behind his back.
"Let's go"
"Bring you back up from where?" she questions, not yet understanding completely.
"Let's get home, warm and comfy. We'll talk about it later, yeah?"
"Hmmm...okay. Hot chocolate for me. Day at the café was really draining" she whines the last part out before shuffling closer to nudging my arm to wrap around her which I readily do. The smile on her face worth the act of public display of affection that I usually despise.
As soon as we settle down on the couch after changing our clothes, she turns to me, looking up expectantly, her hands being heated by the mug held in them. I let out a sigh, realizing that I cannot avoid this conversation by any chance.
"I- umm.....I had an issue. After getting out of the mafia, I changed all of my habits except for one. Drinking. I used to drink myself to unconsciousness. I wanted to die but couldn't bring myself to commit suicide. I wanted an out from the mess I called my life. So I found another means of letting off steam. I began to drink liquor. Hoseok found out one day. He came to my house to enjoy the night. Imagine his surprise when he found me, drunk, wasted on the floor, as he told me. I hesitated to go to rehab, thought it was a waste of time. But Hoseok and Namjoon knocked sense into me, both literally as well as figuratively. I agreed and here I am now"
"Hmmmm....don't worry. I'll protect my small goofball from any harm now. Whatever it takes" I scoff at that, tickling her sides as she snuggled into me.
"Yeah and I don't plan on getting my ass kicked any time soon" I lift her up and take her to bed that night, thinking about the surprise Jimin and I have been planning for her birthday.
"Meeting you was fate, becoming your friend was a choice, but falling in love with you was beyond my control" – Anonymous.
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A/N : Hello!! Hope you are liking the story so far.....
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