umbrella ¦ na jaemin

ch ; 15

.・。.・゜✭・ 15 .・✫・゜・。.

Countered Thoughts

After hanging out for an hour at the dog café, Jaemin and Dahee took another bus ride, this time finding seats next to each other. Dahee kept asking where they were headed, but all Jaemin did was smile mysteriously.

"Can I borrow your phone?" Dahee asked, curiosity piqued.

"Uh, sure, but why?" Jaemin replied, handing over his phone after unlocking it.

"Music," Dahee said with a grin.

She pulled out her earphones from her pocket, plugged them into his phone, and started scrolling through his music library. She was pleasantly surprised to find that they had similar tastes in music. Selecting a song that caught her eye, she played it and then offered one of the earphones to Jaemin.

"Here, listen with me," she said, handing him the left earphone.

Jaemin took the earphone and smiled as the song "summer" by Keshi began to play. Dahee leaned back and gazed out the window, watching the scenery change as the bus moved. Jaemin watched her, noting how peaceful she looked with her head resting against the window.

He had planned a trip to the beach, hoping it would be a fun and relaxing outing. He didn’t want it to seem romantic, fearing that Dahee might get the wrong idea.

Although his mind insisted that he just wanted to be good friends, his heart whispered otherwise. Jaemin wasn't one to deny his feelings, believing that lying to oneself was a path to self-destruction.

But this time, he fought against his own heart, refusing to acknowledge the growing affection he felt for Dahee.

As these thoughts swirled in his mind, he felt a gentle weight on his shoulder. Looking down, he saw Dahee had fallen asleep, her head resting on him. Jaemin's heart skipped a beat, but he remained still, careful not to disturb her.

When they finally arrived at the beach, Jaemin gently woke her up. They stepped off the bus, and Dahee immediately took in the fresh sea air, feeling a wave of happiness wash over her upon seeing the relatively empty beach.

"You should’ve told me we were going to the beach," Dahee said, giving Jaemin a playful punch on the arm.

"You can just take them off," Jaemin shrugged, gesturing to her shoes, and continued walking towards the shore.

Rolling her eyes, Dahee followed him, stopping to remove her shoes and socks before stepping into the cold water. She squealed at the initial chill but soon grew accustomed to it.

"Come here, Jaem!" she called out, splashing the water playfully.

Jaemin shook his head, a small smile on his face as he watched her. Dahee continued to play in the water, memories flooding back of the last time she visited the beach, years ago on the second death anniversary of her father.

She remembered visiting his grave that day, feeling a profound sadness, and seeking solace at the beach where her family used to play together.

Life had been full of joy and clear skies back then, but everything changed after her father's death.

Her relationship with her mother had become strained, and although she tried to understand her mother’s situation, she still longed for the days when her mother was always there for her.

Now, her mother was rarely home, missing important moments like Dahee’s graduation, and with Dahee's final year of high school approaching, she doubted her mother would attend.