LITTLE ONES || NA JAEMIN

*CHAPTER 8

The doorbell rang in a peal, echoing through the house, and Jia immediately sprung up on her feet, making a beeline for the door.

"Hey! Took you long-" She gasped at the sight of a frustrated Jaemin struggling with a bunch of bags.

"Jesus!" She hurriedly opened the door wider and grasped a few of the bags from his grip.

"Thanks." He mumbled, and the two heaved through the corridors and into the kitchen.

"No problem." She beamed him a smile before putting the bags over the kitchen counter. "What did you buy? That looks like a lot."

"The whole store? Basically everything they'll be needing." He sighed, hopping on one of the kitchen stools. He leaned forward, casting his elbows down on the counter as he rested his chin over his palms. "I'm so tired."

"Here." She handed him a glass filled with water. Jaemin happily grabbed it from her hands and gulped down the content in one go. Placing the glass down, he trailed his eyes over the place.
"Where are the kids?"

"They're sleeping in my room. I guess they are tired after all the running we did." She chuckled, remembering them playing catch in the house. "I fed them and gave them a bath. So you don't have to worry about them."

Jaemin just nodded his head, not knowing what else to say. He was glad that the boys had warmed up to her. Meeting her was fate, but her presence was already brightening up their lives.

"Oh, by the way, I cooked for you too. Would you like to eat now?" Jia asked, leaning over the counter.

"Yea, please. You really didn't have to, though." Jaemin puffed his cheeks, giving her an apologetic smile. "But thank you so much. I really appreciate everything you've done for us."

"Hey, it's fine. I actually had a lot of fun. It gets lonely sometimes when you're so far away from your family and friends. But with the boys here, it didn't feel lonely." She gave him a genuine smile before turning around to reheat his meal.

Jaemin watched as she hummed an unfamiliar tune, his calculating eyes studying as she drummed her fingers rhythmically over the countertop, waiting for the meal to reheat.

Jaemin was honestly scared- scared at how easily Jia was able to enter and drive freely through the lanes of his life. Being the type of person who barely trusted the familiar, he was shocked to find himself relying on a stranger.

Jia placed the food into a plate and passed it to him along with the cutleries. "Here."

Jaemin clasped the rim of the plate filled with pasta in one hand and the cutleries in the other. His eyes immediately went wide after taking a bite of the food. "It's delicious."

Jia's lips lifted upward, the dimple on her right cheek crinkling. "Thanks."

"So, tell me about yourself." He asked, quietly shoving another spoon of pasta into his mouth.

"Where do I start?" She hummed, tapping her index fingers against her chin as she tilted her head to the side. "So, my name is Jung Jia, and I'm 21. I moved here a few days ago, leaving my family back in America."

Jaemin nodded, taking in all the information. "What about studies? Are you still studying or looking for a job?"

"Well, I'm here for university. I enrolled myself at the Seoul University of Arts." She smiled happily. "But, I guess I'll have to look for a job to support myself."

"That's good." He hummed. "I'm sure you'll make it."

"What about you?" She questioned. "Tell me about yourself."

"Well, you know my name. I'm 21. I am the owner of a small café down the block. You should visit sometimes." He beamed her a smile.

"Wait, that café down the block? Café 7 Dream, right?" Her eyes shined as she smiled, recalling the cafe she visited the day before.

"Yep. That's the one." He nodded proudly.

"Oh! my God." She squealed as she excitedly clapped her hands. "I love that place. It's so homey and cozy. And I love the menu, Namericano!"

"Thanks." Jaemin giggled, shoving another spoonful of pasta into his mouth.

"Hey!" Jia tossed him a glance as she nervously fumbled with the hem of her shirt. "If you don't mind, can I ask you something?"

"Yea, sure. Shoot!" He gestured her to go on.

"Why did Hyuck say that the reason their parents left them with you was because they hated them?" She asked, her eyes scanning his face for any discomfort or uneasiness. "It's okay if you don't want to tell me, though. I mean, I am just str-"

"They... are dead."