20 cm || Choi Yeonjun

67

"And here we are.... make sure to text Soobin! I think they're just right around the—" Yeonjun didn't let his manager finish. He hastily got out of the van, pulling the door harshly to let himself out as if he was starring in an apocalypse movie. The loud 'yah!' from his manager had gone to deaf ears, earning a small snicker from me.

He was so stubborn.

I shook my head. It seems like nothing ever changed. His playful and child-like demeanour, the tiny crescents that formed when he smiled. It was there again. I got to see them again. It almost felt like Yeonjun never left. This side of him that I have grown to adore resurfacing after being suppressed inside the depths of his mind after a long long drought.

My smile instantly vanished when I felt his large hand holding the very tip of my sweater. Sirens started blaring in my ears as he continued to march forward.

"Yeonjun, wait...." I tried to stop him.

Fuck. My arm.

It hurts.

The pain started to travel up 'til it reached past my shoulder. His back was completely turned to me, oblivious of my discomfort. I tried not to hiss loudly. The ache made me want to stagger away from his hold but I just couldn't make myself pull it away. I didn't want him to coddle me the whole time we were here.

"Yeonjun..." I rasped lowly. My throat felt scratchy from gulping too much.

I desperately tried to make my steps heavier to make him stop walking further. "We're almost there, Jiwon! Hurry!" He replied all too ecstatic and jumpy that it almost made me want to do the exact opposite. To let him lead me to where he wanted us to be, setting aside the ache from my broken limb. However another tug from him had me almost writhing. My eyes stung and I'm sure as hell my face showed every ounce of the strain I was feeling.

"YEONJUN! PLEASE!" I called out, whimpering. I didn't even notice that I was already panting, not until he finally looked back. His eyes falling on my hunched form, worry and uneasiness had quickly morphed into his once thrilled orbs.

"What's wrong?!" He took frantic steps to close the distance between us, his hands falling on my shoulders to examine me better. I couldn't find the courage to answer. The feeling of shame had me struggling to hold his heavy-lidded stare.

I looked down. Now I wanted to dig up a hole on the ground and hide. The situation had become more and more petty as we stood in the middle of the sidewalk. I unconsciously nursed my hand. His eyes following the movement until he sucked in a ragged breath. Realisation dawned on him quicker than I wanted him to.

Yeonjun muttered a string of curses before running his hands through his hair. His face showing the emotion I feared the most. "I'm sorry, Jiwon.... Shit, I u-uh. I totally forgot." His voice wavered, the feeling of guilt resounding in every quiver of his lips.

I seriously wanted to pull my hair out. Yeonjun's shoulders drooped further. The twinkle in his eyes faded and was now replaced by pure and raw agitation. The uncertainty of rejection hovering around him like a dark shadow, sucking everything that was good inside of him. Watching it with my own eyes had my insides wrenching. The feeling of nausea overtaking my throat as it thickened.

This wasn't what I wanted.... My own clumsiness had lead me to wear this stupid cast and now I made the person in front of me feel like utter shit. Just because of something he wasn't even aware of.

"It's fine! It's fine! See?" I tried to recover. Stupidly waving my arm towards his frowning face. My expression failing to hide the sting when I moved the muscle up again in the air. I immediately put it back down.