Luminous • Jisung

20 • Pillow

• Chapter 20 •

"I want to die." 

Cho-a sighed through tired lips, heavy eyelids, exhausted limbs. She slumped into the chair next to Jisung, who eyed the girl carefully. 

Opposite them, on the other side of the table, sat Chenle who smiled sympathetically at the girl. She seemed tired. 
"Are you okay?" 

She hummed and shook her head slowly before her eyes jumped over to Jisung. She inspected him, reached out to pat his shoulder and arm. He pushed his neck back, eyes wide, expression a little distraught. 

Yet ere he got to say anything, Cho-a slipped her arms around Jisung's. She linked her fingers and pulled herself closer before gently resting her head on his shoulder. A moment of shuffling and adjusting the posture of her head passed before she scrunched her nose. 

"You're bony," she murmured nonchalantly. 

Meanwhile, Jisung had looked at Chenle for help who just shrugged and watched the two of them amusedly. 

"Don't complain," he then said, eyes lingering on the girl's face. She had her eyes closed and inhaled soft breaths through her barely parted, rosy lips. Her cheeks were flushed a faint red. It had gotten colder nowadays, yet Cho-a didn't care to wear a jacket, even when eating her lunch outside like today. "I'm not your pillow anyway." 

Cho-a hummed, frowned so softly it was barely noticeable. 
"Yes you are," she disagreed. 

Jisung rolled his eyes. 
"Where's Haechan? I thought he was with you?" She merely hummed. "Is he getting you food?" 

"He insisted," she mumbled, her grip tightening around his arm as if she worried her pillow would move away. 

Chenle had watched them quietly, a smile on his lips at the way Jisung didn't move much. He noticed the younger one stiffen whilst he tried to move a little further down in his seat so Cho-a could rest her head on his shoulder more comfortably. 

It was surprising to see that he cared for her when she still irritated him. 

A breeze crept over the campus. It was cold and stale, yet left the two grim reapers as well as Cho-a completely unimpressed. 

Jisung glimpsed down at the girl. She was half-asleep at this point, not minding anything that was going on around them. She didn't mind the chatter from the other tables, she didn't mind the people staring, she didn't mind the cold. 

She didn't mind the few hairs that the wind had pushed to the front and that got entangled with her eyelashes. 

But Jisung did. 

So he reached forward, slowly and carefully moving his hand to her head and brushing the hair behind her ear. Chenle cocked an eyebrow. 

"You are starting to grow fond of her," he confirmed to himself. Jisung just rolled his eyes. 

When another breeze passed over the few, she gripped his arm tighter yet again, pulling herself closer to him. She was craving his warmth. 

"I think she's cold," Jisung wondered lowly.  

It was right when he said that, that two gentle hands placed a jacket on her shoulders. It was too big for her, bulky. Jisung looked up at Haechan who slid a tray of food in front of the sleeping girl afterwards. 

"She's taking a nap, hm?" He seemed happy, sat down next to her. "I'm glad." 

"I thought she hated you," Jeno admitted as he took a seat next to Chenle, Jaemin and Renjun next to them. 

Jisung raised a brow. 
"How can anyone hate me?" Sarcasm. It sounded awfully sincere though, which was why Jeno scrunched his nose and let out a shallow, doubting breath. 

Meanwhile, Renjun eyed the younger boy cautiously. It wasn't that he didn't trust him - of course he did. It was just that he didn't necessarily trust him with her. 

It was funny somehow though. 

Because now, after seeing Cho-a on the verge of tears, alone in the dark, despair oozing from her whole, Jisung got a little more cautious too. He knew it wasn't just because of Renjun alone, yet after hearing who gave her those ideas that made her mind so crowded, he couldn't help but be more careful too. 

Although, he had yet to confront Renjun about it. 

"Cute." Jaemin smiled. "Oh, by the way! Do you know what Taemin talked to us about the other day?" He then looked at Jeno - the other part of his mentioned 'us'. 

Said boy put his head back, nodded energetically whilst he swallowed down the little food that he was chewing on. 
"Right! He asked us about someone." 

"Who?" Haechan asked. 

Jeno shrugged. 
"He didn't say a name. Besides, it was hard to follow what he wanted to say. Something about a twisted person that's out to get Jisung." 

Jaemin nodded along, then put his hand on the table, feeling a little more passionate all of a sudden. 
"He was really rude though! He was asking us if we are really friends with Jisung or if we have any ulterior motives," he burst out in horror and utmost confusion. "Me? Betraying my Jisungie?" 

Pushing out a heavy huff in disbelief, he angrily shoved a spoon full of rice into his mouth. 

"He's kinda like that," Jisung replied simply. "Ignore him, hyung." Jaemin looked up but quickly averted his gaze with yet another dismissive huff. 

Meanwhile, Jeno stopped eating, spoon standing in the middle of the air between him and the table. 
"Is there someone like that though?" He put the spoon down. "Someone as bad as he tried to say?" 

Renjun didn't even bother glimpsing at the two, he just looked ahead at the sleeping girl. 
"You don't have to worry about it," he reassured. 

However, Jeno hesitated, Jaemin seemed unimpressed overall, Chenle got nosy all of a sudden. The oldest leaned back, eyes on the grey clouds above the city. He inhaled, the cold air filling his lungs generously even though he barely even felt it. 

"There's no one like that." 

• Pillow •

I had to re-publish/update chapter 19 twice because wtp kept removing my changes :")

Thanks for reading, ly all 💚