Luminous • Jisung

22 • Sobs

• Chapter 22 •

If she didn't have her pride left, Cho-a would've probably thrown up right then and there onto the discussion table. 

But she held her feelings in, her nerves, her confusion, her anxiety. Just until the meeting was over and she could rush out of the room, attracting a few stares as she left. 

As soon as she made her way outside, Jisung got up too and followed the girl, trying to seem less stressed than she did in order to make this seem less suspicious. 

He lost sight of Cho-a when she rounded a corner, wandering off into a random hallway that led further into the building rather than outside. 

Thinking she didn't know, Jisung's steps quickened until he too rounded that corner and- 

She was gone. 

The entire hallway was empty. There was no way she could've gotten away this quick. 

"Did she just-"

Eyes wide, baffled by her behaviour, Jisung whirled around hectically just to make sure no one else saw this. But he was alone. 

All alone. 

So he did as she did. Emptiness - not longer than for the blink of an eye - then he found himself on that very same rooftop from the other day. 

He didn't know if this was the right place to go to but he figured it would be a good start. Nervously, he looked around, turned around all in hopes to find the girl. 

Which he did. 

She stood across him, back facing the boy, toes reaching over the ledge of the rooftop as she stared down with a blank mind. 

"Are you crazy?!" Jisung said as soon as he spotted her. He stepped closer. "I reassured them that you are human not so that you could teleport yourself at the next best occasion-" 

He was full-on nagging. He sounded annoyed but his annoyance stemmed from worry. 

Not that Cho-a knew that. 

So she turned around hastily, not minding the meters upon meters of empty air behind her. 
"I never asked you to," she spat. Her eyes were empty, a little red. 

Jisung didn't like it. 

"Why did you do that? Why did you make me listen to all that?" she questioned angrily, nostrils flaring up as she took hectic breaths. 

Clenching his jaw, feeling unwell from the whole situation, Jisung stepped closer yet again. 
"Get away from the ledge first, you're making me nervous." 

"Why?" She stretched her arms away from her body. "What happens if I fall down there? Will I die?" 

"It would hurt-"

"Would I die though?" she pressed further but he stayed quiet. He stayed quiet when she tilted her head back and laughed emptily into the void above. He stayed quiet when she walked up to him. 

He hadn't seen her this upset before. It was odd- no, more than that. Because she seemed to be angry. Yet somehow Jisung couldn't help but feel like she was just trying to come across that way. 

Pausing in front of the boy for a second, Cho-a pushed him back a little. Not much, barely using any force at all. 

"Since when did you know that it's me?" she asked, tone low and fragile. 

Jisung ran his tongue over his lips, trying to gain some time and, above all, his composure. It was tough to hold eye contact with her. 

"Not long, since the incident with Taemin," he said truthfully. 

"Why didn't you tell me?" He wasn't sure what was going through her mind. "Did you take me into that meeting with you to make sure I am safe like Jaemin and Jeno? Or did you just want me to hear how everyone thinks I am a horrible, murderous person out to get you?" 

Jisung's expression dropped. 

That was what she was thinking about? He inhaled, helplessly trying to get a good answer to calm her down first. 
"I didn't know they would talk about it like that, Cho-a." 

"You didn't tell me. You knew who I was and didn't tell me," she said through angered nervousness. "Because you think I am secretly like the rumours say? Because you wanted to have the upper hand? Because-" 

"Because I was worried I might make you uncomfortable," Jisung interrupted. He quickly put his hands on her shoulders, holding her tightly. "Kun said you'd tell me if you trusted me enough, I didn't want to push you." 

Her hectic breathing grew faster, her eyes jumped away from one object to another ere they got stuck in the air. They hung there aimlessly as she sunk deeper into her thoughts. 

Why was she even angry at Jisung? Was she angry at him? Was she angry? 

What was it again? 

Jisung's eyes got lost in her empty gaze. She seemed so pained and shocked. Her attitude was gone, her confidence vanished completely. 

Trying to get her to snap out of it, he squeezed her shoulder's tightly. 
"Cho-a," he called her name, tried to keep his voice as calm as possible. "Look at me." He talked sternly, order-like.  

She looked at him. Nodding, Jisung rubbed his thumbs up and down her shoulders. 

"Talk to me." 

She tried her best to take deep breaths to regain her composure. To be able to talk at all. 

It took her a few moments, in which there was only the white noise of an ongoing day underneath them and the unsteady breaths of the distressed girl. 

Yet, Jisung waited patiently. He stood still, thumbs moving up and down slowly. They had all the time in the world. 

They had all the time she needed. 

Then when Cho-a finally spoke, it came out quiet and shy and painfilled.  
"He couldn't even look at me."

Jisung frowned. 
"Who?" 

"Renjun." She swallowed hard, looked away. "Everyone there must think I am a horrible person. They don't know me though." 

"They weren't trying to be rude," he assured. 

Cho-a nodded. 
"They weren't trying," she mumbled to herself before suddenly her eyes jumped up and locked with the boy's. "Jisung, it's not my fault that I am who I am." 

It hit him like a blow to the stomach. Like all the air escaped his lungs, leaving him shocked and breathless.  

It's not my fault that I am who I am.

He stood still. Silent. A statue, emotionless as he was overwhelmed with things to feel. Before his eyes, Cho-a shuffled on her spot, about to move away when the boy didn't say anything. 

Cho-a made her step back, trying to get out of his grasp. Just as Jisung noticed that, he stepped towards her, his arms sliding down her shoulders to her back, where he wrapped them around her shaking body carefully. 

She let her head fall into the crook of his neck. 

It hurt. Just listening to her quiet sobs hurt. 

Yet, he stayed with her until her eyes were bloodshot and her lips swollen and her cheeks puffy and she almost fell asleep in his arms. 

He just stayed by her side.

• Sobs •

so this chapter was kinda angsty but it turned out to be cute too~ (at least I think it did lmao)

I HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT

I am super tired so time to head to bed.

Stay safe and healthy. Ly ♡