home, jaemin

chapter thirteen

in the small month that jiyoung had found comfort in republic city, she got closer and closer to everyone except jaemin and soojin.

every time she tried to make friends with either of them she would automatically get shut down one way or another.

in jaemins case, he would usually just ignore her and act as if she weren't there. in soojin's case, she would either hold up a hand to say no or make a snarky comment that would always end up hurting jiyoung's feelings.

she desperately wanted to know why her presence bothered the older girl so much but nobody could actually tell why.

they all thought it was because she was getting close to donghyuck. so when they all hung out, the two would part and then talk and be friendly once soojin was away.

but still, that hadn't even done anything. naturally, jiyoung acted friendly with the people around her but she was still very closed off- never talking about her emotions or making physical contact with them.

there was just something about sharing her feelings and showing affection through physical forms that she just didn't find herself comfortable with.

the only time she felt like touch wasn't somehow embarrassing was when she thought about a relationship with another person.

her love language was physical touch.

she was definitely touch deprived and sought for the warmth of another person she'd love dearly but she was in no particular rush to find who that'd be.

"father, i'm leaving for work," she informed the older man sitting on the couch.

"have fun, honey." his deep voice rang.

she hadn't ever heard someone with a voice quite like her fathers. it was so deep yet completely emotionless with every word he spoke. it was strange.

her tennis shoes tapped against the wooden floor as she made her way over to the doorway, grabbing her keys before exiting the small house.

her back hit the driver's seat harshly. carelessly, she used her right arm to pull the strap on her left shoulder over her head and into the passenger seat.

it was getting colder and colder outside which she loved, having to not deal with everything burning in the car as soon as she got in like in the summertime.

her hands brushed against the back of her neck in an attempt to get rid of the hair hugging it uncomfortably.

after finally situating himself, her fingers gripped the key- sticking it into the car's keyhole and starting it up before backing out of the driveway and onto the road.

the amount of serotonin she got from feeling the cold wind rushing in and out through her open windows while also listening to her loud music was unforgettable.

finally reaching the particular coffee shop that everyone around the republic knew and loved, her car finally came to a stop.

her eyes drifted over to the mirror on her car door and immediately zoned in on the bright red pimple forming on her chin.

"gross," she gagged, reaching into her bag and pulling out a black mask.

she groaned in annoyance at herself, having forgotten to put regular masks in her bag and now having to wear the oversized one.

she hooked it over her ears and finally dragging herself into the cafe- not really excited for the mixture of nice and rude customers.

eight hours. i've been here for eight fucking hours. what time is it now? six in the afternoon...

she mentally cursed herself for picking up such long hours but brushed it away when another customer came through the door- talking on his phone.

finally reaching the register, jiyoung could slightly hear the other person on his phone.

"i've already told you, multiple times! you can come home. there is no need to be staying with-"

the male's voice cut her off, "no. i'm perfectly fine with how i'm living right now. there is no need for me to come back when clearly, i'm not welcomed. bye."

her eyes widened slightly in surprise as she recognized the boy. he had shown up multiple times throughout the day but usually went to the right cash register while she worked on the left.

jaemin.

"one venti size iced americano. no water, only ice. and four shots of espresso, please."

his voice was different when he spoke to her this time, nothing like she had ever heard before.

usually, he was harsh towards her, never actually sparing her a single glance. but now his voice was soft and didn't have the regular lace of rudeness with it.

he doesn't recognize me.

she put in his order, but not after momentarily questioning if it was actually healthy for his body in any way. she came to the conclusion it wasn't.

he gave her his name and walked away, coming back minutes later when jiyoung called his name and gave him his cup.

"thanks," were his last words before leaving.

when he left the store and she finally had a moment to process the small encounter, her mind went straight to his phone call.

she presumed the woman over the phone was his mother just by the way her voice showed complete professionalism and eloquence with a side of motherly love.

why was he declining her request of returning to his own home? and why was he gone in the first place? what exactly did he mean by not being welcomed?

multiple questions were raised inside her mind but she had to momentarily push them away to take more orders.

but she was still curious about the call.

sorry it's been a few days since i last updated. i read two books with over 400 pages each in less than three days. like i couldn't stop reading and i still have a few more books to read in the series.