home, jaemin

chapter twenty-nine

jiyoung's body lurched forward in a swift and harsh motion, her breath escaping her lips in loud gasps.

her body felt parched and dried out while a cold sweat flowed through her skin and coated her in a transparent gloss.

it was her seventh nightmare since moving to the republic nearly two months ago.

her worst nightmare would either have to be the first one she experienced or the one she had the night she came home from tutoring jaemin for the second time, only a week ago.

she didn't want to recall the despairing visuals she had seen that night, already uncomfortable with just thinking back to it.

her feet maneuvered through the thick bed sheets, finding their way to the ground where they took in the coldness emitting off of the hardwood floors.

in seconds she had socks and tennis shoes on her feet and she was out the back door.

it was cold out, the coldest point of winter soon to be approaching them in a month or so. this year it got colder unusually earlier than normal.

the winds had picked up outside in late august, early september and it was already the end of october. the coldness had been off and on for the past few weeks, sometimes it'd be scorching hot while other times it'd be cold enough for double, even triple, layering without breaking a sweat.

normal people would be dressing in their t-shirts and joggers, maybe a jacket to keep warm, but jiyoung welcomed the cold gusts that blew past her body. it eased her nerves being outside and feeling the wind against her body.

the peaceful and quietness around her made her feel light on her feet as if she had no care in the world at the moment.

as if her feet had a mind of their own, she made her way to the park she came to so many times before, day or night.

taking a seat on the familiar bench, she took in the aroma of flowers and freshly cut grass. her senses felt as if they were stronger in that moment, stronger than she'd ever imagined.

looking up, she noticed the full moon circling in the sky and illuminating the world with its white peace as people slept.

her eyes momentarily closed, taking in everything and letting herself calm down once again.

looking down at her phone, she read the time.

3:45 AM

already nearly an hour since she got there.

"water looks so pretty in the moonlight," she spoke gently, running her hand through the water.

her hair blew back with the wind, her silhouette and shadow showing perfectly from the moonlight shining against her.

she felt exhilarated as if she was free. standing up, she stretched out her arms and legs, then turned her body to crack some bones in her back.

looking around, she noticed the lack of people. about to begin walking home, her stomach growled to indicate she hadn't eaten in quite a while.

"a trip to the store wouldn't be too bad," she muttered to herself, beginning to walk to the same store she visited regularly.

and just like that, she was on her way and entering the warm store. it had a cozy aroma, one much like that of someone's own home.

"hello," she was welcomed by the older female adult at the front desk. she smiled at the lady, walking inside.

slow and steady steps were made to the same ramen aisle she always visited, her stomach eager for the familiar taste that satisfied her tastebuds every time.

immediately upon reaching the aisle, she grabbed the familiar food and began her way out of the aisle.

what she hadn't noticed was the body walking right towards her, resulting in both of them crashing into each other.

she felt the ramen getting knocked out of her hands and her body begins to fall as well.

before she could think straight, her hands went in opposite directions to form a circular motion, somehow making her fall against the ground softer than usual.

i hope that description was kinda understandable and you could tell what i was trying to say but if not, i think you'll understand more in the next chapter :)