Luminous • Jisung

34 • Bummer

[I uploaded chapter 34 & 35 at the same time,, in case you feel like you missed something in between]

• Chapter 34 •

Jisung smiled at her. It was gentle and kind and reassuring. Even though it didn't fully convince Cho-a it still helped.

So she put her fork down, let her eyes wander over everyone that sat at the breakfast table. Even though not even half of them were eating the food, everyone seemed content and happy, engulfed in a light-hearted conversation. 

It felt nice. 

Cho-a had thought that Doyoung and Ten would be more distant towards everyone, yet they all seemed to be like one big family. 

And Cho-a just so happened to somehow sit in between them. 

"I still owe you an explanation," she said, looked at Jeno who had talked to her about it in the first place. The older one met her gaze. His eyes held curiosity. 

For a brief moment, Cho-a glimpsed at Doyoung and Ten - the two men she barely knew. They were close to being strangers yet somehow they didn't really feel like it. Maybe it was because of how comfortable they were around the others. Maybe it was because of what they did for her. 

She looked back at Jeno, Jaemin, Chenle. She pulled her lips between her teeth, hesitating for a second. 

"I'll make this quick," she then declared and they nodded. "I'm half grim reaper." 

Jaemin put down his spoon, lips parted in surprise. He inhaled, about to say something. Cho-a hid her hands under the table, getting nervous about what he had on his mind. 

Was it something bad? 

But then he suddenly started smiling. "That is so cool," he said quietly. "So that's how you kept up with Taemin then?" 

The girl stared at him blankly. His reaction and question came as a surprise. That's really what he wanted to know? 

Hesitating, Cho-a nodded silently and Jaemin looked over at Jeno, giving him an approving nod. Meanwhile, Chenle sighed. 

"Man," he breathed. "And I wanted to figure it out before Jisung." 

Haechan frowned. "What about me? I figured it out before you too." 

Chenle nodded but waved his hand dismissively. "Next to Renjun you are closest to her," he noted. "I'm actually disappointed it took you this long." 

"Excuse me?" Haechan gasped, offended. 

"Well." Chenle shrugged. "Just saying." 

Ignoring the bickering of her friends, Cho-a soon turned to look at Jisung who watched her knowingly. He looked over at Doyoung and Ten, who seemed a little more surprised than the others. 

"I'm sure you noticed," Jisung began, a serious expression on his face. It differed greatly from the warm smile he carried earlier. It wasn't any less friendly, it was just stricter. "But Cho-a isn't the big, vengeful threat everyone was talking about. So I do expect you not to treat her like one." 

Ten sat there baffled, while Doyoung crossed his arms in front of his chest. He frowned, looked from Jisung to Cho-a and back to the boy. 
"You are really trying to tell me that this idiot is the mastermind everyone keeps talking about?" he suddenly asked. 

The girl gasped. "Hey!" 

But Doyoung just shook his head, held up just a finger to stop her. "Don't try to argue with me on that one," he warned, pointed at her neck. "That red mark there - that was because you acted impulsively. Like an idiot."