Swapping Partner [IZ*ONE x SVT]

Why? (NxJ)

Nako woke up with a groggy the next morning. She looked around her room and confused to where Yena was. Then the tiny lady climbed down her bed to searched for her unnie.

Nope. Yena was gone.

Nako found a memo on her dinner table. It said, "Your sleeping face was so cute, couldn't wake you up. Leaving first, Baby Nako. Duty call. Catch up with you later!"

Well, at least Yena wasn't mad at her, was she? Nako was being extremely anxious this past weeks and still doubted the unnie's feelings for her.

She sighed. Nako walked to poured herself a cup of warm water. Warm liquid calmed down her dizziness. Then, the young lady prepared herself to do today's activity.

At 10 am, Nako already in the library. Study to prepare herself for the next semester. She stayed at there until 2 pm.

Once she got out of the building, the tiny lady finally realized how hungry she was. Figures, since she only ate banana. Without any food craving in mind, Nako then went to the nearest restaurant she could find to grab anything. The point was, the lady just needed foods.

Her eyes caught a very cute brownish theme cafe at the corner of the street. Looked like they didn't sell any main course type of dish, but does it matter? Anything's fine. So, Nako walked through the door without any hesitation.

The smells of coffee mixed with hints of sweet welcomed her once she got in. That was nice and relaxing. The lady in blue short sleeve top immediately stood in front of foods display and scanned the whole menu.

"One chocolate cake and a pack of macarons, please."

"Do you want to eat here or take out?" asked the clerk.

She pondered a bit. "Take out, please."

The clerk gave her a quick okay and prepared what the client wanted. Nako smiled happily with the thought of sweet she just bought, until a voice rung through her ears.

"No cheesecake?"

Her eyes went wide. Nako turned her body so fast, to make sure who it was.

Shoot.

"Jihoon-sshi!"

Jihoon stood there. Gazed lock to Nako's. Hands in his pocket. He looked rather cute today with a loose t-shirt and short pants.

"Hello, there. What a nice coincidence," he said with a grin.

"Oh, um, yeah." She forced a laugh. "So, uh, what are you doing here?"

He raised his eyebrows. "Buy coffee, of course."

"Oh," she responded with a blush now creeped out into her cheeks. The clerk announced that her order finally ready to take out and Nako turned her back again.

The guy watched her rummaged the grey backpack in rush. When the clerk told her bill, his body move on his own to pay for her.

"Oh, but..."

Jihoon took the package and grabbed the lady's wrist. "Pay me back for late lunch."

Then he dragged the girl out from the cafe to his car. Nako was still bewildered.

Even after she got into his car, her mind couldn't pick up what was happening.

Jihoon watched every face the lady was making and snickered. "Do you want to look at the mirror and watch your own reflection?" he snapped her out of her daydream and added, "You're funny."

"Huh?" was the first thing she said. "Oh, I, uh—wait, let me pay my cakes."

"Nako."

Shiver ran through Nako's body when his tender voice called her name without any formality. She was confused. Still confused. And finally realized that she hadn't sort out her feelings properly.

What was he doing to her actually?

Nako shyly looked at his side. Boy, he stared so hard. So much emotion in those small eyes that made the lady more bewildered.

"Um, why?"

He smiled slightly to her. "I said pay me back with lunch. You haven't had your lunch either, have you?"

"Oh," she said, "how do you know?"

He smiled at her again. "I just know." Then he ruffled her hair before turned back to his steering wheel. "So, what do you want to eat?"

"Um," she said cautiously, "what do you want?"

"I'm fine with anything. Since you're the one who gonna pay, you choose the place."

"Okay." Nako proceed to type the address onto the GPS. "Is this place okay?"

Jihoon laughed. "I told you, I'm fine." Then he turned the engine.

***

The lunch went awkward for Nako since she was very anxious about the whole affair with the guy she was with. On the other hand, Jihoon looked relax. He might be enjoying watched her tumble on her tongue and being flustered.

It was 4 pm when his car arrived at Nako's apartment building. When the lady wanted to opened the door, Jihoon grabbed her wrist.

"Nako," he called with the same amount of sweetness like earlier. Nako's heart went berserk.

"Yes?"

He locked his eyes to hers. Nako panicked. "Um, what was it, Jihoon-sshi?"

"Talk to me casually, will you?"

Those kind of questions made Nako's heart palpitated. She awkwardly laughed. "How could I do that, Jihoon-sshi? I can't."

He sighed. "Okay." Then he brought his hand into her cheek. This action made the lady frozen. "At least stop being so cautious around me."

She brace herself to look into his eyes. Now she got it. She unconsciously hurt him. "Sorry," she said. Then she laughed dryly. "I kept saying sorry since last night. Everything is wrong with me."

The guy didn't reacted. He just kept stroking the lady's cheek softly. "Why?"

It would be a lie if she said that his action bothered her. No. It was so comforting. She leaned in. "You break up with Yena-unnie, right?"

Her question didn't faze him. He kept his action. "Yes."

"Why?"

Jihoon gave her a tender look. "Because she needed to be freed from me." Then he smile. "It took me so long to realize what we had will never work out since she doesn't reciprocate my feelings properly."

Nako kept her silence. Jihoon kept stroked her cheek and continue, "She is a nice, bright, beautiful girl. She deserves more than me."

"Why?" she asked after a few more second of stillness. "Why you always put yourself down like that? You deserve more, too."

Then, he laughed. Even though it was a sad laughing one. "Then, do I deserve someone like you, Nako?"

Her heart clenched. Her eyes went teary. "Why, Jihoon-sshi?" she said in distress. "Why me?"

He wiped the tears that pooled dangerously over her eyes. Saw her like that hurts him. "Do I need a reason?" he asked.

Nako felt like crying anytime. His tone hurt her, too. She put his hand down, and looked him right into the eyes. "Jihoon-sshi, I'm sorry."

He stayed still.

This time, Nako's hand reached his cheek. "You are a great man, Jihoon-sshi. Stop belittle yourself." She took a heavy breath, "I care about your well being, Jihoon-sshi. Please always be happy wherever you are."

He furrowed his brows. "Nako, why?"

"Jihoon-sshi," she said calmly, "I have Seungkwan-oppa."

Now his turn to froze on his spot. Nako put her hand back and opened the car seat.

"Thank you for everything, Jihoon-sshi."

The door closed. His heart stopped.

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