fangirl | renjun

Chapter 9

Aera hasn't been to class for two days now.

It was the second day of her absence and formal club activities were usually scheduled on Thursdays. Yuri planned to visit her after club activities, actually all seven of them planned to visit her after their club activity.

The only difference was that Renjun asked permission from Ms. Lee if he could visit Aera who has been sick for the past few days. Ms. Lee being the teacher that wants to see romance prosper between students, she allowed Renjun to skip the club gathering for the day. This meant that Renjun chose to show up to her house before any of their other friends did.

Standing in front of the art shop he was so used to going to, he felt a bit odd. He's met with Aera's parents numerous times already, as he is one of their most consistent customers, but things felt oddly different.

Renjun was just about to take a step towards the entrance of the art shop when the bell attached to the door rings and he was standing face to face with Aera's father and good friend of his, Mr. Kim.

"Renjun?" The elder man was shocked to see him standing outside this early in the afternoon. With the box in his hand, he puts it down and glances over at the watch on his wrist. "What are you doing here so early?"

Renjun smiles at the elder man.

"Are you here to buy anything?"

"Actually, Mr. Kim," he takes a step forward, "I'm here to see Aera."

"Aera?" He tilts his head to the side. "She's upstairs, the room on the right." Mr. Kim steps aside, though reluctantly, allowing Renjun to enter the shop and head towards the door that he knew entered Mr. Kim's home.

It does not take long for Renjun to stand right in front of Aera's door. He raises his hand but stops. He let his hand fall back down until he was just standing there contemplating on whether he could even enter her room. His mind recalls that it took him over three months of dating his ex before he even thought of entering her room.

Just as his mind continues to wonder, the door opens. "Renjun?"

"Aera, you look," he pauses and scans how she looked, "like a mess." She really did look sick, her pale lips and near colorless eyes and face.

"I appreciate the compliment." Aera moves Renjun to the side letting herself pass through Renjun and to the bathroom. But before she even closes the bathroom door that sat right beside her room, she looks at Renjun. "Why are you here so early? Yuri texted me that you guys will be over after everyone's club activities." She coughs.

"I just thought that you weren't going to class because," he looks over his shoulder, before leaning closer, "of the whole Jaemin thing."

Aera obviously freezes and looks over his shoulder.

"I mean I thought you were avoiding him and Yuri."

Aera turns around. "I have to get ready, they're all coming over." She closes the bathroom door behind her, but stops right before it closes and peaks her head out. "You can stay in my room while you wait for them."

That was the last thing Aera tells Renjun before she closed the door to the bathroom, leaving him by the hallway once again. Though the door to Aera's room was left open when she passed by Renjun earlier, he still couldn't enter without feeling as if he was intruding too much into her space.

If it wasn't for the hustle in the room that sat adjacent to Aera's room, he wouldn't have taken a step into her room. The door behind him opened as soon as he closed the door.

It must've been Aera's mom.

After a few minutes– half an hour– of sitting idly on the chair by her desk, Aera finally enters her room once again in a better looking set of clothes and dripping wet hair. She runs a towel through her hair, but coughs as she closes the door behind her.