The Moments In-Between - A JeongHyo fanfic

Chapter 69 - Moment of Revisiting

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you..." Jeongyeon's eyes went blank and hollow, as if she was chanting the words that were coming out of her mouth. She looked and sounded haunted.

Jihyo looked at her with surprise while the rain was still heavily falling down on Jeongyeon.

"Jeong!" Jihyo finally managed to shout out, fear and worry laced in her exclamation. Upon hearing her nickname, Jeongyeon had finally snapped out of it, as if she was in a trance.

She realized where she was standing and what she was doing. She was in front of Jihyo's childhood home, revisiting it after a very long time.

Suddenly, fear appeared in her eyes and she stood there, looking at Jihyo blankly.

Jihyo had already moved her body to the side so that Jeongyeon could enter her house. She even placed her phone on a nearby table that was in the hallway so that her hands could be free, but Jeongyeon was standing still. 

Petrified.

Jihyo, upon realizing that Jeongyeon wasn't moving, took one step forward and grabbed Jeongyeon by the arm, dragging her inside.

"I'm so sorry, I'm so so so sorry" Jeongyeon managed to murmur as she entered the house. 

She had been there before many times, especially during her trainee days where she got to hang out with Jihyo and her family. They spent many nights together just hanging around in Jihyo's upstairs bedroom. Jeongyeon was well-known and loved in this house and being back here brough back memories as well.

Jihyo got worried as she looked at a drenched and shaking Jeongyeon. 

"You're wet and you're shaking... C'mere... Let me see if you have a fever." she exclaimed as she approached Jeongyeon.

"No... I don't." Jeongyeon merely stuttered out, but she still allowed for Jihyo to stand on her toes so that she could check Jeongyeon's forehead with her palm.

"Well, it doesn't matter, stay right here, I'll be right back."

Jihyo ran upstairs into her bedroom and in a matter of moments came back down with a huge towel and pajamas.

"You know where the bathroom is, please go take a shower and change." Jihyo pleaded, her voice going soft, caring and nurturing, her eyes went wide with a look that said that she cared. She then gently moved a bit of Jeongyeon's hair that was sticking across Jeongyeon's face and placed it behind her ear.

"Please..." She pleaded once again, even softer than before.

Jeongyeon managed to shake out of her trance once again and went into the downstairs bathroom to take a shower and change clothes.

As soon as she felt the hot water falling down her skin, she felt relief.

Ohhhh... This is so good. This is so so so good - She thought to herself. 

She still couldn't comprehend she was at Jihyo's place, it felt almost like a dream or a hallucination. That's why Jeongyeon only focused on the water that was falling on her as she was taking a hot shower - she couldn't comprehend yet that she was actually there again.

"I'm coming in." Jihyo announced herself before she entered the bathroom as well.

Jeongyeon went stiff.

"I'm sorry, I just didn't want to shout from the hallway, my dad's asleep and..." Jihyo then sighed and continued her sentence:

"...And my mom asked if you would want her to cook you some soup? I didn't wake her up for this, I promise, she just kinda heard some commotion so... Anyway, soup?"

"Oh... Uh... No need." Jeongyeon managed to reply this time.

"Jeong... You know that she will insist until you give in and eat something. Better take soup before she decides to make a whole meal." Jihyo calmly reminded her.

"Ahh... Okay, yeah... Mushroom soup please." Jeongyeon replied, a small smile appearing on her face and Jihyo felt that it was there, even though she couldn't see it through the shower curtains.

"Will do." Jihyo giggled at hearing Jeongyeon's less-haunted voice. "Anything else?" she asked, nearly cheerfully this time.

"No, I'm good." Jeongyeon replied back, this time more collected and calm.

"Okay." Jihyo went back to her caring tone. "Take your time. We'll be in the kitchen."

"Okay."

Jeongyeon was alone in the shower thinking about the fact that she would have to go into that same kitchen and face both Jihyo's mother and Jihyo at the same time.

Just.... What have I gotten myself into? Jeongyeon felt like banging her head against the wall, but she managed to control herself.

Deep breaths, Jeong, you can do this. Just... Stay calm. Jihyo's mom won't bite, she likes you. There won't be any problems with her. Just smile and be nice as you usually are with her. She will ask all the important questions, probably cheerfully, like "What brings you here, Jeongyeon?" and "How have you been?", but she'll soon leave us alone... I mean, it's nearly midnight, she will probably want to go back to sleep... Oh damn... I just woke up Jihyo's mom in the middle of the night... Why do I keep making a fool out of myself?

Jeongyeon took a deep breath and slowly got out of the shower. She used the towel Jihyo gave her to dry herself. She smiled - I haven't seen this towel in years, heh, it's still adorable.

It was a towel that featured characters from the movie Finding Nemo.  Jihyo had used it when they were younger as a beach towel, but with time she decided that it was too adorable to only use it when they go  to the beach, so she started to use it at home as well, which Jeongyeon found endearing, even before she fell in love with Jihyo.

Plus, it's unbelievable soft for a beach towel, that's some good product there. Jeongyeon noticed.

Ah, so many memories now that I think about this... This towel, this bathroom, this house in general... Just, so many memories...

Jeongyeon stood there for a second reminscing before she realized she was getting cold so she went to put on Jihyo's pajamas.

She then decided to put them on, but something felt weird.

She nearly started to laugh and barely contained her chuckling.

Bahahaha... I can't believe this.... Hahahahah... Okay, when I was younger, I could fit in these... But look at me now hahahaha.... 

Jeongyeon felt a bit happier at that moment. She looked at her feet and the way the lower part of her pajamas looked on her. They were short for her.

The pajamas only reached to half of her calf muscles, leaving the other half bare right down to her feet. Same thing happened to the sleeves on the upper part of the pajamas.

Nothing felt tight, in fact, everything was still soft and comfortable, but it was just too short for Jeongyeon at this point in time because she outgrew them.

I forget how tiny Jihyo is sometimes hehehe... But okay, this is a somewhat older set, so okay, maybe these would be a bit small for Jihyo nowadays as well... But STILL, now that I think about it... Jihyo isn't much bigger now then she was back then so... This.. This is adorable. Plus, look at all the small Sailor Moon characters on it... Awwww... I missed these!

As Jeongyeon was done getting dressed, she looked at her wet clothes and thought about them for a second.

Okay, I'll put these wet clothes here to the side and figure out what to do with them later. Huh... Okay.... I guess it's time to get out, Jihyo and her mom have been waiting long enough.

Just stay calm Jeong, you can do this.