New Year's Kiss | N. Jaemin

Act. II Sc 4 | Healing

2.04

Slowly fluttering her eyelids open, Eunbi woke up in an unfamiliar room. The lights overhead caused her to squint multiple times before fully adjusting to the brightness and as she scanned the vicinity, she mentally noted that she was indeed in the school's infirmary, laying on one of the beds. Sitting up, her eyes landed on a figure sitting by the edge of her bed, someone she least expected.

"Jaemin?"

But the boy uttered no response, his head slumped at the base of the bed, his right arm supporting it.

Why is he here out of all people? she thought.

Then she shook the boy's arm and he woke up groggily saying,

"Hey."

"Hey?"

"Uhm, uh, how..are..you?" Jaemin asks, scratching the back of his neck.

"Fine, I guess..."

Then a 30 second silence enveloped the room until,

"I—"

"Why—"

"You go first," Jaemin says.

"Okay...I don't wanna sound rude or anything. But, why exactly are you here instead of Renjun or Jeno?" Eunbi hesitantly asks.

"Because I carried you here?"

"What?" Eunbi asked in disbelief.

"Why is that so shocking?"

"Well, you've never done something like that."

"To be fair, I was on the closest court to you."

And so was Jeno. And I'm pretty sure he's stronger than you."

"Okay but what's exactly wrong with me carrying you?"

"It's just weird and unexpected."

When Eunbi said that, Jaemin just quirked a brow in response.

"Well you haven't done anything like that for me. Like in forever. Heck, even I helped you out at times, granted you shook away my request but nonetheless. And out of all the past 6 years we've witnessed each other's failures, it was always the others who helped me. You never did..." Eunbi trails off.

"Oh," Jaemin replies, his eyes softening at the girl.

As Eunbi caught a glimpse of Jaemin's expression, she was quick to say,

"It's okay. No worries. It's a good thing the rest of the gang is there to back me up you know?" plastering a small smile.

At that moment, Jaemin had a brief flashback of the many moments he's done Eunbi wrong. He didn't know why it came at him all of a sudden. All he felt after was guilt and had the urge to apologize to her.

"Eunbi."

"Yeah?" the girl looked up.

He then took both of her hands and held it as he stared straight into his eyes saying,

"I'm so sorry. I mean it."

"Sorry for what?" Eunbi asked confused.

"That I didn't help you at those times. I know we aren't exactly on the best terms, but as a decent human being, I still should've offered you help alongside the rest of the gang," Jaemin mustered as sincerely as he could.

A little hesitant at first, Eunbi was left speechless as this was probably the first time in a long time she saw Jaemin so serious and sincere. Not to mention, she felt her heart flutter a little bit when he took her hands. Frankly, the girl never knew how soft his hands were and how perfectly they fit into hers. Furthermore, the little flutter she felt within catapulted into a storm when he looked straight into her eyes, as Jaemin spilled his thoughts coming straight from the heart.