across - NCT NA JAEMIN FF

nine

I get back to the elevator and press the button. It takes few moments since it's already on a higher floor, and I pray it's none of the boys.

On that thought, I check my watch. They're probably all up there anyway. No reason to go out.

The doors open and it's a stranger. I bow politely and enter as they step out.

I let out a heavy breath once I'm in and lean on the wall with closed eyes. All too soon, I reach the 10th floor. The floor is deserted so I take the opportunity. I rush to my door and leave her bag outside hers. I punch in my passcode and don't breathe until I'm safely in.

"Oppa!"

I smile at my siblings tiredly. "Hey guys. Am I late for dinner?"

Nari shakes her head and her younger sister follows suit. "It's just us two. Dad left 30 minutes ago and mom isn't arriving till tomorrow from her business trip."

I stand up straight. "So there's no food? Dad didn't cook anything?"

"No...he brought us home, stayed for about an hour and then left again," Nari says. She rubs her belly and Areum mimics her again. "We're so hungry," she pouts.

I take a deep breath and dismiss my anger for now. "Okay. But before I get cooking, hugs?"

This time Areum is first as she bolts right into my open arms. Nari rolls her eyes but joins in with a smile.

Nari never really had time to be the baby of the family since Areum came just when she began speaking. Luckily she fit into the big sister role pretty well and many say she's already pretty mature for her young age of 7.

Areum adores Nari. She follows everything she does, so I have pretty high hopes she'll be really smart, just like Nari. But hopefully not as snarky. Even if I'm 11 years older than her, I definitely wouldn't wanna get on her bad side. It's probably because she goes to Donghyuck's place to hang out with his younger sister. They can be quite the influence.

—

"...Hyung? Why are you so quiet?"

...

He clears his throat. "So Yun messaged me this morning...she told me she had no idea on how she got home...Jisung just told her that he found her in the lobby, on a couch."

...

"You didn't happen to have anything to do with that, right? That would mean you would have had to have carried her. Which is–"

I turn to face him and when he sees my expression he recoils. "I am never going to say yes to something like that again. Understand?"

He nods quickly.

"And you tell no one about anything that happened."

He brings his hand to his lips, sliding it across from one corner to the other.

I stare at him as hard as possible for a bit longer, just to show him I mean it, and then return to my task.

"So you did carry her?"

Feeling enraged, I am so ready to tear him apart, but he just laughs.

"I'm kidding!!! Kidding kidding," he chortles.

I roll my eyes and go back to working.

"Oh and–"

"We have a deadline," I remind him with a sigh. "If we don't finish these photos by the end of the week..."

"One last thing! I swear. Then I'll shut up," he pleads.

With a heavy breath I signal for him to resume what he was going to say.

"Do you know what kind of tutorials Yun attends?"

I close my eyes, officially done with the nerve of this kid. "D–"

"I asked all the guys! Even if it was super awkward, I messaged each one of your friends!" he says quickly. "But..some had no idea. Only Jisung and Jeno-hyung mentioned something, but Jisung said Math and Jeno-hyung said Science."

"Could be both," I reply boredly. "And I have no idea either. Obviously," I murmur.

He shakes his head. "No. It makes no sense. She does just fine in those subjects! Her worst is probably...she doesn't even have a worst subject."

"Maybe she wants to be better at everyone else with grades, just to make up for her lack of sociabili–"

"I'm serious!" he snaps all of a sudden. He grabs his hair stressfully. "Please, just put aside this stupid hate for one minute and listen!"

As tempted as I am to argue back and go on about how impossible and unthinkable that is, I've never seen Beomgyu this worked up over anything and it's concerning. Even when he forgot his camera at an amusement park he wasn't that bothered.

I may hate her, but Beomgyu is my friend.

"Okay."

He raises his head. He looks at me suspiciously but continues speaking. "I went to the library yesterday, because I thought that might be where she has her tutorials and I was gonna tell the teacher she was sick, but when I asked the librarian about it she said there haven't been any tutorials held there since last school year. She said an academy opened up nearby so everyone started going there."

When he sees my lack of reaction, he groans. "Do you not find it weird at all? There are currently no tutorials being held here at school, and yet she leaves the campus at 5:30."

"Maybe she's in a club?" I propose.

He blinks a few times. He clearly hadn't considered that.

But his face goes back to a frown. "Why would she hide that though?"

I laugh drily while turning back to my computer. "She's–"

Before I can make my unflattering comment, I notice Beomgyu's troubled expression and stop.

"Hey, just ask her. You guys are close, I'm sure she'll tell you. Besides, I doubt it's anything serious," I tell him comfortingly.

He seems unconvinced. "I hope so," he says with a sigh.