across - NCT NA JAEMIN FF

twelve

I can still go back and try to hide, but something tells me I dont need to.

I move toward my house and she stays still. Her eyes remain fixed on her door, similar to how she was in the station. I arrive at my door.

"Jaemin...."

I freeze because I can't remember her ever calling my name like that. It's not angry or enraged or like she's going to burst at me.

It's soft and...different.

I turn around after she doesn't proceed to speak, just to check if I heard correctly, and for the first time she isn't looking at me like she wishes I didn't exist.

It's not happy though, definitely not.

I wonder if she can see how shocked I am.

Her eyes are shaking and her lips are slightly parted. She lowers her gaze. "I–I..there's–"

Just then the door to her apartment opens and we both jump. Renjun appears and stares at us. He tries to assess the situation, his eyes bouncing back between me and her.

He rubs his eyes like he can't understand what he sees, and trust me, neither do I.

"Hey Jun," Yun greets as she pushes past him. "Are the others here?"

I watch her through the open door.

Renjun turns around and doesn't move. "I-? What? Oh yes! Jisung is in your room...we were just..." he faces me. "Hi? You're home late. Both of you..."

"Yep," I say. "See you tomorrow." I press in my passcode and then open my door.

"Right. See you," he responds. "Bye Yun!" he shouts into her apartment. I see her inside and we make brief eye contact before Renjun shuts the door to her apartment and I enter mine.

KIM YUN

Instead of waking up to throw-up, I wake to the sound of knocking. I sit up and blink the sleep out of my eyes.

The knocking persists.

I frown and get out of my bed.

Why wouldn't they ring the doorbell?

I switch on the lights in the house which force me to squint as I walk.

I yawn as I pull it open and stare in confusion at the little girls.

"Nari? Areum?" Nari is crying and Areum clings to her with one hand and in the other she holds a plushie. That explains the knocking.

"Y-yun u-unie," Nari hiccups.

I kneel down to her level and check them quickly. Once I see that they aren't hurt anywhere I take Nari's free hand. "What happened?"

Suddenly, the sound of something breaking is heard from their apartment. Nari hears this and starts sobbing harder. I quickly pick her up and pull Areum along into my apartment. I shut the door and bring them both to my room, to be sure they don't hear any more.

Once we're inside, I sit on my bed and sit Nari sideways on my lap. I help Areum climb unto my bed and tell her to lie down, which she obeys at once.

I turn back to Nari. "What happened?" I ask her gently. "Was it your dad?"

She nods. "H-he w-was mad because m-mommy l-left on another t-trip." She swallows with difficulty and I rub her back. "We w-woke u-up beca-cause o-oppa said t-to g-go f-for now."

I hug her tightly and caress her hair. "It's okay. Your dad just misses your mom."

"Wh-what if h-he h-hurts o-oppa? L-last time h-his b-back was h-hurt," she cries.