✓ nostalgia | jungwon

chapter 38.

  He hesitated, thinking it over for a minute. He knew she was still awake, and staying here for another wouldn't solve anything.

     Getting up, he grabbed his coat and bucket hat, throwing them on. walking down the stares, he held his phone to his ear. The line didn't even ring once, and he narrowed his eyes at the screen. 'Busy,' Jungwon read.

     'Busy,' Yebin read. She sighed, looking around the quiet neighborhood from the porch she stood on, to the bike she'd parked by his front yard. Just as she was about to call again, the door opened.

     Jungwon looked as shocked to see her as she did.

"I was going to call you- are you okay?" she cut her self short after seeing the dark circles under his eyes. He looked slightly pale too, as if he wasn't getting enough sleep.

     Jungwon didn't respond, and Yebin knew he was upset with her. Hesitantly, she just held her arms out wide for him, and he sighed before wrapping his arms around her shoulders. He closed his eyes as he buried his face in the crook of her neck, letting out the breath he didn't even know he was holding.

     "Don't do that again," was all he told her.

  Somehow they ended up seated next to each other on Jungwon's couch, neither of them saying a word to lift the awkward atmosphere.

  Yebin nervously glanced at him, watching Jungwon mindlessly fiddle with his fingers.

  He then stopped, pausing for a second before asking, "What did I do?"

"No, Jungwon. You didn't do anything," Yebin quickly answered. "It was all me. I'm sorry. I thought it'd be better if I left you alone. I know your grades weren't doing well, but when I heard you dropped from rank one to rank eleven-"

     "Whoa, what?" Jungwon asked, offended. "Rank eleven?"

     "Yes-?"

  Jungwon scoffed. "I've never been out of the top five in my life. Yeah, my grades went down but I'm still rank three."

     "Oh." Yebin furrowed her eyebrows at him. "Really?"

     "Duh. who do you think I am?"

     "Geez, okay, Mr. Perfect." Yebin rolled her eyes at him with a smile. "Then why do you look like- that?"

     "Well, someone hasn't been answering any of my texts," Jungwon said pointedly. "You drive me crazy, you know? You should have talked to me first before ignoring my existence."

     Yebin nodded, looking down at the floor like a kid being scolded. "I'm sorry-"

     "No, hey, enough with that. just- never do that again and we'll be fine," Jungwon said, standing up. "I've been meaning to show you something."

  Yebin watched as he took something from the table and handed it to her, before jumping back on the couch. She raised her eyebrows when he casually laid his head on her lap.

     "What?" he asked. "You did it to me when we were on the bus. It's my turn."

  Yebin tilted her head at him. "I thought you said you weren't a touchy person."

     "Oh, shut up and read what's on the paper."

     Her smile faded as she glanced down at the paper— a brochure of Seoul National University's fine arts program. "Wow, what do you have this for?"

     "For you," Jungwon replied. "They're giving out scholarships, and I'm sure if you submit your portfolio you'll get accepted. You're really talented, Yebin."

     "Jungwon, SNU is way out of my league." Yebin sighed. "It's for people like you. You know- people with brains."

     "Yah, what did I say about talking like that?" Jungwon playfully swatted her on the head.

     "I know, I know, self-love and shit."

  Jungwon rolled his eyes at her, before looking up with a serious expression on his face. "You know that trip to Seoul all the juniors are taking next week? Go with me when I visit SNU."

     "Look, this is my dream university. and I know it's a great opportunity for you too, okay? You got this in the bag," Jungwon encouraged her. "Promise me you'll at least try."

  He held his pinky up for her, and she pursed her lips in thought.

     "This means we'll get to go to the same university, you know," Yebin said, and Jungwon narrowed his eyes at her for stating the obvious.

     "Okay, okay." Yebin laughed, wrapping her pinky with his. "I promise."