At The End Of The Tunnel | k.sj. ✔

이십이: OUT OF THE BLUE

"Hello Miss Baek, have you decided on your order yet?" Seokjin spoke as formally as a server would, begetting chiming pairs of giggles from the female sitting across from him.

"I would have, a long time ago, had my contacts not ditched me like this. I guess they've turned foggy, and I can't deal with it unless I wear them off... which I don't want to, at the moment. It's your call then, Seokjin." Joobin, although palpably cheerful on the outside, contrastingly arranged the words as if wanting to somehow make sense out of them.

For people with weak eyesight, their ability to see is directly proportional to the confidence they are able to garner, is it not so?

But as far as Seokjin could go back in time, he did not remember Joobin possessing poor eyesight. What was this revelation that he had been made to come across out of the blue?

"If you say so." Seokjin upped his shoulders, gesturing his compliance to her request.

Soon enough, the food was on the table and as upfront as it might sound, both the parties could not wait to dig in anymore. Seokjin grabbed his cutlery instantly, and surprisingly sustained to hold them in his grip to wait for Joobin until she had reached for her pair of the same utensils too. The catch being in this plain as day anticipating— the female could not decide which one to hold in which hand.

"What's what?" She groaned pithily, cupping her own face with her hands.

"Contact lenses being hazy again—"

"Not again, they haven't unclouded since the last time I had complained about them." Joobin described weakly, as she massaged the space between her brows in frustration.

"Do you wanna... do you wanna go back home?" Seokjin offered, to which Joobin consented downheartedly.

It did not take another minute for Seokjin to support Joobin— in standing on her feet— and conduct her out of the diner. Checking occasionally if his pace was not inconveniencing the woman—who was relying entirely on him now— Seokjin's brows creased due to worry every time he caught Joobin struggling with her wobbly steps. 

Seokjin racked his brain considering all the factors that might be responsible behind Joobin's unexpected health deterioration, only to obtain nothing out of it. If only he could provide a helping hand to her in such times of trials and tribulations, he would not have felt lowly of himself due to being unable to do anything significant. All his resolve got watered down ruthlessly by his meanest competitor— the fate— and the fact that he had no command over this situation of his, was maddening him beyond control.

Amidst all the self-deprecation, Seokjin did not quite notice the exact moment when they had reached at the doorstep of Joobin's apartment building— getting his arm jerked by her was what made him savvy the fact. Although Joobin was not thoroughly in the position of sharing eye contact with him, Seokjin still flashed his beguiling grin for her, mentally facepalming himself for being so unnecessarily taciturn.

"We'll catch up later then— tomorrow most probably, right?" Seokjin suggested, making Joobin reciprocate his sentiments.

"We will."

a/n

just a lil heads up but the angst gonna get wilder from now on (wild as in extreme lol you 🤡) you'll ascend a steep slope, and will tumble down with an even greater intensity. so i'd rather y'all braced yourselves👀😳