✓pluviophile • hwang hyunjin

t e n

a week passed.

hyunjin still could not go out at night. his mother was going to let him one night but then his father returned, completely blocking him out to go anywhere and stay at home. he felt extremely guilty for chaewon. plus, it had not been raining. he wondered what the girl was doing.

his phone lit up as a message came in.

haseul noona: she came again today. where are you?

he sighed and turned off his phone. no way he's gonna tell haseul his parents prevent him from doing so. haseul was just a friend that he met at the store, he's not going to tell her anything about his family.

he really hoped chaewon was doing just fine.

🌧️

"you look dead."

the boy nodded, not wanting to argue with jeongin.

"what's happened?"

"me happened."

the younger guy let out a gasp, "you're right."

hyunjin rolled his eyes and walked further. school just ended with jeongin craving for ice creams but hyunjin declined the after school hangout. something else was bothering him.

since it was friday again, his father would return home late so hyunjin stopped by the convenience store.

"noona," he called the cashier. haseul looked at him wide eyes.

"hyunjin! you disappeared for two weeks!"

"noona, did she come everyday?"

the girl sighed, nodding. hyunjin felt guilt washed over him. without saying anything more he grabbed two packets of ramen and chocolate drinks from the fridge. 

he decided to visit her.

the neighborhood area was a bit confusing. hyunjin almost took a different way but after a few minutes he found the house he went to a couple of weeks ago. he nervously rang the bell, hoping she would answer him.

lucky for him, the door opened. revealing chaewon in a fluffy blanket. hyunjin's eyes lit up. "hey,"

chaewon gasped, putting a hand over her mouth before throwing herself onto him. hyunjin took a few steps back, surprised at the sudden action.

he was about to ask when he heard soft sniffles.

"where were you?" she asked, tightening her arms around his neck. "i thought you're leaving me."

weirdly, his heart clenched hearing her broken voice. hyunjin unwrapped her arms and brought themselves inside. the house was a bit small, maybe only two or three person could live in.

"are you sick?" he asked the girl who wrapped the blanket around her again.

"no, just a bit chilly." she was right, it was a bit chilly. maybe because winter was approaching. 

"i bought ramen for us, and some drinks," hyunjin announced with a soft smile. he took out the food and the bottles. "as a pay for not appearing for two weeks. can i boil some water?"

chaewon nodded, following hyunjin to the kitchen.

while waiting for the water to boil, she leant slightly to the fridge. "where were you?" 

he bit his lower lip. the girl was looking down her feet with the blanket around her. he knew she was upset with him but he did not know how to explain to her.

they stayed quiet like that until the water was fully boiled. hyunjin pushed himself off the wall and prepared the ramen for both of them. chaewon sighed. she returned to the empty living room.

maybe he has something else to do.

hyunjin came a bit after with two bowls. "i know you're upset," he spoke up. "i'm so sorry, i couldn't sneak out at night after this."

"sneak out?"

"i.. am not allowed to go out," he muttered, feeling a bit ashamed. "i have a curfew so i can only stay at home or i don't know what they will do."

"why?"

"i don't know. they never tell me why."

chaewon looked at him with almost watery eyes, as if begging him not to leave her, not to abandon her after a few weeks of being friends.

"and.. we cannot meet after this?"

that's it, the most feared thing for hyunjin. he didn't want to make the girl sad but he didn't have other choices.

hyunjin just smiled sadly, "eat up, we've been craving for this thing." 

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