PARANOID - kang saebyeok

001

"cold eyes...,,

The cold air of the foggy winter night nipped at my nose and apples of my cheeks, making them a soft, dolly pink. The night's sky had always been beautiful to me, especially in the winter. The breath of my mouth making the shivering oxygen visible, and leaving a feeling of warmth as i walked by.
The stoney beach was only a couple of seconds away, the ice underneath my feet getting more and more slippery with each step. I looked down at my winter boots, not watching where i was going, and there, my favourite person stood. I bumped into them, profusely apologising until i realised who it was.

"Sae-byeok! Goodness, what are you doing out at this time of night?" I questioned her, looking at her emotionless face. The way she stood, unexpressive and intimadating, yet her dark brown eyes still glimmered against the stars.

"Came for a walk. Get my mind off of my brother and my mom for a while. How about you, y/n?" She answered, bluntly as always; i was used to it by now.

"Me too. Get my mind off the debt." I rocked back and forth on my feet, looking at the stuffed pockets of hers. Her hands must've been freezing tonight, as they usually were. "Hey! I have a fun idea."

Her interest peaked, head cocked to the side. I chuckled, grabbing her arm and running carefully down the icy, street-lit pavement. We continued to run for a bit, before reaching a grand mall. The glass glimmered, reflecting the water that waved just opposite. Sae-byeok and i held our knees, regaining our breath while laughing at each other. God, at 19 years old, we both should be perfectly fine after running 10 minutes down a flat path.
As my breath caught up with my lungs, i stood up straight, laughing even more at Sae's rosy red cheeks and overly slouched posture. I held my stomach in a way where you laugh to hard, that your ribs start to hurt.

"You should see yourself right now, you look hilarious!" I wheezed out, stumbling back a little bit. Sae-byeok's wide grin and breathless laugh made my stomach hurtfully flutter, but in a good way, of course. She quickly reached forward, grabbing me into her side and trapping me between her arm and her torso. She ruffled my hair and leaned down, so i was close to the floor.

"You think it's funny. you little shit? You should've seen your face when you were running! You were all like-" She huffed in and out, over exaggeratedly, and puffed out her cheeks.

"Alright! Alright, let me go!" I yelped, trying to push myself away from the dark green jacket she always wore. She put me down on the floor, making me shiver as i felt all the icy pikes on my back. I laid there for a little, staring at her face one more. She always somehow looked perfect, even looking down. Her hair just seemed to agree with gravity and her face was always just...

"Last one inside, gets..." she thought a little bit, a sly side smile growing on her face just before she spoke. "Last one inside, gets a slap to the face."

Oh, man. If i wasn't in enough trouble already, i would have killed this girl already.
As if in a split second, she sprinted to the door, myself shooting up and pushing my worn out hands on the ground. I quickly caught up, running beside her and prying the automatic door open, trying to make it inside quicker. I tumbled in, just before Sae could. Guess she really wanted that slap, huh?