extraordinary disaster || baek kyung

25. disappear

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"I'm going to ride with the Baeks today," Lila informs her cousin as they head out of their front gate.

Haru does a double take. He stares at his cousin, lashing to look at the house opposite theirs. Baek Kyung's gaze is fixated on Lila from across the street, paying no mind to his stepmother fussing over Joon Hyun as he waits by their blacked-out SUV.

"I thought you- oh." Haru seems to gauge the situation (more like a flash of a purplish mark on Lila's neck) as she sweeps the surroundings, subconsciously smiling as she meets Baek Kyung's gaze. "Alright. See you later."

Lila has to force herself not to skip across the road.

"Good morning."

"Good morning, Lila. You look radiant, honey." Joon Hyun's mother waves.

"Thanks, ma'am." She smiles, then glares at Kyung's suppressed snicker.

Joon Hyun warily glances between his brother and their neighbour. "Hi, Lila."

"She doesn't bite, Joon Hyun." Kyung chuckles. "You can sit in the front today."

The younger boy's jaw unhinges. "Huh?"

Baek Kyung lightly rolls his eyes, swinging the passenger door open. "Get in."

Joon Hyun clambers into the car.

"Li." Kyung takes her bag, opens the back door and waits with a faint smile.

"Thanks." Lila tries not to look giddy as she hops in. Kyung gently shuts the door on her side before making his way around to his side.

"What's gotten into him?" Joon Hyun's bewildered look is met with a shrug from Lila.

"He finally woke up on the right side of the bed, I guess."

Joon Hyun giggles just as Kyung enters the car. "What's so funny?"

"You being in a good mood. You must have slept well for once, hyung."

Baek Kyung struggles to meet his younger brother's naive gaze. "I guess so."

"Change of bedtime routine?" Lila smirks, the corners of her lips upturning more at Kyung's warning look.

"Did you drink chamomile tea just before bed like I suggested?" Joon Hyun smiles hopefully.

"Exactly that. Thanks for the advice."

"It's an acquired taste. Was it alright?" Joon Hyun enquires.

Kyung's lips quirked, his hand resting on the exposed skin between Lila's knee-high socks and skirt. "I loved the taste."

Lila silently gasps, glancing at his thumb tracing circles into her thigh. She immediately pries his hand off, only for Kyung to interlock their fingers and rest them on the vacant middle seat.

"I'm glad, hyung." Joon Hyun makes his closing remark before turning on the stereo and flicking through various radio channels.

Kyung takes this opportunity to steal a conversation with the girl next to him. "You probably won't see me around much today, by the way."

Lila raises an eyebrow. "Why?"

Kyung grins sheepishly. "I've got to do an apology tour. Kind of been an asshole to a lot of people, haven't I?"

"Is that so?" Lila muses. "That's very mature of you, frownface. Taking accountability and such."

He rolls his eyes at the nickname. "Don't miss me too much."