[DOTS Y/n x Shi Jin] Standing At the Edge of Summer, 22.

Chapter 35

Y/n's pov
'Since you almost never have time to eat actual meals, here we are. And no alcohol for you today.' Shi Jin says as you both sit down at a table in the restaurant.

'I do eat meals.' You say, still picking up the menu board and opening to the first page.

'Well yes, you digest food fine but when was the last time you actually enjoyed proper food?' He asks, putting the cups upright from the table setup and pouring water into both.

'Right...' you say, gladly sipping the water. You put your glass down, Shi Jin staring at you expectantly as if waiting for you to say something else.

'Are you unsure what to get or something?' you ask, Shi Jin's eyes arching into a crescent moon shape while laughing at your comment.

'You don't remember?' he asks back, pointing to the wall on the side with various sticky notes on it from the people who visited throughout the years. You scan the colourful sticky notes, your gaze fixating on a pink heart shaped paper in the corner.

Y/n & Shi Jin

First Christmas together.

24.12.20XX

'Wait, we've been here before.' You say, reaching to touch the note stuck on the wall next to you. 'For Christmas. I remember that.' you add, your handwriting, much neater than yours now, in black ink on the pink page.

'I'm surprised you only noticed it now. We walked all the way here and barely anything has changed.' Shi Jin says, picking up the new sticky note from the corner and a pen. 'We should make a new one now that we are here again.' He adds, writing your name and his, replacing the '&' with a heart symbol. You take the paper from him, placing the note next to the old one.

Y/n ❤️ Shi Jin

Here again.

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After a few minutes, the waitress brings out the food, and lays them on the table. You inhale the scent of the cream pasta, the waitress pouring the lemon sparkling water into your cups. Taking your phone camera, you focus it on the food, capturing a few images of the feast in front of you.

'You can eat.' You say seeing Shi Jin awkwardly looking between his dish and your phone, him gladly digging his fork into the spaghetti in front of him. Secretly raising your phone, you take a few pictures of him before putting it down on the table.

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'It's getting kind of cold isn't it.' you say blandly as you step outside after you had both finished your dinner. You had decided to go to Shi Jin's apartment after pleading for five minutes straight despite him telling you that he hasn't cleaned his place. 

'It's nearing winter.' he replies, taking his scarf off his neck. 'Turn around.' he says, stopping in your tracks and turning you to face him.

'I'm fine.' you say, turning back around to face the street and reaching to pull him forward.

'Your nose is getting red. Come here.' He says again, leading you back by your hand. You look up at his expression seeming pleasant as he tidies the crumpled parts of his grey scarf, gently putting it around your neck and tying the front parts. Somehow he moves slowly, as if to not pull on anything even slightly too hard that might hurt you.

'Aren't you going to be cold? We can go inside somewhere.' you say, shoving your hands into your coat pocket and burying your face into his scarf around your neck.

'Shouldn't you know me better by now? I'm a captain in the special forces. This level of weather is normal for me.' he says jokingly, picking dust from your cheek before walking past you with his usual grin.

'You-' you start, trying to say something to annoy his borderline arrogant words, except he only lifts one arm to his side and motions for you to link yours. 'Stop that.' you say instead, still taking his arm.

The scarf smells a lot like Shi Jin, the cool minty scent and the slight tint of smoke mixed, the soft material shielding the cold night wind. You feel him look down at you half burying your face in the warm scarf, before you feel the warmth on your left hand as well. Shifting your gaze up, you see Shi Jin looking straight ahead again, except intertwining his fingers with yours in his pocket.

'Your hands are cold.' he says, his finger brushing the top of your hand.

'I just have cold hands and feet.' you reply, grateful for his warm hand almost enveloping yours as you both walk through the streets towards his apartment.

'Just a few more minutes.' he says, leading the way while squeezing your hand still in his coat pocket, occasionally brushing the back of your hand.

'Should we watch something when we get there?' You ask, flinging the dried leaves crunchy on the ground.

'Sure. What would you like to watch?' He asks, softly squeezing your intertwined hand once more.

'Since we had dinner at that same place... something we always used to watch?' You suggest, seeing Shi Jin's lips arch upwards.

'I remember we tried to watch the entire Harry Potter series in one night and we both fell asleep in the middle. I still don't know the ending of the fourth one.' He says, causing you to gasp.

'You still don't?' You ask, fishing your hand back from his.

'You never watched the rest with me again.' He says, his face looking like you're being so unfair.

'Well you left me.' You say, mostly to tease him and see a juicy reaction. Suppressing the urge to laugh in his scarf, you walk past him.

'Aiit, I'm here now, aren't I?' He says, catching up to you and turning you to face him. 'I'm not going anywhere.' He says again quietly, suddenly wrapping his arms loosely around you.

'I know.' You reply, your cheek awkwardly touching against his chest. 'I'm just annoying you.' You say, escaping from his arms once more.

'You're going the other way!' Shi Jin yells from behind, taking your hand back.

Author's note: i find it funny how i rarely watch or read romance genre. But somehow all my writing is romance genre 🤡

Anyways, Happy new year ✨🎊🎊 hope everyone had a nice new years day!

Also, i appreciate all your support like reading my story, voting, and commenting - it makes writing more fun for me 🥹