a reason to smile // seo changbin ✔️

chapter eighteen

not a first

moon jieun - friday

"jieun, wait up!" changbin calls out, the sound of his leather jacket rustling fills my ears as he jogs over to me.

"oh— hey, i was actually about to text you..." i give him a small smile, not missing the way his eyes seemed to gleam from the action.

"you were?" he questions, stuffing his hands in his pockets. his eyes briefly trailing down my form, an appreciative look in his eyes, likely due to the fact that i was wearing the jacket he'd given me.

"yeah, i was wondering if you... wanted to walk home with me?" i ask the question, but immediately feel stupid for it. "i mean— now that i say it aloud, you live on campus so it's like i'm asking you to walk back alone and—"

"jieun," he chuckles, cutting me off.

"yeah?"

"i'd love to walk you home." he grins, lifting a hand from his pocket, and holding it out for me to grab. i blink, looking down at his hand before taking my own, and lacing our fingers together. the action sent a wave of warmth through my body, and i swear i felt my heart skip one too many beats. is that normal? "but," he starts, and i freeze, as is preparing for the worst. "can we make a stop somewhere first?" he asks, and i instantly relax.

"where?" i cock my head to the side, but he only gives my hand a gentle squeeze in response.

"it's a surprise, but i think you'll love it." he grins.

"okay... yeah, let's go..." i nod, trying to reel myself back in. i felt like i was watching a horror movie just waiting for the jumpscare. i felt as if this was too good to be true, as if i was just waiting for the other boot to drop.

"what's wrong?" changbin asks, his brows furrowing slightly. "you're kind of shaking." he nods his head down to where our hands are connected.

"i'm okay." i nod my head. it was the truth, though he didn't really seem to believe me, he started walking anyway, taking the lead as i fall into step beside him. i was thankful that he wasn't going to press, because i didn't know what i would tell him. that i'm scared this is all some dream? that good things don't happen to people like me? i know better now than to believe things like that, but that doesn't change the fact that this feels so surreal.

"so felix mentioned you like nature." changbin's change of subject was welcomed as we walked hand in hand down the sidewalk.

"i like the greenhouse that he grows flowers in." i tell him.

"only the greenhouse?" changbin cocks a brow, and i shrug.

"i like the greenhouse cause it was once something well known, a place people would go to. but now that its run-down, no one goes there anymore." i explain.

"so you like seclusion." changbin concludes.

"i like the fact that even when most people deem it useless, it still does exactly what it was made for." i kick a small pebble with my shoe as we keep walking. "but the flowers are... cool too." i add, earning a chuckle from changbin.

"well, where we're going doesn't have flowers, i'm pretty sure felix is the only one who knows how to grow them in these temperatures." he laughs. "but, it's got plenty of nature." he then tugs my hand gently, stepping off the sidewalk toward a small, barely noticeable break in the forest line. my brows pinch in curiosity as he pushes some limbs out of the way, motioning for me to weasel my way inside. once i do, he follows shortly after, careful to not knick himself on any of the branches.