That Stupid List (A Seventeen Fanfic)

Chapter 36: Impersonation

Vernon appeared in front of Jin's building in a motorcycle. Jin's jaw dropped when she saw him. He didn't expect her to ride in that, did he?

He stopped the motorcycle and pulled out an extra helmet from the compartment in the back and handed it to Jin.

Jin just stood there, her mouth hanging open, frozen. She had thought that the favor would be walking to library tutoring him for some English class or something, but it seems he wanted to take her somewhere farther than the library...

"Wear it," Vernon said, shoving the helmet in her arms. Something was different about Vernon, Jin noticed. He looked agitated. There wasn't this hint of a cheekiness in his expression like usual. He wasn't grinning like he usually was. On the contrary, he looked angry and bothered.

"I don't want to ride on that," Jin said to him. She had an irrational fear of speed, and riding a motorcycle did not seem like something she wanted to do.

"Either ride with me, or take a taxi and pay for it yourself," he spat. He looked so angry, impatient, and Jin felt cornered. "Come on," he yelled, and Jin shuffled around as she put her bag down on the ground and put the helmet on.

Vernon took Jin's bag from the ground and placed it in the compartment in the back. He then waited impatiently as she clumsily tightened the straps around her chin.

She was afraid. She knew that she was trembling. She felt like he was coercing into something dangerous, and she hated him for it. When he finished, he scooted forward on the seat to make room for her behind him. She gulped and took her seat.

"Hold on," he told her. She hesitantly put her arms around his chest. It felt weird and she hated it, but the intimacy was really the last thing she could think about right now. He sped forward in the motorcycle, and Jin gasped as she saw the scenery around her zoom past her in unnatural speed. Jin couldn't keep her eyes open, or she knew she would throw up. She held on tighter, and put her head against his back as he drove it.

They drove for many minutes. Jin tried opening her eyes a couple of times, but she could never get used it and stop her stomach from rising when she did. She kept her eyes closed.

She never got used to opening her eyes, but eventually, she got use to the loud sound of the motor and the beeping cars nearby. She also got used to feeling the wind in her face, and to holding on to Vernon for dear life.

When the motorcycle finally came to a complete halt, Jin was still holding onto his chest and her eyes were still closed. She didn't open them, even though, she knew they stopped. She was afraid that they were only at a stop sign, and Vernon would start it up again and make her throw up.

He had to pry her hands off of his chest before she understood that they had arrived at their destination.

Jin let him go and opened her eyes, feeling disoriented and losing her center of balance. She fell off the motorcycle dizzily onro the ground as she regained sense of what's up and what's down.

Meanwhile Vernon just glanced at Jin unsympathetically. He took off his helmet and stuffed it in the compartment, taking out Jin's bag and throwing it on the ground beside her.

Jin regained her composure and took off her own helmet, handing it to him so that he could put it away, as she stood up with her bag. She found her center of balance again and finally took a look at where they were.

It was the hospital.

As Vernon locked up the motorcycle, he rushed inside. Jin hurriedly trudged behind him, hoping he would slow down because she was still recovering from the ride.