That Stupid List (A Seventeen Fanfic)

Chapter 50: Most Unexpected

Frostbite! come talk to my mom, Vernon texted her later that day.

Jin was sitting back in her dorm waiting for Sena. She had promised Wonwoo that the two of them would finally work it out that night.

I'm kinda busy, she replied.

V: Too busy for my mom :(

V: She's waiting for you.

Jin figured it wouldn't hurt to go talk to Vernon's mother for a while by the time Sena made her way there.

J: Okay, but only for a couple of minutes.

V: Alright! Come over to my room right now.

She agreed.

It was strange walking over to that building, because it reminded her of the times when she was still foolishly in love with Seokmin. She used to be so happy when she went to his room, and so her trip there brought back all of the memories of all of their meetings and how they had thrilled her. How did things get so messy now?

It felt weird going to the building and walking over to Vernon's room and not Seokmin's. When she walked past Seokmin's dorm, she felt like she was somehow abandoning him, ignoring him.

"Hey Frostbite," Vernon greeted her when he opened the door.

She remembered the last time she was in that room. She had spent the night there and woken up with a hangover. It was just a few days ago, but it felt like so much longer. So much had happened since then.

It was embarrassing to remember the whole order, and she felt like covering her face and disappearing. She couldn't look him in the eye and instead looked at the floor as she sat in the chair that he pulled out for her.

"You're remembering that night, aren't you?" he asked amusedly.

There he goes again, Jin thought as she lifted her head to look at him. He was reading her. He knew exactly what was going on in her head, exactly what she was feeling. She never thought of him to be so observant, and she wondered just how much he had seen through her before.

It was almost scary. She felt like she had to hold back in front of him, like she had to make sure she didn't react normally because otherwise he would know what was going on her head. She was a private person; she didn't want that.

Vernon didn't comment any further, which she also appreciated. He immediately went on to dial numbers on his phone to call his mom.

Vernon learned from a nurse on the other end of the line that his mother was not in her room as she was spending the day in another ward of the hospital for treatment. And so Vernon hung up.

"I thought you said she wanted to talk to me," Jin said curiously.

"I kinda lied in order to see you," Vernon admitted with a grin.

Jin blushed. She wasn't used to this coaxing, and it was painfully awkward for her because she didn't know how to respond.

"I'm going to go back now then," Jin said, standing up to leave.

"Come on Frostbite, can't we just talk a little? We're dating for crying out loud."

"Talk about what?"

"I don't know. Tell me about yourself," he asked.

"You read my diary. You know everything."

"Not everything. Like, for example, what's your favorite color?"