before you / jung jaehyun

thirty three

[ 28 October, 2018, 11:48PM ]

kunhang gently put jungwoo down on his bed. they went over to jungwoo's apartment to help him get to sleep. he placed a plastic bag right next to the bed, in case if he ever wanted to wake up and puke impulsively. it was a hassle trying to carry him back to his apartment, he wouldnt let himself be carried. at one point, kunhang was convinced he should just leave jungwoo in the car.

jungwoo was knocked out like a light. he was sound asleep. both of them laid him down and watched him like guardian angels for a while. "well, i gotta go," aeri smiled at kunhang who appeared to be examining her face very closely. he knew something was off the moment she walked down the stairs trying to find jaehyun at the party earlier on.

and he wanted to know what happened, not because he wanted to be a busybody but because she looked genuinely in anguish. despite him only knowing this girl for a few hours, if she had something on her mind and needed someone to listen, he would gladly be there for her. and it seemed like she really needed to say something.

which was true. aeri had so many things going on in her mind. naturally, she wouldve told jungwoo because he was the only one that knows about what she felt for jaehyun. well, other than jaemin of course. but it was different with jungwoo. because he knew about it even before she could tell him.

but aeri didnt want to seek comfort in a stranger. she needed to stop oversharing her problems to strangers. she barely knew him. but at the same time, she really wanted to just cry and be held, not even by a boy, just by someone. just as she was about to say something, kunhang spoke and broke the silence, "dont leave," was what he managed to spit out.

aeri raised her eyebrow and looked back at him. kunhang was shocked that he even got himself to say something so bold like that. but he just chuckled and smiled sheepishly. "excuse me?" she softly spoke. "aeri, i know you're not okay. you've been acting weird ever since you went to find jaehyun," he tried to get her to stay. "i dont know what happened from the moment you left to find jaehyun and then coming back-"

she let kunhang finish his sentence before she went to say something. "- but if you need comfort right now. i know i'm a stranger but i've been told i'm like a human sized pillow. rumour has it that i'm like baymax," he finished, and then he giggled. he expected aeri to leave after hearing his apparent winning speech. but she didnt. she decided to stay. 

she turned around and walked over to sit down on jungwoo's couch and switched on the television. jungwoo would be more than happy if people stayed over. he always liked it when people made his house like their own. kunhang stood there in silence and looked at her. aeri looked back at him and then pat down on the empty space on the sofa next to her. "come on, you want me to stay right?" she smiled.

then he did too. kunhang walked over there and sat right next to her. they were both watching rapunzel that was apparently the first thing that appeared on the television. i guess jungwoo likes children movies. there was an awkward silence between them. but they didnt mind. "i dont want to be alone right now," aeri confessed out of the blue.

the boy next to her looked at her, who was just focused straight on the movie. "if i'm alone i'll probably start thinking of him," she continued. aeri was about to cry the third time that night. she didnt want to think of jaehyun, but the sight of him with another girl was practically plastered in her mind, probably till the day she dies.

"jaehyun?" kunhang asked, but he didnt pressure her into answering. he promised himself he would listen. she finally turned to look at him, her eyes red, because she was forcing herself not to cry infront of someone she met at a party through a kissing game. she didnt want to embarrass herself. she just nodded her head.