(a/n: idk bout y'all but the fact that the highest possibility of meeting your soulmate is at the bus station is indeed true👍🏻 i just went outside to try it out and encountered a dark-haired boy who's 2 years older than me, got raised by his grandma, takes care of plants in the middle of the night and is coincidentally leader of the 4th gen hot icon named enhypen🤔🤔)
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"No fucking way." Was the only thing Eunji managed to say. This had to be a joke. There's no way he was serious.
Before he could answer, she already grabbed her phone and hurriedly attempted to dial her mom's number again, when Jungwon snatched the girl's phone out of her hand and closed it, "You don't need to call her, Eunji. It's true."
"No, It's not." Eunji denied stubbornly, as she tried to get her phone back, "How is this allowed? You are the same age as me!"
"So what?" Jungwon chuckled, making Eunji lose one more bit of her sanity that remained, "I don't think there's a law that says roommates can't be the same age."
"S-Stop saying roommates, we are not roommates!"
"Yes, we are~"
"Jungwon, you can't live here!" Eunji looked around trying to find the slightest excuse for Jungwon to not stay, but she was having a hard time doing so.
"And why is that..?" He smiled, as if he already expected her to react this way.
"T-There's not enough space..." That was weak.
Eunji thought and immediately shook her head, regretting opening her mouth in the first place.
"Not enough space?" Jungwon started to look around, before he looked back at her with mischievous eyes, "Then tell me...How come your mother managed to live here with you just fine? And It's not like I take up that much space.."
The look on Eunji's face exposed her completely. Jungwon got her.
"Well, then it's settled." The boy spoke calmly, "You should go lay down and rest now. I will take care of the rest."
"But-"
"What?" Jungwon interrupted her immediately, already prepared for more protests from her side.
"I-It's just..." Eunji started, already feeling embarrassed, as she looked away while letting out a sigh, "There..There's only one bed in the entire house."
"Huh..?" His voice turned high pitched all of a sudden, while the red shade on his face deepened in mere seconds.
"Before this whole thing happened, my mother rarely was home at night as her work place was pretty far from here, so we decided to just get rid of it." The girl let out a subtle sigh, still embarrassed, "The bed, I mean...She always slept at hotels and stuff, that were near the place she worked at."
He now remembered. Eunji once told him about it before.
Jungwon looked down, still blushing as he cleared his throat.
Without a doubt, the atmosphere got heavier.
Eunji attempted to break the tension by speaking up again, "B-But It's okay! I will just sleep on the couch-"
"No, you will take the bed, Eunji. You need rest a lot more than me." Jungwon looked away, remembering how this entire scenario once happened before. At Sangmi's party, far before Eunji fell into coma, "And don't even try to protest."
Eunji looked down, still embarrassed. She felt bad, that it was obvious how her house lacked a lot of things which won't make their future coexistence any easier.
When the girl didn't answer, his eyes widened, mistaking the reason for her discouraged expression to be his fault, "I didn't mean to snap at you, Eunji. I'm sorry."
"No, that's not i-" She started, but soon got interrupted when he suddenly took another step closer to her, his gaze turning strangely serious.
"Let me make it up to you..." His voice trailed off, as he seemingly got even closer to the girl till a single motion forward was enough for the two to touch. Eunji still felt his intense gaze on her.
About to distance herself from him, she felt his delicate fingers on her nape, making it impossible for her to avoid the boy in front of her.
"Jungwon? I don't think-" She froze, unable to move an inch, as she tried to concentrate on the rapid speed her heart was beating to. Eunji had no idea what he was doing, but what she knew was that he was incredibly close to her. To the point where she was afraid he would be able to hear her heartbeat.
"It's been bothering me for a while now."
The atmosphere was torn down in a snap.
His voice was surprisingly irritated, while she felt blood rushing up to her face almost immediately.
"What?" Eunji turned away, unable to handle the extreme heat in her face, when Jungwon distanced himself from her. She couldn't help but feel even more embarrassed, knowing that she thought that he was actually going to do it.
"Your necklace." Jungwon held up the jewellery that was wrapped around her neck just a moment ago, before he had took it off.
So this was what you were doing...
She thought, as another wave of embarrassment washed over her. Shaking her head, Eunji turned away, "Why...Why did you take it off?"
"I told you, It bothers me."
"But why?"
"It reminds me of something I want to forget." He tried to smile, before adding, "Badly."
She looked at the jewellery again, the rose standing out especially.
The masquerade.
Eunji knew exactly what he was talking about.
And she felt the same way. She wanted to forget those cruel memories of that very evening.
But it was once a gift of his that Jungwon gave to her. She couldn't bring herself to throw it away all this time.
Suddenly he wrapped his hand around the girl's, fidgeting slightly, before putting the previous necklace into his pocket. Jungwon put on a new bracelet around her wrist.
Her eyes widened, "What is this?"
"A new bracelet."
She glanced at it in silence, this time not protesting or rejecting the small jewellery. She immediately felt herself being immersed in the small piece.
Recognising the blue little flower petals attached to the accessory, a smile made its way up to her lips, "It's a forge-"
"Forget-me-not, yes. True love and memories are the things it symbolises. Pretty fitting don't you think?" He explained, before interwinding his hand with hers, "It's to make sure you never forget me ever again."
Eunji blinked in surprise, feeling the familiar warmth that she always felt whenever she was with him. Gathering enough confidence, she looked deeply into his eyes,
"Thank you, Jungwon."
For gifting me this new bracelet.
And helping me let go of the old one.
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"Eunji? Are you awake?"
Her eyes fluttered open after she heard a single knock on her door, followed by Jungwon's soothing voice.
Humming in response, she sat up and rubbed her tired eyes, "Come in.." She slurred, wanting to close her eyes again, but forcing herself not to.
"Did I wake you up?" He continued in the same low voice as before, probably trying not to startle her, "I'm sorry. I just couldn't sleep from thinking too much."
"What's wrong?" Eunji yawned, not completely awake yet, but ready to listen to him.
She patted the empty space on her bed, signalling him to sit down next to her. Something she would have never done if she wasn't tired to the core right now.
"I...haven't explained the whole situation to you and I was worried that you might feel uneasy and weirded out now that you have to see me everyday of the week..." He sat down, sighing constantly, that she couldn't help but frown herself, "And I don't want to overwhelm you or make you uncomfortable, I really don't."
Eunji tilted her head in confusion. Uncomfortable? Overwhelmed and shocked - yes, but she never once felt uncomfortable now that he was living with her.
Did her expressive reaction give him the wrong idea?
"But I hope you understand why this is necessary." Jungwon looked away, "Your mother just want to make sure you are safe all the time, which is why she asked me to move in with you for the time being."
The girl was now awake completely, but still hasn't collected enough energy to answer.
"And I know this will sound shameless, but I just couldn't stand the fact that someone else other than me would live with you." He spoke truthfully, "I've spent enough time at the hospital with you and know about your needs and habits. I can't trust anyone else caring for you."
"I understand." Eunji yawned once more, before smiling weakly.
"Do I make you...uncomfortable?" He suddenly blurted out, making her eyes widen.
"What?"
"You won't even notice me liking you." Jungwon looked away, exhaling deeply, "I won't do anything, I promise. I will keep my distance and only do the things that would help you recover in any way, so please don't feel uneasy-"
"Jungwon." She took his hand in hers, "I never once felt uncomfortable around you whatsoever. It's the opposite." She continued, slowly putting him at ease, "So don't worry about anything. You don't even need to explain yourself or hold back. I don't mind."
"And If I was honest, It would have saddened me if it had been someone else other than you I was living with." She added, obviously catching him off guard.
Jungwon's eyes were wide open and he was glad that the room was darkened enough to the point where the blush on his face wasn't visible to her.
"Alright, If you are done, I'd like to go to sleep now."
Eunji yawned for the last time, right when Jungwon was about to reply, "I can't believe you woke me up just because you thought that I would actually feel uncomfortable around you. Stupid."
"It's-"
"Good night." The girl quickly interrupted him, making him blink in surprise.
After a short silence, Jungwon quietly replied under his breath, as he stood up, "Good night, Eunji."
"Wait, before you go..." Eunji's quiet voice, made him stop in his tracks, turning around, "Thank you for the bracelet. I..I like it a lot."
Smiling, the boy looked at his own jewellery - a matching bracelet to hers. Though it was dark, he managed to recognise the shining flower petal of the forget-me-not,
"You are welcome...just don't ever forget the meaning behind it, alright? Don't forget me again."
"I won't." I never did.
.
.
.
The two were now living with each other under the same roof. Together with uncovered secrets and feelings that are still to be revealed.
This surely was going to be a hell of a ride.
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'·. please vote and comment if you enjoyed reading this chapter<3 ★°*ﾟ