This was beginning to get more than a little ridiculous to me no matter how much I liked it at the same time.
Imagine I was absent for school today because I brought Jungwon to visit his mother's grave and only for us to see Y/N waiting in my doorstep. I knew that she have friends other than Jake and she can go visit Heeseung a few doors away, but why was it that she always seemed to want to stop in my home?
I was so tempted to call Heeseung to get her from here but that would mean I'm allowing him to fully take her from me.
"Tell me, are hiding something or is it just me?", Jungwon blurted out as soon as we get out of the elevator and we both had grocery bags in our arms.
We bought a stock first for this week before we got here and I spied her in front of my door. Just how long had she been waiting there?
And why did it seemed like she didn't feel the cold?
Because it was starting to snow now and yet here she was, as if she wasn't aware of the fact. Y/N was standing right the door, looking at it as if it would open for her automatically.
"I don't know. I woked up to her gone this morning", I said, shaking my head at that habit of hers.
"Why don't you berate her about her wearing something so thin today?", Jungwon pointed out as we keep making our approach.
And sure enough, when we drew close enough to her and saw the red tip on her nose, I knew I would proceed to do what Jungwon had said.
Y/N, finally spotting our approaching figure, turned towards me as she smiled shyly, but I brushed past her and went straight towards my front door.
I could see her face falls but Jungwon was helpful enough to tell the reason. This kid, really.
"Prepare for his life lessons 101 once he brings you again in his room", he was saying while I unlocked the door and headed inside.
I pointedly ignored the way her eyes trailed after me and I leave the door open for them as I walk straight to the kitchen to put my grocery bags there.
By the time I went back to the door because I spotted Jungwon following alone, I saw her still waiting outside.
"Are you going to come in or what?", I asked, pretending to tap my feet impatiently.
She didn't need to be told twice.
Upon hurrying inside, Y/N closed the door behind her and was shrugging out of her bag while I headed upstairs to change out of my winter coat. After replacing it with my pajamas, I pick out one of this smaller thick sweater of mine from the drawer before I found her talking to Jungwon down the living room.
So I stopped halfway through the steps and turned to listen.
"You should give my hyung a chance", Jungwon says and this caught my attention, "He is not that bad", he informs her, "If you must know, he kind of adopted me when my mom died last year"
I heard her pause for a moment, "Is that why you're here as well in Seoul?"
"Yes, I have no one anymore except for him", Jungwon told her and he sounded so serious, "If he didn't take me in, I would either be up in a foster home or out there in the streets begging for money"
She went silent. I think she couldn't imagine me to be that kind of guy. She knew me as the bully, but never the good guy in disguise.
"Is it alright for you to be telling this to me? This is quite a sensitive topic to share", she uttered gently as she gives him a sympathetic eyes.
"It's alright", Jungwon smiled, "If this is the way to make my hyung happy, and that is to get you back for him"
"Is it really okay for you? Are you done grieving over your mom?", she asked immediately.
Knowing Jungwon needed time to answer, but he quickly stammered out, "At first, it was hard to accept that but Jay hyung had been there for me all the time until now"
As I take a step down to the remaining steps to see them more, I saw them in the reflection of the glass railings.
For the first time, Jungwon looked genuinely broken and I watched her stare at him in understanding, then I waited for how she will response.
Not so long after, Jungwon's cheeks were tear-stained and I almost run up to him if not for Y/N surprising me when she opens her arms for him. And perhaps because she was a woman, it was easier for the younger boy who ran into her comfort without a doubt.
Jungwon sobbed for a while and it takes everything me not to get between them until he could get the words out.
"Life isn't fair", he repeatedly stammered into Y/N's shoulder.
"I know it isn't fair at all but at least you have Jay with you", she gently stroked his head, despite being quite shorter than him.
"What are you going to do now that I told you some truths about him?", Jungwon asked, visibly trying to still get her approval of me.
"What do you think I should do?", she asked him in return.
Jungwon's eyes lit up and I knew based from experience that no one could resist it's spark, "Make him happy by being his!"
There was a silence for a few moments as he pulled away from her and Jungwon blew his nose after wiping his tears and regained his fine facade.
And then she was nodding to him with a smile, "Well, he should say it to my face instead of avoiding me"
But here's the thing, I think it actually worked for my favor because when I get there and was pretending that I didn't hear their whole conversation, she did something unexpected.
She was looking at me in a way that told me she was thinking better of me now.
That's all a thanks to Yang Jungwon.
⚋
I didn't know what happened after, but the three of us were suddenly at the living room and we were fooling around until Jungwon decided that although it wasn't nearly dark yet, it was time for us to play games.
Only it was not the kind where will you laugh. It's the kind where he can subtly ask Y/N about her life that he wants me to know.
It started just like this..
"Don't tell me he is becoming your favorite", I commented when she takes Jungwon's side in the video game.
"Because I'm that irresistible", Jungwon smiled and was drinking a juice. To make it more funnier, he was sitting between the two of us in the couch.
"And here I thought you were helping me", I remarked after sharing a smile with Y/N.
"I'm sorry, Jay. Jungwon is more cuter than you especially his eyes, but you know who's cuter?", she responded, tossing me a bag of chips.
"Let me guess, that two blonde kids you were always with at McDonald's?", I cracked up then as she nodded repeatedly.
And then as if out of nowhere, Jungwon shouted, "We should play Best Day or Worst Day!"
"Huh?", she asked, turning into him.
It feels like this was the most contented day I experienced when I have them right here, the cause of my happiness right now at the moment.
"I just made it up, but let's try", Jungwon smiled as he put down his juice box on the floor and he turns to her.
I wish it would always be like this, I thought, and as I watched them interact with an idle fascination, it occured to me that yeah, I'm still inlove with that girl before me.
She was smiling with the boy I treated as my baby brother, "Then what's the rules?"
"Everyone tells the story of their best day. The best storyteller doesn't have to wash the dishes waiting in the sink", Jungwon elaborated, making me feel that stab of anxiety to what he was planning.
"Then everybody tells of their worst day and the best storyteller will not pay for the dinner later"
"Do you even have money to be that brave?", I asked him, giving him a subtle nudge to stop.
"I know I will win because I'm very determined to avoid washing the dishes", he answered, and it was hard to disagree with that logic, "You start, Y/N, since we don't know you that well"
She paused for a moment and catching my eyes as she does, "Can I think a minute to think of one?"
"It wouldn't be that good if you have to think about it", I commented mindlessly.
Jungwon then glared at me, "Way to ruin her concentration, hyung"
"Sorry", I said, holding my hands up but I was still the first one to look attentively when she spoke up.
"The best day of my life was in the time I enrolled at college", she began with a smile, and let me tell you how it was one of the beautiful sight.
"And the story is that it was full of opportunities for me in a beautiful city. We went to many places before we find my dorm and you know when we wake up in the hotel at the first day? The sun rising up was the first thing I see"
That smile only got happier as she went on, "That's the light that makes everything better for me in the morning, everything seems prettier and today, that was the same thing I saw in Jay's room window"
I didn't expect her to admit the final statement as she immediately looked away from gaze.
"I mean, I didn't do anything at first as I woked up into his arms and see him sleeping. But just watching him, even if everything feels wrong in my head, I think even today was one of the best days of my life"
As soon as she had become silent, I held the sight of her in my eyes and I didn't know exactly what was happening, but it was beautiful. More so when she lifted up her head and caught onto the smile growing on my lips.
It was just too bad that Jungwon was there between us, looking back and forth, like he knew something.
"You think waking up next to Jay hyung is a best day?", he said, and laughed, bashful.
And so before he could come up with any more quips, I started to say, "That story ended up being a hell of a lot better than I thought but I still got you beat"
"Bring it on then", she replied in a challenging tone, seeming to forget Jungwon was ever there as she only looked at me.
"Best day of my life when I was eight, and my grandpa brought me to the ocean land. I liked the dolphins. He liked the penguins. Best day ever. End of story"
This is when Jungwon had gone silent, already knowing the whole story afterwards. It wasn't really a good ending for me.
"That's it!?", Y/N exclaimed at me, not catching onto the sudden change of atmosphere between me and Jungwon, "That's the best day of your whole life?!"
I didn't think she would be bother by it, although it was my way to prepare her for my worst day. But still, even though I knew it was intentional, I couldn't help but wonder: How would she react?
But before my mind wanders so far, Jungwon spoke.
"Okay, it's my turn", he started, "It's easy. The day I came here, and I was so happy because I've never been to a city before. Jay hyung then bring me to places like the Namsan Tower"
"Also from before, I am quite poor with my mom, and you know, that's why everything matters to me to stay here", he then laughed which is painful for me to hear.
For all I know, he was just hiding his sadness over the fact of his mom's death last year.
When I looked at Y/N, her eyes were quite cautious and it looks like she doesn't know how to proceed from there. But Jungwon is Jungwon, anything would not stop him once he started it in the first place.
As he opened another juice box, he smiled at her, "You won that round obviously. Now what's your worst day?"
I wasn't even surprised when all of Y/N's attention was rooted to me suddenly.
With an awkward laugh coming out from Jungwon's mouth, I hated myself for letting a tear fell down my cheeks as I looked at her again.
It doesn't matter how strong I am but in the face of the truth that I am the one who was the cause of her worst day, that was enough to break me down inside.
Now, how the hell could I still forgive myself for that?
⚊
Worst days of Y/N and Jay is coming in the next chapter.
Do you already have an idea what's their story was?