the picture doesn't match the chapter but I thought it was funny
⊷ 59
Ji-yoon had expected a call. If not for the simple purpose of checking up on her, then because she had told Haechan to 'meet her at home', making him believe that that was where she was as well.
Which soon turned out to have been a lie.
"Next time, wait for me," Haechan muttered through the speakers, exhausted by Ji-yoon's behaviour.
"I didn't want you to come back to the office just to pick me up. Especially since I only have to go to the car. It's a five-minute walk," she pointed out as she sat down in the vehicle and locked the doors. She checked the seats behind her, her paranoia increasing her cautiousness.
"I don't mind though," Haechan argued. "Don't do this again."
"Okay, sorry," she said. "I didn't know what you had to discuss with Renjun so I didn't want to interrupt."
"Just interrupt me, please," he pleaded. "Do whatever you want but please don't make me worry like this."
Ji-yoon had to smile. She felt bad to be causing him to worry. However, she was also happy to have him so concerned about her. At this point, it was no longer a secret that he liked her and yet Ji-yoon still got excited at the thought of him being so caring.
"Sorry Sunshine," she apologized again.
He sighed. "It's okay. Where are you? In the car?"
"Yep." She turned the keys, the engine now running. After checking left and right, she drove out of her parking spot. "I am on my way now. I locked the doors, checked the seats behind me. All good. I will be home in fifteen minutes."
"Alright, then I will wait. Let's call until you get here," he said,
"You sound tired though. Just sit down, make tea, watch some TV," she suggested. "I will be there in a bit."
"I want to talk to you though."
"I am fine," she promised.
"But I won't be if you hang up," he warned, getting irritated as he could tell that she was trying to end the call.
Ji-yoon sighed. "Sunshine~"
"No discussion about that."
To soothe Haechan's mind, she ended up not hanging up. They talked for a couple of minutes, a casual and little exciting conversation.
Every now and then, Ji-yoon would glimpse at the rearview mirror. Her eyes were drawn to the brightly shining headlights of the car behind her. When she looked back at the road ahead, she realized she had to turn left here.
And so she turned right.
"I will stop by the grocery store," Ji-yoon told Haechan as she drove towards the construction site ahead. It was fairly big, all these concrete and bricks soon to be turned into generic, boring apartment complexes.
However, besides it being big, it was also empty at this time of the day. A small area reserved for the workers' vehicles in front of it was left accessible, while the rest of the premises was fenced off.
"Oh, no," Haechan said right away. "No, you will not."
Ji-yoon frowned. "Why?"
"'Why'?" he questioned. "You sound like that one character that dies at the beginning of the story."
Ji-yoon laughed, yet needed to add, "I see myself as more of the main character. So I don't think that's what's going to happen."
"I am sure that's what those characters also thought," Haechan argued and added, "before they died."
"I won't die. I just want to buy snacks."
"No you don't," he said. "Because San went grocery shopping yesterday so I know that you have everything at home."
"You don't know my cravings."
"I know you though," Haechan pointed out. "And you sound like you are about to make a bad decision."
"...do I have a voice for that or something?"
Haechan sighed. "Please come home."
"Snacks first."
"I swear to god- babe, please just come home."
"Babe? Wow." As flustered as she was, she couldn't fulfil his request. She could, however, give him some advice. "You have to talk to Mark more."
"...why?"
"He taught me once," Ji-yoon began and said, "that you have to seize every opportunity you get."
"To buy snacks?!"
"Maybe," she said as she came to a halt at the parking area.
Figuring this wasn't going to lead him anywhere, Haechan sighed. He gave in. "At least tell me where you are."
Ji-yoon didn't even consider making up a lie for this. She just told him,
"I'll see you home."
"No- don't you dare hang up on me."
"Don't be mad,"
was what she said before she hung up. She watched as the car behind her slowed down and stopped next to hers. Rolling her shoulders back, she sighed before she got out.
She took a few steps so that she was standing in front of her own car. She looked at the other one impatiently, only a shadowy figure visible through the windscreen.
"I give them such a good opportunity and all they do is sit there," she mumbled, getting angrier and angrier.
She rolled her eyes before shouting,
"Get out of your fucking car!"
As she stood there, waiting for nothing more than a moment, she suddenly had to close her eyes at the brightness of the other car's headlights.
She turned her head, shielding her eyes with her arm. It threw a slim shadow over them, giving her the chance to open her eyes - even though it was just for a second.
Once she felt the pain of something crashing against her arm, she clamped her eyes shut again. She ducked her head just in time to not get hit again. She took a few swift steps backwards, creating a distance between her and the other person.
She was finally able to see them properly, yet felt disappointed upon meeting their eyes. Face covered, clothes just black and grey. It was close to impossible to say who that was.
Ji-yoon sighed. "I see," she mumbled, "you're a fucking coward, as expected."
The attacker said nothing, just clutched their weapon tighter, which Ji-yoon now identified as a metal pipe. Without a sound, they rushed towards her, weapon raised ready to have it come crashing down on her.
This time, Ji-yoon didn't avoid it. She blocked the hit with her arm and grabbed the attacker's hand with her free one. She held onto them as she swung her leg up and ran her shin into their side, causing them to bend forward in pain. They let go of the metal pipe with one hand, allowing Ji-yoon to take it from them. She threw it to the side, too far for any of the two to reach now.
There wasn't much to see considering their hoodie and mask. Still, Ji-yoon could see their eyes widen.
She grinned. "You must wanna die so badly," she commented before landing her fist in their face. She felt a crack against her knuckles, yet knew it didn't come from her. They stumbled back.
"Fight back. Please," she pleaded, a grin creeping onto her lips. "Let's make this entertaining."
Their breathing got heavy as they glared at Ji-yoon. Whenever she came closer, they moved back - until they realized there was no use in it.
They reached out to grab her, yet ended up reaching into thin air as Ji-yoon avoided them. She moved to the side, pressed their head down and kneed them in the stomach. They fell to their knees, gazing at the ground. She could hear the heavy breathing and the inaudible mumbles.
"Speak up," Ji-yoon taunted. "If you have something to say, better say it now."
She kicked their side, causing them to turn around. They landed on their back, head resting against the ground.
Ji-yoon sighed as she kneeled down next to them. She watched the masked face for a moment. Listened to the panting.
Bored, she eventually decided to reach up. Her fingertips already graced the top of the mask when-
When she stopped. Her grin didn't falter and her pain-filled gasp drowned in her eery laughter.
Ji-yoon's head dropped, eyes finding the red stain on her shirt right away. She held her breath as they pulled the knife, that they had run into her side just a moment ago, back out. She felt the blood trickle down and noticed the person move away. Yet, she didn't do anything about it. It was hard enough to breathe, let alone move.
She heard the footsteps and made an effort to look to the side where she spotted them running towards their car. Engine on, wheels turning.
And they drove off.
Ji-yoon sighed as she pressed her hand against her wound. She closed her eyes, held herself up with one arm only.
Not exactly how she planned this to go. However, as bad as this was, it wasn't the worst part. The worst part was that,
"He'll be angry," she mumbled to herself.
Snacks ⊶
Ji-yoon has her priorities, and of course her number one priority is Haechan
also! we are almost at the end of the storyyy, thank you so much for sticking around and reading <3