'No wonder you're mostly late for school.' We were walking for over 20 minutes, and we still weren't there
'Sorry about this. I did say it wasn't close.' He just kept looking down
'I don't mind this at all.' I smile at him. 'It's nice not to have to go home straight away.'
'How has it been lately? Is it any better?' That concerned tone...
'For now. Since all of that, she's been clean. I forced her to get herself into a rehab as well, and I'm keeping an eye on her. But I know better than to expect it to work. I'm honestly just waiting for it to fall through.'
'I'm always here if it gets rough. I don't know if I can help but-'
'You've already helped me more than anyone ever did, Jimin. You don't need to do anything.'
'Maybe. But I want to.' His voice had gone a bit quiet, but I could still hear him clearly. 'And we're here. He should be out any moment.' He quickly changed the subject
'Schools look way better these days than they did 10 years ago.' This building looks modern and nice. My old school looked half broken
'Did you go to school in America?' He asks, sitting on the wall in front of the school while we wait
'Yes. I went for 2 years before moving here. And then I started all over again.'
'Did you know Korean?'
'A little. Purely picking up from my mom. But I spoke mainly English. I did learn it quickly, though. Probably easier when you're younger.'
'That is incredible, though. Speaking two languages since you're a kid.' He was smiling in that beautiful, breathtaking way. Damn... he is... stunning...
Sudden bell ring caught me a bit off guard, making me almost jump. I was so lost gazing at him that it slipped my mind where we were. But I was brought back with all the kids screaming and running out.
'Look at that maniac.' Jimin chuckles, gesturing to Yujin, who was sprinting full force, pushing his way through. For a scrawny kid, he sure is fast
'NOONAAAAAA!!!' He had the biggest grin on his tiny, cute face, and he ran directly at me.
His tiny face smashed into my tummy as he hugged me around my body.
'Noona! You came to pick me up?' He was all smiley, hopping in his spot and looking up at me
I crouched, so we were on the same eye level, pinching his cute, fluffy cheeks. 'I'm just here with your hyung.' I smile at him
'Yep. Just ignore me. Not like I've been picking you up every day for 3 years.' Jimin scolds him
'How about you hug your hyung? I think he might be a little jealous.' I giggle, teasing Jimin
Looks like there's no need to tell him twice, as he almost jumped on Jimin right after.
'Jiminie. You brought cat noona with you.' He giggles
'Cat noona? Why cat?' Jimin snorts
'She's got eyes like a cat.'
I suppose the kid is right. But how many nicknames is he gonna give me?
'How was school? Did you do anything fun?' Jimin smiles at him, fixing him up a bit as he looked like he went through a hurricane
'We had to pick flowers from the garden and then squish them like this.' He put his two tiny hands together, showing how he pressed the flowers, earning a smile from Jimin
'That sounds fun. Are you ready to go home?'
'Let's go, noona!' Instead of taking Jimin's hand, he took mine and started walking
'It's like I'm not even here.' Jimin mumbled
The entire way home, he was telling me all about his school and his friends. Getting overly excited about drawing at school.
Then Jimin and I had to swing him a part of the way, each of us holding one of his hands as he swung in the middle.
He's got so much energy.
But after a while, we were by the little park, ready to part ways. And even though he pouted that I wasn't going home with them, he agreed to the next time.
It was the most heartwarming thing ever when he asked me to crouch, only to hang himself around my neck, and then kiss me on the cheek.
'Yujin, that's rude. You can't just kiss people.' Jimin scolded him, but he also seemed quite shocked
'I can't?' The face he pulled was the cutest thing ever; the little pout and his wide open eyes
'No, buddy. You need permission for these things.' Even if he scolds him, he explains it to him
'It's okay. He's got the permission.' I smile at both of them, with Jimin mouthing 'Sorry' to me
'Do you need to ask permission to kiss noona, too, Jimine?'
Poor Jimin went through 5 stages of embarrassment. Along with the shade of his face. This kid... I swear. The questions he comes up with...
'Yes. I need the permission, too.' He finally answered, keeping it short and simple. There's only so much you can explain to kids.
'Noona, does he have permission like I do?' He then turned to me
'Yujin, buddy, that's too many questions.' Jimin either tried to save me or himself, but this is not working
'Does he?' He just blatantly ignored Jimin
Looking at Jimin, both of us were about ready to drop into the ground. But as I said. He's only a kid.
'Yes. He does.' I answered Yujin, looking directly at Jimin, feeling my insides flipping around, and he reached his red point stage, unable to keep eye contact.
'Now you can kiss noona, too!' He got all giggly
'Let's go home. You have homework to do.' Jimin cuts his excitement
'First you have to kiss noona.'
'Yujin-'
'She said you can!' He argues
'It's alright.' I smile at Jimin. 'I believe he might be as stubborn as you are.'
'He might actually be worse.' He mumbles, looking at Yujin
Fuck it. My heart is already near jumping out. I doubt it will get any worse.
I took two steps closer, standing right in front of him. 'I don't think we're going home any other way.' I smile, looking in those beautiful eyes of his
'We-we don't have to-'
I cut his mumbling off by getting on my tip toes, pressing my lips on his cheek instead. I swear I heard him stop breathing, and he turned to stone. I did take him by surprise.
'I'm sorry. I didn't ask for permission.' I whisper, looking down right away
I thought he'd run, but instead, he leaned down, and his soft, plump lips made contact with my cheek. A soft and not so short kiss he left on my right cheek made me overheat in a millisecond.
'You have it. No need to ask for it.' He whispered back, making sure Yujin can't hear him
I'm about to combust.
I could barely think now looking at him. He's never been this close before, and his lips definitely never reached me. But they did not.
'YAYYYY!!!'
The sudden applause from little Yujin as he celebrated his little victory made both of us kind of pull back from each other.
Only now I realized how close we were to each other. From far away, it definitely looked wrong.
'Come on. Time to go.' Jimin spoke first, taking Yujin's hand. 'See you tomorrow.' He didn't even look at me, but at the ground. Or Yujin. Or anywhere else.
'Bye.' I muttered, waving at Yujin who was waving back at me, grinning like a little idiot
I still feel like screaming. I need to pull myself together. What the hell is wrong with me!?