Jimin
As soon as I complete writing the draft for my article, I decide on taking a break because it feels like my eyes are gonna fall off their sockets and onto my keyboard from looking persistently at my laptop' bright screen. I get up from my desk chair and leave my room for the first time in three hours and precisely sixteen minutes. I have already cooked dinner and ate well. There are also leftovers of my chicken steak with mashed potatoes in the fridge so I won't have to cook tomorrow.
I open the fridge and search for a soda only to find some a couple of beers that Yoongi gave me earlier. I take a can and grab my keys. I need some fresh air, so I exit the apartment. A cool breeze hits my skin and I shiver. The coldness was bearable-refreshing even since I've been cooped up in my room for hours. I find myself liking the architectural design of this building a lot because of the openness of this place. The elevator, however isn't fixed yet and that's inconvenient considering I have to squeeze this 'fun' running-down-the-stairs exercise into my already buzy skedule.
Only, this time I'm just pacing down the stairs taking my sweet time while savoring my alcoholic beverage' bittersweet taste. Once I'm on the ground floor, I open the door and walk into the front yard. I stride past the water fountain and plop down onto one of the beach chairs since nobody's here right now. I take a deep breath and exhale. I close my eyes and arch my neck enjoying this simple feeling of being alone. It's liberating and tastes as sweet as the cold beer in my hand.
Unfortunately the peaceful sound of silence comes to an end with the sound of an alarm going off.
"Are you fucking joking!" Someone suddenly yells and my attention flies all the way outside the fence where a man is standing with clenched fists.
I set my beer on the little table on the side, get up from the beach chair and head towards the fence.
"Excuse me," I say and the man looks at me. "How can I help you?"
"Isn't the passcode: NAE1702? In caps?" He inquires.
"I'm afraid not." I tell him.
"Fuck," he hisses and I look at him carefully. "She changed the fucking passcode again."
Is he referring to Nox?
"Hey man help a guy out here." He says. "Can you tell me the passcode?"
I'm getting a bad feeling about this guy. "I think you should just ring the bell and the person you're looking for you will simply let you in."
"Yeah, from what you can see she refuses to let me in." He snorts. "So can you do me a favor?" The tone of his voice is steady—too calm that it comes out as forced. His hands are still balled in tight fists and his eyes are examining me. He's inspecting me just like I'm doing right now. Only, I have the upper hand because he doesn't know the passcode and I have a slight idea about who he is. My hesitant attitude is starting to get to him as his foot begins to tap the floor nervously and his mouth has formed a thin line.
This guy is trouble.
"I don't think I can do that for you." I say trying to maintain my cool.
"Dude all I ask is for you to open the door for me." He fires. "I just want to see my girlfriend."
"I have a feeling that she doesn't want to see you." I retort.
"What the fuck do you know about me and my girlfriend you dick?" He snaps.
"She's not letting you in now isn't she?" I counter. "That says a lot already."
He begins laughing like a maniac and goosebumps rise break on the surface of my skin. It's not because he's intimidating its just something about this guy seems off and I'm uncomfortable in his presence. I wonder how Nox managed to stay with him.
"I see how it is." He says lowly. "So you're her new boy toy?"
I smile bitterly. "Didn't you just say that she's your girlfriend?"
The man approaches the gate until his face is pressed between the rails. His muddy brown eyes slice through mine and I know he's giving me this murderous glare in order to scare me off but it's not working.
"What's your business with Nox?" He asks.
"We're neighbors." I answer.
"Yeah sure." He snorts. "Anyway since you're gonna be hanging around Nox now, you should know that she will never fall for you."
"I don't know Nox all that well." I start and take a step towards him. "But what I do know is that you fucked her up. So keep your distance and leave her be." I add remembering all the hardships Nox has gone through because of him.
He chuckles and I feel like punching that scum. "You care for her. Good." He says. "Just don't catch feelings like that other Asian dude did."
Is he talking about Yoongi?
"Elijah! What the hell are you doing here?" Nox thunders out of nowhere. I turn around to see her walking quickly towards us from her apartment. She's wearing a charcoal hoodie and gray sweats with white stars. Her pink flip flops make scraping sounds against the ground as she rushes towards us. Her jade eyes fall on me and she looks at me in confusion. "What are you doing here Jimin?" She sighs and then her gaze returns to Elijah. "Forget it, just go now. What are you doing here?"
"What? I can't visit my lovely girlie?" Elijah sneers.
"First or all I am not your fucking girlie and second—leave." Nox deadpans.
"You're not the owner of this property." He states.
"No shit. Are you seriously gonna play this shitty game right now?" Nox fires.
"Let me in and let's settle things then." He suggests.
"Like hell I will." She snaps. "I'm gonna say this once Elijah. Leave me and my brother alone. I have nothing to say to you."
"Come on baby please open the door." He pleads.
"Don't fucking call me baby." Nox flares then turns to me and gestures to her apartment. "If he doesn't leave let's just go. He'll get bored either way."
"Nox please—" Elijah continues. "At least come out here so that we can talk."
I think that Nox is slowly losing her patience as she tilts her neck in a weird angle and rolls her eyes enraged. Despite the delicacy of her features, her expression holds anger and this sadness that she's battling within herself. She spins around and dashes towards the gate like an animal. Her hands are gripping on the rails with such intensity that her knuckles turn white and she kicks the metal gate so hard that the metal surface is vibrating.
"I said leave this fucking property you asshole!" Nox finally explodes, her cheeks turn a fiery red and that douchebag just keeps staring at her.
"Nox—"
"Elijah just fucking go." Nox whimpers then detaches herself from the gate. "I don't even want to look at you." Her continuous blinking signifies that she's fighting her tears. She doesn't want to look weak in front of him.
"You're not over me Nox." He says. "I know you still lo—"
"Don't you fucking dare say it." She grits.
She's far from over him. He broke her.
"Let's go Jimin." Nox mumbles and walks away from the gate.
"Don't you dare take another step fucker." Elijah says to me. However I'm not obligated to listen to him. When he sees me trailing after her I can hear him forcefully slam on the gate with his fists. "If you fuck this guy I will end him Nox! I'm warning you!"
She says nothing in response.
"I will fucking obliterate you if you touch her!" He yells.
"Well shit, there goes the neighborhood with his cries for help." Nox says and opens the door to her apartment. I stand in the doorway as she steps inside. Her whack job of an ex is still screaming empty threats at me but I ignore that noise pollution. "Go back to your apartment Jimin." Nox tells me half heartedly.
"Are you gonna be okay?" I ask and I hear footsteps echo in the house.
Her eyes scream that she's in pain. Those jade jewels are suffering behind all the frowns and the tough attitudes "Yeah," she whispers.
"Nox?" Axel chimes from behind her. "What the hell was Elijah doing here at this hour?" When he notices me he smiles a little. "Hey neighbor."
"You can go now Jimin." Nox says and pushes Axel aside. "I'll talk to you later." Her eyes fall on the floor and her fingers caress the door's cold surface.
She wants to be alone right now. That's understandable. I turn around to walk away when she suddenly grabs my arm. Her mouth is agape, but nothing comes out. Her eyes are glimmering and she's glaring at me like she's attempting to communicate with me telepathically. I don't say a thing because I don't want to frighten her or make her feel uncomfortable.
"Shit," Nox gasps. "I'm sorry." She immediately lets go of my arm.
"It's alright." I assure her and those jades twinkle.
"I—I should go." She breathes then shuts the door on my face for the second time.
I take my leave and decide to go back into my apartment. After three flights of stairs, I've finally reached my floor and I fish out my key. I'm quite surprised to see Yoongi stand outside my apartment with his hands in his pockets, his gaze fixed on the floor.
"Hey what's up?" I greet and he looks at me.
"I saw what happened at the gate." He says swiftly. His eyes darken "Why did Elijah come by?"
"He wanted to speak to Nox." I reply and he snorts. "He's the abusive ex right?"
"Yeah," he mumbles.
You care for her. Good. Just don't catch feelings like that Asian dude did. I remember Elijah' words from before and I'm not sure if I should confront Yoongi about this.
"What did he say to you?" He inquires after a while. "You know, before he started screaming like a mad man."
He warned me to not catch feelings for Nox like you did. "He just kept pestering me to open the gate until Nox came along."
"It's a good thing you didn't Seven." Yoongi says. "Elijah has hurt her a lot and her brother is trying to pick up the pieces even though she's the one taking care of him."
"You care for her—for Nox." I comment.
"She might seem like she doesn't need help but everytime she says she's 'fine' it's like a cry for help."
I noticed that too. "I think that applies for everyone. When someone says 'I am fine' it means 'save me'."
"Is it bad that I want to save her even though she doesn't accept help from anyone?" Yoongi asks.
"It's human nature to care about someone." I say. "I think it's very kind of you that you want to help her."
Yoongi looks at me, his eyes shimmering with hope. "Did she say anything to you? I trust that you didn't say anything about me telling you about him."
"Relax, I didn't say anything to her." I assure him. "It's a good thing that you told me about Elijah. Otherwise, I would have opened the gate and Nox would be in trouble now."
"Huh." he breathes. "You're totally right Seven."
"I'm gonna go inside now." I say. "I have this article I need to re-write that is due for the day after tomorrow."
"Dude, you have the whole day to write your stuff tomorrow."
"I also need to proofread and edit."
"I also have an essay I'm expecting it will write itself." He nods. "'Night."
I chuckle at his laziness as I can relate with his procrastinating tendencies to a spiritual level. "See you tomorrow."
It was midnight when i wrote this so forgive me if this isn't as good.