C-47
Okay, maybe I overreacted.
"Dori, I feel guilty."
I groan as I remember how I talked back to my family earlier. I was just angry, but I never intended to disrespect them. I can't go back because I might snap again and I don't really want to go home yet... I'm still kind of mad.
Amnesia? That's such a big revelation! How can I be so calm knowing that I forgot major parts of my life? I forgot my friends, and I thought for the longest time that I didn't have any.
I shake my head as I walk around, hugging Dori close to me. Where should I go? I stop upon seeing the Mochi Cafe open. I thought they're only open until 8pm, it's clearly past 9 now.
I enter and see the biggest joke ever.
There's no one aside from the cats and Hyunjin who's occupying a whole table with papers and notes scattered on it. He's busy typing in his laptop while occasionally looking at the open television in the cafe which is playing a KDrama.
Priorities indeed.
"Why are you still open?"
He briefly looks up and greets me with a smile before returning to his business. "Hello there, Y/n and Dori! What brings you here? Too bad I can't serve you right now."
"It's fine, Hyunjin. How about you?" I ask as I sit beside him and watch him work. I let Dori play with the others. "Aren't you supposed to be closed an hour ago?"
"Well, I have a final assignment and the deadline is before 12:00. I can't work at the dorm because my dorm mates are too loud. I can't wait for college so I can finally move," he whines.
"Then why are you still watching Boys Over Flowers? You know she still chose Junpyo at the end. Tch. Bad boys always get picked."
He laughs at me and resumes typing. "Have you forgotten that KDrama is my happiness? Says the one who actually likes Minho-hyung."
"You can't blame me! Second leads just have that charm that always pulls me in. I don't get how they're so much better than the actual lead sometimes," I rant while helping him tidy his paperwork.
"So... if I'm the second lead, will you choose me too?" Hyunjin asks.
"Of course! We're not buddies for nothing," I reply. "But we're not in a KDrama though."
He shows me his eye smile as he types faster. "Too bad. I guess I'll just be the second lead who accepts everything and move on..." then he clicks save and grins at me. "...but isn't it better to fight for what you want?"
"Hyunjin, you're drowning in your KDrama feels too much."
"We'll see~"
He laughs and finally slams his laptop shut and stretches his limbs. I hand him his papers which are previously scattered everywhere. At last, he's finally done so we can watch the final episode peacefully.
"Graduation, here I come!"
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After helping Hyunjin clean up, we both walk towards the bus stop with Dori sleeping on my shoulder. I don't know how he does it.
"Are you sure you'll be fine alone?" Hyunjin asks because his bus will be arriving soon.
"Of course. I have Dori with me," I reply and he chuckles.
"Goodnight, Y/n!" Hyunjin waves at me as he enters the bus. I wave back until I can no longer see him.
I'm really alone now and it's getting kind of creepy because it's so dark and it's my first time being out this late at night. I take out my phone and play AdorableHome while waiting for my assigned bus to alleviate my anxiety. This game is so cute because all I do is take care of cats, feed them, decorate the house, and make a bento box for my partner I named Gong Taekwang.
The bus finally came. I was about to enter when I see who are going off. My eyes widen and I immediately walk to the other way while hugging Dori close to me.
They're the guys who Jungwoo saved me from.
Okay, stay calm and walk naturally. Don't look back and go to a place with lots of people so you won't get killed without witnesses. You can do it, Y/n!
"Hey. That girl looks familiar."
My whole body tenses up as I hear their footsteps nearing me.
"Oh... Sunny! What a wonderful night!"
My heartbeat accelerates and I pick up my pace, almost running.
"You can't run away now, I can't see any knight in shining armour coming!" They both laugh.
Why do they always take me as a joke? I'm really getting annoyed at how they always laugh like they can just knock me out in one blow... Honestly? They can, so I start running until I reach the centre of nightlife here in Seoul. I'm so glad that I live in a city where bars and clubs are normally open 24/7 so a lot of people are still around.
I take out my phone with shaky hands and press the first contact that I see and call it.
Please, pick up.
[ "Y/n?" ]
"Minho! S-Save me. I don't know where to go," I stammer.
[ "What? Where are you? Why are you out this late?" ] I hear shuffling in the background and the door slamming shut.
"Someone's following me."
[ "Shit... Okay, tell me where you are right now." ] I can hear the worry in his voice together with the sound of engine turning on.
"Here at the chain of bars and clubs, a few streets away from the cat cafes."
[ "I'll be there, hmm? Don't drop the call... Stay with the crowd where others can see you." ] he instructs and I nod even though he can't see me.
I share my location with him just to be sure and then head near the crowd where a busking is on-going. Even when the song is calming and joyful, I can't enjoy it because my heartbeat is louder.
"Minho, I'm sorry for the trouble. What should I do?" I mutter as I cautiously look around.
[ "You're not trouble. Just be safe, that's all you have to do." ] he says softly.
"I- hmm!"
I was about to shout when a hand covers my mouth. I'm pulled towards the bushes where it's darker and no one's around.
How can those people not notice that something fishy is happening?
I was thrown to the ground, causing me to drop Dori and my phone. I glare at the two guys who look like they just won the lottery.
"We finally got her!"
The other one smirks and picks up the phone. He opens the speaker and a string of profanities greets us.
[ "I will fvcking cut your fingers off, you pricks. Don't touch her. If you want me, I'm coming." ]
"Tell us that when you're actually here. While you're not, we're playing with her first." After that, he tosses my phone to the ground and high-fives the other guy.
I stand up straight and grab a broken branch to shield myself from them. It might not be much, but it could still scratch.
"You think you can defend yourself-"
"Yah!"
I hit them repeatedly until my arms got worn out. They recoil and glare at me as I pant at the strenuous activity. I should've taken PE class seriously. Since I have no strength left, one of the guys was able to roughly pull me by my arm. If this leaves a mark, it would be hard to hide.
His grip is getting tighter and tighter. I can't help but whimper in pain. Suddenly, his hold on me is gone and he's on the ground clutching his stomach.
"I said don't touch her," Minho says as he gently pulls me behind him. I cling to his shirt as I look up at him with blurry vision. "Are you hurt?"
I nod at his question. His jaw tightens, sighing as he pats my hair softly. "Just stay here. I'll take care of them."
He cracks his knuckles and pulls the other guy by his collar. "Tell this to whoever sent you: I don't play his fvcking game."
Minho throws his fist at the guy's face and twists his arms. He kicks him to the ground and faces the other one. They exchanged punches and one unfortunately lands on Minho's face.
"Watch out!" I shout as the previous guy stands up. I pick up the broken branch and slams it on his head. His eyes roll back, then Minho finishes him off with a single jab.
"Damn it." Minho winces as his lips bleed a little. He glares sharply at the guy in front of him and proceeds to throw continuous blows. After a while, his opponent got dizzy and finally fall down.
I look at the surroundings with wide eyes. What did I do?! Did I just participate in a fight?
I got out of my monologue when I feel Minho hugging me tightly. I avert my eyes sheepishly as he lets go with a frown.
"Have they been bothering you this whole time?"
"I'm sorry... I was so happy when we made up, it slipped from my mind."
"It's okay, not your fault. Just don't forget next time, hmm? Why are you even out this late in the evening?" he asks with a stern tone.
"Oh, I just... Dori!" I exclaim and run to my beloved cat. I'm glad he isn't harmed because I won't forgive these guys if ever.
"You even took him with you?" He shakes his head and takes Dori from me.
Minho pulls me away from the guys who look like they won't be waking up anytime soon and made me enter a black car. I thought it's Changbin's but it's actually different, and it even has a little blue neck pillow on the passenger's seat which I'm at. Minho lightly glares beside me as he cradles Dori.
"Why?"
I got startled when he cups my cheeks and turn my face side to side. He also checks my neck and was about to unbutton my blouse to check my shoulders, abruptly stopping and clearing his throat when he seems to realise his actions. His ears redden then he mutters an apology before turning the temperature colder.
"Are you hurt?"
"That's just dirt." I dust my shoulders off so he could see.
"Good. Anywhere else?"
"No, just my arm."
He sighs in relief and pushes his hair back. He's silent after that, but I can see how hard he grips on the steering wheel that his knuckles turn white. It's hard... but then it gets harder and harder that he starts to shake.
"Are you mad?"
"No, I just... that's what I was talking about." He leans his head on the steering wheel and sighs. "That's the kind of danger you're getting yourself into by staying with me."
"Minho..."
"Do you want that, Y/n? Would you still stay with me?"
I cup his face, urging him to look at me. I smile at him to ease his tension. "Of course, and I won't let you push me away again. I can stay, right?"
He smiles back and holds my hand. "You can stay."
I beam and hug him. Minho chuckles when Dori stirs between us. I almost forgot that he's here. We're like a family doing a group hug.
"Okay, put your seatbelt on. I'm going to drop you home."
I shake my head so fast at what he said. I can't go home with a bruised arm. They'll just reprimand me for running away.
"No! I don't want to go home."
He arch his eyebrow at me. "What?"
"I ran away from home, okay? I'll still go back, maybe tomorrow, but not now." I pout.
"Y/n, that's not safe!"
"I know! Just drop me at Jisung's then, he's just next door anyway. Anywhere safe, just not at home for now." I rub my nape sheepishly.
He frowns at me and even crosses his arms. "Not at Jisung's."
"Then I guess I'll just ask Felix-"
"Nope! Don't you have other friends?"
"Answer yourself since we're always together." I sigh. "Then maybe at Hyunjin's dorm? We can watch KDrama all night."
"Never." He sighs back. He thinks deeply for a second before his ears redden. He clears his throat and transfers Dori on my lap. "Just stay at my place for tonight."
I look at him in daze. "Sure?"
"Sure. I don't want Dori sleeping at someone else's house and spending time with other people," he says and puts his seatbelt on.
I put mine as well and grin uncontrollably. "Okay then."
"What are you smiling for? I'm just concerned for our cat's well-being," he reasons out.
"Whatever, Minmin."
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He lets me in his flat and made sure to lock the door. He tosses his keys on the counter and guides me to one of the rooms.
"This is my bedroom. You can stay here. Just grab anything you need, I don't mind," he says.
"Minho, wait!" I pull him to the bed and make him sit down. I take the first aid kit on his bedside table and focus my attention to his lower lip.
"I can do it. It's just a scratch," he says as he refuses to look at me.
"Just stay still and let me finish it," I dismiss. I was so focused that I didn't notice how close our faces are until I finish applying the ointment.
Minho's staring at me and I can't help but stare back. I know I said this before, but the way he blinks is really attractive especially with his long eyelashes. His face got closer and I feel mine heating up.
"Are you going to kiss me?" I instinctively shake my head. He chuckles as he managed to make me flustered once again.
He takes a shirt and a pair of pyjamas to change into and smirks at me before finally going out, taking Dori with him.
He's such a tease.
His room is full of dark articles which is unsurprising. The light itself is not even on full power. He must've liked it dim.
He said grab anything, so I rummaged through his closet and got the biggest and softest oversized shirt and pyjamas I could find, then I went to his bathroom to freshen up. After cleaning myself, I flop on his bed which smells a lot like Minho. I feel so tired, but I can't sleep. I try different positions and even turn here and there but to no avail. I sit up and stare at the crumpled sheets. Maybe some milk will do. I wonder if Minho have some.
I go out of his room and tiptoe to the kitchen. I know it's right there after the living room.
"What are you doing?"
"Oh, hey."
I look over to the voice and see Minho lying on the sofa with Dori sprawled on his stomach. I go over to them and sit on the carpeted floor.
"I can't sleep," I admit. "How about you?"
"I don't feel like sleeping," he says. If I know he can't sleep too.
"Why don't you just sleep in your room? You're clearly not used to the sofa."
"Nah, I'm fine here. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable," he mumbles.
I smile at that. I'm so glad that I like a softie, even when he only shows it rarely.
I suddenly thought of an idea.
"Minho, can we sleep together?"
He immediately sits up that caused our cat to wake up. "What?"
"You know, like a sleepover here in the living room. Since we can't sleep yet, I just want to talk to you for the meantime."
I want to tell him about the things I found out today. I just want to clear my head so I'll be levelheaded when I go home tomorrow. I also want to hear his opinions.
"Oh." He chuckles. "Nothing else?"
"Uh... milk?"
"I have a lot of that." He grins and ruffles my hair before standing up. "I'll just get the pillows and everything."
He comes back with the sheets and I help him make an improvised bed. He put a plushie barrier between us and when I asked him why, he just told me that it's for our safety. Weird as ever.
"You know, I just discovered the biggest plot twist in my life. It's so clichéd, like the author can't come up with a better idea and just thought of wiping my memory clean," I rant and tell him about all the things that I found out today.
It's such a long day and I don't know why I'm tirelessly blabbering things to Minho. What's odd is he's just listening and occasionally smiling whenever I whine about something. I hope he doesn't get annoyed and just sleeps on me in the process.
"Now I know why you're so naïve and why you say questionable things. Your comprehension must've been affected that's why you don't know what double meaning is," he says so seriously like he just found out the biggest mystery in the world.
"I talked for hours and that's the first thing you'll say?" I pout. "Are you insulting me or what?"
"No, you silly girl." He chuckles. "I just didn't expect to hear that."
"So, what do you think?" I look at him while hugging a sleeping cat.
"Hmm..." he pauses and stares at the ceiling. "That amnesia explained a lot of things... but isn't it great how you still remember the things you love? Like cooking, you still enjoy it. You still make bento boxes, which your friend taught you."
"You're right..."
"Now that you already found out, why don't you take that chance to try and remember who you were back then? Try to get to know your friends again and try to understand why your family did that. Instead of letting yourself drown in questions, take this chance to get answers."
I smile up at Minho. "You can be really smart sometimes."
He rolls his eyes. "I can be better than Seungmin if I want to."
I laugh and nudge him. "You know this is such a big coincidence since they used to call me Sunny too."
"They?"
"Yeah. I used to have four childhood friends." I yawn, seeing that it's past midnight now. "I'm getting sleepy... Goodnight, Min."
"Hmm?"
"I said goodnight. Everything okay?"
"Oh, yeah. Goodnight." He's frowning a little, but maybe it's because he's sleepy too so I just shrug it off. He murmurs something I couldn't catch as my mind starts to doze off.
"Sunny... A coincidence? There's no way..."