ㅡ Chaerin's POV ㅡ
《I think the car broke down.》
《The-the car what?》I ask panicking.
Jimin looks up at me, I turn away and look around us. We are in the middle of nowhere, on a road that hardly anyone drives, and it's night.
《The cell phone, call someone, a tow truck will be fine.》I say moving my hand frantically, eyes wide open.
《Ah, right.》 He picks up his phone and calls a number.
Jimin turns off soon after with a disappointed face. Not a good sign.
《There is no signal.》 He replies, making me realize the harsh reality.
I check my phone, but it's the same for mine.
I leave myself limp on the seat, staring at nothing.
The area is quite scary and I think I know where we are, there is a legend about these surroundings. Many say that there is a congregation of nuns who live in an ancient cloistered church, the legend said that a few centuries ago they practised strange things, I never really understood what and maybe I don't even want to know.
I remember my dad telling me once, he even had a book about it, apparently, it's a famous story.
《What do we do now?》I'm losing hope.
《We will wait until morning to ask for help...》
《There are more than 8 hours to dawn.》I say looking at the clock.
He doesn't answer me, gets out of the car, takes something from the hood and opens the door where the engine is, I don't remember the name now.
He stays there to view the engine for a while, I hear the noises of tools and I see the light of a lamp coming out from the sides.
I also go to join him. I only now notice how the road is close to a forest, that's why it's cool enough.
《Can you solve it?》I ask with a hint of hope.
《No, it's out of my reach.》 He looks at me, looking at my arms around me, my hands trying to warm the skin of my exposed arms. Even though it's almost summer, the night is still a bit cold and I didn't have time to bring anything.
《Are you cold?》
I nod.
《Hwasa packed your suitcase, probably she put something like a jacket.》
I widen my eyes. Had these two prepared everything in advance? They made a perfect plan behind me ... I'm surprised, but at the same time, not really. I check the hood and there was actually my suitcase, I open and turn on the flashlight of my phone and I immediately find one of my jackets.
I wonder where we are going. Or where we should have gone.
I go back into the car, while Jimin puts everything back in place and takes more from the hood, some snacks he offers me as soon as he enters, we eat some to relieve hunger.
I take out my phone and stare at the screen. I haven't changed my phone wallpaper yet, which is a picture of me and Yoongi together and happy. Pathetic, right?
I still can't understand why.
I hear a sarcastic laugh on my left, Jimin must have seen the photo.
《Do you still cling to the idea that he can come back?》
《No.》 Actually, yes, he didn't explicitly leave me, did he?
He just went away.
《Why that photo then?》 He points to my background with his chin.
《He and I created good memories together, I hang on to those. I can't escape from those memories.》
The expression that Jimin wears is that of disgust.
《Good memories? What about the scars he left you?》
《They will stay, I can't help it, they are part of my story.》
He makes a face and looks away from me.
《And you? Ever had someone leave a scar on you?》
Suddenly, when I thought he would say no, he is silent and thinks. Thinks a lot. And that makes me assume that someone important in his life has actually been there.
《One person, once.》he looks down at his fingers starting to play with his nails.
《Who?》I ask curiously, turning my body towards him.
His puckered lips move.
《I don't want to talk about it.》
I'm not surprised by his response. Jimin is the kind of guy who wants to know everything about others but says almost nothing about himself.
I lean back on the seat and look out the window.
If I think about the fact that until a few hours ago I was at my house in peace and now I am in this almost surreal situation, it almost makes me laugh hysterically.
《I warned you he was going to hurt you.》
I roll my eyes, again with this thing.
I sigh bored. 《Listen, if you have to talk about that then you better shut up.》
《Why do you still cling to those memories with him?》
《How do you expect me to open up to you if you never do it to me?》I answer in an acid tone.
《Leave it.》
I don't even retort, we remain silent until he comes back to speak.
《Sorry ... I-I just don't want you to suffer for someone like him. I'm not good at expressing my desire to console you.》
《I confirm, you suck at it.》
He bursts out laughing and so do I.
《Why did you concoct all this?》
《It's my way of helping to distract you, you were always locked in your house and if Hwasa or I didn't come to you, you wouldn't go out.》
I stand sideways in the seat, like Jimin. We observe each other for a while in silence, I record and understand his words just spoken.
He is right and I'm aware of it, my will to do something did not exist, I was doing it only to not give displeasure to Hwasa who always came to my house and indeed stayed to sleep with me, like Jimin.
《You are good at this, even if we are in this situation.》
《Yeah.》 He scratches his neck, maybe he's embarrassed because the heroic mission he had planned has turned into a near failure.
I can see his glittering eyes staring at me insistently, it's the pale moon that illuminates the inside of the car.
《You should sleep, you need to get some rest.》
《I don't think I'll succeed.》 I admit looking out.
《Why?》
《I'm afraid of the nuns.》
《What the-?》 He asks half confused, holding back a laugh.
《Don't you know the legend about the nuns from the nearby church?》
《Do you believe in those things?》 He asks sceptically.
《Yes!》I widen my eyes, nodding quickly.
《It's alright, we're safe.》He says confidently.
《And you are sure because...?》
《I've heard they sacrifice virgin people, so we're out of their concern.》
《Wh-what?》 A shiver runs down my spine.
I love horror stories, but at the same time, they scare me.
《You don't have to worry.》 He gives me a small smile and rests his head on the seat.
His lids are heavy, falling and rising all the time. He is fighting not to collapse.
Eventually, we both fall asleep, despite everything my tiredness is greater. We're sleeping in an uncomfortable way, we will have pains guaranteed for tomorrow morning.
🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
hi it's my birthday 🥺