Deja Vu - parkjisung

ch.9

dejavu.

now playing | the past or the present.
2:32 ——⊙———— -3:50
↠ⁿᵉˣᵗ ˢᵒⁿᵍ ↺ ʳᵉᵖᵉᵃᵗ ⊜ ᵖᵃᵘˢᵉ

status : unedited.

The pair had finally exited the small- tight space of the corridor bathroom. The atmosphere around them had lifted, and the corners of their mouths perked up as they chattered quietly. Walking into the kitchen, the group was now dispersed along the walls and around the dark wooden dining table.

She raked her eyes around the room, finding that two people were missing.

Hearing the approaching feet, Jeno stood from his seat and traveled to the two. In one hand he held a bottle of cold water and the other brought a newly bought ice pack to her bruising eye. "I ran to the corner store, and picked this and some snacks up,"

Quickly, she dismissed the thoughts and pushed them to the back of her mind.

Aeri grinned in thanks as she lifted her hand to press the bag to her eye on her own. And on the way to switching, their fingers brushed against one another's. It was a mere action, however Aeri could feel a person's eyes on her.

Shifting her gaze to her side, she noticed Jaemin refocusing his stare to Jeno.

She didn't get much time to think his behavior over as her attention was suddenly grasped back by the Lee in front of her.

He unscrewed the top of the bottled water and lightly passed it to her free hand.

"Make sure to hydrate, you got into a pretty serious fight earlier," Jeno commented quietly as she lifted the rim of the bottle to her lips. Quickly, she gulped down a few sips before passing it back to the raven, him screwing the cap back on.

"It wasn't that bad," Aeri reassured, but her optimistic reply had been met with a scoff from someone unexpected, Chenle. Sure they were friends, but the pair were never as close as how Aeri and Donghyuck were, or him and Jisung.

Seeing him react as protectively to how the others would made the female's heart swell. "Chenle.." She watched as he pushed himself off the opposite wall, stalking towards her in large steps.

He shook his head in disapproval, his chin meeting his chest, before looking up again and locking gazes with her. In a split second, she saw how his eyes trembled.

"It wasn't that bad? Aeri, she held and pierced a knife to your face, and punched you pretty badly. You need to sue her! Something worse could've happened if we didn't get to you in time. We wouldn't be able to live with ourselves if you got hurt severely," The chinese stopped in front of her. For a few moments, they stared at one another. Chenle has always cared, but it was only now that he expressed it as verbally as this.

Before Aeri knew it, his arms reached behind her waist, and her arms around his neck.

"You're someone to me," Somberly, he whispered into the little space between her shoulder and jaw as he tightened his hold on her.

The feeling of his limbs wrapped around her, and the sentiment of his words, brought emotional tears the girls eyes, however they didn't fall just yet.

"You matter to me too,"  She replied back with just as much sincerity. Endearingly, her face snuggled into the side of his neck, inhaling the comforting smell of his cologne.

They stayed in that position for a while longer, embracing in silence. And as they lifted their heads from each other's shoulders, coming face to face, Jaemin had exclaimed,"Group hug!" Not a second had passed when Jeno, Jaemin, Donghyuck and Mark were added into the equation.

The group of six erupted in laughter, giggling as they were squished together.

"Wheres Jisung and Minji?" Aeri silently thanked Jaemin for asking since she knew she couldn't bring herself to say their names together like that. Because it used to be Jisung and Aeri.

Their laughter died down and Mark shrugged nonchalantly. No one had a clue, saying that they wondered off when they were walking to the kitchen.

The woman's heart sank to her stomach, the once fast beating muscle, now still.

"Speak of the devil," Collectively the group turned towards the door frame, spotting a nonchalant Jisung. Aeri's head whipped in his direction, her heartbeat picking up.

"Where were you?" Mark questioned as he nodded for him to walk over, however to their dismay, he stayed at the door frame, unmoving.

"Living room,"Aeri watched as he answered quietly, never once meeting her eye line."Anyway, Min is falling asleep, I have to go," And as soon as her heartbeat rose, it fell just as dramatically.

"Can you stay?" She asked, a small hint of hope leaking through her voice.

And Jisung swore he heard it.

"The boys will be with you," He reassured, a part of him wanting to see if she'd ask him to stay again.

"Aren't we, I don't know, I- a team?"

Perhaps he misheard the first time.

"I have to take Minji home," His voice turned firm, and without a second glance, he turned on his heels and left.