love game; ℓ.н/ ρ.נ

chapter 04, friends?

"How was school?" I asked Hwan as we made our way back home.

"It was great!" He squealed, "our teacher made us play red light, green light, and it was so fun!" 

I smiled at him. He sounded so happy, that it made my heart melt. 

"Also I saw this girl," he said. "She gave me her food," he said, shyly. 

"Ayy, does Hwan like her?" I teased him, and he hid his face in my hands. I laughed. 

We came across a cake shop and Hwan started jumping on the ground, telling me to take him there. I couldn't say no. 

"Which one do you want?" I asked him and he pointed to a chocolate cupcake. "This" 

I paid the money for it and we went to our home, with Hwan skipping excitedly. We were talking about how our day went just when I saw a group of boys in front of my apartment gate. 

Heeseung and his gang. They all were dressed in their usual attire; all black. 

"Bullying another person?" I asked him, at which he just rolled his eyes. I looked around to find another small boy or someone, but there was no one. What is he doing here then? 

Heeseung extended his hands, in which he held a Starbucks cup. 

"What is this?" I asked. 

"Your coffee," Heeseung simply said.

"Are you apologizing?" 

"No"

"What if you poisoned it?" I asked. 

"Yah, it's not poisoned, just take it!" 

I took the coffee from his hands. His gaze went to my brother. "Is this guy your brother?" He asked, looking at him. Hwan hid behind me, clutching at my shirt. 

"Yes, now go," I said. 

"Rude" he simply said. But he didn't go. 

"Ahjussi, please don't trouble my Noona," Hwan said in a tiny voice. I looked at him. I couldn't believe he stood up for me. 

Heeseung laughed. "Little guy, I'm not an Ahjussi," he said. "Call me Hyung. Heeseung Hyung" 

"Heeseung Hyung" Hwan repeated. "Are you Noona's friend?" He asked. 

Heeseung thought for a second, "you could say so" 

"Yah, when did we become friends?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrows. 

His friends were simply standing at the back, doing nothing. 

He simply shrugged. "See you tomorrow, friend," he said, smirking. This guy I swear- 

They went away, while I and Hwan looked at them disappear. A cold breeze came through and we shivered. "Let's go," I said, and we went inside. 

***

"Hwanie, eat your dinner first then eat your cupcake!" I said. 

"I don't want dinner!" he said. I chased him, running around the house.

"HWAN!" I said. "come back here!" Hwan simply stuck out his tongue and ran around the house. 

Eventually, I got tired and gave up. How do his little feet manage to run for so long?

"Fine. But don't come in the middle of the night, telling your hungry" I said, panting. 

He was too busy licking the chocolate on his fingers. 

Hwan never ran around our parents' house. He never got the freedom to do the things five-year-olds do. I was happy to see him enjoy and be free from mom and dad's scolding and beatings. 

The little guy had been through a lot. 

Which reminded me, that they hadn't called us yet, to ask if we reached safely or not. 

I sighed. what was I expecting? 

I knew they wouldn't bother to ask us if we were okay once we left. 

I realized that they wouldn't even give us our monthly allowance. 

which meant I will have to look for a part-time job. I sighed. 

My head started aching. Ugh, migraines. I got up, clutching my forehead, and went to my room to get my medicines. I wiped my nosebleed and plopped on my bed. 

I thought life would get easier once we left Busan. But it seems to be the opposite. 

I sighed. I walked towards my desk, where all my books and papers were scattered. 

Heeseung's pov

I looked at Jia through her window as she crammed her head inside her book. She was wearing a long sweatshirt and some shorts, which looked unavoidably attractive to me. 

A strong gust of wind blew inside her room and her short hair moved gracefully along with the wind. 

She started rocking back and forth in her chair, memorizing something. 

She looked at the book once and then looked away, as she started muttering again. She looked out of her window, at the sky, still memorizing. 

Her eyes lingered below on the ground and she finally looked at me. 

She widened her eyes and rocked on the chair a bit too hard and fell on the floor. 

I couldn't help but laugh. 

Her head poked out from the window as she struggled to stand up. 

"YAH! why are you still here?!" She shouted from her window. 

I simply shrugged. "Out for a walk"

"Or are you stalking me?" she eyed. 

I chuckled. "You might think badly of me, but I'm not that kind of person"

"I didn't say I think badly about you..." I heard her mutter. "Whatever, go away!" 

She slammed the window shut and drew the curtains. 

I chortled. "What a kid"

Sksksk nothing much in this chapter