the luckiest • han jisung ✓

twelve

"I-I was just being respectful, you know." Ae Ra looked away.

"Then you wouldn't have done it."

"I couldn't help it." Jisung scoffed. She could hear him mumbling about the taste. He didn't try the coffee at all so he had no idea if it was really that bad.

Ae Ra then took a sip of the coffee, trying to ignore the guilt that crept in."Where is my camera?" She asked after placing the cup back on the table.

The boy took the initiative to get the camera. "I'll get it." With that, he jogged towards the staff room.

When he fully disappeared into the room, Ae Rin decided to tease her sister. "Why were you stuttering?" She asked with a playful smirk on her lips. "W-what? I don't!" She raised her eyebrow at the younger girl's response.

Ae Ra looked down at her legs instead and started massaging them. The pain in her legs became even more unbearable than before.

"When will you finish your work?"

"In fifteen to twenty minutes. I just need to sort a few things out." Ae Ra nodded. She just needed to wait a little longer.

Her work on her legs stopped when she felt a hot breath fanning her neck from behind.

She looked up, surprised to see a flying camera in front of her. Just then she realized there were two arms holding it, each arm on both sides of her head.

Ae Ra leaned back to her chair, hoping that it would relax her tensed-up body a bit. The instant regret came as she felt his lips brush upon her ear slightly, sending shivers down her spine.

Jisung was showing the pictures while talking in full excitement but everything was a blur for her. The only thing she could hear was how fast her heart was pounding inside her chest.

The oldest out of the three bit her inner cheeks, trying hard not to smile like a creep. Knowing her limit, she walked away from the scene. How her sister's face turned into a tomato-like was so amusing for her.

"Ae Ra."

"Ae Ra."

"Kang Ae Ra!"

She snapped back into reality. Everything went back to normal.

Jisung was already sitting across her, waving his hand in front of her face. "Were you even listening?"

"Sorry. I was just..." She paused for a moment, thinking of an excuse. "Tired."

Jisung stared at her in silence. Ae Ra turned her back to face the counter, escaping his gaze. The older girl stood behind the counter, focusing on her phone.

"Eonnie, have you done?"

"Maybe in two hours."

Ae Ra's eyes widened. "What? Didn't you say in around twenty minutes?"

Ae Rin shrugged. "Did I? Just go home with Jisung. You should rest early since your legs hurt."

"What?" Ae Ra turned her head back to Jisung. His voice was too loud to be ignored. "Why are your legs hurt?"

"Nothing. It's just the long walk." She stood up from her seat.

"Good luck." Ae Rin showed Jisung a mischievous smile when he was packing his belongings at the counter. "In whatever you're doing."

Confusion was clearly written on his face but he decided to just brush it off since Ae Ra had been waiting for him outside. Jisung headed towards the door after bidding the older girl goodbye.

The two walked to the bus stop in silence. As soon as they stepped in the bus, the girl dozed off on her seat.

"Hey, wake up."

A frown formed on her face. It was supposed to take around thirty minutes to arrive at the bus stop near their neighborhood, but it felt like she just closed her eyes a second ago.

"Are you kidding me?" The girl whined. "I'm only sleeping for a second."

Jisung giggled at her remarks. "I'm gonna leave you here."

"You won't."

Right, I won't.

He stood up from his seat, making the girl's head that was resting on his shoulders fall to the side. Her eyes shot open. "You're really going to leave me?"

Jisung giggled again.

She stomped out of the bus, slipped miserably at the last step. Jisung was quick to hold her arms, preventing her from falling. "Are your legs hurt that much?"

Her legs did hurt, but she slipped because she was not fully awake yet. "No. It's alright."

He didn't let her take a step forward as he crouched down in front of her, his back facing her.

Ae Ra could feel the stare from people around her. The girl stole a glance and she was right. "People are staring."

"Quick. Get on my back."

"I can walk." She pulled him to stand up but he didn't budge at all.

"Young lady, don't make your boyfriend wait any longer."

She looked back to face the owner of the voice. People inside the bus were lining up, boredly waiting for her to step aside so they could get out of the bus. Some were turned around to get out from the other door.

"He is not my boy-"

"Ah, I remember the old days. You used to carry me on your back often." The old lady from before nudged her husband who stood behind her.

"We can't do it anymore since we are old now."

The old lady nodded. "You should do it often while you are still young. That's literally my favorite thing to do with him." She looked at Ae Ra with sparks in her eyes.

Jisung stifled a laugh down there.

The old lady pushed Ae Ra's back lightly. "Oh, come on. My hands hurt from carrying these groceries."

Leaving with no choice, she got on his back. They walked away after muttering sorry to the old couple.

"Took you long enough." He turned his head when he didn't receive any answer. "What? You're sleeping again?"

The girl shut her eyes immediately as the boy started speaking. She wasn't feeling sleepy anymore. In fact, she was nervous. And rather than letting the boy know how nervous she was, pretending to sleep sounded like a better choice.

"Are you that tired?" She could tell that he was pouting from the way he spoke. "I want to tell you more about today."

It took her everything from opening her eyes at his cuteness.

The boy continued to walk in silence while the girl smiled to herself as her mind drifted back to where she first opened herself to him.