fangirl | renjun

Chapter 6

The weekend came.

She was wearing much nicer clothes than usual. She even decided to iron them, a feat she rarely does unless she wants to actually look nice. Every once in a while she would soothe her button down shirt, scared that her efforts to iron it would go to waste even before she meets Renjun.

Aera was standing at a crosswalk in the area where the street where her family's house was located and where the street of Renjun's house intersects. It was quite a serene place to be at, or a great place to pass by, but as she's been waiting here for a while, she was getting rather tired with how it looks.

"Aera!" Renjun, probably a few blocks away from the crossroad, calls out her name waving frantically in the air. He comes jogging towards her, thanks to that she no longer had to wait another five minutes. "Sorry I'm a bit late." He glances down at his watch.

"It's fine."

Renjun shakes his head. "My older cousins decided that today would be a great day to visit," he sighs, "and you know how it is when family begins teasing you."

"You told them?" Aera turned towards Renjun as if he had gone crazy.

"I didn't tell them that I was going on a date," Renjun runs his hand through his hair, "but I don't usually dress this nice either."

Aera takes a step back to give Renjun's outfit a look. Then she noticed how neatly he kept his clothes today as well, a much upgraded look from the time that he forgot to bring his wallet to the store. He truly looked like he was spring personified, aside from the glow he gives out, even the way he dressed, there was a certain brightness to it.

"Well," Aera begins walking out of the residential area, "we're just pretending anyway." She shrugs her shoulders without even turning around.

The two walked in silence. One that felt like it was shrouded in awkwardness. Though the same streets she usually walked through on her way to school, it felt like she was being recorded for her every move. It felt a bit stifling, if she was honest.

"I was planning to stay in the cafe downtown." Renjun bringing up the place where he intended to bring her. "Since, it would both serve as a great place to talk about the arrangements between us and," Renjun pauses, pulling out his phone from his pocket, "a few of them will be hanging out in the area."

"Where are they going exactly?" Aera peeks over at Renjun's phone to catch a glimpse of their group chat. Though she wanted to see, her eyes weren't exactly the clearest.

"All five of them are just going to hang out," Renjun shrugs his shoulders before keeping his phone once again, "they'll probably hang out in the arcade and eat in the same family restaurant after. Nothing really changes when we hang out with each other."

The two then get on a bus for a quick ride to the downtown area. Renjun allows her to take the seat inside while he takes the other seat. Though they wouldn't be sitting for too long as they were only two stops away from the downtown area.

"So," Aera turned towards Renjun as soon as he got off the bus right behind her, "you turned them down to go on a 'date' with me." She lifts her fingers to make air quotes.

"Wouldn't it be more believable that way?" Renjun begins walking towards the cafe that was sitting just a corner away from the bus stop.

Aera jogs a bit to stand next to him. She then walks with her hands behind her back as Renjun, though standing right next to her, leads her towards the cafe. There was a noticeable distance between them, she was trying her best not to let any of her body touch his as she sees this as a little too awkward for her to do. Yet she knows that there would eventually be a line that would be crossed when things have settled.