Metanoia | J.JK

chapter sixty four

a u t h o r

14 years ago, Cha Eun Woo's life

He sat there in class, at the back, beside the window. Leaning against the wall, hand under his chin as he admires the girl that was in front of him.

She was taking notes as he was playing with a strand of her hair, careful enough not to hurt her. He was unserious about education, didn't care at all but she needed every single grade she could have. Her life depended on it.

That's what he liked about her. How motivated and passionate she is in whatever she does, nevertheless their social class.

They were both poor and had no parents to support them. Naeun, his girlfriend, works part-time in a convenience store, every single night without missing a beat. Eun Woo does two full time jobs at night, that's probably the reason he sleeps in class and never does any of his homework.

The bell rang, the students ran out of the class, expect them. The ones who took their time, cleaning their workspace in their own pace.

Eun woo shows his hand to Naeun, making her to hold his hand immediately. They walk out of the classroom, talking about their studies. Then, Eun Woo got pulled from behind by a guy named Namjoon.

"Bastard, I told you to not do that anymore," He spits out as Namjoon just laughed it off, resting his arm around Eun Woo's neck.

"Minho, how was class today?" Naeun asks sweetly to him. He just shrugs, sucking on a lollipop.

"It was fine, it was a good day of sleep," He chuckled, looking back at Namjoon who was rolling his eyes.

"You two are the worst, take your studies seriously. Be more like Namjoon, even if he's a jerk sometimes, he does what he needs to do at school, unlike two other guys. I don't even know why I'm dating this guy," She trailed on, looking everywhere but Eun Woo.

Her boyfriend gasped a fake shock, sobbing in Namjoon's chest. They all laughed, Naeun went to link her arm with Eun Woo's as they all went home after a long day at school.

Namjoon and Minho were also the same. Both orphans. Eun Woo was friends with them since childhood, they all knew their feelings and every single details about each one of them.

They were a family of four.

Naeun was like the mother of the group, she's the only one who knows how to cook and to take care of the others. Eun Woo was the one who had the idea to bring this gang to form a family, he was like the father. Namjoon and Minho were the uncles, the brothers of Eun Woo.

The boys were grateful to have met Naeun, who provided them a more stable home and food. They did everything to help her, that's how she took less time to work at her job, she had more time to study. That was probably Eun Woo who did that.

Money doesn't fall from the sky, sadly. They all equally worked hard and promised each other to be together and to never give up.

❣︎

"Let's go to church, after school," Naeun suggested, looking at Eun Woo at first, she knew that he can't never say no to her. But they all knew they had to go since Naeun brought them at least once a month.

Eun Woo nods, then looks at the two other guys, who were agreeing with him. It's good to take a break from life and to take a small trip on the bus.

They all went to church with their uniforms and school bags, eating ice cream, waiting at the bus stop. It wasn't that far away, the day Naeun discovered that place was when she was following Eun Woo.

He was fighting some guy and came back with bruises all over him. That's the day they started dating too.

In the bus, they were the only ones who were loud. She kept on listening to their bickering as she was reading a book. She was used to their loud voices and being around them. Naeun was always alone until she met Eun Woo and the two other guys.

Her body jolted when her boyfriend's arm went around her shoulder. She closes her book, putting it in her bag. Leaning against him, he leaves a kiss on her head.

"Why are you not talking, babe?"

"I rather listen," She replied softly, her attention was glued by the window, where people walked past the bus.

His finger went under her chin, taking her attention to him. She looks up at him, waiting for him to say or do something. His eyes lowered to her lips and moved back to her eyes.

"You know that I love hearing you talk about anything," He whispered so gently that she felt her heartbeat increasing way too fast. She loved when Eun Woo was sweet and not a delinquent fighting every second with a mean face. She always wondered  how did she date a guy like that?

His lips softly met hers, giving it a peck and then they both leaned against each other until the arrived at the front entrance of the church.

She was on her knees, hands clasped together and elbow pressing on the front bench. The others simply copied her, pretending to think of something to pray about. Eun Woo was the only one who listened to his girlfriend's advice and tried to pray. Namjoon and Minho always made fun of him, precisely, how he can be a puppy that listens to its master.

Church was a safe place for Naeun. Where she could tell anything without being judged once. The numerous times that the four of them were being bullied for having no parents could not be counted by fingers.

She always prayed for the same thing : health and a good future, especially together. But this time, she was anxious and nervous as she kept repeating the same sentence over and over again in her mind.

A tear slipped of the corner of her eye. It was unnoticed by Namjoon and Minho, but Eun Woo was always there to notice every single detail.

"I knew something was wrong," He muttered, turning Naeun to face him. She holds back her tears, careful not to let out a sound. "You never ask us to go to church on a Friday, you never stay silent after school and you especially never read a book on the bus."

"Namjoon's eyesight are getting worse," She cried out, not knowing what to do. "The only thing I can do is pray."

Eun Woo stared at her in disbelief. How could he not know his own best friend's health? How stupid can he be?

That's probably how it all started.