runaway | na jaemin [ HIATUS ]

chapter 2

[ "don't worry" ]

Jaemin walked mindlessly around the store, yet his feet led him to the candy aisle. He glanced at another person—a girl—who was also eyeing the candy, keeping his head down as to not draw attention to himself. However, he was startled when the girl started speaking.

“Hey, Little Kun Kun,” she sort of yelled, then threw a package of jelly straws at the clerk, “buy me those, thanks.”

“Excuse you, I’m taller, Xo. After that growth spurt I had, you turned into a little troll.”

Jaemin stared at the side profile of the so-called Xo, and watched as her head lowered slightly at the remark. She sighed, then continued looking. When her body faced Jaemin, he quickly looked away and cleared his throat awkwardly. On the outside, he seemed calm. On the inside, though, he was slightly angry that “Little Kun Kun” made fun of Xo.

He studied Xo again in his peripheral vision, making small mental notes. Her nose is red and her eyes are puffy, he thought, is something making her upset? Shaking his head, Jaemin brushed it off until he spotted some honey butter chips.

He extended his hand and grabbed the bag, but someone else grabbed at it as well. Jaemin turned and faced Xo, who was glaring in return. “I touched them first,” she whispered semi-hostilely.

Jaemin was going to take the bag anyway, but Xo’s fierce yet sorrowful expression made him let go. He regretted it soon after, seeing that that was the last bag of honey butter chips. Suddenly, he had an idea.

Once Xo came back from throwing the chips at the clerk and went back into the aisle, Jaemin grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her towards the back of the store. “What are you—!” Xo had begun to say in a high pitched tone, but was stopped by a warm and clammy hand.

Jaemin took Xo to the very back of the store, telling her to sit on the chair next to the bathroom door. “Okay, look,” Jaemin spoke wobbly, “I know it seems like I'm gonna rape you or something, but that's not my intention, so don't yell out.”

Xo gave him a skeptical look, crossing her arms over her chest while putting her right leg over the other. “Mhm, sure. Whaddya want to know, pretty boy?”

Jaemin was oddly caught off guard at the remark, but shook it off. “Ever since I entered this store, you've looked upset, and it's been bothering the heck out of me. Is everything okay?”

Xo’s face started to twist into a weird expression, until she broke out into laughter. “Really?” She asked in-between giggles, “that's why you took me all the way back here? To ask if I was okay? Ah, you're funny.”

“Seriously,” Jaemin cut through, “I just wanted to know, then I'll be on my way.” He watched as Xo’s face suddenly turned stern.

“Do you really expect a complete stranger to tell another complete stranger why they're upset?” She asked, this time softly.

Jaemin's face fell, realizing he was acting on huge impulse. He shouldn't have started talking to this girl out of the blue and expect her to tell him her whole life story. “Sorry,” he apologized, lowering his head in embarrassment, “I'll leave you alone, now.”

Something must have changed, as Jaemin walked away. “It's my parents,” Xo called out, “my parents are the reason I'm upset.”

The tall boy stopped in his tracks, having a surge of anxiety go through him for some reason. He turned back around, and watched as Xo hastily wiped tears away from her eyes. “I know I don't know you and you don't know me...” Jaemin spoke gently as he went over and crouched down next to Xo, “but from what I see, I think you just need to vent. However that might be, you can cry, talk, whatever. You can trust me.”