Strawberry Pocky // Nomin

Ch. 25.5: And Then I Found My Way To You

[Jaemin POV]

"Hyung! Are you ready to go?!" Jaemin was ready to leave the shop with Moonbin and Eunwoo after a long day.

It was nice to spend some time with Jisung. He was incredibly cute, and Jaemin loved his kindness. The younger was really a great friend... Even if Jisung kissed him on an arcade ride.

"Ahh! One second!" Jaemin heard Moonbin's voice from the kitchen.

The sweets shop was really a busy place during open hours, and the two hyungs were ready to leap in bed. Jaemin wanted to go home. He wanted to dive into his fridge and eat his brother's cooking.

Why does it feel like I'm forgetting to do something...?

Jaemin wrinked his brow, feeling incredibly stupid. It was like that dumb moment when you walk into a room and forget why you walked in there.

Was there homework?
Did he leave the stove on?
Is his poundcake at home overdue?
What's the expiration date on his potato chips?
...Did he forget someone...?

"Jaemin-ah, ready to go--"

*I wanna be your morning baby--*

Eunwoo quickly scrambled to answer his phone as Woozi's voice softly serenaded the empty shop.

"Hah? Now?! But we need to send Jaeminnie--- WHAT?!" Eunwoo's face morphed from calm to a never-seen-before horror-stricken shock. "BINNIE, GET IN HERE, ITS SEUNGJUN AND JIHUN!"

"BWOH?!!" Moonbin ran right to Eunwoo, buttons on his shirt still undone.

"Oh my gosh-- That's horrible! Stay right there, call 911! Stay on with me... We'll be right there!" Moonbin clenched his fists and started walking around frantically. "Eunwoo, we need to get to them now!"

"What's happening?" Jaemin asked, startled to see his hyungs so distressed.

"My friends got into a car accident and they're stranded. We need to help!"

"We won't have enough room though..." Eunwoo looked at Jaemin sadly.

Jaemin realized that he would be a problem. He needed to help his hyungs.

"Go to them. I'll call Yixing-hyung at the hospital. I'll walk home. It'll just be twenty minutes. You should get going!" Jaemin shoved his hyungs out the door with a reassuring smile.

"Thank you so much, Jaeminnie," Moonbin waved from the car.

"Don't hesitate to call us still, if you need it!" Eunwoo told him.

"Don't sweat it!" Jaemin gave them a thumbs up. "I'm Nana."
---

Jaemin didn't expect the way home to be so long.

After calling Yixing about Binnie and Eunwoo, he realized that it was about 9 PM. It was dark out, and the sky was lathered in grumpy storm clouds as thick as plaster.

Jaemin hugged himself as the air got colder and colder.

What am I forgetting..?

Jaemin's body began to feel a bit heavier. Thinking about what he forgot was giving him a headache.

As if the world seemed to reject him in this one moment, Jaemin sighed heavily as raindrops speckled the pavement below him. The street lights ocasionally making the drops glitter as they fell.

Jaemin walked on.

What in the world... What am I forgetting?! I thought I finished homework. Jae didn't tell me to do anything, and no one asked me to do something for them except Binnie and Jisung today.
So what's missing...?

Jaemin felt incredibly cold.
He didn't process where he was going. The sensations of his footsteps seemed to blur into the loud beats of his heart. His breaths faded into the cold air.

Every breath hurt.
Cold air filled his lungs and froze into ice.
Was that why he felt so heavy?

The rain was pouring.

The brown-haired boy flung his hair in different directions.  The wet bangs stuck to his forehead. Jaemin couldn't feel the rain. It was like he was used to the cold feeling.

He glanced at his arms and hands.

Completely pink.
Ice cold.

Jaemin could only stare at himself for a moment before his vision returned to the now soaked pavement below him. He slipped here and there, stumbling on his dragging steps back home.

Finally, he somehow found his way to the appartment lobby door.

Strange.

He expected to feel warmer...

Why did it feel colder the more steps he took into the building?

Jaemin mustered enough strength to push the elevator buttons to his floor.

Finally, he trudged to his door, legs shaking and almost falling on the hallway carpet.

As he lifted his arm to knock on the door for his brother, Jaemin felt a screeching pain in his head.

It was like someone had stuck a humongous needle through his brain. Jaemin struggled to keep his head up as he shifted terribly.

He made attempts to hit the door or even grab the doorknob for support, but his eyesight failed him. Seeming like he had drunk vision, the boy helplessly stumbled, banging his head into the wall.

Jaemin groaned as he pulled himself together a bit. He reached for his door again, only to trip forwards past it.

Jaemin squinted to see as Moonbin's appartment door opened.

Light poured into Jaemin's sight.

Jeno stood there, handsome as ever. In sweat pants and a tank top, he looked mad good. He stared at Jaemin with those eyes the younger had fallen for at first sight.

Jaemin was surprised as he blacked out, not being able to hear, see, or feel at thing.

All that is, except for warm arms, familiarly smooth, wrapping around him with care.

"I missed you, Nana."

------------------------------------------------------
(a/n:

I'm writting this in the middle of exams.

I'm a good student, so rest assured, I don't use my phone during tests.

Just a short chapter!

Sending you lovelies all my love~
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤  )