BETWEEN US || STRAY KID'S HWANG HYUNJIN

20

[AERI'S POV]

it was slowly getting dark, kkami was sitting on my lap panting hard after all that running and fetching tree branches.

hyunjin's phone vibrated, signalling a new message.

he checked his phone and got up.

"i think we should get going, i'll walk you home." he said.

"ok then, thanks." i didn't bother refusing as i know he would insist on it, like before.

"anyways, who was that?" i asked.

"um.. my mom. she asked me to come home for dinner."

i nodded, "let's hurry then, don't keep her waiting."

**
[3RD PERSON'S POV]

hyunjin failed to feel the constant vibration of his phone in his pocket because he was so absorbed in the conversation he was having with aeri.

and when he finally noticed that his phone was blowing up with text messages, it was too late.

aeri's house was already in sight.

hyunjin read the messages in the 'shy boys 🤓🤠🎉' groupchat and immediately regret not checking his phone earlier.

most of the messages were in caps, telling me not to bring aeri back because there's an unexpected guest.

the groupchat was in such panic that the messages were full of typos.

'unexpected guest?' hyunjin thought. he facepalmed at how unreadable the messages were.

minho did try explaining who the guest was but his message ended up looking like:

"ADSSHHDHS A ERIS EXIS HEREJRHD  KOOJUNDHHDOE IS BDERE TURN BACK!!!!"

hyunjin tried to make out what minho was trying to say but to no avail. all he could read was the words 'turn' and 'back'.

while hyunjin was struggling to read the messages, aeri already noticed a male figure standing outside her house.

"who is that?" aeri squinted her eyes in attempt to get a better idea of who the person standing outside her house was.

"where?" hyunjin asked, but aeri was already walking towards the person.

"aeri, wait–" hyunjin tried stopping her, but she was already a distance away from him.

hyunjin jogged to catch up with aeri only to hear her calling out a name which he only just realised he disliked hearing.

especially when she's the one saying it.

"junhoe?" surprise was evident in aeri's voice.

the said person turned around, looking at aeri.

he seemed stunned for a moment, before composing himself and speaking.

"happy birthday, ri. it has been a long time, hasn't it? you look beautiful, more than what i remembered." he smiled, holding out a bouquet of white roses which had a card attached to it.