bad chemistry

sixteen

The sunshine warms his neck as the warm sun rays start to heat up the roads. Jeno changes his course from going to the police station towards going to a place that he despises. He wishes that the day is a cloudy, unhappy, and rainy day so that he could be forced to find shelter elsewhere. However, he had no choice or else he is going to get a hearing from Taemin, his older cousin.

Though he really didn't want to go, Jeno soon arrives towards his cousin's house. He has gotten news a few days ago to visit the older, but he really just ignored the other's requests. He turns off the engine, before walking up towards the elevator inside the apartment lobby. He stands quietly in front of the elevator, humming to himself without another word as the elevator doors opens with a ding. However, he did not expect someone to walk outside towards the other on the other side.

Minju widens her eyes as her eyes meet the other, stepping out as she needed to go the convenient store to buy some necessities. Jeno just stares at her without a word when she adjusts her cap before asking quietly, "What are you doing here?"

"Didn't even knew you were here."

"Well as you can see, I live here." Minju replies with a sarcastic, annoyed voice as she still remembers the accident that happens yesterday.

Jeno is about to walk past her towards the elevator without speaking, as Minju realizes that his hand is still not healed. She stops him from moving, as she grabs his wrist without thinking and gasps, "You still didn't get this healed?!"

Jeno immediately removes her hand from his wrist, making her a little astonished without realizing what she has done. The elevator soon closes so that it may arrive to its destination of picking up another resident. Jeno grumbles angrily, "Just go on your way."

Minju rolls her eyes in response, placing her hand back on his wrist and gently tugs him away from the elevator. He keeps resisting and knows that if he pushes her away, there are too many eyes around the lobby. He follows without a single complaint, letting those protests play in a repeating sound within her head.

Minju drags him quickly across the street towards the nearby convenient store so that no one can recognize her face. She makes Jeno stay by the cashier as she buys toothpaste and some chips. Looking over at the other, she then picks up a travel-sized toothpaste and toothbrush, with some bandages and ointment for the cuts. She walks over to the cashier, adjusting her hat and her mask so that the worker didn't need to find time to recognize her face.

Jeno's eyes wander around until he finds a place to sit at the table and some chairs. He walks over towards the area, sitting down as he lets his fingers fiddle in boredom. His mind is wandering around without another word as the commotion from the cars and people passing by the store. Minju soon arrives next to him, tugging his shoulder to signal that they shouldn't stay around.

Jeno's eyebrows fury in confusion, as he just follows after the other without a word. She hurries towards the lobby of the apartment before Jeno protests a little, "Hey I need to-"

"Just hurry up so that we both can go rest."

Minju replies with an eye-roll, signaling Jeno towards the elevator as she crosses her arms without patience. Worried that someone might see them, she walks back to Jeno and drags him into the elevator with impatience. Then she presses at the floor she lives, as Jeno remembers that Taemin lives a floor above the other. He looks over at her who is biting her lips nervously as she didn't seem to want to get caught by any of the neighbors.

Arriving to her floor, she hurries out of the elevator and walks briskly down the hallway towards her own apartment. She hurries to open the door and Jeno follows in without another word. Her house is very clean around the walls, but Minju immediately tosses her thrown clothes and pillow into her own bedroom. She embarrassingly leads the male down to her living room, trying to distract him from looking at the messiness in her kitchen and dining area.

Jeno laughs to himself in his head when he sees her living space. It reminds him of his own area back of when he lived alone. The sunlight seeps in quietly with hopes to help clear up the space around but it wasn't doing much justice. Minju manages to toss everything into her bedroom so that she can clean it or actually mess it all up later when Jeno leaves. She directs the other to sit at the couch so that she didn't worry about him going around her messy apartment anyways. He doesn't seem to matter around the house anymore as the television interests him more than her presence, as she turns on the news.

"Stalkers are the main issue for the privacy for men and women lately. Women are the target immensely as it is a growing problem for people to live throughout the cities. No one seems to understand the ways of a stalker can go, even a famous idol cannot find themselves safe from these people. If you see one nearby or feel as if you're being followed , contact the local police immediately."

Minju shakes her head as she makes her way to Jeno's side as she intervenes him from watching the news further, "Stalkers are superrr annoying."

Jeno turns his head to face her as he asks quietly, "Have you gotten stalked?"

Minju shrugs her shoulders as she gently rips off the alcoholic wipe in order to help clean his wound even more. He winces a little when the swab touches his ripped skin as she answers to distract him, "An actress is always watched by the scariest stalker ever: the reporters. You're lucky that there are not any news channel around us right now. Or else, the news will be blowing up that I, Kim Minju, is sitting next to an average male in her apartment."

Jeno scoffs a little at her response as she continues to treat his wound, placing the ointment onto her damaged skin as she remembers how it happened. It still is pretty shocking and she didn't even think about further as Jeno changes the subject, "Sorry about that day."

"I don't even remember what you're talking about."

"The day where I.."

"I know...I know. Just go along with it. You act too smart but you're so dumb on these."

"Hey!"

Jeno glares and rolls his eyes at the other as Minju laughs playfully as she stands back up to put away the first aid kit. Jeno is about to stand up to leave but Minju stops him from leaving as she signals him over to the kitchen. "How about some ramen? Did you eat?"

Jeno is about to decline; however, his stomach replies instead by hungrily growing with the smell of ramen wafting through the hallways. Jeno forces himself to nod as Minju smiles at his response. The sunshine continues to brighten their mood as Jeno finally realizes that today is not the day where he should visit his cousins for he wishes not to see them anyways.