Online | Ateez

041 - return

Yina crept into the room beside her, which was now silent. She put her phone in her pocket, trying her best to conceal the fact that she just had yet another conversation with the mysterious person, who was most definitely not on their side. Yina knew that the guys would be overly concerned if they found out, and maybe they had the right to be, but meeting him was something she had to do - for their sake. Her eyes scanned the room, finally landing on a blushing San, his head resting on his palm and his eyes glued to the wall on his left. There was no way in hell she would risk any of their lives, she had to meet him alone, without anyone knowing.

A hand tugging on Yina's wrist broke her away from her thoughts. "Are you okay?" Yeosang asked, his thumb stroking her bare arm in a comforting circular motion. Yina looked at the boy, then at his hand on her wrist, nodding at his question.

Another thing she didn't want was for them to get any closer to her, and though it may be too late for that, Yina wanted to ensure that if she got hurt -or worse- it wouldn't affect them as much as it could have. With that thought, she shrugged Yeosang's hand off. His face tensed up with worry and he was about to hold her wrist again, but Yina jerked her hand away. "I'm fine,"

Her harsh tone echoed off the walls of the room, causing everyone to peer up at her. "I'm going for a walk," Hongjoong said, seeming to be in a much better mood. His eyes landed on Yina as he cocked his head to the side, gesturing towards the door. "You're coming with me,"

Before Yina could protest, he spoke up again. "You don't get to say no,"

The pair was silent, the only sound being their footsteps and the icy whistles of the wind. Yina shuddered, shoving her hands in her hoodie pockets. "You cold?" Hongjoong asked, his breath causing a translucent cloud to escape his parted lips. Yina raised her eyebrows sarcastically.

"Well, its not exactly bikini weather, is it?" She rolled her eyes, kicking a small rock on the pavement. Yina was relieved to see that the streets were deserted, a crowded area was the last place she wanted to be, especially when she felt as though she couldn't trust anyone anymore. A sigh sounded from Hongjoong as he began to unzip his coat, his eyes fixed on the ground sweeping away underneath him. "W-what are you doing?" Yina asked, her jaw hanging low.

The boy blushed - or, maybe it was the cold which made his cheeks turn a subtle red- and he tore his eyes away from the ground to look at the pretty brunette next to him. "You're cold, aren't you?"

Yina nodded. "That doesn't mean you have to give me your jacket,"

"It's common courtesy," He said, holding his jacket open for Yina to slip into. His eyebrows raised at the girl who just eyed the coat, refusing to move. "If you take too long it'll lose the warmth," Yina sighed before obliging, threading her arms through his warm sleeves. An attractive scent flooded her senses, it was a mix of some expensive cologne and something sweet, which definitely matched the person it came from.

A hum escaped her lips at the cosiness she got from his coat, making Hongjoong smile. "This doesn't mean anything," She admitted, though she couldn't deny the feelings she once had for him. "I'm just cold,"

"I didn't say it meant anything," He mumbled, looking at the ground. It was a while before his eyes met Yina's again, a curious look on his face. "Did something happen between you and San?"

Yina blushed at the sudden mention of the boy as she remembered the gentle kiss he placed on her cheek. "No," She lied, attempting to hide her blush by snuggling further into Hongjoong's coat. "Why do you ask?"

The boy laughed. "I know San, and I know you too,"

"What does that even mean?" Yina asked, her eyebrows raised.