For the record? Sehun and I weren't dating. To be perfectly honest, I'm not even sure what was going on between us. I think we were both under the impression that there weren't any labels on this thing. I wasn't his girlfriend and he wasn't my boyfriend. We sort of just started....kissing more. Like, a lot more.

I order myself, my burger with kimchi fries and raspberry lemonade I wasn’t joking when I said I was starving.

Sehun glanced up at me after giving his food order and gave a crooked grin. "Regretting kissing me already, Jennie? Would your friends have disapproved if they saw us kissing?”

I scoffed, rolling my eyes. "Hardly. I could care less what anybody else thinks."

Sehun raised an eyebrow, not looking convinced at all. "Oh, really? Since when?"

“Sehun I always been my own person, I thought that by now you would have already figured that out.” I shrugged.

“Right, right,” Sehun replied, rolling his eyes.

We ate in silence once the food arrived, our attention was fixated on our food.

“If it isn’t my favorite cousin, Jennie” I didn’t have to turn around to know that Jin was making his way towards our table.

“Great more of you.” Sehun hissed

Jin soon enough broke the silence when meeting our table.

“So Jennie Kimberly Yang, are you going to continue to be rude and not introduce me to your boyfriend.”

I almost choked on my lemonade, Sehun and I exchanged looks.

“We’re not a couple,” Sehun said dryly.

“Ah ok, my apologies. I guess that guys on the track don’t have to worry about their favorite girl racer being taken then.” Jin responded teasingly.

I rolled my eyes. “Even if I was taken they don’t stand a chance,” I replied

Jin laughs amused. “Princess being selective as always. Well, I better get going enjoy the evening. And by the way Jennie the track is having a couple of car races tonight if you still up for that.”

I nob my head “Yeah, my time on the track is officially on retirement.”

“Car races?” Sehun asked nonchalantly

“Jennie, don’t tell me you haven’t shown this guy how wild you are,” Jin responds teasingly

“Nope. Because this guy here thinks I’m like the rest of the spoiled brats in Seoul Elite High. Who cares about the public opinion.” I said while continuing to eat my kimchi fries.

“Are we sure we aren’t talking about my sister and her bratty friends instead?”

I simply shrug, I look up to Sehun to which I can tell he had been intrigued since he raised one of his eyebrows.

“Well it was nice seeing my lovely cousin, but before I go may I have a name for my cousin companion?”

“Sehun. Nice to meet you” Sehun pulls out a hand. But Jin instead gives him a brotherly hug.

“Well you guys might deny dating, but regardless welcome to the family Sehun.” With those words, Jin walks away.

While driving back to the café neither of us has really spoken. Even if Sehun wouldn’t admit it I know something is in his mind.

“Spit it out!” I said.

“It’s nothing.”

“Sehun, I know you have something in that head of yours that you want to discuss. Just talk, don’t break your head too much internally,”

“Jennie it’s really not that important.”

I took a deep breath. Getting Sehun to open up really was a lot of work.

“Alright just know that I will listen whenever you decide to talk.” That is all I manage to respond.

As soon as I drop Sehun home, I was disappointed that I wasn’t going to be able to see Eugene today. But from what I have seen of Eugene during the breakdown and from what I gather from Sehun's exhausted facial features was that I was correct to conclude that she hasn’t rightly recovered from it just yet. I was well aware of just how awful PTSD could be, and after everything that has happened to Eugene, it was a miracle that she managed to get out of bed every day. Even though my main focus should be Sehun, I still hope to talk to Eugene soon.

———————————————-

Day 18:

Now it was Friday, I had twelve days left, and I was no closer to figuring out what I was supposed to do to help Sehun than I had been before. Striding up to him and demanding to know if he was taking antidepressants seemed like a pretty stupid thing to do on my part.

Well, whatever the hell I was supposed to do should do me a favor and make itself known in the next few days. I was praying that I was going to make headway someway, somehow tonight, since I was scheduled for work at the café since Grandma Jungsoo decided to open today. It was a bonus that I would get to see Eugene, too.

After my morning jog, I arrive home to the picture of my parents being at the kitchen table. I knew mom was working on dad’s case, but finding them laughing together was fairly new to me. I don’t know why, perhaps it was my stress build-up, but I couldn’t hold it anymore. I started to yell and sob about all the frustration I felt after Kai’s death. How I felt neglected over and over again by both of them. How mom was always busy at work and how dad never bothers to check up on me. Was I much of a disease to them?

My parents were pretty much taken back by my reaction towards them. Both of them had guilt in their face and for once in a long time, my father stood up and hold me tightly.

——————————————-

I got out of my hot shower and started to get ready for a day back at the café. After what happened this morning with my parents we all agreed on a family dinner this weekend. My family life was nowhere near perfect but I was yet still very much grateful for my parents.

When I finally got to the café, my teeth were chattering and it was a relief to finally step inside the warm, cinnamon-scented place.

"Oh, hello, Jennie. Is it cold outside?" I looked to the front counter and saw Eugene, and God did she look horrible. Her hair might have gained a few more streaks of gray, it looked like she hadn't slept in a few days, and the dark bags underneath her eyes sort of gave her the garish appearance of a raccoon.

"Just a little," I answered, forcing a smile.

"I probably should have called," Eugene said, wiping down the front counter with a bit of force. "It's kind of dead in here. you shouldn't have had to come in." well, that was surprising to hear.

"oh...no, that's okay," I said slowly. "It's empty at my place. i don't mind." Eugene glanced over at me as I walked behind the counter to the kitchen to drop my stuff off by the coat rack.

"How often are you home alone?" Eugene asked me as I returned with my apron on.

I shrugged. “My mom is always working even on the weekends. My dad well I don’t see him very often perhaps only on his or my birthday or when I get into some form of trouble. They work really long hours, so I really don't ever see them until certain weekends, maybe. I live with my mom after coming back from New Zealand. My parents divorced, so I can only really testify for her always being busy. But at times I just felt like my parents wanted to avoid me at all cost after Kai’s death.” I spoke truthfully.

I didn't know why I was babbling like an idiot, telling Eugene something she probably didn't even need to know, but it sort of felt good getting that off my chest. Nobody really knew about my family life.

"Sweetie, that's awful!" Eugene exclaimed, catching me completely off guard.

"Oh, no, it's okay, really, Eugene-"

Eugene held up a hand, cutting me off. "The next time you feel alone, you'll stay here. It's not right for you to be left alone so much."