“....Excuse me—”

You just stare ahead when Lay bends down to grab your bag, holding it out for you to take.  “I’m sorry, miss, I wasn’t watching where I was going,” He dips his head in apology, still holding your bag out, which, you somehow aren’t obliged to take.  “Miss? Are you alright?” He asks again, uncertainly tilting his head.

“...ine,” You mutter incomprehensibly, searching at his face, for something you don’t even know.

“I’m sorry?”

“I’m f-fine,” You nod, stepping back and letting your fingers hover upon your lips to stop them from trembling, averting your eyes from his before those tears could form in your eyes.

You’re Jung Aeri.

No wonder Lay doesn’t call you jagi.   No wonder his eyes don’t hold any affection.

You’re not Yoon Jihye.

Lay’s forehead creases in worry.  “You don’t seem so fine, miss—?”

“Ji—Aeri,” You tuck a lock of hair behind your ear.  “Just, Aeri,”

“Aeri,” He calls your ‘name’.

You hate it now.

You hate that his tongue is calling you by another name.  You hate that he’s not saying your name.

Suddenly, he takes your hand and places your bag on it, cautiously and carefully letting it go.  “Can you walk?” He glances down and gasps.  “Oh my God, I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry.  Did I cause that? Of course I did—I’m an idiot—I’m so sorry,” Lay’s hand hovers about you without certainty, at loss of what to do.  His eyes search your face, looking for a solution and an answer.

You chuckle and shake your head.  “No, I tripped back at school too, it wasn’t completely you,”

Why are you smiling?

Because that moment he said your name, all your hope of having him recognize who you truly are have gone away, far, far, away, where it has no intention to come back. 

“But it’s half me,” He doesn’t return your smile, still in worry.  “I’m so, so, so, sorry,”

“Hey, it’s fine,” You shake your head and hook the strap of your bag on your shoulder.  “It’s fine, really,”

“Don’t leave now,” Lay takes your wrist before you could step away from him.  “If you do, I’m seriously going to die of guilt,”

“Lay, it’s just a scrape,” You laugh and place your hand on his, gently tugging at it, trying to make him let go.

“It’s not! You have a bruise right there too, see?” He points at your shin, but abruptly stops.  “Hey,” He frowns, no longer in worry, but now, in question.  “How did you know my name?”

Crap.

You can’t use the you’re-quite-popular-around-here reason.

Oh my God, you idiot.

What to do, what to—

“You called yourself an idiot, remember?” You laugh nervously, hoping that he’d forget.

“Really?” Lay frowns in thought and shrugs it off.  “Eh, whatever,”

Thank God for his forgetful nature.

“I should, go..” You trail off, looking uncertainly back and forth, up and down the road.

“Go where?” Lay asks, a teasing tone following his words.

“Home...?” You frown as you look at your feet. 

Lay laughs then, and you look up at him in bewilderment.

“You want to go home, but you don’t know how to?” He hits the target and color rushes into your face as you look away.  “Do you want me to take you home?” Immediately, Lay softens and steps towards you, his hand still on your wrist.  “That sounded weird,” He lets go and scratches the side of his head, looking away in embarassment.  “But—“

“....lease,” You mutter quietly.

“Hm?”

“Yes, please,” You say, just a little bit louder, barely heard by the man standing in front of you.

Lay simply chuckles and jams his hands into his pocket.  “Let’s go, then,” You tell him the name of your apartment and he nods in acknowledgement.  “That isn’t far,”

The two of you walk in silence, in a pace you’ve set to slow, because the more time you get to spend with him, the better it is.  You glance at your watch and grimace at the time.  It’s past 9. 

“Wait, wait a second, okay,” Lay notices something and tells you to stay where you are.

“Where—“ Before you could finish your question, he runs away.

You really do stay in place, not budging even a bit, even though you occassionally have to bump onto people and apologize, but you stay in place, afraid that the fright you had will return.

“I’m sorry I had to—“ Lay wheezes back without breath and he frowns, in worry, again, upon seeing your face.  “My God you’re so pale, what happened?” He places his hands on the sides of your arms and looks into your eyes.

“Don’t go anymore,” You refuse to look at him, keeping your head lowered.  “Don’t leave me alone,”

“O-okay, I’m sorry,” Lay says, guiding you over to a bench.  “Okay, okay, I’ll stay with you,” He says, worry fully filling up his voice.  “I just had to get these,” He rips something open and kneels in front of you.  “Can I?”

You look at his hands and notice, that he had bought you a band-aid.  You almost break down in tears, right then and there, but knowing that you can’t, you look away and nod slowly. 

Gently, Lay dabs your knee with something cold, making you wince as the pain stings you.  “Sorry, sorry,” And sticks the band aid on it.  “There,”

Seeing the way he’s treating you, you just can’t hold it in any longer.  “Thank you,” You grit your teeth and let your hair cover your face as the tears fall onto your dress.  “Thank you,”

“Hey—oh my—“ Lay flinches as you cry, flustered. 

“It’s okay, I’m okay, don’t apologize,” You sniff, wiping your eyes with the sleeve of your cardigan.  “Thank you, Lay, thank you,”

“Are you absolutely sure?” He asks you.

Then, you look up and throw him a smile.  “I think so,”

“You’re not wearing any makeup?” Lay frowns.

“Wha—“ Just then, you burst out into laughter and stand up, continuing your walk towards home. 

“What, I mean, when girls cry, they kind of usually have make up smeared all over their face,” He says bluntly, making you laugh even harder.  “Whaaaat,” He nudges at you.  “Why are you laughing so hard?”

“You,” You take a deep breath and wipe another tear from the corner of your eye, this time, because of laughing too hard.  “You’re really, really funny, you know that,”

“What’s funny?”

“If I was somebody else, I would probably slap you for saying that, but, I agree, so,” You offer your hand for a handshake, and with a laugh, Lay takes it.

“I guess that’s your house?” Lay points at something behind you and you look back, relief immediately washing over you as you’re faced with the familiar building.

“Yep, that would be me,” You nod.  “Really, Lay.  Thanks a lot, for, I don’t know, for bumping onto me?”

He laughs at you and shrugs again as he attractively swipes his hair out of his eyes.  “Thank you, too.  You really cheered me up,”

“Cheer you up; really? I was crying and scared all the time and I cheered you up?”

“Weirdly, yes,”

Laughing he waves at you as you turn your back on him, and when you come into your apartment building you look back, noticing that he’s still standing there, making a shoo-ing gesture for you and you grin at him, before completely disappearing into the elevator.

Switching on the lights in your room like you were taught, you notice the yellow, baby chick patterned band-aid Lay had stuck on your knee.

You chuckle quietly, as all the mixed emotions loll you to sleep.  “Damn you, fate,”