Page 19

After dinner, Jongin and I cleaned up the kitchen. God, there wasn't much to clean off from my plate because I was very thorough eating and finishing my food. I don't know what he put in that sauce but it was so good! I put the dish rag away and survey the kitchen. The place was spotless. It's mostly because Jongin wanted to find another excuse to stay over longer. We've already cleaned the dining room and the kitchen, and now he wants to move into the living room. 

"Jongin, go home!" I picked up his backpack and walked towards the door. He reluctantly follows and lets out a loud sigh. 

"Why do you want me to leave so badly?" He pouts at me. 

"Because I have homework. A paper to write. And your mom is probably wondering where you are right now." Jongin smirks at me. It's already 11 pm. I don't know how he's not concerned at all about going home. 

"Are you saying that my handsome face would be too distracting for you?" I roll my eyes at his comment and simply open the door in response to it. We stare at each other as I wait for him to take his backpack from me. I show him the time on my phone and he crankily puts his backpack on. "It's only 11 pm. There are students just leaving cram school right now." I laugh at him. As if I would ever catch him going to cram school. He's cute but he's not giving me much in terms of a great argument for letting him stay. "Alright, at least let me stay until your mom gets home." Just as he suggests that I can see my mom's car pull up on the side. 

"Alright, fine. I'll let you stay until my mom is home." Jongin cheers as if he just won a match right now. He starts to take his backpack off. But little does he know that in about 10 seconds, he has to leave for good because we both made a mutual agreement. 

"I knew you'd budge-" Before he could finish that sentence, my mom walks up to us. 

"Oh, Jongin.You're still here?" His eyes frown at me before he turns around to smile at my mom. He greets her as he steps aside to give her space to go through the door. "Get home safely, Jongin. Give my regards to your parents." My mom makes her way upstairs to probably shower and change. I turn my attention back at Jongin who scoffs. 

"No wonder you let me stay. You saw your mom coming already." He shakes his head as if I've betrayed him. I can only shrug my shoulders at him. 

"I'm sorry but a deal is a deal. Besides, you suggested it." Jongin pouts once again but this time I slowly close the door on him. "Go home, Kim Jongin-sshi." His eyes widen. 

"Fine. But I'm coming extra early tomorrow to make up for it." I simply nod at every word coming out of his mouth. 

"You can come early if you want. But I'm not getting out of bed until I feel like it." I stick my tongue out at him. "Goodnight, Kim Jongin-sshi." I said in a sing-songy tone. He walks up to me and pats my head. 

"Goodnight, my pretty girl." Jongin quickly takes a peek behind me, making sure my mom was nowhere in sight, before kissing me on the forehead. He waves goodbye as I shut the front door. I head upstairs and knock on the bathroom door. 

"Jongin made pasta for you. It's on the counter if you want it. I'm heading to bed soon. Goodnight, mom!" 

"Oo pasta does sound good. Alright, sweetie. Goodnight!" I hear her reply before turning on the shower. I walk back into my room and stare at the curtain blocking the view of the balcony. For the first time in years, that curtain is actually used for its sole purpose. For the first time in years, I'm not standing by it waiting for Baek to go to his room after spending the whole day with me. An unsettling feeling sits at the bottom of my stomach. It feels weird, doesn't it? Having all this distance between us. Suddenly, I found myself sitting with my legs crossed right in front of the curtain. Should I open it? My fingers slide against the cotton curtain as I slowly grip the fabric. But I let go in the end. I'm not ready, especially if Baek is there on the other end. Besides, I have to get used to this distance. After graduation, we're both going our separate ways. I shake the thought out of my head and pull out my laptop. Gotta crank the last paragraph of this paper and I'm done for the day! Not gonna lie, it didn't take long because there are only so many different ways to rewrite and conclude your thesis. I hop into bed and without noticing it, I promptly fall asleep. 

Ring! Ring! 

I turn to the side and grab my phone. Without looking, I answer the call. 

"Hello?" 

"Good morning." It was Jongin. How can he sound so happy so early in the morning? How can anyone be a morning person? 

"Mhm. Why are you calling?" I sit up and rub my eyes open. He called me before my alarm could go off. 

"I just wanted to make sure you were awake, especially because I can't walk with you to school today. I forgot I have morning practice today." My lips pout at the news and I find myself laying back down. 

"So, no smoothie today?" I laugh as I can hear Jongin gasp on the other end of the line. 

"Wow, that's all you're gonna miss? The smoothies I bring you?" Jongin laughs. 

"Will you be done by passing period before first?" 

"Yeah, I can meet you at our lockers." Hmm, should I bring him something to eat after practice? 

"Okay, cool. I'll be fine as long as you packed lunch today." Please, please, please! I know I joked about how he's in charge of our lunches from now on but I hope he took that seriously. It's fine if he didn't but dang- his cooking. 

"I've prepared our lunches for the rest of the week already." I smile at his response. That's so sweet of him. I can't believe he actually did it. If I had made a similar comment to Baek, it would have just flown over his head. Wait- why am I even thinking about him right now?  

"I knew I could count on you. Alright Jongin-ah, I have to get ready now." 

"What! I'm not at school yet and it's too early for you to get up." Jongin said he wanted to at least talk to me until he had to go to practice. 

"Yeah but if you're not here