Chapter 5

Writer’s POV

Groans can be heard as Jiyong started stirring awake.

Dara hastily placed his notebook back on the nightstand, feeling a little guilty for invading her roommate’s privacy.

“Hey..” His voice sounded hoarse and a little strangled but Dara still found it y.

Wait, what?

“H-Hi..?” She gave an awkward grin.

“What time is it?” Jiyong was still laid flat on his bed.

He brushed his blonde hair back and rubbed his temples.

“It’s.. almost 6pm now. Do you need anything?” She offered.

“No. I’m feeling better already.” He pushed himself into an upright position and stretched his arms before getting off the bed.

As he walked towards the door, he almost stumbled backwards which made Dara rush to hold his arm.

Jiyong freed his arm from her grab a little harder than he intended to, offending Dara a little.

“Look, you don’t have to keep staying by my side. Just let things go back to how they were and pretend I’m not here, okay? Go do your own things.” His face was full of indifference and he walked off without even waiting for Dara’s reply.

What the heck is wrong with this guy? He wants me to ignore him when he’s clearly unwell?!

She stomped her foot on the floor, clearly pissed.

But even so, she still couldn’t bring herself to get angry at this guy.

Her mind kept flowing back to the paragraphs she saw in his notebook.

Why would he write such things? 

There was definitely more to Jiyong than the cold front he puts on and Dara was eager to bring that side of him out.

She straightened her pyjamas and re-did her bun, tucking it back neatly into her hoodie.

Her wig has been carefully stuck back into her luggage after she realised she wouldn’t be heading back out to school.

As she ascended down the stairs, she saw him standing in front of the fridge, his knees a little bent as he looked through its contents.

It doesn’t take an idiot to figure out he’s probably hungry, he’s been in bed for the entire day after all.

Dara’s stomach growled promptly to remind her that she hasn’t eaten as well.

“You’re must be hungry.” The interruption made Jiyong glance up from his reverie. 

He gave her a blank stare before returning his attention back to the fridge.

Dara’s face contorted in annoyance. Attempting to be nice to him sure was’t an easy thing.

It’s a pity Dara didn’t know how to cook otherwise she’d have prepared dinner for the both of them already. 

She stood at the top of the stairs and watched as Jiyong pulled some ingredients out of the fridge.

He cooks?

Jiyong simply whipped out a frying pan as an answer to her monologue.

Dara was honestly impressed, not that she’ll ever let him know that though.

Since it was plausible to let Jiyong have the privacy he so obviously wanted, she decided to head back to their room.

She started taking things out of the luggage, arranging some trinkets onto her own nightstand and keeping her necessities in the drawer.

Her humble stack of clothes had to be brought into another room which seemed much like a walk-in wardrobe. 

Jiyong’s collection of clothes mainly consisted of black and grey which really fits Dara’s current impression of him now. 

Sad. Mysterious. Emotionally contained.

She can’t help but wonder what made him this way.

As she picked out some hangers to hang her clothes, that’s when the doorbell rang. 

Who could it be? She definitely wasn’t expecting guests.

Her clothes were laid on the floor as she headed back towards the first floor.

“Oh, Youngmin’s there!” She saw Youngbae waving up at her.

The gang had plastic bags of food around their arms and they went towards the dining table to lay all their buys out. 

“You shouldn’t be cooking when you’re still sick, hyung!” Seungri reprimanded. 

“Don’t tell me what to do, maknae.” Jiyong shot back, making him pout.

He only managed to cook one dish before the boys came over, which happened to be a plate of fluffy steamed egg. 

It wasn’t a problem though, since the dining table was already filling up with many yummy dishes. 

There was bibimbap, samgyeopsal, pork bulgogi and kimchi pancake. 

Jiyong was about to reach for a slice of pork bulgogi when Seunghyun slapped his hand.

“No no… Jiyong, a sick person should be eating this!” He uncovered a circular container from another plastic bag which had a good serving of plain porridge. 

“PORRIDGE?! Do I look like a kid to you?” 

His outburst made Dara laugh but she was shortly silenced by Jiyong’s glare.

“AWW. It’s okay hyung, at least we got you seaweed soup!!”

Jiyong could only roll his eyes as he ungratefully received his porridge from the boys.

__________________________❤︎__________________________

“You wanna play a board game?”

“No.”

“Shall I read a book to you?” 

“No.”

“Netflix and chill?”

“No! What the hell, Youngmin?”

Dara pouted at Jiyong’s unfriendly response.

They’ve both been in their room ever since they finished dinner and Dara was getting bored to tears.

She was leaning on her side while tapping her fingers along the side of the bed frame, her eyes fixed on Jiyong.

He wasn’t asleep even though he’s been in this position for the past hour, eyes closed with an arm draped over his forehead.

“Aren’t you bored?” She tried again.

“Don’t you know being alone in the silence is the best moment you can have with yourself?”

“That’s just a nicer way to say you’re lonely.”

Jiyong glanced to his side when he heard that, turning his body to face her fully, “There’s nothing wrong with being lonely.”

“Only if it’s temporary. Loneliness is the worst way of survival.” Dara argued.
A flash of annoyance passed Jiyong’s face, “Stop acting like you know all about life.” 

“Then why not you tell me the life you understand?”

He didn’t respond but instead turned away, leaving just his back to entertain her.

“Hey.”

No response.

“Talk to me.”

Silence.

“Please?”

Dara’s face fell. She knew Jiyong wasn’t going to open up to her so easily, he’s way too guarded.

She let her eyes close, forcing herself to drain any thoughts out of her head.

“Have you ever felt alone in a crowded room?” Jiyong’s voice startled her.

She opened her eyes and turned to face him again, he still had his back to her.

“That’s how I feel all the time.” He continued.

Dara didn’t say a word but there was a growing pressure on her heart, like she understood what he meant. Never in the same way as Jiyong did but she felt the desolation.

“We come to this world alone and we’ll leave this world alone. Everything else is just an illusion. A distraction.”

“That’s not true.”

“You’re just lying to yourself.”

“No! How can you only focus on only the start and the end of everything? What about the whole journey in between?”

“Forget it, Youngmin. You’ll never see life in my perspective, you’ve never been in my shoes.”

No, don’t shut me out.

“Then why can’t you just-” A buzzing phone cut her sentence. 

Dara reached towards her iPhone and checked the caller ID: CL Roo

Dammit. She cursed inwardly.

Her phone was only answered after she left the room, “CL! What’s up?”

“Gummy unnie needs us to retrieve something. We have to head out ASAP. Can you meet?”

“N-Now? Can it wait-”

“No, she says it’s urgent.”

“Alright, I’ll meet you guys at the usual place.”

Dara hung up the phone and leaned her head against the wall.

All she really wanted to do now was to find out more about her new ‘friend’, but she wasn’t given the luxury of time.

There wasn’t any guarantee he’d ever share his thoughts like that to her ever again.

“I’ll be out for the night. You okay by yourself?” She asked as she walked back to the room.

“Always have been and always will be.” Jiyong hesitated for a moment, as if wanting to ask more but he shrugged that thought away.

“Alright. Sleep early. Goodnight in advance!” Dara gave a friendly chirp to which Jiyong only nodded.

A/N: Sorry for this really boring chapter but I can't add much things since it's just the beginning... Hope you guys will stay tuned to future chapters :)