XX

It was only five pm, luckily, when Soojung walked out of her office. She just finished her report to her boss and thankfully, it ended well. Her boss seemed please to hear the result and she couldn’t wait to see the result together next Monday. Soojung stopped in front of the building, her head was moving from side to side.

“I’m here,” a voice behind her made Soojung turned back.

Jongin was standing with his navy blue shirt paired with same color varsity jacket, also his favorit short pants. He looked fresher than the last time she saw him, around one hour ago.

“You took a bath?” Soojung asked. Jongin nodded, gained a playful smack on his shoulder. “That’s not fair! I am a woman here but look how do I look,” Soojung snort.

“Terrible.”

“Perfectly fine.”

They said in union, made Soojung give a look to Jongin. “Yah, seriously, don't lie.”

Jongin grabbed her hand and leaned closer to Soojung, “Yah, it’s okay. You look fine to me,  shall we go now?”

Apparently, Jongin said those words in the same time when a bus came closer to their place and stopped. Soojung was the first one who walked in and Jongin followed behind.

There was no empty seat, sadly, Soojung decided to stood in a corner with Jongin behind her. His hand was holding her waist, tight, made sure she wasn't going anywhere far from him.

“Luckily I have apartment that wasn't far from your office, hm?” Jongin said right beside her ear. “So that we could do this plan smoothly,” he said again.

“I know, I know. That’s mean I am lucky to get someone like you, right?”

Jongin put his head on Soojung’s shoulder, and shook his head slowly. “Nope, there is no one like me. You are lucky because you have me, and vice versa.”

Soojung’s lips formed a thin smile, made Jongin smile as well. She leaned her back to Jongin’s chest, made sure he won’t let her fall.

“It’s been a while since the last time I take bus like this. I usually take bus to go to school, work, and go back home, alone.”

“You’re missing kind of these things?” Jongin asked.

Soojung looked up a bit, she looked into Jongin’s eyes and asked back, “Is it weird?”

“It’s not,” he replied surely. “It just shows what you have done to get your current place. It shows you how hard life you have been through, and you’re still standing proudly in your position.”

She smiled as she heard his words. Sometimes, she just couldn’t get how romantic and amazing his words are. Jongin could say things she couldnt. Jongin express himself better than her, and she learned a lot from him.

“Yah,” she said with a small laugh, “You make me sound like I was a very very poor woman or such.”

“It’s not like that,” Jongin replied. He planted kisses on Soojung’s cheek then continue, “What I mean with those things, is because I’ve been through same things like you.”

“Well, not exactly same. But, do you get it, hm? I work since my young age, I buried down my dream to be a son that make my parents proud. I work and save my allowance for my self, I asked them to stop giving me allowance so that I could pay everything by my own, I know how does it feels.”

The bus stopped. A middle age woman walked in while some people finally got off from the bus. This time, Soojung could only see those things as she heard Jongin’s words. She was left speechless, for some unknown reasons.

“You were alone during your hard times, I was alone too. There were might people around me, but they weren’t people I need the most. You might have Seulgi sometimes, but I know she wasn't the one you wished was there with you.”

“Jongin, I don't know you can be this smart,” Soojung said finally. Jongin was only chuckled and shrugged it off, “I know I’m smart.”

“Yah,” she elbowed his stomach playfully. “Your words were so touching, is it because you read too much books?”

Soojung turned her head a little. There, she could see Jongin’s eyes were looking at her. It was peaceful, Soojung admits. Jongin’s eyes were something she couldn’t get enough—and no, don't ask her why, it’s too cheesy too handle.

“Hmm, really? I’m not sure, maybe it’s because I’m with you.”

Soojung laughed.

“Yah, yah! We’re getting there,” Jongin patted her shoulder and pushed her to walk closer to the door.

“Ah, jinjja? Are we really going to eat food street?”

“Of course! That’s our plan tonight, unless you’re too tired to walk.”

“Nooo! I have strong legs, kajja!”

They spend time to walk around the town that night. It was only two of them, holding hands, walking side by side, on the street. Soojung asked him to do this, walking on the street like she used to. Ever since she graduated and get proper job, she barely had time to enjoy warm air in the night.

Jongin brought her to his favorite food street, try eat several dishes and snacks. Unexpectedly, Soojung fell in love with that place too.

“Every time I brought people here, they fall in love too,” Jongin said as they finished their last snack.

“Jinjjaeyo? You take your friends too?”

“Oh, Chanyeol hyung, Baekhyun hyung, Jongdae hyung, almost all of them have visited this place,” Jongin said. He took out his money then pay the bill, “Ah, even Wufan ge.”

“Wufan..? His name sounds weird,” Soojung commented.

They said thank you in unison to ahjumma then left the place. Jongin took her hand and hold it tight.

“It’s really weird, maybe because he is Chinese? Ah, but even his personality is sometimes weird too.”

Soojung smiled to him, “Tell me more about them.”

“Do you want to hear about them?”

Soojung simply nodded, made Jongin started his story. Like how it all begin, all of them knew each other. At first, Jongin didn't know all of them, they weren’t close friends to begin with. Jongin is a Junmyeon and Jongdae’s nephew. Jongdae and Jongin entered the same high school, along with Baekhyun and Chanyeol who went to same class with Jongdae. They started hanging out together, with Junmyeon sometimes joined them.

But Junmyeon wasn't that close to the other two, at first. He is a diligent and brave student, only after the first year of his college he started hanging with Wufan and Luhan, the Chinese. Wufan introduced Tao, his childhood friend who’s also Chinese while Luhan went to same Dance Club in College with Yixing, that’s how Junmyeon knew the Chinese and introduce them to Jongdae and Jongin.

Met Minseok was another story, he introduced by Baekhyun as his tutor but later turned out he is in the same age as Wufan and Luhan. Kyungsoo was the last one who joined the grup, started with Minseok who accidently meet Kyungsoo during the group Saturday night out and he noticed Kyungsoo as his smart junior back in the high school.

Both Minseok and Kyungsoo weren’t the loud type, so they mostly sat down beside the others and laugh along whenever the other makes jokes. During first year, they just simply joined because the group invited them to, but didn't talk much. Only after years passed, Kyungsoo managed to control his annoyed face—to the loudest gank, Baek and Chanyeol—and talked with others more and more.

“Whoa, you have lot of friends,” Soojung said in the end, after hearing the whole story. Feeling amazed as she realized all of them are guys with different habits and personality, but managed to stay close even after more than five years together.

“There were only ten, not so many,” Jongin replied.

“Ten, meanwhile I have only one,” Soojung replied back. She gave a look, then smiled to Jongin, “You’re lucky.”

“Yah, it doesn't mean how many friends I have. What is the purpose counting them one by one if they aren’t there when you need them?”

Soojung tilted her head, “But still, you can count on them when you need them, don't you?”

Jongin only smiled, he grabbed Soojung’s hand and said, “It’s getting late, you should go inside soon, kajja.” Then walked inside the apartment building.

*

Time passed faster than anyone expected. Even Soojung, she was no longer counting time like she used to before she met Jongin. Soojung could say, time passed faster without she realized ever since Jongin came to her life,