thirteen

Jongin didn’t know why he was so excited on hearing Yeoreum’s voice early in the morning the moment he had woken up. Maybe it was because he was finally glad that she had come to work so that he won’t need his mother to babysit him anymore. Her healthy plan meals really didn’t go well with his throat.

“And here I thought you would be making your way to the kitchen already. Or did you already forget about our deal when I was off?”

Her husky yet soft voice entered his room and he bit a smile, sighing. “I thought you would still be on leave? Because it seemed like you really needed one because you take two days off.”

Yeoreum just rolled her eyes at that. “Your mom asked me to, it’s not like I suggest her to do it. Now, get up…let’s get you a breakfast.”

He had sighed at that, eyes blinking and moved the blankets away. Finally feeling the thick blanket being tossed, he dragged his feet out from the bed.

“You look like you didn’t get any sleep.”

“I didn’t.”

She frowned. “Why?”

“I couldn’t sleep last night. I just got myself some sleep when your annoying voice wakes me up.” He muttered and already imagining a glare being thrown at him.

“Excuse you, my annoying voice is the only voice that you could be glad on hearing, okay? Because this voice belongs to an angel that was the only one that managed to deal with your pretty .”

He scowled. “Really? You’re checking my now? Should I be worried?”

“Shut up.” She rolled her eyes. “And why couldn’t you sleep?”

He shrugged, finally standing up.

And she just watched him sauntered to the washroom, slowly. She knows he wouldn’t even answer her question when she had asked one. She didn’t mind that and moved to make his bed, the way she usually do with her bed in the house since she didn’t really know how Jongin like his bed being made.

She turned around, like a habit after she finished making her bed – she wanted to open the curtains but stopped midway, remembering that he didn’t like the curtains being opened.

She had wondered why though but never really asked him.

To be said, all the curtains in the house were closed and not even a single ray of sunlight came inside. She used to open it, but since the boy started eating outside his room, she had closed it – afraid that he might create a ruckus out of it.

She had walked out from the room, leaving the door ajar and sauntered to the kitchen where she had prepared all the ingredients to cook. She was going to make French toast. She didn’t know if Jongin would like it but truthfully, even if he doesn’t like it – he would still eat it because if not, he will be dead hungry.

Up until few minutes, Jongin came to the kitchen, already taken a seat and Yeoreum smiled, already plating up for him and also her.

“What did you cook?”

“French toast. I make plenty. You have to love it.” she said. The toast were already cut into pieces so that he won’t have any problem dealing it it.

“I have to love it?” Jongin raised an eyebrow and she hummed, handing out his utensils.

“What if I choose not to love it?”

“You don’t really have a choice, pretty boy. Or else I won’t be cooking for you anymore.” She simply said, taking a seat in front of him and prepared to have her meal.

He had shaken his head at that, not knowing what to respond and gazed on the table, finding his mug. But just as he took a sip, he frowned. “This is not coffee.”

“I know.” She blankly agreed. “It’s juice. I think you shouldn’t be drinking coffee when you couldn’t even sleep.”

“Maybe that’s why you couldn’t sleep, because you always drink coffee.”

Jongin groaned at that, “I couldn’t sleep not because I always drink coffee…”

“Then…”

“I have nightmares, okay?”

She pursued her lips, staring at him. “About what?”

“Things.”

“Care to share?”

“No.”

Yeoreum sighed at the simple answer.

Jongin was like this hard case to crack. He didn’t like to share his feelings nor problems or maybe secrets. She didn’t know if he was usually like that or he was just didn’t trust her enough.

But if she was him, she wouldn’t have trust her too because she was just a mere help that came for money. But still, she wanted to know. And it wasn’t wrong to mind a bit if you happened to have the motive to help.

“Oh come on, a penny for your thoughts?” she asked and the boy went silent.

Knowing that he won’t say anything, she also went quiet, focusing on her meal, glancing on him every once in a while and watched as he touches the food with his fingers – as if testing them to see if it was edible or not. But he didn’t bring it to his mouth nor do anything with it.

They didn’t talk and he seemed to be thinking – frowning deeply.

“Give me.” He opened his palm.

‘Give what?” Yeoreum was ready to get whatever he wanted in the kitchen before he simply replied,

“A penny.”

And she unknowingly smiled at that. Her hands searched her jeans and gave the boy a coin from her changes to which he gripped it tight.

She waited patiently and he sighed.

“I got nightmares from my accident.” He had said.

Yeoreum had questions flooding in her mind when hearing that – mostly wondering if the accident was the one that makes him blind. But she didn’t say anything and just hummed in return, hinting the boy that she was listening.

“It sometimes happens…from time to time. That’s all…”

The shaky breath that he had let out breaks her heart a tad bit. “Do you – ” she suddenly cleared , realizing that she shouldn’t have said anything.

“Do I what?”

“Nothing.” She didn’t want to ask. Simply because she didn’t want to sound rude or just mess with his feelings.

But Jongin seemed like he wanted to know what she was thinking about though,

“A penny for your thoughts?”

He opened his palm.

Slowly, she reached to the coin, taking it into her hold.

“Do you handle it on your own?”

Jongin smile was thin – lips pressing into a sad frown. His palm opened and she gave him the coin. “Yeah.”

“You’re the first to know about this.”

She felt special hearing that, knowing that she was the only person that he had shared his thoughts with but she couldn’t help but to feel sad knowing that he was handling it all alone. Why couldn’t he tell anyone?

Was it because he was insecure? Was it because he didn’t trust people enough? Was it because he didn’t have anyone to be told to?

“Why did you tell me then?”

Jongin smirked. He seemed amused and played with the coin with his fingers. But weirdly enough, Yeoreum didn’t think that he was that amused.

“It seems like you’re the one that bothers to ask me about it.”

“So…you don’t tell anybody simply because they don’t ask you?”

“I just…don’t want to feel like I was burdening them with my problems. It’s stupid.”

She frowned at that and tugged his index finger, making his attention focused on her back.

“It’s not stupid, okay? Don’t ever feel like you’re burdening someone.” She sighed. “If you need someone to talk to, you can talk to me.”

He chortled at that and she hissed.

“I’m telling the truth.