4
By Your Side
***
Somewhere in the middle of it all, on a Thursday night, asJinri and Yifan are doing the end-of-the-day's inventory, it was Jinri'sringing phone that disturbs the silence, Yifan rolls his eyes because "Jinri, handphones aren't allowed during hours of duty". Jinri smiles at him apologetically and he nods, permitting her to answer the call (she doesn't have the problem with Yifan hearing the conversation), on the spot, as Yifan resumes his work.
"Hyung?" It was Minseok's name blinking in her phone screen. What does he need right now?
"Yixing and Minah broke up." Minseok says in a serious voice. It is not the greeting that he wants to hear so Jinri frowns, she doesn't even know how to respond. Jinri already broke all the connections when she left (except from Minseok, okay), so it doesn't matter whatever it was that's happening to them, she's out of it.
"What do you want me to do? Celebrate?" She asks in a strained voice catching Yifan's attention so the blond is now looking at her in concern. "I'm working hyung. Take care of him."
"But Jinri. He wouldn't even open the door for us, nor take calls. His neighbor says she hasn’t seen him come out since Tuesday morning." Minseok continues, making Jinri cringe in her place. "Jinri he needs you. You're his best friend."
Am I? Am I still his bestfriend? She wants to ask, instead, Jinri drops the call. Minseok tried calling her again but she wouldn't answer this time, she's had enough that's why she went away.
"What happened to him?" Yifan asks to which she shook her head in response mumbling nothing.
Yifan sighs obviously not really taking that answer but he nods instead and smiles at her to cheer her up.
"I'm craving for kimbap. Let's eat after this?." He suggests hooking an arm around Jinri's neck earning him a playful bite in his arm.
"Your treat right? I can eat as many as I want? Okay? Okay!" Jinri asks poking his waist. Somehow she's now smiling at him, he doesn't know if it's real or she's faking it, but he smiles in return.
***
Jinri's not worried, or so she thinks. She didn't even spare a single thought about it last night because she's too tired from their food trip. By the time she got to her apartment, she just showered and slept.
All the thoughts about Yixing locking himself came back rendering her worried, she could lie to anyone but lying to herself is out of question.Jinri's worried about Yixing because she knows him like the back of her hand the latter could be stubborn at times; he could make them (her) worry without intending it.
--
Once, Yixing got sick not telling Jinri about it until he almost collapsed in front of her. Jinri almost had a heart failure that time, almost collapsing too, but she managed to call Minseok to ask him what to do albeit her hands still shaking from shock. That night Jinri cried as she was attending to Yixing's needs, and wiping his hands and forehead with the cold cloth. Her bestfriend woke up to her sobs and asks her why, but she only cried harder clinging to his arm saying don't die Xingxing. Don't leave me.
Yixing laughs heartily, ruffled her hair and soothed circles on her back saying no he wouldn't leave her, and don’t think silly thoughts because it's just fever and he wouldn't die from it.
---
Jinri smiled wistfully, that memory was good while it lasted, but right now, as she's itching to rush to Yixing's apartment, she knows she's not ready to face him yet, and so with a little push, she readies herself for work.
"You don't have to restrain yourself Jinri. You're making it hard." Yifan corners her by the end of their duty. "I know you're worried, you seem distracted all day."
Jinri heaves a sigh because Yifan must really know her well or she's just too obvious, maybe it’s the latter, because Jinri knows she’s not a good actress.
"I don't know what to do." She mumbles in a low voice, as she sits on the counter. Yifan stands beside her, his height allowing her to lean on his shoulder for comfort.
"Just go. Maybe he needs you. Maybe this time he'll see you." Yifan advises, and Jinri understands what her friend means. "And maybe you wouldn't care if he'll see you or not because you're his best friend and you love him."
"You'll be here when I need you right?" Jinri looks up at Yifan for reassurance that if Yixing would leave her again Yifan would still be there for her. The hand that squeezes hers in return is the
"Yeah. I’m always here . So go." Yifan pushes her gently, because that's what Jinri needs a little push. He knows she just needs assurance that whatever happens there's still someone who’ll catch when she falls.
***
The impact of Jinri's decision knocks her down right when she's on the front door, key in her hands, about to turn the door knob (it's upon impulse when she got the spare key on the top of the door frame, that's where Yixing always put it, because Jinri could be forgetful at times so a spare key is advisable.)
The thought somehow leaves her hoping. Maybe Yixing needs her. Maybe Yixing is waiting for her. Maybe Yixing knows she will come back.
---
The apartment, much to her amusement wasn't turned upside down, it is pitch black and quiet inside, the living room isn't messy aside from several Shin Ramyeon cups and instant coffee packs, Jinri smiles at the thought. Yixing really doesn't want alcohol (bad things happen when you're drunk, he said).
The silence is almost deafening and Jinri guesses that Yixing is in his room, maybe sulking, or what, so she decided to clean the house, quietly, and maybe she could leave because she still doesn’t have any idea what to say. She doesn’t have any explaining to do because it was Yixing who stopped writing long before she decided to run away.
Yixing emerges from the room after half an hour, and stops on his tracks, as he takes her full appearance. Jinri's reaction isn't far from Yixing's, it's as if they are ghosts in each other’s eyes. The silence is suffocating and so Jinri breaks the ice.
"I-I let myself in. Because Minseokhyung. He-" Jinri grasps for words, for reasons because she’s tongue-tied and Yixingis just standing there, staring at her, and he must be waiting for her to say something. "He- ah –he –“ Jinri lets the boulder loose.” XingXingwhy are you locking yourself here? Why won't you answerhyung's calls? What if you died alone? What if you commit suicide? How am I going to save you? Yixing! You're making me, us worried." She says instead because that's what she really wants to say, Yixing might not understand but Jinri felt relieved.
In a matter of seconds Yixing is crying in her arms, hugging her tightly as if she's his lifeline, as she rubs soothing circles on his back, whispering it's okay I'm here, over and over again just so Yixing wouldn't feel alone, and maybe just so he would realize that she had been there since forever.
In a matter of seconds Jinri is back again to her one and only role in Yixing's life, the one who picks up Yixing's broken pieces to try and fix him again, his best friend.
***
A:N// Hoho. It's quite a short update. But i really need to cut it there or else. lol. Thanks for subscribing though. and i know you guys already know how I want Sulli to end up with Kris .so.. How was it??
Did you know, i thought of deleting all my stories just because of the Sulli-Choiza thing? ><
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