pullstringsâ:
He still looked a little rough around the edges. Jungah thought. She took note that he had more tattoos now, which made him look more like the men that flanked her regularly. It was nice that tattoos were a little more common now for keeping things under wraps. Though, sheâd not let her men dress as she remembered Tommy did.
âIâm glad, that means I still look well.â She already believed she looked good; Jungah rarely needed the compliments of others to reassure her. âYou, on the other hand, look a little different. Not a lot, but enough.â Jungah bent her knees slightly and traced a bit of the tattoo on his neck with her finger. âThis, for instance.â Itâd probably fade over time since it was so exposedâbut at least he wouldnât need to do it in the same way her family did. She retracted her hand though and stood up straight, peering past him at his notebook. âI guess some time away with yourself was enough to forget yourself, huh? That sounds a little opposite of what should happen, if you ask me.â
Awkwardly, she stood above him still, hovering as she hoped heâd catch the hint. âSee, this is the part where youâd ask a woman to take a seat,â she bit her bottom lip, a new wave of memories overcoming her of doing a similar lecture in the past, âand youâd put something down for me to sit on.â
enough to forget yourself. and forget himself he did. easy enough when the only way he ever even knew himself was through the women he cycled through. but now, for once in his life, he had no one. maybe all that transpired was meant to lead him to this realization. tommy was a lot less optimistic, however. for now, he rather focus on jungahâs touch.
âah, of course,â he responded, taking off his denim jacket and placing it beside him. âhere we are.â tommy patted the spot, looking up at her. ânice anâ warm.â
was that what he wanted? to mimic the couples nearby? perform some sort of normalcy for once?
âitâs funny being here,â he stated matter-of-factly, looking past her, âI came for some inspiration but this feels like the wrong place.â it felt odd jumping into conversation, knowing nearly nothing of her life since she was barely twenty years old. jungah was always secretive, not up for much talking from the heart. and tommy liked it that way. she was real, yet sometimes only a figment. they knew each other intimately and how the other worked, and that was all that mattered. intimacy is funny that way.
âIâve been writing...something different. itâs working, I think.â tommy nodded to himself, his thoughts visibly carrying him away as he held his notebook still. âfeels foreign, but I donât know, maybe thatâs what I gotta do.â
