What are we? - Chapter 2: Junhoe
Make sure to read these before you read this chapter: Description Ch1
"yah! Bobby can you please learn to clean up after yourself?" i whined as i pushed a box of napkins towards him while he munched on his hamburger
"Sorry Jen!" He replied as he whiped his face with one too many tissues
IKON's manager decided to take us out to eat today, and there was no getting out of it since they refused to give me my paycheck for the month if i left too early.
It was a cold winter day, the sun was hiding behind the dark grey clouds and the winds were blowing the last leaves off the trees. Since that day, Hanbin and i have been able to handle each other's company better now. Dont get me wrong, we still find ways to screw each other over, but at least now we know it's never serious. He's been visiting my mother lately too, in fact all the IKON members have. Hanbin made sure i had told everyone at work about what was going on in my private life so that i'd be let off more easily now. And truthfully im thankful he did, because id never push myself to say it on my own.
Working at YG entertainment hasn't been that bad anymore. My work load has been limited to only the IKON guys, and honestly they are tolerable now. Truthfully, i enjoy their company. It helps reduce the stress of everything going on at home and the guys are pretty fun to be around (dont tell them i said that though).
"earth to Jen!!!" Donghyuk said as he poked my shoulder
"uh?" i replied still half engulfed in my thoughts
"your phone's been vibrating for the past 10minutes!" he explained as he grabbed a packet of fries from the middle of the table and started to eat
"my phone?.." i looked at it to see 5 missed called from my teacher.
oh shit...shit...shit....shit
I got up off my seat and started pushing my way through the guys to find somewhere private to take the call.
"What's wrong with you?" Hanbin asked as i stepped over him
"nothing" i said as i moved passed him and the others without looking back "just a call from school. ill be back soon"
I left the room to re-dial the number that had called me several times. I was in big trouble. I'd been skipping classes at school for the past couple months. Honestly i thought i was doing a good job with keeping up my work without anyone noticing but i guess i wasnt. With all that was going on at home i thought it would be best to work to pay off the debt we were collecting due to all the hospital bills. So yea.... ive been missing a "couple" classes just to get some extra hours at work.... how is that even a bad thing!?
"hi..... Sun saeung nim....." i hesitated "Jennifer! Where have you been? Do you know how many classes you've missed? At this rate you wont be able to graduate! Im staying at school for 30 more minutes. Come pick up your work and if you dont have a good excuse as for why you havent been attending school, ill have to bring the Principal into this!" "i understand, im sorry. ill be there soon"
Well... that went well..... I hung up and sat on one of the many chairs that were in the hall.
"I could hear the yelling from here aha must have been bad eh?"
I turned my head to see Junhoe leaning against the wall. He must have heard everything.
"umm yea i guess aha" i paused, "i guess i have to leave early then" i said as i stood up from my seat to make my way into the room
Everyone was still enjoying their meals as i entered.
"Jen! you have to try this sandwhich! Bobby put some fries in it and Jinhwan added some peppers! Trust me it's soooooo goood!" Hanbin tried to shove a piece of the "masterpiece" in my mouth but i pushed it aside letting him know i wasnt interested in being a subject to their crazy food experiments.
I walked over to the manager and told him i had to leave now because of a school emergency. Thankfully he understood (which meant my paycheck wouldnt be harmed). I grabbed my coat from my chair and started to leave the room.
"Where are you going?" Hanbin asked as he followed me to the door
"Just have to do something at school" i replied as i zipped my jacket
"just? You're not hiding anything right?"
i nodded to reassure him everything was alright. Which was somewhat the truth... i mean i wasnt expelled or suspended from school..... yet....i hadnt failed anything either.....i was...just really close to it....lol
"well it's a long walk from here, ill come with you" Hanbin started to shove the last piece of fries in his mouth and grab his jacket
"no! no, it's fine Hanbin. Really i dont mind going alone"
He started to rebuttle when suddenly Junhoe showed up.
"ill come with you. Hanbin i think the manager is calling you for something anyway." Junhoe had his jacket on already. Hanbin and i both stared at him with confused expressions. It wasnt like him to volunteer to do something out of his way. Truthfully it was shocking to see him do anything that forced him to exert some energy.
Hanbin tried to rebuttle but the manager really was asking for him so he couldnt say much. He gave me a final goodbye and a "dont get sick or ill have to beat you up" remark as he went back into the room.
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Junhoe and i started to walk our way to my school now. The walk was only 15minutes long. Thankfully it wasnt too far or else our awkward silence would eat both of us alive.
The wind was very strong during this time of day. It was getting darker and darker as the minutes passed and my face felt numb. My hands were ice cold and i had forgotten my gloves back in the practice room.
"'A-AA-ACHU!" i sneezed
"woahh there! aha" Junhoe laughed as he looked my way to make sure i was alright.
"you look terrible Jen!" he laughed some more as he observed my red cheeks and nose. I could have been mistaken for Rudolph if anyone saw me right now.
"im freezing! i cant help but react to the cold" i explained as i sneezed some more. It seemed like i was catching a slight fever now too.
Junhoe noticed my shivers getting worse the more we walked "wait one sec Jen" he said, he held my arm so i'd stop moving.
Junhoe then took his scarf off himself and circled it around my neck. He then untucked my hair from under the scarf and covered my ears with parts of the scarf to keep them warm.
The scarf was still warm from his own body heat, and it instantly started making me feel less cold.
"you sure?" i asked as i poked my head out of the tunnel he had made around my neck.
He rubbed his hands together and blew into them to keep them warm. "yea dont worry about it, we're almost there anyway" he said as his face started to turn pink/red from the cold breeze.
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I made it to school where thankfully the heating was on. Sun saeung nim (as predicted gave me a huge scolding for not showing up to his classes and missing important tests). He was about to tell me id have to repeat a lot of the courses until i told him the truth for why i had been missing so many of his classes. (letting people know my struggles was still something i was working on, but i promised Hanbin i wouldnt hold anything in if i really felt like i needed to tell someone). Thankfully, that did the trick. Sun saeung nim immediatly changed from the "cold-hearted teacher" into the "compassionate-understanding" one after i had told him about my mother.
"you know Jen, i really am sorry for all that you are going through right now. But you cant just keep ignoring school. That really wont help anyone and im sure your mother wouldnt want you leaving school out of your top priorities either." he explained, "you're grades were excellent before and i know you can bring them back up. Take the work im giving you right now and go home and study for the upcoming tests. Ill do my best to understand your situation, and if you dont come to class i expect you to come after school to at least pick up the work you have missed alright?"
I nodded my head and gathered my things so that i could leave and go home.
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"gosh that took long" Junhoe said as he leaned against the wall outside with his hands in his pockets.
"yea sorry" i replied before we both started to put our jackets back on.
I picked up the scarf he had lended me and held it infront of him so he could take it back.
"Keep it"
"uh?" there was no way in hell i'd keep something of his..... that would be taken the wrong way in so many levels and i was not ready to be joked about with the rest of the guys
"relax, ill take it back once u get home" he quickly added after he noticed my change in facial expression
We then started to walk home together, he refused to let me hold the books that Teacher had given me since they were pretty heavy, so he held them for me as we walked. It was pitch black now and the street lights were the only things directing us to the right way.
I poked my head above and out of the scarf once more so i could say something to Junhoe.
"thanks for coming with me today. i know you didnt have to but it was nice to have your company"
"ah it's cool, it was kinda fun to see you in the school environment...... you looked kinda cute aha"
"heyy! and i thought we were on the same side!" i laughed at his lame attempt to make fun of me
Junhoe noticed me rubbing my hands together since i didnt have my gloves, it was freezing cold outside and i really did think id lose a couple fingers if i didnt find a way to keep them warm.
"gimme your hand" Junhoe said as he kept walking by my side and looking strictly in the direction we were walking in.
"why? is this some trick to gain my trust and then kill me in the darkness of the night?" i laughed
"ya!" he sighed as he grabbed my hand from me while i tried to resist. He put my hand in his jacket pocket with his own hand over top to keep it warm.
If anyone saw us right now they'd most definitely get the wrong idea.
"Junhoe, what if someone sees you. This will ruin your reputation" i explained as i tried taking my hand out of his pocket (and his grip).
"lol look around you jen, i really dont think anyone's watching us" His face was redder than before... was he blushing?....nahhhhh he was probably just cold.
We both talked some more and just laughed at each other's lame jokes until we made it to my street.
"i think i see someone at my door" i said as i squinted my eyes to get a better look at who it was
We walked closer to reveal the identity of the person leaning against my door with his hands in his jacket pockets and his face half burried in his scarf.
It was Hanbin.
He noticed both of us coming his way as we moved closer to him. He started to walk towards us until suddenly he paused and just started to stare at us. His nose was red and his cheeks almost seemed purple from the cold weather. His hands were in his pockets as he spoke.
"hey" he said quietly as he kept staring at us......wait.....A sudden gush of embarrassment slapped my face as i realized Hanbin wasnt necessarily looking at us but the situation we were in. His eyes were moving from my hand in Junhoe's pocket, to his scarf wrapped around my neck. And then to Junhoe's other hand which was holding my textbooks.
I quickly released my hand from Junhoe's pocket and moved a few steps away from him. I dont know why i felt so uneasy about the situation but i really needed to try and fix the misunderstanding.
I took Junhoe's scarf off me and placed it in his empty hand. I then grabbed the books from him and bowed to show him my gratitude.
"Thank you for walking with me Junhoe" i said as i moved passed him and Hanbin to enter my house.
I could see Junhoe staring at me and then Hanbin, trying to understand the situation. Truthfully it didnt make sense to any of us, and i kind of just wished it never happened.
"i guess ill see you tomorrow then, study hard!" Junhoe said as he wrapped the scarf around his neck once more and put his hands in his pockets. i smiled and waved at him as i took my keys out of my pocket to unlock my door.
"Hanbin ill be going back to the dorm now, do u want me to wait for u?" he now directed his attention to his fellow group member
"no go on ahead, ill catch up" Hanbin answered as the both of them excused one another and Hanbin followed me into my house
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"soo everything good at school?" Hanbin asked to fill in the awkward silence
"yea..yup... everything’s good" i answered while i took my jacket off and avoided any eye contact with him.
He noticed the awkward silence i was creating and felt uneasy invading my home.
"cool, i guess ill be going then...." Hanbin got up from his seat and slowly started making his way to the door....something was bugging him but he didnt seem to want to say anything
I walked behind him as he put his shoes and jacket back on. He unlocked the door and walked out.
I watched him make his exit, slowly becoming smaller the further he walked.
"wait! jen!" i heard the second i was about to close my door. I opened it once more to see Hanbin in the middle of the street just looking my way
"yea??" i yelled back, confused
"uhh......" he paused as his eyes locked with mine, "uh..... nevermind.......i guess. See you tomorrow" He smiled as he put his hands back in his pocket, dug his face into his scarf and started walking away, slowly being engulfed by the dark