C4 Chapter 3: I'm Home
On the mellow Tuesday afternoon, the busy sight of people walking past each other spread across the city.
The sun was up with an outrageous amount of heat at this time of the day in the afternoon. It is the hottest temperature anyone could imagine, a perfect day to break a sweat or devour cold desserts and iced drinks from the shops. The people barely want to walk under the sun, let alone spare a second to pay attention to others with the unsightly light from the sun stinging against their eyes and skin.
Hangbyul City is crowded and filled with workaholic men and women in business suits. The streets are occupied and brimming with different types of vehicles since seven in the morning. The only difference was that some are stuck in traffic right now.
As the people around Jin were either sheltering from the heat or holding their umbrellas in the air, Jin was there, walking among the crowd while wrapped around his thick jacket and Ms. Euna’s scarf. He joined the gathered citizens standing by the side of the road, waiting for their turn to cross the street as the vehicles zoom past them nonstop.
A man in his late forties behind Jin stares at him with utmost curiosity, bewildered by his choice of clothing during the hot season in the city.
Jin did not bother to spare any effort to care about his surroundings. He was holding the sandwich firmly between his fingers. They were warm against his hand, which led a smile slowly growing on his lips, yet anyone could barely see his docile smile during the summer day when the scarf around him was on the way.
He nuzzles more to the cloth around him that warmed him and his heart.
Ms. Euna does act like a mother hen towards him. Maybe that was why he found the clinic comforting. Every time he enters that room with cream walls, Jin feels like he's at home.
His mother usually has loaded late-night shifts on her working schedule during weekdays, leaving him alone in their apartment, and thus he would mostly stay up all night watching TV or studying to pass some time. It seems the reason why he cannot relax at night is the fact that he's left alone in their apartment.
The idea of him unaccompanied in one place makes him uneasy and anxious.
As for his reason behind that. He does not know for sure because this phenomenon remains a mystery to him.
When the traffic lights turned red, the movements of the vehicles stopped, and the pedestrians went on to cross the road and spread apart.
After ten minutes of walking without rest, he finally arrived at the empty shed. He sat there and sheltered himself to rest while waiting for the bus. Jin breathes and shuts his eyes close. He can still hear the faint sound of birds chirping in the distance.
He lifts his head, causing a few strands of his hair to swing backward, leaving a small open pathway on his forehead.
When he opened his eyes the thin smudges of clouds that are barely noticeable in the clear blue sky greeted his sight. He stayed gawking up at the sky like there’s something in there until his neck gave up on him.
The bus honks as it arrives in front of the shed.
The doors parts open and he hops in. He scans his card on the machine to pay for his ride before sitting at the nearest empty seat when the bus starts moving again.
It was a good thing the vehicle wasn't crowded. There's only the driver, two elders sleeping behind him, and three more students in his age inside the large bus. He made himself comfortable in his seat. His back straight, shoulders relaxed, and his eyes glued to the window beside him.
After an hour ride from the waiting shed, the bus finally arrives at the bus stop beside the apartment complex where he lives.
CheN Duplex in Hongwon, one of the most decent among the high rating apartments in Hangbyul City.
Upon walking inside, Jin bows towards the security guards by the entrance and the woman sitting at the reception desk, Mrs. Yen.
“Aigoo, it’s good to see you’ve been well, Jin.” Mrs. Yen calls out, her smile was soft and the fine wrinkles on her face were visible even in the distance.
“Good afternoon, Mrs. Yen. You look beautiful as always,” replied Jin.
The woman and the guards in the area laughed after hearing his boisterous compliment.
Such fine young man.
“I never age, young Saesang. Hahaha. Your mother came home early today, please do tell her I’ll be at your doorstep by dinner. My husband’s making bulgogi.”
Jin clutches his school bag on his shoulders and nods his head, “Looking forward to Mr. Yen’s specialty.”
He wave them goodbye and rush into the elevator at the last second before it closed.
Phew, that was a close call.
He places the sandwich that Ms. Euna gave him safely on one of the pockets of his jacket. He'll eat it later, it's a perfect snack when he's done with studying.
A tuna sandwich, was it?
“You overslept again did you?”
Ahh!
Jin’s back presses into the cold steel beside him. When he lifts his head high, Jihyuk’s upset face and glaring eyes attacked him.
Geez.
Of all the people he had to come across this angry mitten and endure another nagging from him, “Not longer than yesterday.”
Jihyuk’s eyes twitch after hearing his response. His built body leans to him closer and he bends his head down in front of the suspicious kitten before him.
Jihyuk's face was dark and his eyes glimmer a terrifying light despite the shadow from the lights above them that only he can emit. He just finished meeting with his group members for their group performance task and he thought this little one has already arrived home by now. It’s already four in the afternoon. He took him to the clinic at past eleven in the morning.
Jin gulped. “Yah (hey), what’s wrong with a person who loves resting?” He pushes Jihyuk’s annoying face away from him. He’s one handy person, he needs to escape right now.
“Touche, you call passing out resting? You might as well consider moving to the clinic in that state.”
When Jihyuk’s floor came, he left the elevator without another word, and Jin was left alone inside the elevator with a small smile on his lips at the glimpse of Jihyuk's small pout.
He's grumpy.
An angry cub he is.
Jin wonders who might have provoked his mood before they met.
When his floor was next, the elevator doors opened. He steps out and rushes to their apartment door.
His mother is home early, that’s a first.
He thought she had another late shift today.
He quickly enters the passcode and after hearing the faint melodious chime, he twists the door handle open. His eyes immediately survey the living room as he closes the door behind him and place his shoes on the rack.
Where's mochi?
Out of nowhere, a white Pomeranian rushes and jumps to him, barked once, and licked his cheeks.
Mochi's tail was wagging simultaneously at the sight of his owner returning home.
Jin pets him in the head and rubs the sides of his body before letting him go.
Now, where's his beloved mother?
After running a full search on their living room, he saw his mother standing by the counter table beside the television, staring at the picture frame while spacing out.
