𝐀𝐋𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐇𝐎𝐌𝐄 ‣ jjk

十一 ; jeon jeongguk

day 1
5.55 am
lee haru

jeon jeongguk is stranger boy

i stare at him with wide eyes
and this time i can see
the wide grin on his face
suddenly that innocent image
i've had of him before all this
just disappears in a single snap of the moment

my body is paralysed for a moment
and when i finally manage to register what is happening
i let out a loud and very much confused
"jeon jeongguk?!"

he lounges forward
and slaps a palm over my mouth
i struggle to break out of his grip
"the jeon jeongguk?
as in that
famous celebrity on the news?
you're a superstar!"
my voice is muffled against his hand

"yeah, yeah
just keep it down will you?"
he audibly panics, eyes darting around
to see if there is anyone
who caught the commotion

"this can't be serious"
i say in awe, still not over the fact that i'm
actually seeing him with my own eyes
what the hell is the universe planning
with me now?

i don't keep up with celebrity dramas but
still
who wouldn't freak out?
i just watched a movie and did open vandalism
with this guy
that's two crimes in a span of one night

jeongguk shifts his weight to a leg
was it a bad idea?
he clears his throat and whirls around
walking away from me
and towards the train station

"h-hey wait"
i rush up to his side
and hear him laugh heartily as he
pulls his mask up again

i take his arm, trying to slow him down
"what makes you think i won't tell on you?"

he halts his steps and looks back at me
"some reason"
he simply replies
"you seem... different, i think
trustworthy in a way
it's been awhile since anyone saw me
makes me feel like i'm being forgotten" he jokes

"are you out of your mind?
you're on the run and
i could've been some crazy fan
or worse, a sasaeng"

"so you're saying you're not?"
he raises an eyebrow

i bite my bottom lip
did that sound a little offending?
"er i know you
but the whole kpop stuff
isn't really my thing"

jeongguk seems taken aback
but if he really is
he doesn't say anything about it
instead he shrugs and continues walking
"come on, we'll be late"

"i'm still not over how dumb you are"
i mumble as i pick up my pace

he chuckles from behind his mask
"don't make me regret exposing
myself in front of you
i'm just trying to make things fair"

"what do you mean?"

"i know your face, your story
it wouldn't be fair if i didn't expose
something of mine
so consider us even now"

i frown
"but i'm a nobody
it wouldn't matter"

he spares me a glance
his fringes blown by the wind
his eyes sparkling as they gaze
into my dull ones

i wonder how a boy like him
can look even fuller of life
than i do

something tugs the corners of his lips upwards
and in a reassuring voice, he answers,
"it does matter"

and something in me melts away