#*r.

he doesn't remember when exactly he'd become so close to ryujin. of course, there was their first meeting, a date arranged through one of the many dating apps that were available for the lonely hearts of seoul, but that hadn't exactly gone as planned. despite their initial failure at creating the bond they had sought at the time, a friendship had blossomed and jae was even offered a job at the aforementioned's cafe. all of that made sense, what didn't make sense was when they'd become close enough that he spent most of his day talking to her and opening up to her about information he didn't share with anybody else. it was perhaps in part due to his lack of other close friends, but he liked to attribute it to something special about ryujin specifically that left him feeling so comfortable and able to share such things in the first place. in the end, it didn't matter much how or why they'd become close, and realistically he would be unable to recall the exact moment ryujin managed to break down his feeble walls.  

now, they're sat across from each other in a cafe jaehyung liked to frequent in the morning, especially when he hadn't managed to sleep well. most of the employees knew him by now and he tended to sit at the corner table by the window that got just the right amount of sunlight. typically, he'd read a book he'd found interest in or work on schoolwork as well, but today he had arrived haphazardly dressed with bedhead as well as a dark hue adorning the area under his eyes. he had a feeling almost immediately he'd hear it from ryujin who he'd mentioned to that he hadn't slept well despite knowing she would get upset with him for choosing to get coffee regardless. still, he ordered it before she had a chance to show up and scold him, and by the time she had arrived he'd already drank most of it, but it'd yet to do anything for his current tired state. 

he offers her a weak, tired smile as he runs a hand through his hair. it does nothing for him besides mess it up further, but he's well past the point of caring. he's come to the very same cafe in much worse disarray, usually accompanied by his laptop and a notebook filled to the brim with notes. to his side sits a half eaten strawberry pastry which, after a moments deliberation, he gently slides over to her, extending it as an olive branch as a means to make peace. he can't tell if she's amused or not, but his smile falls nonetheless as he yawns for what feels like the thousandth time that day. this action is followed by him rubbing at his eyes, and for a moment he feels as though he can't open them back up, finding himself near drifting off before he manages to blink them back open. when he attempts to catch her gaze, she's not looking at him. he takes this moment to observe, though, in his sleepy daze he's unsure what exactly he's looking for. a few seconds pass and he decides he's terribly tired, so tired that his head is suddenly too heavy for him to continuing holding up, so instead he crosses his arms over each other on the table and rests his head upon them, nestling it within the crook of his left elbow.

"i'm sorry you came all the way-" he yawns again, pausing before he continues speaking. "here just to watch me basically fall asleep. yeah, yeah i know i should have stayed home and crawled into bed like you said, but the espresso was just too tempting. plus, i haven't had the strawberry pastry in two weeks and it sounded really good." his excuses weren't going to fly with her, he was well aware, but he was always the type to ramble. he didn't even realize he was doing it half the time, but by the time he did realize it was always too late, the word vomit would have already escaped. truthfully, this exact conversation had happened just a few days prior, but he had been tired for different reasons then. she'd been tired too, he recalls suddenly, enough that she had mentioned curling up to watch netflix. maybe that was what he should have been doing too, but in his case he wasn't tired due to physical exertion, but instead just an overwhelming lack of sleep. he was unable to even remember the last time he'd gotten a proper eight hours and the thought shocked him somewhat. even so, he was too tired to really think about it, and so as quick as the thought had come it quickly dissipated away. 

the next time he blinks his eyes open he realizes he's drifted off, but it couldn't have been for too long. at least, the sun hadn't moved across the sky yet and his coffee was still on the table near the still unfinished pastry. still partially cuddled into his own elbow he flits his gaze up to her face and notes that her eyes are on him. he blinks, once, twice, then his cheeks flush, slightly embarrassed she was looking at him so intently. he realizes immediately it's most likely out of concern or she could have possibly just zoned out, but he wasn't going to miss his chance. 

"like what you see?" he teases, lips quirking into a grin as he slowly rises from his half lying down position. he intends to press further, but he's once again interrupted by a yawn. after, he frowns, sighing softly as he wonders if getting another shot of espresso was a good idea. probably not, he concludes, and he assumes ryujin wouldn't let him anyway. right, ryujin, he'd been teasing her just a moment ago. he attempts to catch her gaze again, lips curling into a soft smile as he does so, his head tilting slightly. "for the record, i'm just kidding. i just wanted to say that. it felt right, y'know?" he shrugs after speaking, then he turns to look out the window, squinting. "i'm thinking maybe i should go back to my apartment and try to at least lie down." he turns to her again, pouting. "will you walk me home? you mentioned being tired like this is almost like being drunk and i don't want to get lost. what would you do if my body was found in a dumpster somewhere? not insinuating i'm going to get murdered, just i'd somehow climb into one? maybe? i'm not sure what i'd do." he realizes he's rambling and promptly shuts up, shooting her a dopey grin instead. "but really, if you don't want to, you don't have to. it might be nice to go for a quick walk, though. you can even chill on my couch for a while or something if you don't want to leave right away."

[ x ]

she's heavy. it's the first thing he notices, unprepared for the weight he's now carrying upon his back. this was not to say the weight was unbearable, he simply hadn't been prepared for her to leap on him in such a manner, leading him to find the added weight uncomfortable and rather substantial. then again, perhaps it was only because he couldn't recall the last time he'd even given someone a piggyback ride that was leading him to believe she felt like a giant boulder hanging on for dear life, or maybe he was just out of shape. both were likely answers, especially the latter as he hadn't step foot in a gym in several months nor did he partake in any real physical activity outside of walks here and there. he adjusts her on his back and mentally notes he should really start working out again, but chooses not to voice it as he only huffs instead.

"remind me again why we're doing this?" he questions, craning his head around to try and catch a glimpse of tao's face, but at this angle it was impossible so he gives up with a sigh and resigns himself to continue with his duty of hauling her to their next location, wherever that was. if she'd told him, he'd already forgotten, but the more he thought about it, he found himself wondering if he'd agreed to this without even knowing why she required him to carry her in the first place. what was he getting out of this, anyway? that part didn't really matter, if his friends asked him to eat dirt he probably would, and he was the kid who'd certainly jump off a bridge if his friends did, despite his mother's disapproval.

if she answers, his inner grumbling drowns her out, so instead he hoists her higher and allows her to lead him wherever she pleases. by now, the added weight is unnoticed, and once he returns from his own jumbled thoughts they easily fall into their typical back and forth. it's when she calls him little meow meow that he's tempted to shake her off, but something about her demeanor tells him she'd probably have him in a vice grip if he attempted, so he chooses to continue to carry her instead. unlike some of his peers, she was easy to talk to. something about their relationship was simple, though he couldn't exactly place his finger on what exactly made him feel so at ease, despite the fact he easily bickered with her more than any of his other friends. though, there was never any real harm in it, and perhaps that is where he found solace. he'd always preferred the simpler things.