7

After the so called date that happened between Na-Eun and Jisung,the both of them had to part because of their own reasons. Jisung had to work at a supermarket as a cashier and Na-Eun had to meet up with her parents who had come to Seoul for a visit from Daejeon. So, she had to go to the bus stop.

Jisung had dropped her at the bus stop by his bike before he went to work. Na-Eun waved at him before she sat at the bus stop for her parents bus to arrive. She suddenly felt dumb because she was the one who ran away from home to study here yet she was also picking them up. It wasn't like she had a fight with them or they disagreed of her being a photographer, she just had to do it. She had to be independent. If she studied somewhere near in Daejeon, she felt like her parents would come to meet her and give her money when they were already financially unstable. That's why the we're always fighting.

Instead of living with her parents'  money, she would rather be the one giving them money and that was exactly why she moved out. She stayed in her uncle's house along with his wife. She didn't work as a manager for free,she was paid for it and she even worked at a convenience store at night just to send money to her parents every month.She was an exemplary daughter.

She raised her head from her hand when the bus arrived. She smiled brightly when she saw her parents that she hadn't seen for months. She ran to the both of them, hugging them before picking up her mother's bag and father's luggage.  "Are you eating at all?" Her mother asked, slapping her shoulder. She pulled her body in instinct and pouted as she rubbed her shoulder. "Of course! I gained weight even"

"My...really? It looks like you lost more than you gain though" Na-Eun sighed, shaking her head as she dragged the both of them to sit at the bus stop. "I'm going to find us a car" She said, opening her grab app. She didn't bother to explain to her mother that she was being fed like a pig by her aunty because in all mothers' eyes, their children always lost weight whenever they hadn't meet them in a long time. Her father said nothing but she knew he was observing her. He was no less than her mother. They were constantly worried of her.

"There's our car" She pointed at a black car that had just arrived. They went to her uncle's house right away and had a meal there. Na-Eun didn't realize how much she missed her parents until they come.

She thought she would be able to spend more time with them but when night came, they suddenly had to leave. "You two have to leave now? Mom and dad already packed a lot of clothes though. Aren't you going to stay for a few night?" Her father sighed, patting her head. "Sorry, I can't say no to my boss now. I did a few mistakes back at the company..I need to gain back his favour"

"What about mom?" 

"Why do you even ask? You know your father can't even tie a necktie himself" She nodded in understatement before pulling her mother into a hug. "At least, let me accompany you to the bus stop" Her parents nodded.

When her parents had to leave, it was really hard for her to not stop them. Before they leave, they handed her an envelope and it was filled with money which made her tears flowed easily. "Take them" Her father said but she refused to. "How can I? I already know you barely even come here with your money." She sobbed, wiping her tears like a child while hiccuping.  "Just take it" Was her father's last word before the bus leave.

Na-Eun stared at the money in her hand. She stared at it for the longest of time, even until she was in the bus. Her parents' face kept on coming back into her mind then she fell asleep in the bus. She didn't need to worry since her uncle's house was at the last destination.

What she didn't know was someone watching her from the back. It was no other than Hwang Hyunjin who just returned from his relay. His other teammates already went back early but he went to visit a sauna house. Why you wondered? Just because. He usually went there with Jisung after a match or a relay. It's like to spoil yourself or something. It was their thing but Jisung couldn't come because of his date.

Hyunjin who was usually focused on looking outside the window saw a short haired girl entering the bus. He noticed the red puff under her eyes. It was a gave away that she cried. She didn't seem to realize Hyunjin staring at her as she sat on the seat in front of Hyunjin. 

Hyunjin shrugged, looking back at the window when the girl started sobbing. He frowned. Just what in the world happened to her, he wondered.  She should be grateful that it was him who sat behind her. If it was some kind of jerk, she would be called out for being a nuisance already.

When the girl slept, he finally could relax in his seat. He really didn't know what to doo when he face someone crying. 

The only crying person he had ever faced was Jisung and even then he didn't know what to do.

He arrived at the dorm and hurriedly walked out from the bus, not realizing that his swimming goggles fell out from his bag.

As expected, when he stepped into his room, Jisung was lying on his sofa while snoring. He heaved a huge sigh before taking out a blanket to cover him with. He was drooling and talking in his sleep. "Na-Eun...Hyunjin" He kept saying in his dream and giggling like an idiot. Hyunjin shot him a disgusted look before walking to his own room, throwing himself on his bed.

Meanwhile, Na-Eun who had arrived at the last stop, snapped her eyes open and hurriedly stood up. She bowed at the driver and while doing so, she saw a goggle on the floor. When the bus driver honked at her to hurry, she bowed again before picking it up.

She ran out, observing the goggle that had a pen marker writing on the rubber band. Seoul Sport University. H.H.J.

She remembered Jisung had a friend on the swim team. She placed the goggle in her bag before walking down the road to her uncle's house. She would give it to Jisung tomorrow.