Past
You wake up once again in Wonwoo's apartment since your family will be there a while, and you decide to spend the day at your mom's to help her out. The day before had been a day of healing and reflecting on your dad's life, and you managed to do that thanks to Wonwoo. But it was your turn to help your mom now that you were in a better place mentally.
When Wonwoo woke up, you tell him about your plan, and he is happy that he helped your day be a little bit better; after all, that's what he wanted to do with you since he met you. Make you feel less sad, not necessarily happy, but to help you feel at ease.
And he did help you—a lot.
He had to go to work that day, so that he couldn't help. However, you didn't mind since he had already helped a lot, and you didn't want him to skip work because of you. He agreed to meet you for dinner.
When you arrive home, your family is having breakfast. The house is a mess, and you couldn't blame your mom for not tending the house, so as soon as you finished eating breakfast with your family, you stand up from the table to clean the house.
you are cleaning your parent's
wait no
your mom's room. This was now your mom's room. Your dad was gone.
You can feel the tears come up again, but a sound outside makes you stand upright, and you see that it's your aunt
-hello y/n, can I ask you for a huge favor right now for your mom?- she says
-yes, of course, what is it?- you say
-Can you go to your mom's job and help put at the Christmas dinner they're having at the school today?- she says
you accept with no hesitation. Your mom wasn't in the condition to go. You wanted to help
you get ready for the dinner the school was going to have before their winter break; you put effort into looking good by putting on makeup and putting your hair into a neat ponytail. Hence, it looked like you put effort into looking good, but since you were going as a volunteer and not as a guest, you didn't put that effort as a guest would by putting on a nice dress.
--
You go to the school, and when you arrive, teachers approach you as if you were a fragile thing, and you were thankful for their concerns. Still, you wanted to get to work as soon as possible
they placed you in the parking lot, where you would help guide cars into available parking lots. You started to think that they gave you this assignment because it was just you alone. They didn't want you to be overwhelmed, and to be honest, you were thankful that they gave you this job
it was cold, especially considering the sweater you brought. LA isn't a place where it snows, but it sure can get cold, especially if you remain outside for a long time in a thin sweater.
A car approaches to enter the dinner party, and it looks familiar. When the driver rolls down the window, you see an awfully familiar face.
Mingyu's dad
in the co-pilot seat was his mom, and in the back, you saw his sister, next to her was Mingyu, but you glanced at him and brought your attention back to his parents
-Hello, good evening! the available parking space is the last row on the left- you say with a smile
from your side view, you see Mingyu look up from his phone, but you avoid making eye contact with him
-thank you, dear, say hi to your parents for me- Mingyu's mom replies with a smile, and they drive off.
They didn't know...
the sun starts to hide, and the night is starting to arrive. You could hear music and laughter from inside. Since the dinner had already started, cars stopped arriving, and it was now your job to look after them
you started to shiver at the ever-increasing cold
you receive a call from Wonwoo.
-Hey!- you say as you answer the call
-How have you been today? Is everything ok?- He asks
-Yeah, today has been great. I had to come to an event at the school my mom works at since she couldn't come and they still needed volunteers- you smile even though he couldn't see
-How is your mom- Wonwoo asks in a concerned tone
-She is still in shock over the whole thing, I hate seeing her like this, but I understand. I'm pretty sure if it weren't for you, I would be like that too. Thank you, Wonwoo, I mean it. I miss my dad, but I know he is in a better place, and I will always remember that. I will celebrate his life- you say
-I'm pleased to be of help, y/n- he says, and there is a small pause
-Is it ok if I go by your house tomorrow?- I'm pretty sure your family could use the help- he says
-Wonwoo, you've already done so much- you say
-Y/n, please let me help. you say I helped you, so let me help your mom at least- he says, and you couldn't deny it that he was helpful
-ok...- you sigh in defeat
-Great! tomorrow I have work early so is it ok if I meet you during lunch?- he says, and you accept.
You hang up the phone in a good mood and look into the cars and the night. it was really peaceful
you look up to the sky and smile
-Right about now, we could've been lighting a bonfire outside, right dad?- you say and chuckle
your hands were numb from the cold, so you rub them together and exhale into them.
You close your eyes and imagined how things would be now had the accident not happened. Would you be in new york right now? or would you had gotten homesick and visited for the holidays anyway?
-what do you mean by your dad is in a better place?- you hear someone behind you say
had someone been listening to you this whole time?
you open your eyes quickly after recognizing that it was Mingyu's voice
you turn around, and you see Mingyu standing a few feet away from you
-y/n, please answer me. What did you mean by saying that your dad is in a better place?- he says and starts walking forward
his face looked more sad than upset, but you still didn't want him near
when he got close enough, he saw your hands, took off his jacket, and put it on you
as Mingyu left his jacket on your shoulders, he was close enough that you could feel his breath.
He stepped back quickly and looked at the darkness of the night
his jacket smelled like him
it sunk in that you were using his jacket, and you hurried to take it off, but mingyu was faster and put his hands on your shoulders.
-don't do it; no matter how upset you are at me, accept the sweater; you are freezing right now, so please use it- he says.
you were facing each other face to face, and your breaths were close to each other's so you could see it in the cold, but you weren't too close so that you could feel it
-you know what, get on the car- he says
-Mingyu...- you say. You were too tired and cold to increase the volume of your voice or get into an argument
you get on the car, and the heat starts to set in. You put your hands in front of the ventilators to warm them faster
it was dark because the lights inside the car were off, but it wasn't too dark because the light of the dashboard still helped you look at him without being in total darkness
-y/n- he says, and you look directly at him
his voice cracks, and you get concerned
-did something happen to your dad- he says and looks at you desperately
-he passed away 2 days ago- you say
Mingyu breaks eye contact with you and looks to the front. He closes his eyes, and your heart shatters
you hated him for cheating on you, but seeing him sad made your heart shatter. He and your dad spent good moments together, so you feel that he had a right to know.
-I understand if you don't want to... but can we continue this conversation in my house?- he says
you see him heartbroken, and even though it was dark and the lights were very dim, you could still see that his eyes were watery
-yes- you say. you think he deserved a moment of peace among you two after you kept this information from him, so you just let him drive you to his house
for a moment, you felt concerned about leaving the cars alone, with the job that you were assigned to do, but you shrug that thought off
he turned on the car engine all the way and headed in the direction of his house