gom writing

"I kinda just want to eat something," Junhoe answered as Jinhwan asked the group what they felt like doing for their hour long break. Jinhwan, Junhoe, Hanbin and Donghyuk had decided to meet up during their break after Junhoe told their small sized senior that he and Donghyuk had started talking again, something both he and Hanbin was excited about. 

"This guy,” Hanging up the call, Jinhwan looked back at his two juniors and said with displeasure, “Unfortunately, Hanbin won’t be joining us because he missed his first shift and has to make up for it now.”

“What happened?” Donghyuk who was looking forward to making their group of four proper, asked. Jinhwan rubbed his temples and sighed as he said, “Apparently he spent a bit too much time with Yumi, one of our childhood friends, and forgot about his shift.”

Perking up at the mention of an old friend, Junhoe joined the conversation, “Yumi? As in Chae Yumi the tiny and loud squirt that dumped snow into Hanbin’s clothes in 4th grade?”

Laughing, Jinhwan nodded his head and made a pointing gesture towards the main entrance of the school, where the front field had turned into a carnival area for the day. From a distance, a striking red uniform could be seen and as Junhoe squinted, Jinhwan let out a laugh, “The same Yumi that’s running towards us now.”

As if she was a bullet, Yumi ran up to Jinhwan and gave her favourite senior a huge hug, one that nearly blew him away. Although he tried to avoid it, her loud calling of his name and quick speed didn’t give Jinhwan a chance to run away. Patting her on the head as she squeezed him tighter, he asked, “Nice to see you too Yumi. You with anyone?”

Bringing out her hand to point behind her, two figures appeared from a distance, the two girls jogging towards them. Despite that, Junhoe only noticed one of the two, her hair bouncing as she ran, a bright smile on her face as she looked at Miso who was beside her. Of course it was Hyena.

She only noticed his large presence when she was at least twenty steps away, being too focused on Yumi’s red uniform to even care about the surroundings. Panting lightly as they stopped running, Miso let out a sigh as she pulled Yumi away from Jinhwan, “Can you please stop running everywhere! I’m going to get a heart attack at 18 at this rate.”

As Miso chided Yumi and made her apologise to Jinhwan, Hyena couldn’t help her gaze from reaching Junhoe, taking half a step back when she realised he was already looking at her, the boy quickly looking away when they made eye contact, internally wanting to hit himself for being so obvious. Clearing his throat, Junhoe quickly interrupted the others with a suggestion, “Uh, why don’t we all go to class 2-4’s haunted house or something? Scare the heat away and stuff.”

Hyena couldn’t help the small giggle that escaped her lips, his awkward tone sounding funny to her. Without even looking at him, Hyena looked over at the others, nodding her head as she agreed with him, “That doesn’t sound like a bad idea.”

Despite being shocked at both of them for somehow communicating, Donghyuk was the first to get out the daze and slung his hand around Junhoe’s shoulder before pulling his friend along into the school and heading to the stairs that lead to the classes.

Even though they both tried to avoid it, Hyena and Junhoe got paired up to enter the haunted house together, following the rules that the class made. Miso and Jinhwan were the first pair that entered, the two bickering even as they entered, the student at the entrance having to give them both a push into the darkness of the room. As for Donghyuk and Yumi who had never met prior to this, they seemed to be getting along well as they were absorbed in a conversation about their respective dance clubs in school. Both Hyena and Junhoe noticed the interest in their friend’s eyes, Hyena feeling a bit sad for Hanbin as she thought about how these two might grow to be better friends - and maybe even more - after that day. 

Naturally, Donghyuk and Yumi were lead into the classroom, the sudden movement shaking them from the conversation, Yumi worriedly turning to Hyena as she mouthed an, “I’m sorry.” Oddly enough, Donghyuk mouthed to Junhoe, “Good luck,” instead. Glad that his small plan to get his two classmates to be left alone for a bit seemed to worked. 

Standing awkwardly next to each other, Hyena felt the need to speak, the girl easily feeling uneasy upon hearing silence. Looking straight ahead towards the corridor, she mustered some strength to say, “I didn’t know you and Donghyuk were friends.”

It surprised him how much he missed her voice, the gentle tone and low voice she tended to speak in sounding like a melody to him. Glancing at her, he saw how she wasn’t even facing him, a small, sad smile appearing on his face at the thought of never being in her eyes again. With a lighter tone, he tried to respond normally, “I met him a long time ago when I was still going to the community dance classes but I hadn’t spoken to him since I quit after my dad died. He’s nice, didn’t really judge me when I tried to talk to him again.”

Silence filled the air between them again, Hyena feeling the need to look him dead in the eye and tell him that she too, never judged him for his decisions but instead, she kept her mouth shut, unwilling to be hurt anymore by the words that he might say. 

Waiting for a response, Junhoe looked down at her, her eyes fixed on something in the distance. Before he had the chance to say something, anything, a student parted the curtains leading to the classroom and gestured for both of them to go inside. 

Without waiting for him, Hyena took a few steps forward into the classroom, feeling the goosebumps rise on her skin as the cold air enveloped her being. The student requested for both Hyena and Junhoe to show him their hands, Hyena’s right and Junhoe’s left. Quick with his fingers, he tied a piece of paper around their wrists, connecting them both. Even before either of them could protest, the student said, “If you finish the haunted house without breaking the paper we’ll give you some grocery store coupons as a prize, so all the best!”

Just as quickly as the student attached them together with a piece of paper, he left the classroom, the black curtains blocking the light that spilled in from the entrance just moments ago. Unwilling to let this opportunity go, Hyena prepared herself to meet his eyes, feeling the need to tell him how she had to win those coupons. Her breathing quickened as she got more anxious but before she knew it, Junhoe slipped his hand in hers, interlocking their fingers tightly before proceeding to walk ahead of her, gently tugging her hand to pull her along. The view of his wide back and of his hand holding hers nearly made her cry, all the defences she tried to put up of no use as soon as he so much as initiated any kind of contact between them.  

Slowly, they went through the haunted house, students in costumes jumping out at them and horror music playing through the speakers all around. Hyena squeezed Junhoe's hand a little tighter every time a jump scare happened, the girl easily frightened despite her usually brave outlook. At times like that, Junhoe couldn't help himself from rubbing his thumb over her soft skin in an attempt to help calm her down. It was instinctual and he didn't even realise his actions until they neared the end. 

When he saw the glowing exit sign, he quickened his pace slightly and pulled Hyena along, making sure that the piece of paper was still attached to them. He couldn't hold her anymore, the touch of her skin addicting and intimate, knowing that if he had to hold her hand any longer, he'd never want to let go of her. 

"Congratulations! Here's three grocery store coupons for each of you as a prize for the paper challenge," The student presented Junhoe with the coupons after he checked if the paper was still attaching them together. Thanking him, the taller male looked around for their friends only to realise that they were gone, something at the back of his mind telling him that they all somehow planned for this to happen. 

Realising how he still had a good grip of Hyena hand, Junhoe looked down only to see the girl looking down at their intertwined fingers, his heart pounding a little quicker as a soft fondness took over him. Feeling heat rise to the back of his neck, he attempted to quickly let go, Hyena's grip on him tightening instead. 

She honestly hated herself for giving in so easily to him, giving into his touch, his warmth, his being. Not wanting to let go, she held onto his hand tighter as he tried to slip his hand out of hers. The need to say something pushed itself out of her throat, a small plea escaping her lips. 

"Did you say something?" Leaning down a bit to bring his face closer to hers, Junhoe prompted her to say it again - even though he heard her the first time. With a deep breathe, Hyena looked up to meet his wide, curious eyes, her already pounding heart feeling like it could jump right out of her ribcage, a louder voice coming out of her, "Let's go to the garden." 

It felt somewhat nostalgic hearing the code that Hyena had made up a long time, the words suspending in the air when they both grew silent. Searching his eyes for a reply, Hyena felt herself shake in nervousness as he continued to look straight at her, the warm look in his eyes familiar and inviting. 

Darkness engulfed the sky, much like it had done to Junhoe’s heart. The thunder echoed with the voice in his mind, the one that was calling him an idiot, a jerk, an asshole, out of many the many other insults to himself. Despite regretting his burst of anger, he was slightly relieved to get it off his chest. With this, he hoped that Hyena would be able to move on from their relationship, even if he couldn’t. It was better that she stayed mad at him forever, wasn’t it?

From then on, Junhoe focused on himself - in a good way that is. He started helping out his uncle at his store doing all the heavy lifting and deliveries, knowing very well that he wasn’t as good of a salesperson as he was a heavy lifter. In an extremely odd way, knowing that Hyena would move on from the darkness that ate him and their friendship made him more motivated as a person. He knew that she would be happier this way and to help her get over their broken relationship faster, he would rush out the class and quickly made his way to his uncle’s store. It hurt him to not be able to face her properly but he deserved it for all the times he rudely ignored her when she tried to reach out to him. He would scoff at himself for being so absorbed in his emotions for her, realising that despite all the hurt she caused him and vice versa, he could never erase his feelings for her.

“Hey Donghyuk, what’s the class doing for the school festival?” Shocked, his classmate dropped the box of cardboard scraps as Junhoe spoke out of nowhere. The taller male hadn’t talked to him since the former quit coming to the community dance classes right after his father passed. Even when they started going to the same high school, Junhoe never approached Donghyuk, the curious boy getting information about his behaviour from Junhoe's childhood friend Hanbin, who was in the high school dance club with him. He always thought that their friendship was genuine back then and so this sudden conversation initiated by Junhoe warmed his heart a little. 

The boy’s eyes widened as he saw how Junhoe bent down to pick up the scraps and put them back in the box, an initiative move on his behalf. After a pause, the nostalgic stricken Donghyuk could only stutter out a, “We-we’re doing a maid and butler cafe.”

“Okay… And why?” Junhoe’s eyebrows furrowed as he absorbed the information, having not participated in any school festival ever. With the now filled box in his hands, Donghyuk began walking with Junhoe following behind him as he explained, “Well the girls really liked the idea when uhm… Hyena suggested it.”

Junhoe nodded at him to continue, trying to keep a straight face knowing full well how his old friend was trying to be wary of his words despite not know why or how he knew about Hyena and him. Donghyuk shifted his gaze to peak into the classroom, letting out a sigh of relief when he noticed that all the girls weren’t there before he continued, “And then Yuna suggested that the guys could dress up as butlers so it would be ‘fair’. We also don’t have much space in the class so we decided to make it up for it by selling real baked goods and drinks like macarons and tea and stuff.”

Checking to see if Junhoe was paying attention, Donghyuk placed the box on the floor and proceeded to pull out a note that instructed him to arrange the cardboard scraps to make the words ‘CAFE 2-3’, Junhoe’s hands automatically pulling the scraps out of the box in an offer to help as soon as he read the note. Although looking distant, Junhoe was aware of the murmurs from the handful of guys around him as he helped Donghyuk and in an attempt to break the awkwardness he continued their conversation, “So who’s making all that real food and drinks?”

With a smile, Donghyuk replied, “Half of the girls and some of the guys are experimenting and designing the menu right now actually. The rest of the girls are tailoring the outfits that are going to be used for the festival. Everyone’s pretty excited about it.”

Junhoe felt nervousness rise in his stomach as he prepared himself for his next line, clearing his throat before he said, “Could I… Become a butler too?”

“Seriously?” Donghyuk’s eyes widened as he saw real emotions cross Junhoe’s face, an expression filled with worry and optimism. It was so interesting for him to not see and feel an ounce of arrogance or pride in his friend’s tone. Nodding with enthusiasm, Donghyuk waved for one of the guys in the class to come over with the measuring tape, quickly getting his old friend to stand up and take his measurements before he thinks twice about his involvement.

“What made you want to do this though?” Trying to be careful with his words yet trying to ask an important question was really difficult for Donghyuk, the boy not used to such upfront confrontation. Unable to tell his old friend in front of so many people that he’d decided to live his life without grudges, Junhoe looked him in the eye as he shrugged and answered, “Figured it was about time I stopped being an ass.”

Bursting out laughing, Donghyuk looked around the classroom to see the other guys smile oddly at Junhoe, his comparably gentler words and actions making him seem like a completely different person. Noticing how they were all looking at him who was standing in the middle of the class and getting himself measured, Junhoe decided to say one more thing, “Could you guys maybe not tell Hyena that I’m helping out? Well, she wouldn’t want to hear that anyway.”

For the first time ever, he made the effort to turn around and face all of them, recognising and trying to remember the faces of his classmates who meant nothing to him before, unsure of his own intentions in doing so. When he turned to face Donghyuk, he was surprised to find his friend smirking to himself, the boy responding to Junhoe, “And how do you know she doesn’t want to hear that?”

“Trust me, she doesn’t. So don’t,” With a firmer voice, Junhoe hoped this would help prevent them from crossing paths any time soon, their wounds far too big to be patched up at the moment. He had hoped that this would be another way to distract himself since working at his uncle’s store just didn’t seem enough to stop him from thinking about Hyena. 

And so the preparations for the school festival began, Hyena and Junhoe going about preparing for the class cafe in their own little ways, unknowing of what the other was doing. They both took a step forward in their recovery and despite the wounds in their hearts, the laughter of their classmates brought a temporary fulfillment in a void that might not heal.

“Finally!!” Hyena was engulfed in a hug as soon as her friend broke through the crowd of people. Hanbin laughed loudly as he gave Yumi a pat on her back, the girl panting from running. Her friend’s unique red girl’s school uniform shone brightly among the crowd and people were glancing their way, trying not to make it obvious. 

“Okay, let's go to your class first and then we’ll go to Hanbin’s class and then Jinhwan oppa and Miso unnie’s class and then we’ll take a photo together and then -” Hanbin slung his arm over Yumi’s shoulder and cupped his hand over her mouth to keep her from talking, quickly interjecting as he brought her face close to his, “Or you don’t have to drag anyone anywhere and just enjoy it with me for the time being. The others are busy anyway.”

With a laugh, Hyena gave Yumi’s hand a squeeze and quickly excused herself, telling her to come over to her class a bit before her break at noon. She looked over her shoulder, her heart warm at the view of Hanbin and Yumi laughing loudly together, the two being best friends for too long to be just friends. The look in Hanbin’s eyes told her everything. Somehow, Hyena felt jealous. With their circumstances, the two had always been able to be open with each other, something Junhoe and her couldn’t achieve since they were little. 

Pushing the thought away, Hyena went back to her class, surprised to find a long line spilling out from the entrance. She passed through the people after much trouble and her eyes immediately widened at the sight before her. Junhoe, who she hadn't seen in close to a month, was in a tailored butler outfit. It wasn’t just any outfit though, since Hyena distinctly remembered stitching that little rose patch on the right breast pocket of the outfit exclusively for her good friend Donghyuk. 

It took Hyena off-guard seeing him smile at the girls he was serving, a wide toothy grin that was dazzling in its own special way. She felt her heart prick at the sight and she slowly made her way to the food preparation area of the classroom which was cordoned off with floor to ceiling curtains. Instinctively, she clutched the fabric of her outfit and closed her eyes for a moment, waiting until her felt herself calm down. 

“So I guess you saw him?” Hyena looked up and a smiling Donghyuk greeted her, the boy arranging macarons and biscuits nicely on a plate. She let out an exasperated sigh and sat down on a chair near him as she said, barely above a whisper, “Why is he wearing your outfit?”

“He wanted to be a part of it so I just gave his measurements as mine. No biggie,” As he passed the plate to Yuna who came in, the said girl looked over at Hyena and perked up, “Oh! Must be time for my break!”

Before she could protest, Yuna pushed the plate into Hyena’s hands and pulled on her wrist to drag her outside, quickly telling her which table to give it to before waving goodbye as she left the classroom. The group of guys in the corner looked unamused as she approached and she cursed herself for having a hand in deciding the ‘you take their order, you serve them’ rule the class voted for. Despite being worried, Hyena walked over to the table and presented the plate to them, giving them a big smile as she did so. 

“Hey, you aren’t Song Yuna. You think we customers are a joke or something?” As one of the guys said this, he pushed the plate off the table, the sound of the plate breaking enough to hush the crowd in the classroom. 

“I’m sorry but Yuna had matters to attend to so she wasn’t able to finish all her duties,” Bowing slightly to them, Hyena took in a deep breath as the group of guys proceeded to laugh her. 

“Well, can’t be helped. You’ll just have to go around with us to make up for it, maybe?” Their cackling laughter was becoming extremely annoying and Hyena looked up at them, ready to say something back. 

“If you aren’t satisfied with our service you could fill out the feedback form we have,” She looked up at Junhoe who suddenly stepped in front of her waving a feedback form in the faces of the three guys. His voice was unexpectedly polite and neutral while his expression was pleasant and genuine, shocking Hyena. 

Looking around the now quiet classroom, the three guys realised how embarrassing they must’ve looked and quickly got up to leave the classroom, giving Junhoe and Hyena rotten expressions as they left. The quiet of the classroom soon disappeared and along came bustling chatter and hushed whispers. Despite that, Junhoe didn't even spare a look at Hyena and proceeded to do the rest of his duties. 

“I didn’t know Koo Junhoe was that cool.” Said one girl to her friend as Hyena took their order. 

“He’s a good fighter and he stands up for women? What a combo,” Said another as Hyena picked up dishes on their table from the previous customers. 

“Having a bad boy in class must be quite exciting huh?” One girl asked Hyena directly as she was trying to take her order. 

Deciding that she won’t have it, Hyena walked back to the preparation room after serving a final customer and managed to get another girl to replace her for a while, knowing that Junhoe’s shift would end soon and she just didn’t want to see or hear about him for now. She then hid herself in another sectioned off area which acted like a break room. The class created it with the intention of giving those who needed a short break a space in the class rather than outside where everyone was enjoying the festival. 

“You okay in there?” Donghyuk said as he peeked from behind the curtain that separated the preparation room from the break room. Hyena nodded in response, knowing her voice would only betray her if she tried. He moved from behind the curtain and walked towards her, handing her a plate of colourful macarons as he grinned, “I’m hoping the bright colours might bring out a brighter expression from you.”

She couldn’t help but laugh as he said this, thankful that her friend was always understanding of her feelings, unlike someone. As she took a bite out of a red macaron, the curtain parted and a voice said, “Hey Donghyuk we should… go.”

Junhoe’s eyes reached hers and before he felt the heat rise to his ears he directed his gaze to Donghyuk and continued, “Uh, I’ll just be waiting outside.”

He left as quickly as he entered, Hyena realising that she hadn’t blinked since he came and looked over at Donghyuk, blinking up at him. With a sheepish smile, Donghyuk was about to explain himself before she interjected, her voice sounding slightly sad, “I hate how he looks so good in the outfit I made.”

“Go and make him happy, please,” She smiled at Donghyuk, a genuine yet pained smile that showed she cared more for him than she let on. He could only give her a thumbs up and a nod in return, unsure of how to answer her. 

Sighing, Hyena thought about how their closure had really helped diminished the anger she thought she had for Junhoe, something that was not surprising since she knew she still cared for him. She was thankful to be given the chance to let out her rage, knowing full well that despite all the trouble they caused for each other, she was loyal to her feelings for him, truly believing that Junhoe’s true feelings was somewhere behind his hard exterior. 

She was pulled out from her thoughts when the curtain was pulled away, her classmate informing her that it was already Hyena’s break time, the girl checking the time on her phone before thanking her classmate for letting her know. Looking around the corridor as she stepped out of the classroom, Hyena kept a lookout for the eye catching red uniform and clutched her phone in her hand out of nervousness. She hadn’t talked to Yumi properly since she came back and she wanted to know everything that has been going on in her friends life. 

“Sorry to keep you waiting!” As Miso and Yumi brisk walked towards her, Hyena couldn’t help the smile that formed on her face from seeing them together. Yumi grabbed each of their hands and looked up at them, a gleeful look in her eye as she said, “The three blind mice are together again!”

Feeling some kind of a soft sadness inside her, Hyena pulled the two into a group hug and gave them the tightest squeeze she could manage. Jokingly, Yumi let out a laugh and said, "Okay, don't squeeze the air out of us please."

When Yumi saw how Hyena wiped away a small tear that appeared at the corner of her eye, she immediately softened and gave the slightly taller girl a pat on the shoulder as she said, "You've been through a lot since you came back haven't you?"

"Let's not focus on that for today! I just want to have fun with my closest friends," Thinking about how her old friend still had the brightest smile she'd ever seen, Yumi turned to look at Miso and they both nodded in agreement at Hyena's simple request. 

“Hey, don’t worry about it. I’m here. I’m someone you know, aren’t I?” He reached out to squeeze her hand on his arm and looked down at her, the proximity of their faces dangerously close. Yumi felt her breath hitch in her throat as they gazed into each other’s eyes, Jinyoung feeling a blush creep up the back of his neck as he said that, highly aware of the amount of affection he might’ve shown.

“Yumi? Chae Yumi?” Snapping them both out of their little bubble, a tall young man slowly approached them, a smile on his handsome face. Jinyoung looked over at Yumi, the girl’s face lighting up as she recognised the model-like stranger. Pulling away from Jinyoung, Yumi reached out to the taller male and wrapped her arms around his neck, tiptoeing, while the male brought his arms around her back, enveloping her in a short hug. Containing himself, Jinyoung clasped his hands before him, choosing to ignore the weird rising feeling in his heart.

“Oh, I should probably introduce you two,” She laughed, embarrassed at her actions. She placed a hand on her friend’s arm, continuing, “This is Kim Yugyeom, a rising model and my old high school friend.”

Looking over at Jinyoung, Yumi brought one of her hands up to gesture at him as she introduced him, “And this is Jinyoung, he’s my date for tonight.”

Somehow, the finality in her introduction made something stir in him. He understood that it was a bad feeling but he didn’t understand why, choosing to push his thoughts away again as he shook hands with Yugyeom, giving him one of his signature polite smiles as he did so.

“Wow,” Unexpectedly, Yugyeom pulled Yumi by the elbow and lead her to stand next to Jinyoung before proceeding to take a step back, looking them both up and down as he said, “You both look really good together. I’m amazed you managed to find a guy with your busy schedule and all.”

Laughing, Yumi added, “Same to you, I’m amazed that you and Mei are still together even with your much crazier schedule.”

“Did I hear my name?” Out of nowhere, a pretty looking girl appeared from behind Yugyeom, wrapping her arms around the boy’s free arm. After introducing Jinyoung and Mei to one another, the three old friends proceeded to talk about various things, Jinyoung content with watching Yumi interact comfortably with people she knew.

The group got into a party mood and drank quite a bit, keeping the servers busy as they stopped almost any of them walking around them. Jinyoung choose not to drink despite their offers, a code of the company to never get tipsy when on a call. He enjoyed watching Yumi laugh freely, her smile brighter than any he ever saw. Somehow, he wanted to be bold. A part of him wanted to just wrap his arms around her and act like how Yugyeom and Mei were, the couple completely comfortable with the slightest touch of the other.

Before he could even think about reaching his hand out towards her, out of nowhere, an older looking female walked right into their conversation and faced Yumi, her face showing pure joy as she said, “This event has the potential of a five page insider scoop so Chae Yumi, you better get those pictures and voice recordings.”

Her singsong tone frightened Jinyoung a little, the message conveyed sounding more like a threat than a request. He looked over at Yumi, the girl blinking up at the older lady in shock. A thought struck him that she might be the girl’s supervisor and feeling the need to stand by her, Jinyoung placed his hand on the small of Yumi’s back and gave her an encouraging smile when she looked up at him in shock. With that small push, the girl let out a small laugh after a few seconds of silence.

With the alcohol in her bloodstream giving her courage, Yumi spoke up, “Ma’am, the invitation letter to this event specifically mentioned how any form of published media regarding interactions that take place in the venue will not be tolerated and that those who partake in such acts might never gain access to exclusive events like this again, remember?”

The calmness in Yumi’s voice was opposite of her true emotions, Jinyoung sensing a wall of fear as she let out a shaky breath. He rubbed small circles with his thumb on her back and took a step forward, giving the woman a bright, dazzling smile, “Excuse me but I think Yumi might’ve had a little too much to drink. I’m sure she didn’t mean to offend you and your… preparedness.”

Gesturing at the woman’s state of her holding her phone up in one hand and a small voice recorder in the other, Jinyoung gave her one last smile before turning to Yugyeom and Mei, “Well, thank you both for the great company but I think I should get her home now.”

Jinyoung’s hand that was on Yumi’s back moved down to grab her hand, intertwining their fingers before leading her out of the venue, the girl too stunned to properly react, taking this chance to turn around and bow her head to her supervisor and the friends she was leaving behind.

Choosing to give her some air, Jinyoung lead her to a nearby park and sat her down at a bench. He sat next to her in silence for a few minutes, the sound of her deep breathing filling the space between them.

Spotting a 24 hour mart right across the street, Jinyoung stood up and said, “I’ll go get you some water so just-”

“Please don’t go,” Yumi grabbed his hand with both of hers, looking up at him with wide eyes, “I’m okay so just... Stay with me for a while.”

Jinyoung had to turn away from her as she gently pulled him down next to her, his heart hurting at the sight of her anxious face. He straightened his thoughts quickly as he prepared to look at her, telling himself over and over again that she’s a client and he’s a worker. Feeling warmth, Jinyoung looked down at their hands and realised that she hadn’t let go of him, the girl slightly squeezing his hands at intervals of her heavy breathing.

“Yumi… Do you need a hug? It could make you feel a little better,” Jinyoung was aware that he was only digging a bigger grave for himself but he was willing to go through anything to make sure she ended the day with that beautiful, genuine smile on her face.

The girl was already feeling lightheaded from the alcohol and felt even more so when Jinyoung suggested the hug. Despite that, she didn’t know why she couldn’t think of a better place to be at the moment other than in his arms. As she slowly pulled her hands away from his warm hand, she looked up at him to make eye contact, her voice barely above a whisper as she said, “Please do.”

Pulling her up by her hands, Jinyoung got them in a standing position, Yumi having to tilt her head upwards to properly look at him. Choosing not to ask any of his usual preference questions, Jinyoung immediately brought one of his hands over her shoulders and one around her waist, the girl quickly reciprocating the hug by bringing both her hands around the back of his waist. Her small sob broke the silence between them and Jinyoung pulled her in even closer, bending his head down to whisper some comforting words in her ear.

It was an understatement to say that Yumi felt overwhelmed by everything. From Eunbyul hiring a beautiful stranger to be her date to talking back to her supervisor in front of her old friends and to that said stranger whispering heartwarming words in her ear, her emotions felt like it was reaching its maximum capacity. Although she was crying about possibly getting removed from her relatively new position, she was also crying because she couldn’t believe that she was also concerned about never being able to see Jinyoung after everything that had happened tonight. It was ridiculous to her that she felt so much for someone in the short span of a few hours but maybe it was the alcohol speaking, she had thought.

Quickly and roughly, Yumi shoved Jinyoung away, her confusion turning into anger. The male looked at her with a puzzled expression, slightly panicking at the sudden change. With a deep breath, Yumi pushed him down to sit on the bench, standing directly in front of him as she spilled her emotions, “How do you do this job? Because I hope you know that after you leave tonight, there will never be anyone that could make me feel the way you made me feel,” Running her hand through her hair, she continued, “And the worse thing about this is that I don’t even know if you’re real.”

Casting her gaze downward, she finished with a whisper, “I didn’t even ask for this.”

By this time, she was out of breath as she spoke to get her emotions across to him. The tears of embarrassment stung her eyes as the silence between them deepened, her gaze still on the gravel path beneath them.

“Uhm, I- I. Well, uh, I know you didn’t ask for this but uh, I’ve never been a date for hire for someone who didn’t specifically pick me so, uhm,” Yumi slowly looked up at him, Jinyoung’s ears red as he rubbed the back of his neck, his sentences incomplete and a flustered expression on his face. He looked up at her, a slight tint of red in his cheeks, “I’m sorry for making you feel uncomfortable.”

This was the first time Yumi had seen Jinyoung so flustered, the male having been so calm and collected no matter the situation before. A small smile made its way onto her lips, the girl unable to contain herself from feeling so much happiness at seeing Jinyoung express himself more.

Slowly, Yumi brought her hands up and cupped his cheeks, her own face red from the alcohol and adrenaline as she said, “Thank you for everything you’ve done for me tonight Jinyoung. I couldn’t have asked for a better date.”

Instantly, her tears started spilling as she realised the finality in her voice. To hide her tears, she quickly rubbed at her eyes, wiping them away before crossing her arms in front of her, giving Jinyoung a big smile as she said, “I know you have to take me home but I don’t think I can go through with this anymore. I’ll just hitch a ride with Yugyeom and Mei so-”

Surprisingly, Jinyoung felt himself unable to accept it and stood up abruptly, cutting Yumi short when he towered before her. He placed his hands on her shoulders, closing his eyes as he caught up with his thoughts, “Wait… Just-”

When he opened his eyes, the worried look on his face shocked Yumi and she felt spoilt from his kindness. Jinyoung steadied his gaze as he continued, looking into her concerned eyes, “I promise I won’t say or do anything that would make you feel uncomfortable so just let me take you home.”

There was a slight tremble in his voice as he ended his sentence, Yumi feeling his body shake slightly as he exhaled a deep breath, his hands still firmly on her shoulders. As Yumi felt her heart race at their intimate moment, she brought her hands up to place them on Jinyoung’s, looking him in the eye as she said let out a soft, “Alright then.”

The ride was silent, the soft music from the radio filling the empty space between them. Yumi couldn’t help but feel comfortable despite the situation, Jinyoung’s presence easily making her feel less tense. It was odd how the cause of her confusion was also the remedy for it, she had thought. The feeling was bittersweet, to say the least.

“You know, in the contract we sign...” Startled, Yumi looked over at Jinyoung, the boy still facing the road as he continued, “It says that being in a relationship isn’t and can’t be a basis for quitting.”

“Why are you telling me this?” Nervous, she made her voice sound lighter, not wanting to make the situation heavy. Jinyoung glanced at her briefly and Yumi could instantly feel her heart pounding, his gentle eyes conveying an emotion she was unfamiliar with.

It was only then that she noticed how they had come to a stop, the familiar blue pillars of the car park lit brightly behind Jinyoung as she looked at him. His gaze was steady as he replied, “I’m telling you this because I don’t want this to be our first and last date.”

“I’m telling you this because I want to go on more dates with you despite having this weird job,” He let out a deep breath as he said this, showing her a small but sad smile. Without even looking away, Jinyoung kept going, “I never do things unless I’m sure of them and I’m absolutely sure that I really want to see you again.”

By this time, Jinyoung was laughing to himself a little, unable to believe the words that escaped his normally careful mouth. He was telling this girl – this anxious yet brave girl – so many things despite only knowing her for a few hours, his mind and heart working in approved unison.

“You’re weird, you know that?” Tilting her head a little, Yumi inspected Jinyoung’s honest face, the most truthful expression she’d seen on him since the beginning. He nodded in agreement as she said this, his lips stretching into a smile when he saw the soft expression on her face, unable to believe that she was looking at him in that way.

“I’ll take it that I can ask you out for a second date?” His face was hopeful as he leaned forward, their faces close.

Like he worked his magic on her again, Yumi felt the need to tell him everything and everything, affirming her current feelings for him. With a big smile spread on her face, she quickly leaned forward and gave Jinyoung a kiss on the cheek.

“Why would you do that!?” Yumi yelled as she jumped up to reach her friend’s phone.

Running away from her, Eunbyul yelled back, “Because you need a date and there’s no one eligible to take you to this event!!”

“I don’t need a date! I have you!!” Chasing her friend around the dining table, Yumi caught her breath as Eunbyul stopped momentarily, the both of them drained from running around their apartment.

“Look, I would love to go with you to this fancy private fashion event but Jaebum is finally finalising everything in his EP tonight remember?” Tilting her head sideways, Eunbyul continued, “You know I want to support him in every step of the way.”

Sighing, Yumi pulled out a chair and took a seat, glaring up at her friend as she said, “I hate that you know how much of a fangirl I am for your relationship.”

With a smile, her friend circled the table and draped herself over the smaller girl, “I hope you know I appreciate the support you have for us.”

Yumi could only scoff at her friend’s statement, unable to disagree with her truthful words. She pulled out the seat next to her and gave it a pat, indicating for Eunbyul to sit down. Taking it as a peace offering, her friend sat down and pulled out her phone, clicking on the Date For Hire app again.

“As I was saying before you rudely attempted to kill me, this Jinyoung guy seems really neat and fashionable so I think he’ll be perfect as a date to the event,” Yumi didn’t even bother looking over at her phone, already feeling defeated as her friend continued talking, “Now, I know you don’t want to see his face but I’ve already arranged for him to meet you at the carpark. I’ll send you his car plate number and the time he agreed to come so don’t worry about it.”

After glancing to check that Yumi was still paying attention, Eunbyul continued, “It says here that he’s studying to be a teacher so you know, he’s an all rounded educated man. It also says that he’s an introvert but he’s able to be just the right amount of polite extrovertedness for social events. How specific!”

Groaning, Yumi buried her head in her hands, her heart beating loudly at the fear of a stranger having to be her date for her first private event. Sensing her anxiety, Eunbyul rubbed her friend’s back, “I know you don’t want this but the invite did say to bring a date and this is the best solution I could come up for you as a friend without actually introducing a friend of mine that might potentially want to date you who has ‘no time’ for relationships.”

“Okay, you know what? I don’t care. I’ll just think of him as a really really new friend,” After choosing to sweep that concern under her imaginary mat, Yumi gave Eunbyul a small punch as she realised what her friend meant, slightly thankful that it was a stranger rather than anyone she knew. Feeling a little at ease, the girl thought of her next immediate problem, “So now, just help me find something to wear?”

With a relieved smile, Eunbyul answered, “Anything for you kid.”

Jinyoung leaned on his car as he waited, letting out a deep breath as he prepared himself for another full night out. He told himself that this was going to be his last night call in a few days, A straight four nights of being out not doing his body too well. Feeling a little light headed, he closed his eyes and rubbed his temples.

“Uhm excuse me, are you Jinyoung?” Now, Jinyoung had seen plenty of beautiful woman during his time as a Date For Hire worker but he’s never been struck by a beauty as fast as he did with her. Her short sleeveless black dress fit her nicely in the correct places and it had some mesh material that made her midriff visible, the mesh coincidentally similar to the one on his own outfit. She had on fishnet tights and a pair of combat boots on, fitting the black but unique theme he was told about. Her makeup was simple and she had simple accessories on but what struck him was her smile. It was sweet and bright, conveying her nervousness instantly, something refreshing for him who was used to women who were always confident.

He stood up straight and noticed how he was almost a good 20cm taller than she was, shocking the small girl into taking a step back. Politely smiling, he started his duties, “Hello Yumi, my name is Jinyoung and I’ll be your date for tonight. I promise to treat you well and do as you wish - as long as it is within our guidelines.”

Yumi gave him a smile as he completed his introduction, unsure if she was supposed to clap for him or not but decided against it when he turned around to open the door of the passenger seat for her. He tilted his head towards the inside of the car and she climbed in, giving him a small, “Thank you.”

They both sat silently in the car for a while as Jinyoung started to drive. Quietly, Yumi was thinking about how Jinyoung was such an attractive man. She knew that the men working for the Date For Hire app were supposed to be smart and good looking but only now did she realise that they must have high standards for choosing their workers. Glancing at him as he drove, she admired his side profile in the dim lighting of the night.

“You can just ask me questions freely, don’t worry.” The corners of his mouth lifted as he spoke, his amused tone making Yumi feel warmth in her heart. He was still facing the road as he said this, making her think that he was quite a serious driver, the girl quickly and unexpectedly making assumptions about him.

“I just wanted to know what it takes to be a Date For Hire guy, that’s all.” He could hear the hint of playfulness in her voice and Jinyoung cursed in his head, gripping the wheel a little tighter at the sound of her soft laughing. He was surprised at his own reaction and made a mental note about how he shouldn’t get too attached, though this had never been a problem before. It was just a heart fluttering moment that could’ve happened with any other girl, he thought.

“Well, first we have to go through a grueling audition process at their headquarters where they strip us naked and inspect our beautiful bodies,” Injecting a dramatic tone as he spoke, Yumi realised how deep his voice was and she let out a small laugh, unable to believe that her heart was racing due to such a small thing. She gripped her black clutch bag and bit her lip, trying to contain the extreme warmth in her heart from showing.

“Anyway, could I ask why this event requires us to wear all black?” After realising that she didn’t continue the conversation, Jinyoung tried a different topic. Yumi hummed in thought as she properly pieced an answer together, Jinyoung annoyed how he thought even the sound of her humming was cute.

“Well, the designer wanted to go a step further to show his love for black outfits and clothes so he created the event to be in a white and clean backdrop, the contrast of everyone in black something he’ll be using as a means to show that love.” Thinking about it, Yumi admired how the designer was so passionate in creating the event specifically for him and the people in the business who have shown love for his creations through different mediums, Yumi being from the written medium albeit still relatively new to the fashion industry.

Jinyoung glanced over at Yumi as she went silent for a moment, realising how she had a thoughtful smile on her face and without realising it, he felt himself smile at the sight. Without warning, the girl turned to look at him and they made eye contact, something similar to shock visible in her eyes yet something else he couldn’t quite understand was hidden behind them. He cleared his throat and proceeded to face forward and continue driving, the ride silent but comfortable throughout.

Unexpectedly, there weren’t many people in the area of the event. Yumi had explained to Jinyoung that since it was more of a private event, there was no need for all the glitz and glamour, though there were some paparazzi who came anyway to try and snap some pictures of various celebrities who appeared. As she explained, she felt some kind of emotion overcome her being as she wanted to tell him more, like it was magic, “I write about the fashion events I attend for the magazine I work for.”

“So you’re a big deal huh?” As they were walking towards the venue, Jinyoung silently offered his hand to Yumi, the girl slipping her hand in his outstretched one, the warm enveloping feeling as he wrapped his fingers around hers sending tingles down her spine. He then brought her hand to wrap around his arm, giving her hand a pat with his free hand as they walked together.

Enjoying the feeling of having him so close to her, Yumi couldn’t help but want to tell him more than she should’ve, “Well, not really. The magazine I work for is experimenting with the inclusion of more in-depth fashion related articles and I’m told they see potential in me so that’s why they sent my supervisor and I to this event,” Without even thinking twice she added, “It’s honestly kind of nerve wrecking since my supervisor is into the more gossip side of the the fashion and entertainment scene so I’m afraid she might get me to do things I don’t want to do if she sees me later.”

By this time, they walked to the entrance and the bouncer requested Yumi to show her invitation and as the girl let go of Jinyoung to take out the letter from her bag, he placed his hand on the small of her back and pulled her slightly toward him when a group of people walked past them quickly, unaware of their surroundings while leaving the venue. Yumi turned to look at him for an explanation and she could felt herself grow red as he said in a low voice, “Sorry about that. They nearly hit you.”

Unable to respond, Yumi gave him a quick nod in reply before quickly digging her bag to find her invitation, showing it to bouncer who let them both in, the air conditioning in the venue cooling her down a little.

The music in the venue was slow but upbeat, contributing to the overall minimal vibe of the event. Jinyoung was amazed by the various styles in black around him and he would’ve been frozen in his position if Yumi didn’t gently tug on his sleeve to get him moving.

Surprisingly, Jinyoung continued their conversation, unable to think past how Yumi seemed to be taken advantage off at work, “Why don’t you just tell her you’re uncomfortable with doing that? I’m sure she would understand since she’s probably been in your position before.”

“When I confront someone it usually doesn’t end well, for them that is,” With a sheepish smile she continued, “I get a little overboard with what I say so I’d rather not do something risky like that especially if it’s related to work.

Taking it all in, Jinyoung nodded in understanding, letting out a small laugh as he said, “That’s probably the most confident you’ve sounded in yourself tonight.”

Letting out a laugh of her own, she looked him in the eyes as she said, lightheartedly, “I wish I had that confidence at work honestly.”

As Jinyoung gave her hand a pat of encouragement, Yumi realised that the both of them had naturally returned to their positions, her arm wrapped around his. Despite being embarrassed at the thought of being naturally physically close to him, a slight feeling of sadness struck her as she realised she would probably never have this with anyone else. Jinyoung was indeed hired to be her date but the fact that he helped her feel comfortable around him was too much of a bonus for Yumi to comprehend.

“So, do you see anyone you know yet?” After getting the feeling that Yumi’s mood dropped after her last statement, Jinyoung steered the conversation elsewhere as he looked around at the many people, making eye contact and smiling in greeting as they went about.

With a sigh, the girl said, “I haven’t seen anyone I know yet and I’m still kind of frightened at the sheer scale of this supposed small event so, uhm no, no one I know yet.”

With a deep breath Eunyoung pushed the door handle and entered the barely filled cafe. The usual couple in the corner were already cozying up, the warm cups of coffee on their table almost forgotten as they stared into each other’s eyes while talking. The young girl could only avert her gaze from the sight before her, trying to give them privacy. Walking to the other end of the cafe, she dumped her bag on her usual plush loveseat that was to the left of the counter, the best place where she could see him.

Moments later as she took out her study materials from her bag, a familiar voice made her whole body alert, “Good morning! You’re early today,” Jinhwan’s sweet smile greeted her, making her heart pound faster.

“O-of course! This place is perfect for studying! And you’re here after all,” His melodious laugh filled the air and she could see that Jinhwan didn’t take her last words seriously, his whole being too relaxed compared to her own tense body. Fiddling with a pen in her hand, she blurted out, “Could I ask you something? I wanted to ask you yesterday but you were busy with some customers and I had to leave early.”

Nodding as he put his hands in the front pockets of his apron, the curiosity in his eyes as he looked at her made Eunyoung’s legs go weak, grateful that she was already seated. She averted her gaze, suddenly losing the courage she had built up in the last few days, “Do you- do you know the couple over there?”

Clenching her hands into a fist, she gave him a small smile and waited for his answer to her unplanned question, her intended question being swallowed up by her fear. A small smirk played on Jinhwan’s lips as he turned to look at the little nook near the entrance of the cafe, “Ah, they’re my friends Hyena and Junhoe. They come here often for supervised dates.”

Somehow, his laughter was different, like there was a story behind it. Envy pricked at Eunyoung’s heart even though she barely knew the couple and she bit her lips to keep a frown from forming on her face. She managed to let out a reaction, a small ‘Ah’, as Jinhwan pulled out his notepad and pen from his apron pocket.

“Anyway, the usual?” The way his eyes formed the most perfect crescents when he smiled always made her want to kiss him, among the many other reasons of his existence. Eunyoung nodded her head, a small sense of pride enveloping her heart thinking that she was enough of a regular to have her own ‘usual’.

Jinhwan left with her order in hand and Eunyoung set up her area, knowing that a good study session was ahead of her. About five minutes into her session, a part of her was still mad at herself for backing down so easily, not even letting the words ‘Do you have time?’ come out of her mouth, closing her eyes and pinching her nose bridge in frustration when she couldn’t get over her cowardly words. Eunyoung jumped as a familiar voice suddenly spoke up, “Hey, you okay? Do you have a headache or something?” Jinhwan leaned down as he placed her items on the table, trying to get a better look at her.

The embarrassed girl could only look away from his concerned gaze, her eyes catching something shiny on his hand, a simple silver band on his left ring finger. She could only utter a short, “I’m fine,” her smile small as she gathered the courage to look at him, his signature sweet smile on his lips despite the concerned furrowing of his eyebrows. He glanced over his shoulder for a second before pulling a chair from a nearby table and placed it on the other side of Eunyoung’s table, noticing how her seat was full with her stuff. Folding his arms as he leaned forward, Jinhwan’s eyes sparkled as he said, “I want you to try this, I made it this morning.”

Eunyoung could feel the beating in her chest intensify as she saw the passion and excitement in his eyes, her eyes reflecting an admiration and curiosity to Jinhwan who only laughed at her bright expression, pushing the plate with a single muffin towards her. Catching the sight of the ring again as he laid his hands on the table, Eunyoung’s smile faltered a little, the girl wondering why she never noticed it before. She glanced around the table, a plan forming in her head as she saw how her iced coffee was filled to the brim as usual, Jinhwan calling it his ‘service’ knowing full well that Eunyoung enjoys the coffee he makes. With a spoon on her right hand cutting through the muffin, she calculatively reached out for the her iced coffee with her other hand, the glass dangerously close to Jinhwan’s white cuffs. Before she could turn into a coward again, Eunyoung quickly pulled the glass towards her with slight force, tilting it slightly backward to result in the drink spilling. Unexpectedly, she lost grip of the glass as it fully tipped over, the loud clanging of the glass and the scraping of Jinhwan’s chair disturbing the silence in the cafe.

With a gaping mouth, Eunyoung got up from her seat and quickly tore through her bag to find her wet and dry tissues, her hands trembling at her failed plan, spilling the entire drink on the front part of Jinhwan’s shirt instead of just his cuffs. She circled the small table and piled tissues on the edge, preventing the drink from spilling even more to the floor before turning to Jinhwan, profusely apologising for the incident, tears welling up in her eyes as scenarios started playing in her head. Scenarios where Jinhwan would be more careful in interacting with her, resulting in them losing the emotional connection they had made as customer and employee, scenarios where Jinhwan would understand her intention and be wary of her completely, her feelings for him never able to be said.

It was an understatement to say that Jinhwan was shocked, the older male having seen the way she pulled the glass towards her, the movement a little too strong compared to usual. He never thought that she was meaning to spill the drink on him, thinking about what he did to deserve such a treatment from one of his favourite customers. When she came rushing to his side to offer him tissues while she cautiously dabbed her wet tissues on his chest, he glanced around the cafe, spotting Junhoe and Hyena get off their seat to head his way. Discreetly, he brought one of his dangling hands up to gesture for them to stop while giving Junhoe a firm shake of his head, telling him not to come over. Hyena must’ve gotten the message since she quickly pulled Junhoe backwards by the arm, the tall boy looking at his girl in confusion before realisation struck his face, his junior quickly going wide eyed before falling back into the seat with Hyena, engulfing her in a hug as they looked at him and giggled, the lovely sound of their moment distracting Eunyoung.

“Are they laughing at you? This is so embarrassing I’m so sorry,” The girl quickly turned to look at the couple who grew quiet before she looked back at him - well more like at his shirt - and this time, Jinhwan could see how she was slightly trembling as she continued to dab his shirt with the new wet tissue, the girl continuing to ramble on, “This is bad I am so sorry I didn’t mean to do that I just- I just,” Without warning, Jinhwan grabbed her wrist, stopping the girl from both talking and cleaning him up.

“Could you, maybe, look at me?” Jinhwan’s voice was upbeat but unexpectedly soft, making their interaction feel more private that it actually was. Eunyoung calmed herself and met his eyes with hers, his gaze intensifying as he saw the glaze of fresh tears in her eyes. Her voice was barely above a whisper as she managed to say, “I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to.”

Jinhwan’s head tilted in amusement as her response confirmed his suspicions about her earlier movements. Despite his stained shirt, he folded his arms across his chest as he took a step towards her, craning his head slightly to get a closer look at Eunyoung, the girl’s breath hitched as she stood still in her place. An interrogative look was on Jinhwan’s face and Eunyoung was unsure of what was happening, not expecting him ask her the following, “So what were you so curious about that you would try and spill coffee on me?”

“You knew about that?” Her eyes widened as she took a small step back from Jinhwan, her heart beating fast as she thought about getting rejected. With a nod of his head, Jinhwan affirmed his knowledge on her plan and raised his eyebrows to try and spur her on to answer.

With a defeated sigh Eunyoung looked down at her feet, realising how close Jinhwan and her were standing while trying not to get too emotional about spilling her true intentions. Taking a deep breath, she looked up at him, his eyes as gentle as when she first met him, his eyes that were deeper than usual, that intensity growing the more she looked at him. About a minute passed and she could only stall so much before she felt confident enough to say it, “I wanted an excuse to ask you about the ring you’re wearing,” Jinhwan’s eyes widened by a mere quarter but Eunyoung knew that he didn’t expect that, the shocked look on his face giving her a little more courage to continue, “I’ve never met someone I could click so well with even if was just small conversations and seeing that ring just made me so scared to ask if you had some free time this week.”

“I just wanted it to happen so I could ask you about it casually and it wouldn’t affect our… friendship. I really am sorry about losing control,” She could only give him an apologetic smile as she finished her explanation, feeling defeated despite still not knowing the meaning behind the ring, sure that Jinhwan found her a desperate, lonely girl.

Unexpectedly, Jinhwan bursted out laughing, the sound of his laughter filling the cafe, Eunyoung surprised to find the cafe empty as she turned to look around. The stunned look on the girl’s face made Jinhwan bold as he took two steps towards her, bringing one of his hands up cover the huge grin on his face as he calmed down. When he caught her eye, he reached down for one of her hands, his bigger palm briefly holding her smaller ones. He broke their eye contact as he pulled the ring out from his finger and placed it on her outstretched palm, Jinhwan’s warm hand bringing her hand up to her eye level as he said, “Could you read the engraving inside aloud for me?”

“Okay… It says, ‘For my beautiful son’,” Eunyoung’s eyes grew wide in realisation and a small laugh escaped her, a relieved smile slowly spreading on her face. She let out a deep breath she didn’t know she was holding and closed her eyes, feeling her ears get warmer as embarrassment spread all over her being. Jinhwan laughed with her, not expecting this small girl to be so upfront about her actions after a failed attempt at being discreet.

Jinhwan brought their hands down to their sides and gave them a slight squeeze, Eunyoung looking up into his eyes endearingly as he did so. With a small smile playing on his lips, Jinhwan said, “You know, I actually might have time this weekend.”

Bringing her hands in front of her face, Mei knew that she was dreaming. Everything was slightly blurry and a soft white light appeared around the edges of her vision. Looking around, she realised that she was in her living room, only that the colours of the furniture were more saturated than they really were in real life. She wrapped her arms around herself, feeling cold in the warm looking room.

Breaking the quiet in the room, a soft meow could be heard and Mei looked down at the floor only to see a black and white cat looking up at her, it’s blue eyes intensely calling her to bend down and give it her greetings.

“Hi there,” Slowly bringing her hands to stroke the beautiful creature under its chin, she noticed a green ribbon peeking out from under its folds of thick hair before continued talking, “Why are you here alone?”

Like it understood her, the cat moved it’s head away from her and walked towards the couch. As it jumped on the couch, a big white cloud appeared and disappeared almost instantly, a grown man lying down on her couch instead of the black and white cat.

“Who- What the??” Confused, Mei took a step back. The man, with his fluffy black hair and familiar green ribbon around his neck, looked Mei up and down before giving her a wide smile, and a dazzling smile it was.

He wore a white sweater and a pair of black joggers, something Mei only noticed when he stood up and walked toward her, his figure much bigger than hers and somehow inviting. Still at a distance away he finally said, “You can call me Yugi.”

His presence was extremely warm and Mei felt an intense need to put her hands in his mass of hair. Pulling her out of her thoughts, Yugi turned away from Mei and proceeded to enter her room, the girl instinctively following behind him.

In her room, he was back in his cat form, the form she much preferred seeing him in, and was on her study table observing everything on a higher level. He faced away from her and surprisingly, started talking, “Looks like you could use the company.”

Following his gaze, Mei saw her cabinets and shelves full of books and other stuff she had, confused at what he was talking about. Without even asking, he answered her unasked question, “There aren’t any photos of people here.”

With a shrug, Mei walked over to sit on her bed and faced him, “Well, there are tons of family pictures outside and this is my private space so I can put whatever I want.”

Scoffing, he jumped down from the table, the puff of cloud appearing and disappearing again, the human Yugi taking a few more steps to sit down next to Mei. With wide eyes, Mei froze in her seat, his bright blue eyes looking deep into her soul as his voice dipped and he said, “I’m talking about friends. Aren’t you tired of being lonely?”

With a jolt, Mei opened her eyes, her ceiling looking blurry. Choosing to stay in the same position she woke up in, she could hear her heart pounding loudly in her chest and her breathing erratic as tears quickly streamed down her face. Wiping them away hastily, Mei blinked a couple of times to ensure that she was fully awake, the dream seeming to last longer than what she thought was possible.

After a few minutes, the girl got out of bed and realised that her blanket was all bunched at the foot of her bed, showing that she had been kicking her blanket off that night - a sign of a troubled night. Despite being in a daze, Mei got out of bed to get ready for her first day of high school.

Mei realised that she was able to remember the dream almost too vividly, something that really freaked her out, and tried to shake off the intimate feeling she had felt with Yugi despite the short time they spent together in the dream. Her thoughts were consumed by their conversation in the dream as she walked to the bus stop and somehow managed to board the bus.

Her conclusion was that it must’ve been a message from her subconscious. A message for her to not be too nervous and just try to make some friends in her new school. She got that but what was up with the magical cat turned human? Mei knew that faces of strangers can appear in dreams because her brain remembers the thousands of faces she sees everyday, meaning that she probably had seen Yugi in real life but probably had no conscious memory of their interaction.

Thankfully, Mei’s body was quick to adapt while she was thinking too hard about the dream, instinctively alighting the bus at the stop where about half of the students pushed their way out. This is where it ended, however, since her body had no prior knowledge to know where to go.

Suddenly, a voice spoke up, shocking Mei out of her thoughts, “Uhm hey, our school is that way.”

Even before looking up, Mei could feel her heart start to beat faster at the sound of his voice. It sounded exactly like it did in the dream, an event that wasn’t even real. With a slight feeling of joy, she looked up at him, the first thing she noticed being his fluffy black hair blowing softly in the autumn wind.

It was an understatement to say she was shocked. She realised that her shock must’ve been evident on her face since his bright eyes - which weren’t blue - widened in concern when she didn’t respond. He ducked his head down a little to be at eye level with Mei and said, “Are you okay? You look a little pale.”

Trying not to look like an idiot in front of an actual stranger, Mei stuttered out an, “I-I’m okay,” Before adding, “Oh and thank you! For the directions.”

The student who looked exactly like Yugi smiled that dazzling smile of his and Mei could feel herself smile back, a wide and genuine smile stretching across her face. Before even properly thinking, she took her metaphoric first step forward as she stretched her hand out to say, “I’m Kang Mei. Nice to meet you.”

Junhoe titled his head in confusion as Hyena suddenly stopped what she was doing, her hand in mid air holding the q-tip gently on his lip. She stayed there for some time and Junhoe, getting annoyed, called out to her, “Ya, shorty. What are you doing?”

“N-nothing. Sorry.” She let out a deep sigh from within, it was shaky and long, her whole body rising and falling to emphasise the intensity of her feelings toward him. She continued with what she was doing, trying to be careful not to expose herself.

Nothing my ass, he thought. There was no way she was okay with the way her whole body screamed like she was upset about something. The way she tried to steady her slightly shaky hands and how her breathing became more intense as if she was about to burst into tears.

Before he knew it, his hand was out and he held her by the wrist, stopping her actions. He was shocked by himself, not realising at first how his hands came out of nowhere. He stared at her, her eyes widened in the same shock. He hated how he wanted to see more of her face, hated how he could just stare at her all day.

“Jun… My wrist hurts…” Her expression albeit gentle, slowly turned into a pained one the longer Junhoe held her. As much as she appreciated how he was the one initiating the contact between them, she couldn’t help but think about why he was so worked up.

“You didn’t answer me shorty. Why did you stop? What’s with the face?” His voice dipped to a gentle tone at his last line, surprising them both. He studied her expression and in a moment of trying to put her feelings first, he loosened his grip on her wrist.

“I just thought about how much you mean to me. That’s all.” She directed her gaze elsewhere, suddenly afraid about expressing her strong desire to reconcile. She could hear her pounding heart and an enormous sense of guilt engulfed her. In an instant the pace of her breathing quickened, the tightness in her chest making her feel like she wasn’t breathing, this being a usual occurrence ever since she came back to Korea. She looked up at Junhoe from under her quickly blinking eyelids, her voice caught in her throat and her lips quivering, preventing her from speaking.

His grip on her tightened as he recognised her actions, for his father had episodes like this before he was hospitalised. Her whole body was trembling and she looked like she was short of breath. Junhoe used his other hand to grip her free arm, pulling her to stand up before him. She was stood on a step higher than him as her tears streamed down her face and she stared past him, though he was facing her. Junhoe felt his heart race as flashes of the detailed dream ran through his mind, about how she would forget him even when he was looking right at her.

His broken conscious told him to leave her if she was being like this, about how he should call Jinhwan to pick her up there and take care of her. It wasn’t even his duty or anything. But of course, the part of him that truly cared for her wouldn’t accept such a thought, telling him that it was his fault she was like this in the first place. She wouldn’t have had an attack if she didn’t think about him. She wouldn’t have looked so broken every time they met if it wasn’t for him being a jerk to her.

Junhoe could feel his heart ache at the sight before him and on an impulse, he brought his hands up to her shoulders, making her face him. Her eyes were unfocused and she didn’t even look at him but Junhoe fought with his inner demon that was telling him to leave her, since he was unsure if she would return to him if he was a jerk to her this time. Something was coming up to the surface, Junhoe wasn’t changing but his past self was emerging from within him, taking the reins of this situation. From the outside, it would’ve looked like he was being controlled by someone else but Junhoe knew it was just his innermost thoughts making him act as if he had no control over himself. In a swift but gentle movement, he cupped Hyena’s face with his hands. Her eyes met his then, focusing on him instantly, blinking up at him.

“What’s wrong? Tell me,” Although his words were reminiscent of a past Junhoe, the gentle but awkward Junhoe, the firmness in his question reflected the older, more serious Junhoe. Hyena brought her hand up hold his hand on her cheek and Junhoe realised how cold her hands were now. With a small smile she looked him in the eye, her expression conveying an overall sadness as she said, “I don’t have time Junhoe. My mother is… not well,” Junhoe didn’t know how she could laugh in a situation like this. He didn’t understand what she meant by that but it had to be severe if she had that pained expression on her face and that was enough for him to believe her.

Junhoe’s hands moved away from Hyena’s face and he reached behind her - just like he did in the library - one hand behind her head and one hand on her back, pulling her in. His hug was warm and familiar, and before she knew it, Hyena’s tears started to spill again. She could only bring her arms around his back, hugging him with the same tightness he was giving her, sobbing even harder when she felt how physically close they were. She let out a muffled wail as she was in his embrace, all the emotions she had to hold in since her father got really sick, all the pain that she felt but could never express to anyone else.

After about a minute of stroking her hair and swaying a little from side to side with her in his arms, Junhoe pulled away from the hug, placing his hands on her shoulders as he looked into her eyes, a struggling but sincere expression on his face. Seeing his expression, Hyena instinctively brought her hands to hold onto his wrists, her heartbeat fast and loud in her chest. A small smile made its way on her lips as she said, “I’m sorry for staining your shirt,” She wiped her tear streaked face, clearing her vision as she continued, “Being nice to me must be hard for you.”

“It is,” His voice was rough but hurt was etched in it. He closed his eyes as he said this, as if it was too hard to properly look at her, “That’s only because I haven’t really been nice to anyone in a long time, though.” Deciding that he should say his thoughts to her directly, he brought his hands down to his sides, feeling undeserving of this ecstasy that washed over his heart whenever he held her.

“Look, I never hated you.” The habit of rubbing the back of his neck when he was nervous didn’t change, she thought. His eyes were downcast as he continued, “I just hated what you did to me,” He couldn’t help his strong gaze as he looked at her, “It really affected me and I’m not sure if we could ever be like that again. Carefree and always together. That’s just not how I am now.”

Hyena wanted to interject but before she could even try, Junhoe continued, purposely cutting her off, “You left when my dad just died and you knew I had no one else. Did it never cross your mind that you could’ve just wrote to me?” His voice cracked a little as he said this, both anger and sadness emitting from his being. The thought of Hyena’s own burdens didn’t even flash through his mind when those harsh words escaped him. He was again, absorbed in his own selfish thoughts, this time directing it towards Hyena with increased volume.

The girl was frozen as she looked him in the eye, her resolve slowly breaking before him. Junhoe’s hot and cold personality seemed to get more extreme each time they met. She didn’t want to think that it was her fault, rationalising that there might be other factors. But despite trying, every situation she thought of had her involved in the molding of his current personality. It might sound arrogant of her but his actions heavily point it in that direction. It somehow had always been like that. With her father, with her mother, with Junhoe and even her childhood friends. She had always been a symbol of misfortune to herself and no matter how bright her smile was, Hyena had always felt that her aura was dark, that she was just meant to invite terrible fate. No matter how much she believed in making the lives of her loved ones better, she knew they would only have a better life if she wasn’t there.

Junhoe was silent after his outburst, the rage that was boiling in his blood coming down to a simmer. He felt relieved yet guilty. He knew it himself how his emotions tend to take over his whole being and he knew he didn’t mince his words, sure that they were like bullets aimed at Hyena’s already guilty conscious. His light heart turned heavy again, the guilt of raising his voice at her quickly pressing onto his conscious. When she was near him, he couldn’t control himself. Extreme rage or extreme joy were only a handful of emotions he could feel when he was with her and he didn’t know it would eventually be the cause of his eruption of emotions.

“Look, I didn’t ask you to approach me when we were kids. I was fine being the lonely sandbox kid in the playgroup. So why are you making a face like you’re the victim in this situation?” Unexpectedly, the look in Hyena’s eyes reflected anger. It wasn’t an ‘I’m going to kill you’ look that Junhoe was used to seeing during fights so he couldn’t understand the pain that was behind her furious expression. Hyena was changing, she was tired of being patient. She wanted to pour out her feelings and rip out his heart right there before she could rip out her own. She didn’t have anything to lose anyway.

“If I had known that trying to be friends with another loner would bring both of us this much pain, I shouldn’t have even tried,” She lashed out, furious at him but her voice betrayed her, extreme feelings of hurt being conveyed instead. Angry tears took over her sad tears and she quickly crouched down to pack up the first aid box, roughly wiping the tears away from her eyes as she did so.

There was no more flexibility in their relationship anymore, it was already being pulled past it’s limits. Junhoe being the first to let go and inflicting damage on Hyena, yet she held on. She held onto the relationship, hoping that he would come back and see her sincerity, hoping that he would pick up the other end of their fragile friendship. Truthfully, it had scared Hyena ever since she returned and no matter how hard she tried, Junhoe rejected her everything eventually, slowly straining their already stretched relationship.

With a deep, shaky breath, Hyena turned to Junhoe, her eyes fixed on him. She clutched the first aid kid in her hand, her knuckles turning white at her force. They stood there for a very short moment, stuck in their emotions. Tears were still streaming down Hyena’s face and without wiping them away, she brought her free hand up to hold his cheek as she said with finality, “Goodbye Koo Junhoe.”

“Did you know the Go family moved back above us? I saw Hyena and her mother in the elevator this morning and it felt like an eternity since I last saw them,” Junhoe’s uncle cautiously said as he placed the side dishes on the table. He knew how sensitive his brother’s son was towards the mention of his previous best friend. Since he was being unresponsive, he continued, “Hyena grew up beautifully don’t you think? She’s still looks like a small, timid girl but she seems more confident compared to before.”

“Nothing changed,” He monotonously responded. He shoved another big spoonful of rice into his already full mouth, quickly chewing through it, his constant anger towards everything fueling his hunger.

“She’s been doing well though. Both of them. Since they’re struggling, they’ve been doing all they can to save costs. I just can’t believe they’d resort to not eating properly,” Junhoe looked up from his rice bowl and gave him a confused look, the mention them not eating peaking his interest. His uncle continued talking when he realised he finally caught his attention, “With me being a helpful person and an old friend, you know I had to give her mother whatever I could spare,” The boy felt some relief in his chest and thought back about their run in at the sick bay, how food wrappers dropped from her lap, the crinkling sound disturbing the silence. There was no point in asking her about it then, his firm stance in not interacting with her at all being in his way of speaking up.

His uncle, reading his expression, tilted his head as he realised his nephew knew nothing about them at the moment, “Didn’t you know? Hyena’s father passed away,” The look in his usually tough eyes softened as he continued, “They moved overseas to get away from the stuffy city air and get better treatment there but it didn’t work out like they wanted it to,” His voice was not in his usual loudness as he finished his sentence, his own face reminiscent of their earlier years, the years when his own brother - Junhoe’s father - was fighting for his life.

Junhoe looked away from him, unsure of how to respond to the information he had just been given. He stopped eating and waited for his uncle to join him on the dining table, a new guilt emerging in his mind. He realised then how he’d been so absorbed in his emotions for so long that he didn’t realise how it adversely affected his uncle whose health and wellbeing should be his main priority. How could he just let himself be engulfed with grief from his father’s death and his best friend’s departure without ever considering the feelings of his uncle who had taken him in despite having his own struggles?

“What’s wrong?” His uncle looked at him when he returned from the kitchen, concern written on his tired face. Junhoe gave him a small smile and picked up his chopsticks to resume his dinner when he saw his uncle dig into his own food. Just as he was about to put another spoonful in his mouth, Junhoe paused and looked up at his uncle before he sincerely said, “Look, I’ll help out at the store after school from now on.”

A smile broke out on his uncle’s face but there was a melancholic expression in his eyes as he gazed at him, “You’re just like your dad, always giving short answers and never being upfront when talking about your feelings,” He laughed a little, the unsteadiness in his laughter causing Junhoe’s heart to ache.

Choosing to change the topic, he started by saying, “Did you finally let the nurse patch you up? It looks like a really clean job,” He reached over to Junhoe’s arm and gently touched the bandaged part, inspecting it closer. Junhoe breath caught in his throat and he started coughing, briefly choking on air at the unexpected question. He continued coughing as his uncle handed him a glass of water, his beating heart calming down as he downed the drink, his throat feeling better. He looked up from his bowl, clenching his jaw as he struggled to contain a smile from breaking out on his face as he said her name, “Hyena did.”

“You let someone touch you? And it was Hyena?” Shock was in his voice as he tried to absorb the given information, warmth spreading in his heart as he realised his nephew’s feelings. It had been years since anyone other than himself was allowed anywhere near Junhoe’s comfort zone, easily being distrustful of people since the only people he ever loved left him. Uncomfortable with the amount of attention his uncle was giving him, he directed his gaze back to his food, murmuring, “It’s nothing, really.”

His uncle gave him a hearty laughter and looked at the top of Junhoe’s head, the boy’s head still lowered, as he said, “Hyena and you are so similar, both so daring despite being reckless at times.” A knowing look was in his eyes as he continued, “You’re both also show a tough front, being bold even though you’re actual softies.”

Junhoe shifted uncomfortably in his seat as he thought about the truth in his uncle’s statement. It’s true that Hyena was more timid in the past but she was daring, having pulled him out of his shell and showing him how bright the world could be if he opened up. Nobody knew Hyena better than he did, that’s why he knew how she was exactly the same - she just had more scars on her soul compared to before.

After that incident, it seemed almost impossible for Hyena to try and meet Junhoe anywhere at all. First, it was around their apartment complex. They originally didn’t see each other much since Junhoe would just take the stairs to avoid her or he would close the lift in front of her face, pretending not to see her but this time, it was like he wanted to avoid her at all cost completely. Even in school, it didn’t even matter that he sat behind her in class since he dashes out of the classroom as soon as the school bell rings, even if the teacher didn’t deem it the end of class yet. After school was even worse, since she assumed that he could be anywhere in the general area with his group. It was already a good week or two since Junhoe started really avoiding her and since it was nearing the school festival, Hyena got busier with helping the class prepare for the event, Junhoe expectedly not participating in helping out.

That day in particular though, Hyena finished her duties early and had met up with Jinhwan to ask about why Junhoe would do such a thing. Jinhwan could only tell her, “Well for the last seven years of him not being able to see you, fighting was his way to forget you.” He stopped cutting the paper in his hand and lifted the scissors as he said, “Man, can you imagine, if he fought in anger when you weren’t here, how would he be now if you are here?” Jinhwan’s eyes enlarged as he realised what he said, and he dropped the scissors on the table to reach over and place a hand on Hyena’s shoulder as he warned her, “I think you should be by his side. He wouldn’t even be fighting if he didn’t care about you, honestly.”

Confused by the sudden seriousness in his tone, Hyena tried to absorb what Jinhwan said but she couldn’t really understand the correlation between Junhoe’s occasional fighting and her presence in his life. Was he fighting with others as a mean to forget her existence? Or did he just not want to deal with his hateful feelings towards her? With a groan, Hyena placed her head on the table, feeling defeated. Although she had stayed back in school to specifically talk to Jinhwan, the boy gladly took advantage of the situation and asked her to help him with some of his student council work while they talked. The student council club room was the same size as a normal classroom but looked bigger since they stacked the unused chairs and tables in a corner. Since it was a Friday, the club room was empty save for the two of them. They talked about different things and it was only a matter of time before the always curious Hyena asked, “So what’s up with you and Miso? Are you guys still married?”

Jinhwan sarcastically laughed at her childish question, replying with a steady voice, “We’re just best friends, don’t think about it too much. And that was like seven years ago, I’m surprised you still remember.”

Trying to direct their conversation elsewhere, Jinhwan smoothly transitioned the questions towards Hyena, quickly adding, “But what about you? How’s your family doing? I haven’t seen your dad around the neighbourhood so I assume he’s still in Australia?”

Hyena backed up hearing all those questions at once, surprised at the amount of the questions asked. She knew that eventually someone was going to ask her about her family sooner or later, she just hoped that the first person she would personally tell would be Junhoe. Her lips formed a straight line as she let out a long, “Hmmm,” tears starting to well in her eyes. Unconsciously, she started tapping her foot under the table, feeling a little anxious despite preparing herself for it, “He’s doing well I think. I don’t actually know though, since he’s not-”

The sliding doors of the council room abruptly opened, cutting Hyena off and a deep voice followed, “Hyung do you happen to have a band…aid…” Junhoe’s words slowed down as he looked up the situation before him. His eyes were unfocused and blood from his forehead ran down to the side of his face, his partially blood stained lips parted and without another word, he slid the door close, the sound of him walking away echoing in the hallway.

Hyena shot up from her seat and took a step towards the door before stopping herself, looking down at her hands, her vision blurred with her intensifying tears. If she followed him, he would probably get mad and yell at her but if she didn’t, he could just go back into whatever ruckus that put him in those injuries. As she thought too much about it, a first aid kit was pushed into her vision. She looked up at Jinhwan who simply said with a soft smile, “Go to him.”

Using that as a boost, Hyena grabbed onto the kit and dashed out of the room towards where Junhoe went. Despite not knowing where he was, her intuition kicked in and she ran up the staircase all the way to the top floor. She stopped before the last set of stairs that turned to the roof access, her gut feeling telling her that Junhoe was there. Still out of breath, she peeked from behind the partition and sure enough, Junhoe was sat on the stairs with his head in his hands that were bruised and bloodied.

Hyena felt her heart clench at the sight before her and she gripped the handle of the first aid box tighter, confused and unsure of what the pain meant exactly. The shuffle of her footsteps echoed softly in the still air and Hyena quickly wiped the tears on her face.

Even without looking up, Junhoe already knew who was walking towards him. She was never able to leave him alone when they were kids, always insisting that they did things together or following him around when he wanted to do other things with the guys. It was annoying back then and it definitely is annoying now. He let out an exasperated sigh when he heard her settle down next to him and immediately, her warmth spread to him. He turned to look at her, the lack of sleep evident in his tired yet secretly amused expression as he said, “Will you ever stop following me?”

Despite sounding like a threat, there was a very small hint of playfulness in his voice and Hyena’s eyes lit up ever so slightly, no one other than Junhoe could’ve figured out that she was happy from hearing such a thing. He had a strong urge to give her a wide grin but that would show her how weak he was to seeing her smile, even if just a little. Instead, he raised an eyebrow and cocked his head as if expecting her to answer his question. Much to Junhoe’s surprise, she said exactly what he didn’t want to hear, “No, I won’t. I like you too much.”

She had said that same line to him seven years ago when they played hide and seek with Miso and the others. Back then, Junhoe didn’t understand why her last line made his heart race so fast, brushing it off as adrenaline from their game. Now, however, his blood boiled as she said this and he looked up from his hands to make eye contact with her, his fiery gaze meeting her steady gaze. He didn’t expect that fragile yet emotional look to tug at his heartstring, yet it did. Hyena looked him dead in the eye and stated that she was going to patch him up, uncertainty disguised under her unwavering eyes. Somehow betrayed by his own voice, Junhoe blurted out, “Do whatever you want.”

Unable to control herself, a wide smile spread on Hyena’s face and she fumbled with the first aid kit, her hands shaking from the happiness inside her. She took a deep breath as she turned to look at Junhoe, his eyes having been on her the whole time but with his normal blank expression on his face. Unsure how to proceed, Hyena stuttered as she said, “You-You’re going to need to, uh, look a-at me. Like your head, just you know, turn it to look at me.”

Junhoe tilted his head, his expression slightly serious as he said, “Isn’t that what I’ve been doing?” Hyena sensed an underlying connotation in his statement but couldn’t fully understand what he meant. Was it because he was already looking at her getting ready to patch him up? Or was there some deeper underlying meaning? Before she could even begin to question him, he seemed to have understood what she meant since he turned his head towards her so that his wound was directly facing her, “Right, you probably meant this.”

With a nod of her head, Hyena proceeded with cleaning his wound, her free hand gripping onto the side of a step next to her since she didn’t know what to do with it. As she dabbed the gauze on his forehead, Junhoe hissed at the pain and he closed his eyes. Hyena peeked at his pained expression and instinctively her free hand went up to the side of his face, cradling his right cheek. Junhoe opened his eyes quickly, his eyes narrow and eyebrows furrowed as he realised she was holding him. He talked slowly through his teeth, trying to get the message across to her that she shouldn’t be doing this, “What.. are you.. doing?”

She gave him a soft smile and her eyes searched his for traces of her Junhoe, her tough but gentle Junhoe. It was going to take time before that Junhoe would show up and time was something she didn’t have. She kept her hand on his cheek and continued dabbing the gauze on his forehead, cleaning the blood away as she said, “I need a firm hold of your head since you keep moving. That’s it.”

He noticed how she bit her lip as she smiled, recognising how her lips quivered as she forced the seemingly relaxed smile. He noticed how her eyes almost welled up as she looked into his eyes, it was as if she was looking into his soul, asking him to come out of the familiar shell he had made for himself. He felt a newfound sense of power that somehow seemed to wipe away the same insecurity that had haunted him for years. He had spent years building walls, sure that everyone was eventually going to walk out of his life without warning like she did but now, he saw how he had her wrapped around his finger. She came rushing to him each time she saw how he was injured. She offered him comfort and healing when he was at his lowest, probably to get him to revert his ways, but it didn’t matter what her reason to follow him was since he already made up his mind to separate himself from his childhood friends.

He continued looking at Hyena’s face, from her sheer bangs on her forehead to her slightly parted lips. They were a light shade of pink as she mumbled about how he shouldn’t let things be thrown towards him and how he should cover his face at least since there could be big injuries and blah blah blah. Her voice drained out as concentrated on her lips, focusing on how the corners of her mouth lifted up and formed a familiar cat-like smile.

“What are you smiling about?” Junhoe didn’t realise how his body has acted on its own, his lips forming a half smirk. He slowly changed his expression, getting rid of his almost smiling face and replacing it with his signature blank look, unsure if he should just push her away now and leave the situation.

Hyena realised how this was the closest she had come to seeing his smile in years and a spread of warmth blossomed in her chest, the girl letting out a sigh as she felt it hit her, the happiness spreading throughout her entire body. She carefully finished up on his forehead and prepared a q-tip for his bleeding lip, not wanting to look at him, slightly afraid of his reaction.

“Just finish what you were doing.” Despite the crazy thumping of his heart, Junhoe didn’t see it as a reason to truthfully answer her, making him even more pissed off at himself for allowing such a small thing to affect him so severely.

“Jun…” Softly, gently, broken yet relieved. He hadn’t heard that nickname since before he yelled at his friends to stop calling him that years ago, Hyena being the creator of that nickname. She stood up from the bed, the food wrappers falling to the floor in her rush. He stared at her, the flash of pain in his eyes changing to confusion, trying to understand why she was there. As if it was a wakeup call, the school bell rang and made Junhoe blink, his eyes now devoid of emotion and he quickly turned around to leave the room. Not wanting to pass this opportunity, Hyena stepped forward and grabbed his free hand with both of hers. Junhoe turned to look at her, anger filling his eyes while sincerity was brimming in hers. They both looked down at their hands and Hyena let go upon realising the origin of the sticky feeling. She looked Junhoe up and down multiple times, the boy trying his hardest to stare her down, but to no avail.

Before Junhoe could say anything to her, Hyena dashed past him into the main room and grabbed the nearest first aid box she saw, quickly wiping away the stains on her hands with some wet tissues she spotted on the table, immediately turning back as she was done and back into the room, pulling Junhoe down next to her to sit on the bed. Despite being shocked, he pulled his hand away from her and stood up to leave, embarrassment and anger filling him up all at once. However, choosing to bear with his rage, Hyena once again grabbed onto him and pulled him down. In a shaky yet firm voice, she said her first real words to him after seven years, “At least let me do this.”

Her hands that were still slightly stained with his blood were gently pulling the sleeves of his shirt up to his elbow where the cut was, something sharp that was thrown in the fight probably causing it, but he couldn’t actually remember what the cause was. He was too focused on how the colour of her hair was a little darker from how he remembered, focused on how her feet still didn’t touch the floor when she sat on the bed, focused on how she was blowing onto the cut as if it’ll get better just like that. He let out a scoff then, and a new anger started to boil inside of him at the realisation of his own fondness towards her.

Distracted by his voice, Hyena cautiously looked up, only to directly meet his gaze, his intense and unfaltering gaze. A wave of embarrassed hit her but she knew better, so she held onto his gaze and gave him a small, genuine smile before returning her gaze to his cut. Her grip on him loosened and she held his wrist lightly, both her hands shaking as she continued whatever she was doing, her demeanour and actions completely contrasting.

They sat in silence as she cleaned up his wound and put a bandage on it, the wound being a bit too large for a normal band aid. The howling wind outside accompanied the silent hum of the air conditioner, and gradually the intensity of the fresh autumn wind toned down ever so slightly, much like Junhoe’s negative emotions towards Hyena. Before cloudier thoughts could emerge in his mind, Hyena slowly looked up at him and met his gaze as she asked, “Are you okay now?”

He now felt how their palms were touching, felt how soft her skin was below his rough hand, noticing how much smaller her hand was in comparison to his. Something stirred inside of him as he felt heat rising to the back of his neck. Not wanting to back down, he held her gaze, trying to convey his dissatisfaction of having her there with him, “No I’m not but it doesn’t matter how I feel does it?” With that, something changed in Hyena’s hopeful eyes, a miniscule to others but noticeable to Junhoe kind of change, and he took her stunned reaction to good use, easily slipping away from her grip before quickly leaving the room, the curtain closing behind him fluidly, softly, with the harsh slam of the door following after.

“Hyena!!” Hyena spun around as she saw Hanbin, another familiar face. It had been about a week since Hyena had talked to Junhoe, her emotions changing from sadness, from thinking about how he’ll never forgive her, to feeling hurt, from how harsh his words were and how it didn’t have to go down like that, to understanding, eventually backing away from her initial plan of further pursuing their friendship and let him have some time to himself, the situation probably too much for him, she had though. Hyena shook her thoughts away and instead focused on how Hanbin was jogging towards her, a smile spreading on her face since she hadn’t seen many of her elementary school friends other than Miso and Jinhwan in the past few days, with Junhoe being the exception, of course. Somehow aware of her situation, he softly questioned her, “So, have you found a way to talk to Junhoe?” With a shake of her head and a dejected smile on her face, Hyena bit her lip under her smile to stop herself from feeling too emotional. 

Hanbin gave her a pat on the head as he said, “I wish we had more time to talk but I have to rush to my dance practice. Maybe we could have lunch one day with the others? Yumi has been chewing my ear off talking about when she can meet you.” Hyena laughed heartily at the mention of another one of her childhood friends and nodded in agreement before they exchanged their contact numbers. She felt a bit better after they stood there chatting for a while, glad to feel a little bit light hearted even if it’s just for a little while. They eventually said their goodbyes and Hyena watched as he left. As he was about to turn the corner, Hanbin unexpectedly stopped in his tracks and looked back at her, a grin on his face, “You know what? I think I remember seeing him going to the library. But then again, it couldn’t be him.” With a wink, Hanbin spun around and turned the corner, disappearing from her sight.

It didn’t take long for Hyena to find him. She practically memorised how the top of his head looked like after the countless times they spent in the community library for her sake when she was in her bookworm phase one summer and wanted to go to the library every day to read a book before they played. The summer where Junhoe and her were inseparable. The summer where he would fall asleep opposite her on the table, his sleeping position the same as it was now. A soft smile spread on her face, warmth spreading in her chest as she realised how much she had longed to see him like this.

Her grip on her bag strap tightened as she sat opposite him, like old times. She placed her face in the palms of her hands and gazed at him fondly. Feeling an incredible sense of courage from him being asleep and unable to hear her, she started talking to him like he was awake, “Hey Jun. It’s been a while hasn’t it? Well, this is kinda weird.” She laughed softly, careful not to cause a disruption, “I’ve been trying to bring myself to ask you… if you really hate me for leaving. You have every right to be mad at the fact that I just left and came back unexpectedly.” With a bitter smile she continued, “I guess I had no courage to tell you about what’s really going on.”

She let out a deep sigh and laid her hands on the table, staring at them, remembering simpler times where they would go to swimming parks together, holding onto each other tightly, the fear of the rides disappearing like magic as soon as they were together. As the nostalgic emotions engulfed her, she opened her mouth to say something, anything, but her voice came out barely above a whisper as she said, “I miss you so much, but I’m so scared of you. I’m scared of what will happen to you if I stay by your side this time.” Her voice cracked slightly as she continued, “I’m really afraid. I’m scared that we changed too much as people and I’m afraid of hurting you again because we might’ve changed too much. I just wish…”

Hyena caught herself before she said anything she might regret and took a deep breath, calming herself down, embarrassed at herself for getting so emotional. It was her first time being able to properly convey her feelings to him since she returned, although he wasn’t even consciously with her. She stayed there with him for a bit, feeling sleepy herself as the sun beginning to set. Battling with her fear inside, Hyena got up and went to his side, the side where his face was visible. She crouched down a little to look at him, shocked to find patches of dried blood and scratches on his face. She stood up and took a deep breath before giving him a light push, gently calling out his name to wake him up. No answer. She pushed him slightly harder and called his name a bit louder. No answer. With a sigh, she resigned from her attempt and sat on the chair next to him, gazing tenderly at his bruised sleeping face, thankful to have this rare chance and taking in every moment she had with him like this.

With intertwined hands, a small Hyena in her favourite adorable yellow sundress pulled his hand forward, her mouth forming his name, “Jun!” She called. They were already holding hands, yet she turned to look at him, expecting him to come closer, “Jun!” She called again. The wind blew at them softly, the bright blue sky above them, no clouds in sight. He felt the grass tickling his exposed legs as he ran with her and glanced down, his khaki shorts reminiscent of his younger days. As Hyena pulled him further into the meadow, he looked down at their intertwined fingers, his hands so big compared to hers. Fully immersing himself in the moment, he lifted his head only to be faced with another Hyena. The new Hyena. Her small face was framed with her beautiful long black hair, her plump cheeks a pretty shade of pink from the running and her brown eyes formed crescents as she laughed, and a brilliant laugh it was. The soft sound of wind chimes in the air and her childlike laughter brought a smile on Junhoe’s face, a genuine smile that hasn’t appeared on his face in years.

The scene changed then, the clear skies behind Hyena suddenly turning dark. They had stopped running through the meadow, the tall grass still and cold against his legs. His grip on Hyena tighten instinctively and as he was about to pull her behind him, unexpectedly, she resisted him. He met her eyes and took in a sharp breath, her once bright eyes holding no reflection of himself in their now stone-cold state. She was staring right at him but in her eyes, she was looking at nothing but the meadow behind him, like he didn’t exist. Speechless, Junhoe’s grip on Hyena loosened and she used this chance to slip her hand out of his, the girl quickly dashing through the now muddy meadow, thunder booming above them. Realising too late, Junhoe ran towards her at full speed, his hand reaching out to her. He called after her, “Hyena! Don’t go!”

As he got a grip on her, she turned to look at him, a monotonous voice leaving her lips, “I’ll leave you again anyway, so why don’t you just let me go Jun?” As soon as that was said, she sent him flying upwards with one push of her hand. The boom of the thunder rang in his ears and Junhoe looked down at the meadow, his eyes following Hyena, the girl running further into the meadow, disappearing into the horizon, like how she disappeared from his life.

With a gasp, Junhoe opened his eyes, his breathing erratic and hands sweaty. He placed his elbows on the table before him and buried his head in them, rubbing his head as a headache started to form. Out of nowhere, he felt a hand on his shoulder and he jumped from his seat to a standing position, the scraping of the chair echoing loudly in the quiet space, his face showing a horrified expression.

Hyena quickly retracted her hand from his shoulder, her heart rate increasing as she stood up and started to speak, “A-are you okay? W-what’s wrong?” Junhoe looked up at her, a confused look on his face, his eyebrows furrowed and lips slightly parted. Afraid of what he had to say about her being there, Hyena’s hands formed fists and she dug her nails in her palm, embarrassed and apologetic as she said, “I didn’t mean to wake you up I’m so sor-“

Without thinking, Junhoe took a step forward and extended his hands around her head and back, pulling her in for hug. He shut his eyes tightly and his unsteady breathing turned heavier, causing Hyena‘s eyes to grow wide with worry. Habitually, she brought her hands up and gently stroked his back with one hand, the other gripping the fabric at his waist to steady his shaken body. With a slight emotional crack in her voice, she softly said, “It’s okay. I’m here. You’re awake now.”

“I’m so glad you’re here. Don’t leave. Please” Junhoe’s voice was low and fragile as he brought her closer, his mind picturing her empty expression, and a shiver ran down his spine. The dream felt so real to Junhoe. Her tender touch, her small body and her warm voice. Her warm and shaken voice. Her smaller than his body. Her real physical tender touch. Suddenly realising the reality of his dream, Junhoe opened his eyes, the view of the worn wooden bookshelves of the school library in front of him. He blinked a few times, trying to swallow down the information that this was real. This hug is actually a real hug from the real Go Hyena. She was still whispering to him that things were going to be ok, telling him that she was there for him, “I’m here now. I’m not going anywhere.”

The reality of the situation brought a wave of distrust and annoyance over his heart hearing that, and he brought his hands to her shoulders, pushing her away from him, purposely being a little rough. He closed his eyes as he prepared his expression, since he didn’t want her thinking any weird thoughts about this situation. With a deep breath, Junhoe opened his eyes and looked straight into her eyes as he gruffly said, “Don’t misunderstand, I thought I was still dreaming.” Realising how it sounded like he was dreaming of her, his voice wavered ever so slightly as he added, “It was a fucked-up dream and I just needed to hold onto something and you just happened to be here, so don’t misunderstand.”

“Hello! I’m Go Hyena. Nice to meet you all and I hope we can get along.” She bowed to the class and a round of polite applause ensued. The teacher directed her to an empty seat near the back, and she noticed a familiar pair of eyes looking at her among the other stares, the owner of those eyes quickly averting his gaze, no traces of memory nor emotion evident on his expressionless face. The class proceeded on and Hyena tried to concentrate on whatever the teacher was saying, the fact that he was seated right behind her making her tense and excited at the same time.

She turned around as soon as the class was released for their first break, surprised to find him already gone. She had just got back and he was already trying to avoid her. Her shoulders unconsciously slumped despite trying not to feel too dejected inside. Hyena then jumped in her seat, surprised when a hand touched her shoulder. A tall girl with a short bobbed haircut smiled down sweetly at Hyena, her uniform short and neat on her slim body. She let out a polite, somehow calculated, giggle and greeted her, “Hi. I’m the class representative Song Yuna. Nice to meet you.”

Hyena quickly stood up as Yuna extended her hand out and gave it a shake, her grasp firm and meaningful. As if she knew what Hyena was thinking when she approached her, she said, “One word of advice, don’t get involved with the guy sitting behind you. He’s just trouble.” The smaller girl blinked up at her and trying to sound as natural as she could, she replied, “What’s up with him?”

Yuna clasped her hands together and proceeded to sit on the empty seat in front of Hyena, the girl whose seat it belonged to having left the class for the break. She tapped her nude manicured nails on Hyena’s desk after clearing her throat and said, “He’s kind of like the bad boy of the class? Well not kind of, he just is. He’s involved with other delinquents in the school and they go and fight for turf and all that so they don’t really do much in terms of studying.” Hyena must’ve reacted the way she wanted her to since she continued, “Yeah and also, he doesn’t like getting involved with girls for some reason. But me being class rep and all, I have to go out of my way to talk to him about his grades, attendance and other things.”

Despite sounding annoyed, a weird hint of pride was in her tone and somehow put off by her actions, Hyena decided to question her, “You don’t seem to hate it though?” Yuna’s friendly eyes suddenly narrowed and Hyena held her gaze, fully sure of the girl’s true intention in telling her all that information.

As if on queue like in a movie, a voice called out from outside the classroom, “Hyena!” The said girl was pushed back in a seat, the feeling alike a small canon being shot at her, and grunted in response to the impact, “It’s been so long!” Her small sized senior engulfed her in a hug as she greeted her, her embrace tight and warm. 

Hyena laughed at Miso, unable to believe that the girl is as cheerful as she was seven years ago. She looked up then, suddenly remembering about Yuna, the girl’s eyes wavering at the sight before her. Hyena’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion and Miso, who noticed the change in atmosphere, turned around to look at the tall girl, an unexpected string of words escaping her mouth, “Well if it isn’t Song Yuna! I hope your team is done with the festival proposal. You know how our prez feels about late submissions right?” As if scaring the girl, Yuna stuttered a quick “I got it,” before she left the two girls alone.

Miso giggled lightly as the girl left, leaving Hyena with a half smile on her face, stunned. Choosing to chuck aside the new questions that arose in her head, she shook her head before asking an important question, “Wait, how did you know I was back? I never told anyone.” Confusion was written all over her junior’s face and Miso let out a bright laugh before pulling Hyena out from her classroom, choosing not to answer her question, “Come on, I’ll show you around.”

Junhoe let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding as soon as he left the class, relieved that he left before she could turn around. He clenched his fist as a sudden rush of emotion rose from deep within him, a mix of anger, happiness, confusion and a deep but annoying fondness. He didn’t understand why she returned. He didn’t understand why she had to be here, at this moment. From down the hall, someone called out to him, “Junhoe! Let’s go, they’re here again.” Junhoe sped up his walking and nodded his head towards the tall male, cracking his knuckles as he prepared himself mentally.

This seemed to happen almost everyday now, their rival group was here to pick a fight again, accusing Junhoe’s leader for flirting with his girlfriend who attended their school. It was stupid really, there are plenty of girls in his own school so why didn’t he just pick one of them? Why go out of his way to get someone he shouldn’t have been attracted to in the first place? Tired of hearing the leaders shout at each other, Junhoe grabbed the nearest rival member and spat, “You guys better shut the fuck up and leave or I’ll make you regret it.” As he shot the smaller male a dangerous glare, the clearly inexperienced rival member shrunk in his position.

A couple of aggravating shouts later, fists were colliding with faces and other body parts, the group of about ten guys engaged in a full out fight at a distance away from their school. Out of nowhere, a female’s high pitch scream cut through their ruckus and the group of males stopped their fighting in shock. Tears were falling from her shining eyes, her face still pretty despite her body visibly shaking from holding her tears and emotions in. She stepped closer to the leader of the rival group and gave him a slap on the face.

Everyone was clearly shocked at this turn of events but she was oblivious to all this, her feelings clearly wrecked as she struggled to say, “I’ve had it with you picking fights with them. I’ve had it with the lying and empty promises.” She turned to the leader of Junhoe’s group who was on his knees, almost defeated, “He was the only one who asked if I was okay being your girlfriend. The only one who asked if I was doing well and if I was happy being with you. He knew about the horrible things you did behind my back but didn’t tell me because he didn’t want to ruin my relationship with you.”

She reached around the back of her neck and unclasped her necklace, dropping it in front of the rival leader, his face devoid of emotion. The girl walked towards Junhoe’s group and gently grabbed the arm of their leader to pull him up to his feet, letting him lean on her as she helped him walk back to the school. He turned to look back at the group, bowing his head at them all. Junhoe wasn’t sure if it was an apology or a thank you nod, but he choose to believe it was an apology for leaving them in that awkward situation.

The remaining members from the two groups stared at each other, still trying to absorb what had just happened before them. Junhoe was the first to react, a small chuckle escaping him. He looked at the leader of the rival group, meeting his eyes as he said, “Girls are indecisive and hard to hold onto, so don’t be too hard on yourself man. It’s not entirely your fault.” Bitterness seeped through his voice as he said the last line before he headed back to school, slightly limping.

Unable to contain her curiosity, she pounced on the chance as Miso asked her if she had any questions about being back, “How’s Jun?” Despite anticipating a question about him, Miso was surprised the quiet girl she knew back then was this bold now. She held onto the hand of her old friend as a deep sigh escaped her, “Junhoe hasn’t really talked to us since you left. Well, we were all upset that you left in the middle of the school term but he probably was affected the most, you both being best friends and all.” Attempting to lift up the mood, Miso continued, “Uh, he still talks to the guys! Jinhwan tells me he’s really fit now and although that might come from him getting involved in fights and stuff he really-”

Hyena’s grip on Miso tightened as she started talking about Junhoe getting into fights, an outcome she never predicted. A pained look was in the younger girl’s eyes and Miso gave her hand a pat, a small smile on her face, “Don’t blame yourself so much, he choose to do that with himself. Granted, it might not be the most effective way of venting out his feelings but it seems to work for him.” Though unconvinced, Hyena gave her a thankful smile.

The two girls exchanged their contact numbers as they parted at the staircase, Miso’s third year class a floor above her second year classroom. Before Hyena had the chance to say goodbye, a sharp pain hit her and she immediately crouched down where she stood. Hyena cursed in her head, biting the words down as hard as she could. Her head spun as she closed her eyes, white spots flashing in her vision. The sound of Miso’s footsteps padding down the staircase echoed in Hyena’s ears. Not wanting to worry her, Hyena told her that she had bad cramps, though that wasn’t really the case. She then felt Miso pull her arm up and putting it around her shorter shoulders, slowly leading her somewhere else.

The smell of clean floors attacked Hyena and she guessed that Miso brought her to the school’s sick bay since she said in a rushed tone to someone in the room, “Hi uhm, my friend is having cramps so could I leave her here for a bit?” The person must’ve nodded their head since Miso guided Hyena to a smaller area behind an opaque curtain that had two beds, from what she could see from her bent position. In a panicky tone, Miso rambled on about her not needing to worry since she’ll tell Hyena’s teacher about her condition and how she would come back in the next break to check up on her. Hyena held her friend’s hand in reassurance and told her that she’ll be fine in a while, managing to give her a faint smile.

With that, Hyena was left alone in the supposed sick bay, the soft hum of the air conditioner above her slightly calming her nerves. With her eyes closed and her stomach still hurting, she heard a set of footsteps coming her way and she bit her lip in pain, clutching the bed sheet around her as extra support for the pain. With the click of a pen, the voice of the school nurse softly asked her what her name was, what class she was from, and what pain she was experiencing. Choosing to be honest with her, Hyena opened her eyes and with honestly brimming through them, she said, “I haven’t eaten anything in three days. It’s been really difficult so I think I’m growing a bit weaker as the days go on.” Despite Hyena ending her sentence with a small laugh, the eyes of the middle aged nurse widened and she quickly made a 180 turn to go into the main room.

Hyena slowly lifted her body and brought her legs over the edge of the bed, the tips of her feet only barely touching the floor. She prepared herself to be questioned, as usual, and gripped onto the edge of the skirt, the pain in her stomach growing as the seconds went by. She opened her eyes as she heard movement and was surprised to see a hand holding out a granola bar to her. Her hands slowly lifted from her skirt and she turned to look up, the nurse giving her a gentle smile and a slight nod, motioning Hyena to take her offer. The girl bowed her head low to the nurse, her eyes welling up slightly. The bed creaked as the nurse sat beside her, taking the bar from her hands and peeling of the packaging for her, Hyena’s body visibly shaking at this point. She gave the girl the bar and Hyena swallowed a sob as she took a bite of the crunchy bar, the apple and cinnamon taste hitting her taste buds.

“I need to pick up some delivery items from below so just stay put here okay?” The nurse, who introduced herself as Miss Jian, said after Hyena finished her first bar. Before she left the room, she turned to face Hyena and said, “You can have as many of them as you want, just be moderate about it.” She said the last part with a small laugh and Hyena laughed a little too, her energy definitely being replenished slowly. The room grew even quieter as she left the room and Hyena stared out the window as she continued eating, finishing up three granola bars quickly.

Junhoe stuffed his left hand in his pocket, the other hand slightly stinging due to the blood seeping out of it. He kept his head down as he walked up the stairs, taking his time since he wasn’t planning on returning to class. He slid the door of the sick bay open and looked around for the nurse, proceeding to where the beds were when he realised she wasn’t around. Ready to take a nap, Junhoe let out a loud yawn, his eyes closed as he did so.