(Bonus Track) Voice Mail (Korean Ver.) // IU
Album: Modern Times – Epilogue

어쩌면 아니길 바랬나 봐/얼마 전부터 밤낮으로 날/괴롭히는 두근거림/덕분에 나 어제는 한숨도 못 잤어/미안 아마 너도 느꼈을 거야/어설프게 감추며 네 주윌/맴돌던 내 모습이 네게/많이 거슬렸다면 사과할게/사실은 지금도/할 수만 있다면 계속 부정하고 싶다/근데 솔직히 조금은/헷갈리게 만든 네 책임도 있는 거 아냐?/늦은 밤 진동 소리에/은근한 목소리로 나를 깨웠잖아/아침은 꼭 먹고 다니라며/다정했던 걱정 정말 넌 아무 뜻도..없었냐/걱정 마 심각한 수준은 아냐/네게 심심풀이 땅콩이라도 좋다느니/뭐 그런 얘기 아냐/잠깐 이러다 알아서 정리할게/녹음 시간은 벌써/2분 30초가 막 넘어가고 있네/사실 더 할 말도 없어/어차피 아무 대책 없이/그냥 한 번 질러본 거니까/참 끝까지 초라하다/나 왜 이렇게 한심하니/이런 건 아닌데/답장을 못내 기다릴 텐데/역시 아니라면 난 아니라면/네가 아니면 뭐 아닌 거지 뭐/아닌 거지 뭐

Genre: Romance, Fluff
POV: Irene
Setting: High school

“Good night~ Sweet dreams ^^”

I read his last text with a smile in my face. It’s been like this forever, tonight I can’t sleep because this kind of thoughts won’t leave me. He has been my friend ever since we came to this world. Our moms are the best of friends and had been neighbors ever since they wore pigtails and dresses as kids, so it was the same for us. Mino and I had been inseparable, when we were kids we even used to shower together. Now that we’re a little grown up of course we can’t do that anymore, but except for baths we are pretty much always together. He’s my best friend, so this feeling of confusion is really bothering me, the way my heart jumps out of my chest when he coos my name just like how he always do. The way he text me the first thing in the morning, telling me that I should eat breakfast and have a great day.

Those kinds of things were normal for us. Normal until these stupid hormones of mine decided to be a and act all giddy around him. Finally after some complicated thinking I fell asleep. As if I only closed my eyes for few minutes the alarm betrayed me and decided to blare as loud as it can. I grunted and turned it off, I laid face down and sighed loudly as I can and then my phone buzzed.

“Wakey wakey Joohyun. Eat breakfast! See you later.” He sent with heart and smiley emojis. ‘Ugh, this is getting annoying as ’ I thought but a smile on my face says otherwise. I literally dragged myself up from the bed and went to look at myself in the mirror. I was a mess, I need to sleep earlier and stop thinking and lusting over my childhood best friend. I went down the stairs to be greeted by my sweet mom and annoying little brother.

“Oh noona! Halloween’s done already.”

“Shut the up prick”

“Language Joohyun!” My mom said softly.

“He’s annoying. Why did you even gave birth to him, he should’ve put up to adoption” I said with a disgusted face as I sat down the dining table. “Dad?”

“Well he has an emergency meeting so he went off really early.” She served my Bacon, Pancake and Eggs in front of me then kissed my forehead. “Good morning princess.”

“Princess?? Princess Fiona??” My little brother teased, I really wanted to stab him with a fork in his eyes.

“Do I really look terrible Ma?”

My mom looked at me with eyes full of pity.

“Mom? Please don’t look at me like that.”

“Well, have you been sleeping lately?”

“I’m… Insomnia I guess, it’s been forever since I had a good night sleep.” I sighed. “Being a teenager .” I complained silently as I put a mouthful of food in my mouth. My mom suddenly sat beside me.

“Something bothering you princess?”

“No, nothing. I read about this somewhere, in this age everything’s a big deal. So, maybe this is not really a problem.”

“Hey, you’re losing sleep, that’s a problem darling. Don’t want to talk about it?”

“Nope, not yet… I guess?” I don’t want to admit it, I feel embarrassed and ashamed and weak at the same time for falling for someone who has been there for all my life.

“Okay then, but remember that I’m always here to listen okay?”

“Mhhm…” I agreed and stood up putting my empty plate in the sink and finally preparing for school. It was November and it was already getting cold so our school changed into winter uniform. I ruffled my hair and skipped downstairs and there he was sitting in our sofa waiting for me. The two of us always leave for school together, always ever since daycare.

“Let’s go loser.” I said casually, I can win an academy award with this acting skills of mine because I act cool and all but I feel as if my rib is going to break because my heart is pounding like an idiot. He just smiled and stood up.

“How’s your weekend?” He asked.

“Well, if you consider laying around, and reading books exciting, then it was slamming.” I laughed and he chuckled. “I read like 4 books over the weekend.”

“Damn you’re wild.” His voice was deep like dark chocolate and it eases all my worries and stresses every time he speaks, but today his voice seemed to be the one causing me worries and stresses.

“Your mom told me.” He suddenly said as we board the bus. “That you can’t sleep at night.”

“Oh.” We sat beside each other in the seats just beside the doors. “Well, I’m not really sure.”

“Are you pressured? You’re doing well in school though.”

“Yeah, well maybe? I don’t really know.”

“What do you think of when you can’t sleep?”

‘You’ I wanted to say but to be safe I just said a different thing. “A lot of things, actually.” I lied through my teeth, well it wasn’t completely a lie, because I do think about a lot of things, things about him.

“You need to cut those things out of you if you can.” I stared at him.

“Maybe...but I don’t think I can.” I said still looking at him, he was staring at me as well, analyzing and contemplating my words.

“Joohyun-ah, no way you’re…” I was nervous I thought he found out. “Are you on drugs?”

I laughed loud not because of what he said but because I knew he won’t get it. On the outside he looked really handsome, cool and macho but this guy is really a simple-minded, sweet person. That’s why everyone falls in love with him without him knowing, including me, because he thinks everything he does is harmless, and everything he does is just out of pure kindness, he’s doing good things for you not because he’s interested in you or he likes you, he’s just helping you out because that’s what he thinks is right.

One time a girl from a batch lower than us confessed to him and he did not quite get it and we needed to explain that the girl liked him, but he still did not believe the situation, so the girl just walked away with a broken heart. Since then everyone decided that he’s just an ‘everyone’s friend’ who apparently likes to make people laugh. Also a guy who’s really devoted to his best friend aka me. At first it was fine, but ever since I felt different about him it made me uncomfortable with people teasing us that we’ll end up marrying each other. He just laughs while I always get mental breakdown every time they bring that topic up.

“So are you?” He asked with a serious tone.

“No!” I’m still laughing. “Why would I? I’m just… It’s just a phase okay, don’t mind me. I’m fine.” I smiled as I hop off the bus leaving him behind. I found my girlfriends in the corner of the classroom and decided to join them.

“Oh, where’s Mino?” I pointed behind me and he’s already with his own group of frie