Chapter Six ~
Power off.
“Awesome - you have Brown right? I’ll probably ask you sometime about his assignments because I always end up drifting off in that class - he’s the worst teacher,” She casually types in her number, calling herself and handing the device back to Myungsoo. He nods as she talks, relating.
“Honestly, I’m usually asleep as well - but feel free to text me whenever,” Myungsoo waves as she walks back to her car, gets in, and drives off.
“Hyung- I think she likes you,” Myungsoo jumps as Sungjong reappears by his side, his face in admiration of the beautiful girl.
“Yah, where did you get that drink? Who knows what people put in it..” The older grabs the red cup Sungjong holds and tosses the drink into the trash, ruffling the younger’s head.
“Myungsoooo! It tasted finee,” Sungjong whines with doe eyes, seeing the drink’s remains in the trash can.
“You’re still a child, Sungjong,” Myungsoo coos sarcastically, looking around afterwards for Sungyeol. Honestly, where was he?
Ji Eun glances around the table. Forties, thirties, oh..hm, maybe early sixties? No, late fifties? She clenches her fist in frustration, wanting to sit back in her chair but no - she had to sit all ladylike and proper, with her back straight up and napkin in lap. “When is this over?” She silently whispers through clenched teeth to her mother, giving a glance in her direction.
“Shh…”
Silently wailing in agony, Ji Eun cracks her wrist, earning a brief glance of disapproval from her dad. It wasn’t the first that night.
“Can I go to the bathroom?” She once again whispers to her mom, seeing a quick nod and trying not to dash out of the room in glee. Standing up politely, she pushes in the chair and walks silently out the door, going to her father’s office instead of the bathroom. Her hand forages around in the darkness finding the switch to reveal the dark wood walls surrounded by bookshelves of scholarly works. Browsing around on her father’s desk, Ji Eun sees the white case and quickly grabs it, unlocking her phone quickly. Please, please, no one come, she thinks to herself. Her heart was thumping rapidly, pulsing in her ears. Ah, L had sent her a message. She apologizes in her head, checking it and responding.
IU: Yo, my phone got taken away (i completed a super secret agenty mission to get to my dad’s office xD) so I probably won’t respond for a while? T-T I’ll practice the music though, and once I get my phone back i’ll tell you when we can record :D
Ji Eun closes her eyes, counting the seconds before a vibration almost makes her yelp out loud.
L513: Cool with me ;) sryy about the phone
She grins, closing out of the app and shutting down her phone. Alright, time to get back to the horrid dinner.
“Yah, wake up,” Myungsoo nudges the sleeping Sungyeol as the lunch bell rings. After the party last night, the boy had crashed a few hours ago.
“Hmmm…” Sungyeol, still sleeping, grabs Myungsoo’s hand which was nudging him, and starts rubbing it softly. “Eunji, you have really soft hands…”
“Yah! Stop!” Myungsoo shoots back his arm, creeped out slightly. “Aish, why am I even friends with you,” He shakes his head, following the others out of the room to go to the lunch area.
Myungsoo stops briefly at his locker, taking his precious camera and wrapping the strap around his neck. It was a good day to take some photos. He meanders around the hallways, finding the exit door that lead to the outdoor garden he liked. Opening the door slightly, Myungsoo pauses when he hears a soft voice...singing?
Since when did people find this place?
Peering around the door frame, he squints to find a girl with long brown hair sitting with her back against the wall, eyes closed and singing. Surprised, Myungsoo lets the door fall shut with a loud bang.
“Ah!” The girl stops, and Myungsoo recognizes her in a heartbeat. Soo Jung..what was she doing here?
“Oh, Myungsoo!” A welcome smile forms on her lips, and she stands up quickly.
“Sorry, was I interrupting?” He winces, walking a bit closer.
“Oh, no, no, I was just having lunch here,” She glances down, and Myungsoo sees that she doesn’t have anything to eat.
“Well, you must’ve eaten quickly,” He carries on the conversation lightly, and for a second he sees a look of gratefulness on her face. But it's wiped away with a mask of her usual calm and collective look.
“Yeah...Are you taking pictures?’ She asks, moving the topic of interest along.
“Oh, I was planning to. Please, keep on doing whatever you were doing, I’m just going to get some photos of the scenery,” He says somewhat awkwardly, busying himself with getting the camera ready. Soo Jung nods, sitting back down, but he can sense her gaze on him. Man, this was awkward. Myungsoo snaps a few pictures of an intricate petal, standing up straight while looking through the photos. The wind softly brushes over his hair, and he rolls down his jacket sleeves. Autumn was here, after all. Myungsoo checks the date on his phone briefly, surprised that November was already fastly coming to an end. Thanksgiving was in, what...six days? Hm, fun. He then resumes his photo shoot, moving to another angle to capture the beauty of nature. After awhile, he hears Soo Jung start to sing softly, just a soft murmur. He positions himself on the wall so that it looks like he’s going through photos but really, he decides to capture the moment of her singing. Bending down, Myungsoo grins when he sees that the light complimented her face at the best angle. Click. Click. He glances down once again to see the product of his work..”Hmm…”
“Yah! Did you take a photo of me!” He jumps up to see Soo Jung right next to him, glancing over his shoulder.
Myungsoo’s eyes widen slightly, hiding the camera behind him. “Maybe?” He can’t hide a grin, glancing at Soo Jung’s “mad” face. It was so cute. So different from her regular expression. He swings his camera out again, snapping a shot, as her face changes from anger to surprise, back to anger.
“Yah! Yah! Give it to me, show me,” She starts hitting her hands on his shoulder, a face of whining and complaining reflected in her voice.
“Okay, okay!” Myungsoo struggles to get out of her grasp, laughing.
“Here, you look pretty,” He hands the camera to her, letting her go through the photos he had taken. Her facial features soften, staring intensely at the pictures.
“They’re ugly, delete them,” She hands the camera back to him, and Myungsoo objects.
“Soo Jung, they’re beautiful- what are you saying?” He crinkles his eyebrows in surprise, wondering if she had an insecurity problem.
She chuckles, to his surprise. “You’re a really nice guy….but still, delete them, okay?” Her eyes narrow, and Soo Jung walks back to her stuff, picking them up as if she was leaving. “It’s about time to go back to class,” She turns around, her back facing Myungsoo as she walks silently out of his view. He tilts his head, blinking a few times. Interesting.
“Dad, please, please can you give me my phone back? I’m telling you, I need it for school,” Ji Eun pleads with her father at breakfast, imploring him in her mind.
He grumbles, shifting his eyes. He knew that she wouldn’t give up, and it would only interfere him in his work. “Alright, go get it from the office. But you know, I can always take it back,” he gives her a long stare, frowning in disapproval when she leaps up from her chair and runs. Teenagers these days.
I breath a sigh of relief as I feel the phone safe in my jacket pocket. Why did my dad have to do that? I quickly open my Line app, typing out a message to L. I pause, wondering why he was the first person I thought about. I had plenty of other people I could relay the news that I had gotten my phone back. Like Suzy. She would want to know. Still, I glance down, I wanted to talk to L first. I focus back on the message, clicking send right afterwards.
IU: got my phone back :D
It’s not long when I hear a vibration in the palm of my hand.
L513: Woo! Awesomeee
IU: yahh
Maybe it was weird, but I could feel his excitement, his genuine happiness for me. How? How could I feel this close to a person, but not know anything about them?
IU: hey, I was wondering
L315: ?
IU: what would you do...if you recognized somebody from online in like real life
L315: what do you mean?
IU: like, say, you recognized my voice or something...would you reveal yourself?
There’s a long pause before I see his typing bubble pop up. Was it a hard question?
L315: I don’t think so….i think relationships online wouldn’t work out in the real life. I just want to be who I am online, and who I am in real life
His answer somewhat makes me disappointed, though it confuses me. Was he a different person? Did he change online and in real life?
IU: oh
Next Week -
“Jean! Are you ready?”
IU: agh have to go to this stupid dinner for thanksgiving, I'll be back prob later
Suzy: ugh same we have people coming over...baie :)
She logs out, hurrying around the room to grab her cardigan before rushing downstairs.
“Ah, wait, I forgot my bag! Just a sec,” Jean turns around, distracted, while her parents sigh and glance at their watches. She runs back upstairs to find her bag while checking herself one last time in the mirror.
Straightened hair, simple makeup, a white blouse with lace accents, tight jeans, and sneakers she had painted in a galaxy pattern.
“Alright,” she heads back downstairs quickly once more and nods to her parents. “Sorry, I'm ready now.”
“Okay, let's go,” they open the door and file off into the car. Ji Eun plugs her earbuds in as the engine starts, hitting play on the file that L had sent her. Again. The past week she had been trying to learn it, but there was a fear inside of her that kept pulling her away.
“By the way, the weather forecast is set to rain. Will you be okay? Also are you feeling okay? Your voice is hoarse”
She pauses the music.
“I think I’m coming down with a cold...and, yeah, I have my medicine,” Ji Eun checks in her bag, fishing around for the pill box.
Where was it?
A memory flashes through her mind, and she remembers placing the pill box on the bed to put in her bag. Except she hadn't.
Panic washes through her mind, and Ji Eun runs her tongue over her lips. She couldn't make her parents turn back now, they were already late.
It would be alright, she thinks to herself and puts her music on play again.
It goes on repeat a few times, and after roughly ten minutes the car comes to a stop.
“Jean, we're here,” her mom glances behind the front seats to tap Ji Eun’s knee, making her take off the earbuds.
“Ah...ah,” she nods with a yawn and slowly moves to unlock the door. Her eyebrows raise at the huge house while following her parents to the door.
“Who was this person again?” She asks her father.
“Oh, he will help me run my campaign and I met him recently. Its his first Thanksgiving here so he invited us over. I believe he has a son your age, maybe a year older?”
Ji Eun nods, not really paying attention except at how expansive the house was. She bet the son was a brat. As they reach the front door, her father rings the bell. The door quickly opens.
“Happy Thanksgiving!”
She steps into their house gingerly, her eyes bouncing off each person who welcomed her, introducing themselves.
“Ah, this is my wife, and my daughter - Ji Eun.”
She looks with a confused glance to her father, wondering why he used her real name. Whatever, it didn't really matter.
“Oh, nice to meet you - I'm Ji Eun, you can also call me Jean” Ji Eun mutters a small response, her eyes landing on a figure behind all the others, his head lowered with eyes focused on his phone. Typical.
She feels a vibration in her bag and itches to get it out, knowing somehow it was L.
However, Ji Eun manages to smile at the strangers, taking off her shoes and following the hostess to bring the dessert she had baked to the kitchen. The guy was still looking at his phone followed them. Seriously? It's Thanksgiving, try being a bit more social at least on this day,
“How old are you, Ji Eun? My son, Myungsoo over here, is in his senior year…”
“Ah, I’m a junior…”
“Oh, a year apart! Myungsoo!” The lady calls out her son sharply, and she turns to see his eyes lift to glance ather, then his mother.
“Hm?”
And right there, time stopped. No way.
That voice.
It had to be him, L.
I try not to choke, and find my eyes stuck to the newly revealed L. Was it really him? I think back to how I had gotten the messages while he was on his phone…
“Ji Eun?” The lady calls my name and I look up, alarmed.
“Oh, sorry, yes?”
“How old are you? Or when is your birthday?”
“Oh, in February,”
“I see, yes Myungsoo was born in March so that is basically a full year,”
I remember the username 513. No, that would May...Hm, maybe it wasn’t him. Ji Eun, don’t be so quick to assume things. You’ll only make more problems for yourself.
The mother talks to her son a bit before busting herself with putting away the food. Myungsoo was still on his phone.
“Soo…” I start, but pause. His eyes look up into mine and I bite my lip. His stare was intense.
“What high school do you go to?” I ask.
“West View..”
I nod, fiddling with my hands and thinking. West View was a private school that was known for their rich kids and extracurricular programs. Sports, arts, studying - the school had it all. I'm pretty sure my parents would try to enroll me at one point or another. I wonder if he would be going to my public school if he didn't go there.
“Ah! Ji Eun, can you help me out?” My mom comes, a crease on her forehead and I blink. Myungsoo also looks up.
“We have a few children and Ji Eun would you mind watching over them?”
I bite my lip, sort of not wanting to but also knowing I’d be bored at the table. I start to nod when the hostess comes over as well.
“Myungsoo- go help her,” she says with a look. He sighs but quickly changes his face to smile at my mother.
“I'd be happy too.”
“Alright, I got them into the playroom so all you have to do is watch over them.”
Fifteen minutes later -
“This is...”
“Hell,” I fill in for Myungsoo as we're both sprawled out on the floor with four little children running around the room. He chuckles slightly as I crack a smile.
I still didn’t know if he was really the mysterious L. I couldn’t just ask him either...what if he wasn’t? And if he was, he wouldn’t want to meet me anyways. He even said so online.
“Let's play a game!” Ji Hoo, the six year old, yells out.
“What game?” Myungsoo asks, sitting up and ruffling his hair. It was a soft brown that fell in waves with a slant above his almond eyes. His eyes were still enchanting me, and every time we made eye contact I would flush slightly. Stop, Ji Eun. You’re still not sure that it’s L, stop making assumptions.
I perk up when my name is called.
“Hey, Ji Eun, they want to play hide and seek,” Myungsoo looks at me strangely and I wonder if that's the first time he's said my name. It sounded somewhat nostalgic coming from his voice
“Oh, don't you think we should ask your mom?” I ask, and he nods.
“Okay, yeah, I'll text her.”
I casually glance at his phone, wondering if I should get his number. I talked with him as IU on Line, but I wondered whether I could be friends with him as Ji Eun, just Ji Eun.
As he starts texting, I notice the person was labeled ‘Janice’, no ‘mom’ or anything like that.
It made me think of myself, as I also didn't label my adopted mom as my mom. Just her first name. I'm about to ask about it when he looks up. “She said it's fine, just to close off some rooms...we can just play on the second and third levels…”
I nod, and the children start begging for us to turn the lights off. I bite my lip, but Myungsoo readily agrees. I panic slightly - darkness and Ji Eun were not a happy match.
Myungsoo and I are designated as the first seekers and wait at the stairs for a few minutes, letting the kids scatter and hide.
“Shall we go?” I nod and pause,’wondering if I was supposed to go first.
“Here, follow me,” his voice is reassuring and I breathe a sigh of relief silently. He had no idea how grateful I was. While he checks the rooms I decide to try going up the stairs. I take a few steps before Myungsoo starts coming up behind me. I'm almost all the way up when the first hints of rain start to come down. I stop straight in my track, eyes wide and hands trembling.
“What's wrong? Ji Eun?”
“I’m, I’m okay,” I say, though my voice was shaky. I feel his hand wrap around my shoulder. “Here, let’s go up the stairs and we’ll turn on the lights, hm?” I can only nod as I slowly walk up the flight of stairs, teeth grit and fists clenched. Myungsoo leads me to a nook area near the stairs where a couch is and has me sitting there before turning the lights on.
“Yah! You’re not okay - look, you’re crying,” His eyes widen and he sits next to me probably feeling awkward. I touch my cheek, surprised to feel the moistness on my fingertips.
“Sorry, I’m just..bad with rain and stuff,” My words are soft and my head is hung low, hair clinging to my cheeks which were still wet.
“No, don’t be sorry,” He rubs my back, trying to comfort me.
I glance up, making solid eye contact.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Hm?”
“What’s your favorite letter of the alphabet?”
A/N: Haiiiiiiiiiii xD Long time no see T-T Anyways, I'm on break so I got inspiration to do an update :D I'm so lazy agh...and I started another story (I don't know why but I did) and a lot of you already found it but it's called 1:18 (again IU based) and basically is about IU being the bachelorette with 18 eligible guys, including Myungsoo :D Though who will win? we shall see ;) Anyways but my bois Astro debuted T-T they're so beautiful I can't - they're Hide and Seek MV is so cuteeeeeeee >.< and it was Myungsoo's birthday! Yayyy! Oh, anyways, tell me how you liked this update and whether Ji Eun should tell Myungsoo or not who she is ;) Please continue to comment your feedback and subscribe if you'd like to :) Luff you ~
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