A/N: Just a little heads up, this story is about to end soon. Just a few more chapters to go! I'm really thankful for all those readers that read my story (even with my inconsistent updating) I'm greatful that you gave this story a chance and for those who comment frequently, you have no idea how happy your comments made me feel. So here is a new chapter for you to enjoy! 

 

Jieun’s POV

Min Kyung wasn’t able to hold any concentration as we exited our maths class together. Instead my eyes were fused on the little scrape of paper Jinki had dropped into my notebook as he had left the classroom.

I’m not going to tell him. Not unless I have to. But you should. – Jinki.

I stared at the note sitting within the pages of my notebook, relief running through my veins so strong that I almost fell over. My eyes fell on Jinki who was watching me from across the corridor as I exited our maths class, his arms folded tightly across his chest.

He gave me a slow – almost ominous – nod of his head. A promise that we wouldn’t say a word. I felt as if a weight that had been pinning me down for the last week was suddenly gone.

“Of course I’m pretty sure he was just looking for an easy lay, so I broke it off with him.” Min Kyung was saying as I zoned back into the one-sided conversation she was holding with me.

She was undoubtedly still talking about the guy she had gone out with last week. I hummed in faux interest, not even trying to inject any enthusiasm into my tome. I’d tried telling her countless times that we weren’t friends, but she was impossible to shake. She was the most determined person I had ever met, and I had learnt the easiest way to deal with her was just to let her keep talking and tune her out.

“He wasn’t even that good looking. Don’t get me wrong, he was cute but even the way he was acting you would think he thought he was Song Joong Ki or something.”

“Song Joong Ki?” I asked not getting what she was talking about.

Min Kyung looked almost outraged at my lack of knowledge.

“You need to get out more.” She said, her voice tinged with enough sympathy that it had my shoulders tensing.

I didn’t want her sympathy.

I didn’t want friends.

She didn’t seem to notice how edgy I had become, because her attention had already been caught by something else.

“Oh my god! The posters are up!” She squealed, darting towards the wall filled with different notifications, her eyes fixed on the biggest and brightest, advertising the school dance.

“We have to go dress shopping together Jieun!” She squealed.

“Not happening.” I told her, my face twisted in to aversion for her idea.

“What? Why not?” He asked, her whole face dropped.

“Because we’re not friends!” I half shouted.

‘Of course we are, silly.” She didn’t bat an eyelash though.

I stared at her in astonishment.

“You’re insane.” I said shaking my head.

“Shush. You’re just trying to hurt my feelings to push me away.” She defended me,

“You’re really annoying.” I gave her an incredulous look.

“Only true friend would be brutally honest with me.” She said smiling.

I sighed, pressing my lips into a tight line, because every time I said something she started twisting it to mean something else.

“Ha! Here’s Jonghyun. He’ll agree with me.” She said smugly.

Her eyes focused somewhere at the other end of the corridor where Jonghyun was making his way through the crowd towards us.

“You think me and Jieun are friends right?” She asked him when he reached us.

“We’re not friends.” I said through my teeth and Jonghyun let out a deep chuckle.

“You’ll change your mind soon. I know it.” She said determinedly.

“I won’t.” I promised.

“You did with Jonghyun.” She pointed out, jutting her chin in a very amused Jonghyun’s direction.

I rolled my eyes at her childishness.

“Jonghyun’s different.” I said without thinking.

“Different? Different how?” She demanded to know, pouting.

My eyes went to Jonghyun who was waiting for my answer with the same anticipation. I sighed wishing I had stuck by not saying anything.

“He’s slightly less irritating.” I said.

Jonghyun smirked, shaking his head at my answer.

“Wow, if you keep complimenting me like this it’ll go straight to my head.” He said rolling his eyes at me.

“You’re right. I take back what I said. You’re just as irritating as Min Kyung.”

Min Kyung seemed to gloss over the fact that I just called her irritating twice now as she jumped back into the conversation.

“So we can be friends.” She enthused.

“Stop that!” I barked, feeling irritation stir up in me.

Irritation was quickly replaced with guilt when I remembered who I was talking to.

“Please.” I added on to the end, trying to curb the sharpness of my words.

She must’ve found something amusing about it though because I could see the hint of laughter behind her wide smile she was still giving me, as if she could see something I couldn’t or she was on the inside of a joke I don’t understand.

One look at Jonghyun let me know he was on the inside about the joke too. He was also giving me a small, pleased smile, making my frown deepen.

“Oh ! I have to go!” Min Kyung said as her phone chimed with a text “

I held in a sigh of relief as she trotted off down the corridor, her blonde hair bouncing in waves as she practically ran to where ever she had to run off to.

“So what was that all about?” Jonghyun asked, grabbing my attention as he casually lean against the wall.

His arms were crossed over his chest, his eyebrows raised with interest. I rolled my eyes at him and told him about how annoying Min Kyung is when she insisted that we were friends. He gave me a frown.

“She’s a good person.” He said in her defence.

I sighed and nodded my head. She was never anything but nice to me. I lean my head against the wall.

“I’d prefer it if she was mean. I’m constantly worrying about saying something that will hurt her. It’s frustrating and then I end up being mean anyway!” I explained my own irritation to hm.

As I spoke his face soften again as he gave me a gentle smile.

“What?” I asked, eyeing his expressing suspiciously.

“You’re not as mean as you let you let everyone think you are.” He said shaking his head.

I frowned at him. Didn’t I just told him the opposite of that?

“I think you and Min Kyung would be great friends.” He continued, making me scowl at him.

“We wouldn’t. And because you are her friend, you’re going to make sure that she knows that I’m defiantly not going dress shopping with her.” I said holding back a shiver of disgust as the words even left my lips.

“Wait dress shopping? Why would Min Kyung wants to go dress shopping all of a sudden?” Jonghyun asked, clearly bewilder by Min Kyung’s request.

I jerked my head to the giant poster Min Kyung had been fawning over moments before.

“She seems to have it in her head that we have to go dress shopping together to find the perfect dress or whatever.” I scowled.

Jonghyun’s mood dampened as he looked at the poster I had indicated at.

“Oh yeah. I forgot about the dance.” He said, with a frown.

“I didn’t even know about it!” I said raising my hands exasperatedly.

“How didn’t you know about it? It’s all anyone’s been talking about recently.” He said, looking annoyed at something.

I rolled my eyes at him.

“You’re the only one I ever talk to at this school.” I pointed out to him.

He frowned at me and mumbled something like ‘not the only one’ lowly enough that I barely caught it.

“What?” I asked.

Making sure I had heard him right, because I was pretty sure I hadn’t. But he shook it off.

“So no one asked you to go?” He asked, his eyes moving to meet with mine.

This time I actually laugh. That was a joke right? The idea of anyone wanting to ask me to the school dance was just stupid. Jonghyun didn’t look at all amuse at my reaction to his question.

“I’m asking you seriously Jieun.” He pressed.

I gave him a bemused look. He couldn’t actually think the answer to his question was ‘yes’ could he? What delusion was he living in exactly?

“Get real Jonghyun. Who in the hell would want to go with me? I told him shaking my head in disbelief.

“I don’t know. Maybe Jinki?” He mumbled, not meeting my eyes.

“Jinki? Why would he asked me to go?” I asked not understanding where this was coming from.

He was silent for a moment before answering me question.

“You guys…. Seemed close. I see you looking at him sometimes and sometimes he’s looking at you…. and it seems private. Like you’ve got a secret between you.” He didn’t look comfortable as he tried to explain.

I felt my stomach drop when I realised people had noticed. Worse Jonghyun had noticed.

“Oh.” He didn’t look happy with my response.

“Well even if he asked me, I would’ve said no.” I said pulling a face.

Jonghyun’s head snapped up a little, so he was looking at me, rather than the floor.

“You wouldn’t?” He asked.

“Yeah I hate dances.” I said, cringing inwardly thinking of the crowds of students.

The only person in the world who even stand a chance of ever getting me to attend one of things was standing right across from me.

“Oh.” Jonghyun’s face fell again.

I chewed my lip trying to understand his reaction. He’d been acting peculiar for the last few days now, and I’d been trying to find a way of cheering him up. But I hadn’t been able to come up with anything. I watched him in silence as he scowled moodily at nothing – which was completely unlike Jonghyun.

“Tangled.” I blurted out the only thing I could think off, feeling like an idiot as soon as the words left my lips.

‘Huh?” Jonghyun asked, snapping out of is stupor to look at with confusion.

“Tangled. It’s another movie I’ve never watched.’ I said ignoring how awkward I felt saying the words.

Jonghyun looked as confused as ever now but I continued anyway.

“I heard some girls talking about it a while back and they made it sound interesting.” He still didn’t say anything.

Why wasn’t he putting me out of my misery yet? I clearly at being this ‘good friend’ thing. Taking in a deep breath I decided to stop beating around the bush and just get it over with.

“Will you watch it with me?” I asked, tensing as I waited for his reply.

Why wasn’t he saying anything?

Slowly glancing up to take in his expression, I saw him looking at me in shock his jaw hanging open.

Was that a no?

I didn’t know what to make of his reaction. I was just about to open my mouth and tell him to forget it when his jaw shut and he seemed to snap out of his shock.

“Are you asking me to spend time outside school together?” He asked, clearly dazed.

“Yes.” I answered tensely, waiting for his answer.

“Seriously? This isn’t some kind of joke?” I checked.

I clenched my jaw, feeling unexpectedly hurt.

“Okay. Clearly it was a stupid idea. Forget I said anything.” I said, feeling embarrassed.

Jonghyun’s eyes widened as he shook his head.

“Hey wait! I didn’t mean it like that. I was just surprised you asked.” He swallowed stepping to the side so that I wasn’t able to storm off.

“I actually love the idea.” He continued softly.

I eyed him cautiously, wondering I he was just saying this to spare my feelings.

“Ask again. I’ll respond the right way this time.” He promised.

I blew out a large breath.

“Fine. Do you want to watch the movie with me?” I asked in a rude tone.

Jonghyun ignored the tone though and beamed at me.

“Yeah! I’d love to. How about we watch it tonight? My brother will be at a camp, Jinki’s planning on going to a party and my mum and Aunt are off on a girl’s night – so we can hang around just us two.” He said enthusiastically.

I smiled at him. With anyone else the idea of spending time alone with them would freak me out but I trusted Jonghyun more than I trusted myself.

“That sounds good.” I agreed.

Jonghyun’s smile widened impossibly in size. He looked happier than he had in days and it made the knot of worry that had been building up in my chest for him loosen slightly.

The school bel rang indicating that lessons starting again. Jonghyun gave me a childish wave and dashed down the corridor away from me. Clearly me asking him to watch a movie with him cheered him up. I rolled my eyes, fighting back a smile.

The next few hours of school went by in a flash. Even the surprise test by my science teacher hadn’t brought me down from my uplifted mood.

“You’re really not going to tell anyone?” I asked Jinki at the start of the lunch period.

It had been easy enough to find him, even though he had only been here few days he had already secured a position on the basketball team.

Jonghyun had football practise on the other side of the school, so it seemed like the perfect time to confront him, to see if he had been serious about what he had said in his note.

“I said I wouldn’t because it should be you to tell him.” He said sternly.

I had absolutely no intentions of telling Jonghyun anything. I didn’t want him involved, not when I knew him very well might hurt himself trying to do something stupid like protect me. The thought alone had my insides clenching in horror.

“He has the right to know Jieun.” Jinki said, clearly guessing my thoughts.

“No. Why does he?” I said stubbornly.

“Because he cares about you.” he said like it should have been obvious.

“That’s a reason not to tell. If he got hurt because of me, I wouldn’t be able to live with that.”

Jinki’s expression soften a tad.

“I’ve also been thinking about what you told me. About how your father is the only one you have. Well you’re wrong.” He said.

My frown deepened. How would be know anything about who was and wasn’t in my life?

“You have Jonghyun.” He told me with conviction.

I bit back my side remarks and listened to him.

“He would do just about anything for someone he cares for. He cares for you Jieun, he really does. You’ll always have him in your corner. And even though we haven’t known each other long, I’ll help in any way I can too.”

I shook my head at him as his words rolled over in my mind. But as I considered the thought of my father and Jonghyun fighting, of Jonghyun getting hurt closed me to the idea completely.

“I can’t.” I said.

My voice pleading him to understand why and for him to stick by his promise not to say anything, flinching as the images remained racing through my mind, refusing to leave me alone.

The idea of abandoning my father – of being anything like my mother – made me sick to the core. But the thought of Jonghyun getting hurt because of me was a thousand times worse.

“Just think about it okay?” Jinki said, stuffing his hands into his pockets,

I swallowed, nodding my head. But even as I made the promise, I knew no amount of thinking would allow me to change my mind.

I just can’t lose Jonghyun.