~After School, 4pm~

After school already? Yea, what Changmin seemed was true. Eunsae did ignore him for the rest of the day. She wasn’t at the stairway, where they usually met to chat, during their morning breaks. She didn’t sit with him during lunch at their usual spot under the tree. Come to think of it, it happened almost everyday this month. It seemed as if she was slowly moving out of his life, or at least trying to.

“Eunsae!!! Wait up!!!” Changmin screamed from across the hallway as he saw his best friend heading for the school exit with her sling bag dangling on her shoulder.

However, Eunsae didn’t slow down, nor did she make an effort to. She just continued at her normal pace until she was outside of the school ground did she stop. But just to wait for the red light to turn green, signaling that it is safe to cross the road. During that period of time, Changmin managed to catch up to her.

“Y…you! D…did y…you have t…to walk… walk so… fast??” Changmin managed to squeeze out of him while catching his breath at the same time.

Eunsae didn’t answer him. Instead, she just looked down, as if the floor was more interesting to pay attention to than her best friend. Frustrated and slightly irritated at Eunsae’s behavior, he dragged her to the temporarily abandoned classroom to have a good long chat with her. Hopefully, things will go back to normal.

~In the Classroom~

“Changmin, I told you! I have errands to run for my dad. I have to go!” Eunsae said while trying to free herself from the tightening-by-the-minute grip of her best friend.

“Forget it Eunsae, we’re gonna have a nice long chat in class. Like we always do when one of us is having trouble.” Changmin responded while glaring straight into Eunsae’s eyes.

Shocked by Changmin’s sudden change of attitude, Eunsae sighed and just gave in.

“Just… At least let me tell my dad I’ll be home slightly late.” Eunsae said softly.

Changmin nodded and released the grip on her hand, leaving a clearly visible mild bruise appearing on her pale wrist skin. He looked on the dusty ground of the classroom, feeling slightly guilty upon seeing the bruise he made on his best friend. After making the phone call, Eunsae sighed and sat on one of the tables with both her legs placed on a chair.

“So what do you wanna talk about?” Eunsae stared at Changmin.

“I wanna know why you’ve been acting so weird lately.” Changmin lifted his head to look at Eunsae.

“Define weird…” Eunsae stared blankly back into Changmin’s dark chocolate eyes.

Changmin chuckled slightly at the familiar answer.

“Well for starters, you’ve been acting completely un-you this whole month. You avoid me every time I see you. You ignore me during class which is normally our doodling time…”

Eunsae laughed slightly at the memories.

“…you didn’t sit with me during lunch… It’s like I barely see you anymore.” Changmin finished his long definition with a sad frown.

“Changmin, I…” Eunsae was cut off by Changmin.

“Are you… Are you trying to get out of my life? Or get me out of yours?” Changmin hesitatingly asked, still staring into Eunsae’s hazel eyes.

“I’m sorry… Changmin, I really am… It’s just…” Eunsae broke their eye contact and sighed loudly.

“Just what? Please explain to me… Because I’m really confused right now…”

An awkward silence appeared in the temporarily abandoned classroom, in the possibly empty school where only the 2 of them are left. Changmin made himself comfortable on another table, patiently waiting for an answer to surpass Eunsae’s pink lips, but Eunsae remained quiet. After what seems like eternity of the awkward silence, Eunsae broke it.

“I’m sorry…” Eunsae softly said.

She immediately pulled Changmin into a tight short hug

“Thanks Max, for everything.” Eunsae whispered into his ear, several teardrops glided down her smooth skin, before slowly making her way to the door.

Changmin still remained stunned. From the sudden hug, to the tears on her cheeks. Then it hit him.

“Max?? Did she just call me Max??”

Once out of the classroom, Eunsae’s slow pace broke out into a run. Tears streamed down her pink-ish cheeks as she ran all the way to the lockers. Without hesitating, she took out a letter and put it through the slit on the locker of her best friend. Then, she took off. To the safety and comfort within the four walls of her bedroom. There, she cried and sobbed into her pillow, the only thing that can comfort during bad times like this.

On the other hand, Changmin wasn’t doing so well himself. He lazily dragged his feet all the way to his house, then up the stairs into his bedroom. All the while, he was thinking about what happened earlier, between him and his best friend. The hug, the salty liquid that dripped down her cheeks… He decided to just take a cool relaxing shower to cool down this hectic day. Stripping off his garments, he proceeded to the shower room. He mentally noted to talk to Eunsae tomorrow once more.

~In Eunsae’s House~

“Eunsae-ah, time for dinner.” Mr Jung called out. “And bring your brother with you!”

“Alright!” Eunsae picked herself off her bed after drying her hair and walked to her older brother’s room. “Yunho!! Time for dinner.”

Out of the blue, Yunho grabbed her in a head lock and started rubbing her head with his knuckles.

“Hey! I just washed my hair. Stop it! It hurts!” Eunsae cried out while being in the uncomfortable head lock.

“Then don’t call me by my name. At least learn some respect.” Yunho said playfully. “Come on, it’s dinner time.”

At the dinner table…

“Eunsae-ah, the school just called, you got accepted.” Mr Jung said while pulling to give his daughter a tight hug.

“I’m so proud of you!!!”

“Way to go little sis!” Yunho ruffled Eunsae’s hair even more.

“Thanks dad.” Eunsae smiled slightly but it soon turned into a frown at Yunho. “Please stop it, my hair’s already messed up enough.”

“You’re starting the day after tomorrow. But tomorrow’s your briefing of the school.” Mr Jung said before gulping some tea down. “Yunho, can you accompany her tomorrow?”

“Dad, I can go myself…” Eunsae rolled her eyes.

“Nuh-uh, I’m taking you. If any boys there ogles at you, they’re gonna be-” Mr Jung cut Yunho off with a mind-your-language glare. “Err… Gonna be in pain… Hehe…”

“Fine…” Eunsae sighed while rearranging her food.

‘Hmm… Guess today’s the last day to see Changmin. But it’s for the best.’