9 ♥ Heart to Protect
Hearts are Made to be Broken
♥ Hoya ♥
"Howon," Dongwoo taps my shoulder lightly and grins, making a gesture as if he is holding a glass to drink, "Want to grab a drink tonight? Junhyung and the others will join too."
I glance at Eunye secretly. She is sitting behind her desk, looking at the phone screen in silence. There is no expression on her face and she just stares at the phone blankly.
We just finished our weekly meeting and I notice that something just happened between her, Woohyun, and Sunggyu.
The moment our headmaster walked out from the meeting room, Sunggyu left his seat and walked to Woohyun. I couldn't see clearly what they're doing but the next second I knew, Sunggyu and Woohyun had stormed out, leaving Eunye alone.
Since I was trying to keep myself out from any possible rumors, I left to the staff room with the others just to find out that Eunye also returned to the staff room by herself.
Her close relationship with Woohyun has been questioned lately by our colleagues and I am no exception to be the source of answer. I managed to avoid answering it but I guess everyone can see that they're more than just friends.
In the other hand I am not satisfied with her happiness for making a step closer to finish her little 'assignment'.
"I'll join later," I retort and smile to Dongwoo. "I have something to do first."
He nods and tells me where they are going. He makes sure once again that I will catch up with them before leaving with the others.
"Yah, Eunye," I approach her and she looks up at me, blinking with straight face. "What's with that face?"
She returns her gaze to her phone and murmurs, "Nothing."
I know her too well to know that when she said 'nothing' then it means 'something'. It's not because she is a moody girl or she wants to gain attention. It's simply because she doesn't want to make me worried about her.
"If it's nothing, why are you still here? Do you want to go back now?" I ask her, observing her expression but there is no change on her face.
"No, I'll wait for Woohyun," she touches the phone screen with her finger. "You can go back first."
I scratch my cheek awkwardly and say, "I'm going out with the others. Call me if you need something."
"Hmm...," she reacts without even bothering to look at me. "Have fun."
I pat her head gently and then walk away. I head to the night club which Dongwoo told me yet my mind is still thinking about Eunye...
...and Sunggyu.
~ ♥ ~ ♥ ~ ♥ ~
"Why do you hate Sunggyu?" the question I had wanted to ask since the day Sunggyu appeared in her life once again finally left my lips. "It's not like he broke your heart on purpose."
Eunye still avoided my gaze but she murmured with monotone, "It's not that I hate him..."
"You act like you can kill him if you want to," I ruffled her hair, trying to shove away the intense atmosphere. "You can tell me anything, remember?"
I never really asked her about what happened between her and Sunggyu. All I knew was the fact that she fell for Sunggyu but Sunggyu ended up with someone else.
Now that I thought of it, I wondered if Sunggyu was still in a relationship. Not that I really wanted to know but I guessed I was just curious.
"Sunggyu...," Eunye decided to talk. I knew she was going to talk if I asked her. "He's a really good senior. He's a good mentor for me. He's so good that there's no way I wouldn't fall for him."
"Remember that you're really busy to prepare yourself for the dance competition?" Eunye looked at me with a small smile. "He always walked me back home because he didn't want me to feel alone. When I would have an exam on the next day, he would text me at night for a 'good luck' message..."
She stopped for seconds and cleared , "He told me about his ideal type. Long black hair. A smart one. Someone who will smile only for him. I tried to be that girl."
I looked at her sadly because I knew that it's the least memory she wanted to remember. The guilty feeling struck when I saw she bit her bottom lip reluctantly.
"I accidentally heard he told his friends in Student Council that I was his ideal type. You have no idea how I felt like I wanted to fly when I heard it," she continued again with closed eyes. "He once said while patting my head gently, that he was grateful that he met me."
Eunye turned to me and a tear rolled down on her cheek, "I thought I was special for him..."
My heart clenched when I saw my best friend cried. She still could cry because of Sunggyu and I was the trigger for her reason to shed tears tonight.
I reached out my hand and wiped the tear away, "It's alright, Eunye. Sorry, I shouldn't ask... Forget about it, okay?"
She nodded and took a deep breathe, "I don't hate him but I will not let him stand on my way to finish the 'assignment'. I must keep my promise."
"Eunye, I think you need to stop whatever you're planning," I told her. "What if Woohyun is serious about you? Look, I know Sunggyu made a mistake but that doesn't mean it's alright for you to make the same mistake."
"Are you defending him because you're a guy too?" she raised her eyebrow. "I have a deal and I'm not going to cancel it."
Eunye was too stubborn and only time could mend her heart.
Or at least I would try to change her mind.
~ ♥ ~ ♥ ~ ♥ ~
"Another glass?" Junhyung offers me, raising the bottle in his hand. "I think you just drank one drink tonight. Is something bothering you?"
"No. Not really," I force a smile as he takes a seat next to me. I look at my empty glass, moving it gently just to make the ice cubes hit the glass and cause random sound.
It's been thirty minutes since I joined Dongwoo and the others in the night club. They're having fun with food and drinks. Some are enjoying theirselves on the dance floor but I just sit at the bar by myself, drinking a glass of beer.
"I heard you are Eunye's college friend," Junhyung opens up a conversation. "Why didn't you ask her to come along here?"
"She will go back with Woohyun, I guess," I fake a laugh. "Besides she doesn't really like night club."
The conversation stops abruptly because I take my phone out from pocket because I just receive a new text message.
Now speaking of the devil, my eyes widen when I see the sender's name.
Choi Eunye
"I'm in front of your apartment. Are you still with the others?"
I frown. What is she doing in front of my apartment? I quickly reply her message.
"Are you alone?"
Like usual, it doesn't take long for her to reply the message. She only answers my question with one word.
Choi Eunye
"Yes."
I heave a sigh and stand up, bowing slightly to Junhyung, "I'm going back now. Sorry that I can't stay longer. Have a good night."
"Ah! Howon!" Junhyung calls my name when I just took steps away from him. He rushes to me and says, "About Eunye, I heard gossip from my girlfriend about hearbreaking stuff. Not that I believe in rumors but I think Eunye needs to clear up the issue, if it's her that people are talking about."
My heart sinks when I hear what he just said. I can't believe even my own colleagues has found out about the not-so-good news of Eunye.
"Sure," I nod, smiling to him. "I'll see you later then. Good night."
I walk out from the night club and head back to my apartment. I send a text message to Eunye, telling her to wait for me because I'm on my way back.
It's a good thing that the night club is not too far from my place. Within ten minutes, I have found Eunye is squatting down, right next to the door of my apartment.
She is busy playing something with her phone. She rests her chin on her knees. I notice that she hasn't returned yet because she is still wearing the same white dress and black blazer.
"Eunye, what are you doing here?" I step closer to her. I help her to stand up and ruffle her hair, "You should have called me when you're on your way here."
"I'm hungry," that's all she said to me.
I can't help myself but to smile at her. I open the door with my key and let her to get inside my apartment. She goes to the kitchen without asking for permission and opens the refrigerator to find something to eat.
"I'll treat you if you want to have dinner outside," I speak as I take off my jacket and put it on the couch.
She returns with a can of ice coffee, her favorite one, and sits on the couch without saying anything. She puts the can on table and leans to the couch, staring at the can. I decide to sit next to her and asks her, "What's wrong?"
Once again she doesn't answer my question. Instead of giving me an answer, she snuggles to me, resting her head on my shoulder, and murmurs, "Woohyun returned with Sunggyu. He texted me after you left."
I pat her head and mutter, "Are you feeling lonely because Woohyun didn't accompany you?"
It's actually a rhetorical question. There is no way that she is going to feel lonely because of Woohyun. She barely knows him.
Because she doesn't reply me, I circle my arm around her shoulder as I rest my chin on her head, "Woohyun is going to kill me if he sees us."
"I don't care," Eunye shifts closer to me, clutching on my shirt. "You're my best friend and I don't think he has a right to forbid me anyway."
My heart skips a beat when I feel her hand on my chest. I come to a realization that her scent is filling my mind.
"You sent me a text message at the wrong time," she suddenly states, still clutching on my shirt.
"Eh?" I snap back to my senses and blink. "I did?"
Eunye keeps silence and she buries her face against my chest, making my heart to beat faster.
It's not the first time I hug her but to remember that she is someone else's girlfriend, even though it's not a real one, I feel uneasy yet I can't push her away.
She only acts like this in front of me. She never shows her childish side when she's around the others. I guess I dare to say that I'm the only one who knows this side of her.
Eunye once said that she believed me more than anyone else in the world.
Slowly but sure I wrap her waist with my other arm. My lips touch her hair when I bury my face in her hair.
How can I assure her to leave this 'assignment' so no one will be hurt in the end? She is my best friend and I don't want anyone to look down at her, especially with the 'heartbreaker' title.
I can't help but to admit that it's true that my heart can't be changed.
I want to protect her from another broken heart.
I want to protect her from another broken heart.
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