"Why are you in such a rush ____- ah?"

"My friends are already at the train station waiting for me! And I'm late because Mrs Kim decided to let us off late." I replied, catching another look at my watch.

The 3 stop bus ride from my school to the station seemed so long and I unconsciously tapped my foot impatiently.

"____! Stop it, it's irritating! We're reaching soon anyway."

The bus reached and I said a quick good bye to my school mates before rushing out.

"I'm so sorry! My teacher let me off late today." I said as I joined the group standing at the entrance.

"Relax... It's fine, most of us just reached anyway." JaeHyun slung his hand over my shoulder before we walked into the station after we all said our hellos.

"Are you serious?" We were all laughing at a joke one of the guys told as we waited for the train, JaeHyun and I standing in the middle of the group.

"Jessi-ah, Your school mates are staring at you. Do you know them?" I looked over her shoulder and spotted some juniors.

"Ohhh.. They are juniors. It's okay."

"Oh! You said you'll be bringing your boyfriend to meet us soon right?" JaeHyun nudged me. "Is he that best friend from your school you had for ages?"

"Yah!" I blushed as the rest of the group started to tease me.

"See! It's all your fault!" I whacked Jae Hyun playfully and took his hand off my shoulder before he pulled me back.

"I'm sorry, we're just playing." He said with his puppy dog eyes while everyone laughed.

"_____-ah, You should tell ChaeYoung later when we meet. She'll help you hit him hard." One of the girls said and we all laughed harder.

"Noooooo!" JaeHyun whined. "Jessi, you won't want to see me being hit by my girlfriend right?"

"I'll think about it." I smirked as we all enter the train laughing at JaeHyun acting like a dejected puppy.

I leaned on the train door as we all stood around each other. The train had many of my school mates... And my friends weren't wrong; many of them were staring at me.

I shrugged it off and focused on my friends and catching up with them.

------------------------------------------

We stepped out of the cinema, stretching and talking about the show. JaeHyun was now linked at the fingers with ChaeYoung, leaving my shoulder empty.

Zzztt

I quickly took my phone out to check the message.


'9.45pm

From : Jiyongie <3

You done? Supper at the playground?'
 

I smiled and replied him before turning to the group.

"I.. Have to go."

"Ohhh... Must be that boyfriend of yours huh?" They teased as I blushed.

"Yah! Anyway, It was great catching up with all of you!"

"Yeah yeah. Hurry and go! Remember to let us meet him soon." JaeHyun waved me away and we all laughed as I nodded before walking off.

I quickly hopped onto a bus and after a while, I reached my destination.

I half skipped to the playground before I spotted Jiyong seated at the swings, his back facing me. I walked quietly towards him before covering his eyes from the back.

"Guess who?" I made my voice low and unlike my own, hoping to trick him although I knew that he never falls for it.

"Don't play" He took my hands away from his eyes and just let go off it.

Weird...

"Are you okay?" My voice full of worry as I moved infront of him "Are you unwell?"

My hand went up to feel his temperature but he avoided my hand by moving his head back.

"Jiyong, what's wrong? I know there's something wrong... "

"It's nothing. Let's eat." He stood up, grabbed the packed food from the floor and walked towards the top of the playground, where we usually sit.

He didn't hold my hand...

I climbed the ladder up and sat opposite him leaning against one of  the pillars. He unpacked the food an I saw that it was dobokki.

We ate in silence and it was extremely abnormal... I tried to lighten the mood by telling him about my day.

"What did you do after school? I had to rush out because Mrs Kim let us off late. Everyone was already there.. We were in the station where everyone was staring at us. I think we were making too much noise." I giggled. "Must have been Jae Hyun's fault anyway."

"So that's his name."

"Did you say something Ji? ... oh! And then we went to watch a movie and Jae Hyun was like telling jokes again and I almost spit out my drink and it was so irritating. Jae Hyun is such a--"

"Shut up and eat will you?" He stared at me sternly before turning back to his food, avoiding any eye contact with me.

I was taken aback, I'll give you that. Jiyong was never like that. Well, unless someone or something pissed him off real bad.

"What's wrong Jiyong? Did something happen today while I was out?"

An extremely long pause came before he sighed and turned to me.

"I was on the bus you were on."

"You were? Why didn't you call me? You could have followed me to meet the others!" I asked, in total surprise.

"Will you let me finish?"  He was trying not to snap, and I wasn't helping so i quickly I nodded, shutting my mouth.

"You just... Seemed so anxious to see them... And then at the station, you were just so... Close to that guy. Do you know many people saw you? Do you know they've been asking me if we broke up?"

I faced him, mouth agape. Honestly, I was really shocked. I never felt that Jae Hyun's actions were suggestive, seeing how close our group was. We were from the same youth group and grew up together, meeting up when we could since most of us were from different schools. 

"Jiyong-ah…" I moved so that I was sitting right in front of him as he leaned back on the pillar. I took his hand in mine, rubbing my thumb over the back of his hand. "You know that I'll never do that to you, right? Moreover, JaeHyun has a girlfriend. And that girlfriend is ChaeYoung."

"The one from the café?" He asked, eyes not looking at me again.

"Yeah, that very one." I sighed. "They were teasing me about you.. They want to meet you. They know that you were my best friend before becoming my boyfriend. I think I speak about you so much that they get tired of it sometimes since they haven't even met you." 

He still wasn't looking at me and I reached out to touch his cheek. 

"Hey.. Talk to me. Please?" 

He faced me, taking his hand from my grip. I felt my heart drop but his hands took mine instead, an action that comforted me. 

"I overreacted, I'm sorry." He sighed. "It's just that I know I don't spend enough time with you, with me being a trainee and all. I just don't want to lose you, you know?"

"You won't, I promise. Even if you get too busy, and too famous and have scandals everywhere." I smiled. "I'll still be here for you."

"You didn't say that you'll be with me." He pointed out.

"Ji.. We've talked about this." I sighed. "You're going to be a great big superstar and going to meet many many people, ladies included. There will be a time that a girl like me won't matter anymore. But I'm willing to wait until that moment actually comes, and enjoy the time I have with you." 

"But you will always matter." 

"I know I will, but there might be a girl that comes along that will matter more. And I won't blame you for that." I shifted so that I was now sitting beside him, leaning on his shoulder with our fingers now intertwined. "Who knows, maybe I'll be the one that actually leaves you instead of you leaving me." 

"You don't mean that." Jiyong sat up, staring at me.

"Of course I don't, but it's a what if." I breathe out. "We both know that the world was never perfect, and neither will our lives be. So let's just enjoy this moment, and grasp what we have okay?" 

"You know I love you right?" Jiyong leaned back next to me. 

"I do. And I love you too, and most likely always will." I leaned back on his shoulder. "Don't think about the worries anymore Ji, they're irrelevant to whatever will happen to us." 

---------------------------------------------------------------

Looking at the latest news on my laptop, I couldn't help but smile. He looked happy in those photos, and she did too. Model, cute personality, Japanese too, didn't expect that. 

I'm glad I walked away. I knew I had to. He was crumbling under the stress, most part of him telling him to pursue his dream and another part of him reminding him that he was going to leave me behind. So I made it easier for him. It resulted in his songs becoming a little sad, heartbroken… But I was right, he got over it and he found someone that mattered more. 

Placing the laptop on the coffee table, I stretched and gave a yawn. I should head to bed. I looked at the text one last time before placing my phone beside my laptop. 

"Come on Dragon! Bed time!" i called out to my dog who bounded after me as I entered my bedroom. 

"11.30 pm 

From: Jiyongie <3

Thank You. "

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