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Taemin really wanted to punch himself in the mouth for pretending to be a decent human being and declaring that he would so see Jiyeon to redeem his wrongdoings. Because unfortunately, it was a bit too late for any regrets.


 

“Lee Taemin, let go of the ing pole you coward!”


 

Chanyeol yelled as he pulled Taemin by the collar. Gripping his arms harder around the metal electrical pole on the sidewalk, Taemin shook his head vigorously.


 

“I’m going to let go when I’m ready!” He screeched, glaring at Chanyeol. “I just need a bit of more time!!”


 

“Ready for what?! Stop being ridiculous and let go!”


 

Chanyeol scowled, trying to detach Taemin’s body stuck on the pole like a piece of chewed gum. Hugging the pole with his entire body downright to his two feet, Taemin was displaying quite a comical scene in the middle of a street, as Chanyeol tugged mercilessly at his backpack.


 

Taemin hadn’t thought that it would be this hard. But as soon as he laid eyes on Jiyeon through the café window, the memories of Jiyeon stalking him and creeping him pounded his head like a hammer, and Taemin found himself magneted to an electric pole nearby. Putting his arms around Taemin’s waist, Chanyeol lifted Taemin up and dragged him away from the pole as Taemin watched with grief, the pole getting smaller and smaller in his sight.


 

“, why did I even volunteer to put up with this?” Chanyeol muttered, when Taemin unintentionally kicked him in the shins in the midst of dramatic flailing.


 

“I said I needed time!” Taemin argued defensively, trying to get down to his feet. “I haven’t organized what I’m going to say when I meet her and-”


 

“…Chanyeol-ah?”



But Taemin was interrupted when suddenly the café door opened and Jiyeon came out, her eyes widening at the sight. Taemin blinked, and Chanyeol dropped the boy.


 

“Finish it off cleanly.” Chanyeol finally said to Jiyeon, brushing imaginary dust off his uniform sleeves. “That’s the only reason why I brought him to you.”


 

With that, Chanyeol gave Taemin one final look before turning around and leaving Taemin and Jiyeon to themselves.


 

“…How are you?” Taemin mustered, after a good five minutes of awkward silence passed between them. “It’s been a while.”


 

“I’m fine.” Jiyeon smiled weakly. “…It’s been twenty-seven days, to be exact.”


 

Taemin merely smiled back as the familiar rush of goosebumps rose all over his arms. Meeting Jiyeon and talking to her face to face was getting painfully uncomfortable, and Taemin decided that it was best to get it over with.


 

“Hey, Jiyeon… urm, I just wanted to say that if I hurt you, I really didn’t mean to… and I’m sorry,” Taemin began, “but it’s not a good time for me right now to date anyone…"


 

Jiyeon suddenly dropped her head.


 

"Sorry, did I do something wrong again? Why are you crying??” Taemin automatically stepped towards her, his arms restless by his sides.

“You can just punch me in the face if that’ll make you feel better…” Taemin said frantically, and Jiyeon looked up with tears wavering in her eyes.


 

“Punch you? How could I?” She said. “I just never realized that I was such a burden to you.”


 

“……Sorry.” Taemin bit his lips apologetically. “Trust me, consider yourself lucky. I’m really not worth your time…”


 

“What about that guy?” Jiyeon inquired before Taemin could finish. “...Kim Jongin?”


 

“…Jongin?” Taemin repeated uncertainly.


 

“It was a lie, wasn’t it?”


 

“……”


 

Taemin hesitated to answer, and Jiyeon sniffled as she put on a bright voice.


 

“I knew it was a lie, it just didn’t seem possible.”


 

“……”
 

“You know, when Chanyeol told me that he was transferring to your school, I kinda thought that maybe, we were destined for each other…”


 

“It’s not a lie.” Taemin interrupted.


 

“…Sorry..?” Jiyeon’s eyelids fluttered up, and Taemin loosened his tie.


 

“…You’re right, we’re not going out.” Taemin continued firmly. “But it’s not exactly a lie either.”


 

Jiyeon looked at Taemin with her panic-stricken expression, and Taemin felt like he was faced with a deja-vu from a month ago.


 

“It’s just me. I like Jongin, and it’s kind of one-sided.” He sighed. “So… it’s not entirely a lie.”


 

Jiyeon didn’t speak. With tightly clenched fists, Jiyeon only looked down at her hands and Taemin didn’t say anything. He didn’t think anything could make the situation better, and Taemin was just thankful that Jiyeon wasn’t crying again. Taemin disheveled the back of his head after a while, breaking the ice.


 

“Makes it so much easier for you to punch me, doesn’t it.” Taemin said lightly, and Jiyeon slowly raised her head.


 

“…You really don’t think I’m willing to punch you, don’t you?”


 

“…What?”


 

Taemin chuckled nervously. Because honestly, he didn’t. The scenario Taemin had in mind was for Jiyeon to freak out and back off, not actually driving a Taekwondo-practiced punch into his face.


 

“Uh, well I haven’t really thought about it…” Taemin replied, as he absentmindedly eyed Jiyeon’s white-hard knuckles.


 

“You thought I’d just run away sprouting a trail of tears behind, right?” Jiyeon shot firmly. “Because you’re right, I do kind of really want to punch you.”


 

“…….”


 

Taemin forced a smile, his imagination running wildly with Jiyeon beating up buff guys to a pulp.


 

“I’ll gladly take the hit.” Taemin said with an air of surrender and shut his eyes.


 

As if to enjoy the moment of suspense, Jiyeon’s anticipated punch didn’t come for awhile. After some embrassing moment of unmanliness, –such, of biting lips, scrunching eyebrows, and flinching violently– Taemin opened his eyes just slightly enough to discover Jiyeon looking back at him coldly.  Or so he thought, until he realized that Jiyeon was actually looking past him. Taemin whipped around, and to his surprise, it was Jongin who Jiyeon was locking eyes with.


 

Jiyeon’s expression was cold, while Jongin looked annoyed. With his bag over his shoulders, Jongin stared back impassively, as if daring Jiyeon to throw a punch. The sparks between their intense gaze was almost inflammable, until Jiyeon averted her eyes first.


 

“Well then, I guess this is goodbye.” She turned to Taemin. “I’ll tell Chanyeol that this went well.”


 

“Oh, okay.”


 

Taemin nodded hesitantly, and Jiyeon looked back at Jongin before turning around. She stopped after a few steps, and faced Taemin again. Jiyeon tilted her head.


 

“I thought it was one-sided?” She gave Taemin a perplexed look.