CHAPTER fourteen; unrequited love

{jinho's pov}

It's been a few weeks since we got back from the MT. It's been tiring trying to keep up with the rest of the form. They've proceeded ahead with the supposed syllabus whereas we are here, breaking our heads trying to understand the earlier chapters of the subject. It's also been too long since I saw Tiff. What happened to her? 

"Kim JinHo. Focus." I heard HaKyung telling me.

I turned to my side with a smile and a nod towards her. We've become closer because of the MT. She's actually kinda cool underneath the Ice Princess trait. 

"What are you smiling about?" HeungSoo whispered, he was sitting beside me.

"Ah, nothing." I made an instant straight face and continued on trying to focus with the teacher.

But I couldn't.

My heart.

It felt ... hurt. Thinking about Tiff. 

Why?

Did we fight?

No. 

So, why does it hurt? 

A boyfriend? 

No, Tiff doesn't have one.

Or does she? 

Ah, I don't know! I ruffled my own hair out of frustration. Luckily the bell rang. Time to go and find her. 

I searched her name on my phone as I head out to the field. I smiled when I saw what I had put as her caller ID. 

My Tea. Yeah, a cup of tea would make her day, why wouldn't it make mine? 

I called her. 

"Hello?" Her voice melted through the line.

"Oh, Tiff."

"JinHo-ah. Where are you?" She sounded happy. That's a good sign. 

"Heading to the field." I told her as I make a right.

"Oh okay, I'll meet you there, I'm going there as well." Tiff told me and hung up. 

She seemed excited for a reason. Maybe to see me? I found a smile tugging on my lips. I gave it a quick release and immeadiately turned poker face when I saw Tao. 

"I caught your smile. Why? Happy to see me?" Tao flung his hand over my shoulder. 

"No, who would be happy to see you?" I answered coldly. He looked hurt for a moment before he smiled.

"You would, idiot. Anyway, where are we going?" He said as he shoved his hands in his pockets. 

"Field. To meet Tiff." I answered him with a small smile.

"Tiff? At the field? What? I thought she didn't like sunlight." Tao told me, like it was the most unbelievable thing.

"What happened to you while I was gone? You're so dramatic." I told him.

"I got social, okay? It seems that you did too. On account of how you act with the Ice Queen over there." 

I saw HaKyung by the window, she was alone. I went to her and looked down to who she was possibly looking at. I saw Gikwang talking with Hyunyoung. 

I looked at her and heard her mumble.

"How does she do it?" 

"Do what?" I asked her. 

"Seduce the guys here." She sighed and jumped slightly when she saw me.

"What are you doing here?" She asked me, like seeing me for the first time.

"You looked lonely." I answered her with a smile. 

"Well, don't bother." She said as she turned and walked away.

"Jinho." Tao called me.

Oh yeah! Tiff! I ran away from him towards the field. I was out of breath as I neared but slowed down my tracks and tried to calm my breathing when I saw her by the bleachers. I walked towards her and stopped in my tracks. 

Joon. Lee Joon.

Was with My Tea. I mean Tiff. 

She looked happy. And HE was smiling.

They were under a tree, and ... lip locking. 

Tao had caught up with me, I heard him panting. I took a step back. And fisted my knuckles. 

"Isn't that Tiff? Why don't you go say hello?" Tao said as I stepped back slowly. 

"Don't be such a coward. You were never nervous with her before." He said as he tried to pull me forward and then I'm pretty sure he saw because he stopped dead as well. 

He looked back at me, with a worried expression. I loosened his grip and ran away from him. 

I found my way to the famous rooftop. I walked towards the edge of it. And sat on the ledge, facing the courtyard.

Ah, my heart hurts. 

So much. 

I clutched my chest, trying to ease out the pain.

I felt liquid streaming down my face, and I realized I was crying. 

"Ya, Kim Jinho. Pabo. Guys don't cry over this." I scolded myself. 

I ended up screaming because it ached. Scolding myself usually helped. I guess it doesn't when it comes to Tiff. 

My bestfriend. My partner. 

It's too late now. 

I was too late. 

If I had confessed earlier, would she be mine? 

Of course she would.

First comes, first served. 

I felt a hand on my shoulder. And someone backhugged me as I continued clutching my chest and crying. 

I turned and the arms left my waist. 

Hakyung. 

"Tao told me you were up here, didn't think that I'd come and find you crying." She told me, with her solemn face. 

I got off the ledge and tried to go to her, she was standing a bit farther than I thought. 

My legs gave way and I fell to the ground, kneeling.

Memories of her flooded through me. The time she remembered my birthday better than anyone else. The one even Tao had doubts with. 

The time where I first walked her home. 

When I first met her parents.

How we would hang around the coffee shop where I worked. 

Everything. 

"You must've really liked her. For you to be crying hard like this." Oh yeah, HaKyung is still here. 

She knelt down, and hugged me. 

Wrapping her arms around my neck, and patting my head. 

I buried my face on her shoulder, continued sobbing. 

I must have fallen asleep because I felt someone patting my face. I woke up and squinted my eyes. Why is it so bright?

"Yah, JinHo. Wake up. I'm hot and melting here." I heard Tao's voice. 

Wait, I thought I was with Hakyung. I backed away from him and blinked multiple times. 

"What? Sorry to disappoint you. I had to tell HaKyung to leave." Tao explained as he brushed off invisible dust from his coat.

I cocked my head. Ah, so she was here. I wasn't imagining Tao as a girl. Thank goodness. 

"You slept on her shoulder and its blazing hot, she nearly fainted from the heat when I came. Tsk tsk. How could you do that to her?" He scolded me. 

I stood up and brushed off the dust from my pants. 

"Anyway, how long was I out?" 

"Quite some time. You finished your crying with Hakyung though. You only borrowed my shoulder to sleep on." Tao answered me as he stood up too with groans and complaints of sleepy legs. 

"Thanks." I told him as I leave him to go and find HaKyung. 

I heard him throwing curses of how burdensome I was to him. Well, I admit that I can be kind of burdensome, but right now, I need to go and find HaKyung. 

I found her at the library, watching Gikwang again.

"Do you like him?" I whispered in her ear once I reached her.

"Aish. You scared me. Like who?" She asked me.

"Gikwang. And sorry." I told her. 

"Not really, but he seems attractive." She told me.

"He is, he's a good kid. Take your shot." 

"And what about you with the girl you cried for? Why don't you take a shot?" She asked me. 

"My shot was taken. I was too late. Anyway ... I wanted to talk about that." 

"What's there to talk about? It's clear you're not what you seem to be." Hakyung flipped a page of the book that was in front of her.

"Yeah, I kinda need you to not spread the word about it. I have an image to take care of." I told her. 

"Yeah sure, whatever." She scoffed at me before saying those words.

"And I wanna say Thanks for being there. Just now." I told her with a smile. 

"You're welcome." 

She smiled.

Author's Notes;  20130622

Okay, I think today is YongHwa's birthday so Happy Birthday to YOU!
Thanks to Baby Don't Cry, I was able to finish this.
I see not many people commenting now that it's ending.
I have only two chapters left for this story before I'm starting a new one.

Ah, it's ending already :( 

But it was a hard path. So thanks for all your support!
 

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