Author's Note:

Surprise, surprise! Yaaay! 7th chapter is here! lol

So i won't be able to update in a few days because school which is why I kinda had to post this tonight haha but i'll try to update on the weekend if I find time! :D

Thank you to all the subscribers and the upvotes!

Don't forget to comment what you think about the story so far :)

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Chapter 7

"He's Back"

 

JungHee's POV

Riding with Chanyeol inside the car was more comforting than walking to school but not because of the air condition or the comfy leather seats and good sound system but because I was with him—my best friend.

“Yah!” I said, still shell-shocked to see him driving right beside me. “How come you didn’t tell me you’ll be back today?!”

“The signal of my phone in Daegu was crappy and I basically slept the whole car ride. So I just came with a somewhat surprise arrival. Even eomma got shocked when she heard I was back.” He simply said, not even glancing at me as he focused on the driveway.

I had to remember that this was my best friend driving and not a person I could have a crush on. Nobody could blame me—he had the perfect looks for the perfect cool boyfriend. Well, he’s still low on the scale compared to Jaejoong but still. He was also different from other guys.

“You didn’t even say anything to your mom and went straight here?!”

This time, he smiled and gave me a quick glance. “I had to see my most favorite girl in the world first!”

He ruffled my hair slightly and I had to push his arm away before my hair could get even messier.

“But still! You should’ve given me a call or even some sort of sign or warning! How’d you even know I was there on that street?” Sometimes, he gets too cheesy that I had no choice but to ignore his remarks.

“I was just passing by that street to grab some coffee from Holly’s but then I saw you and it saved me a trip to your home,” He said. “I was supposed to pick you up but then I decided to just meet you at school or something. Besides, you shouldn’t even be walking out there! How come you’re not with Jungki hyung?”

“Nothing, really. I just felt like walking.” Smooth lie.

“Or getting lost?” He chuckled. “You never liked walking! Whenever we’d visit some places you’d demand me to bring my car!”

“Speaking of which, how did you get your car back? Didn’t your dad even get mad at you for leaving Daegu? He shouldn’t have given you your keys!”

“I made an easy bargain. I fixed my documents in Daegu University, got my GPAs printed and applied to a school in Korea.” He said, making a left turn to my school. “I guess when he knew I was prepared to go home and still had plans to continue my studies, it was okay. And this—“ He said, looking at me and pointing at the main building of my school. “—is way better than being in Daegu!”

“You’re going to study here????” I said, jumping giddily from my seat and getting hyped up of the new idea.

“Like I told you, being with my parents and you and having Seoul girls chase me is way better. Way, way, waaay better.”

We were now parked inside the school parking lot and he unbuckled his seatbelt before giving me an excited grin. “Now, shall my favorite girl give me a tour?”

 

I laughed and beamed, playfully punching him on the arm.

Maybe skipping class was a good idea.

---

“You have to stop eating, you know?” Chanyeol said, as if it was God’s first commandment. He laughed and playfully placed his arm around my shoulder. “You emptied my wallet in just an hour by purchasing the numerous dishes you ate!”

I nudged him on the ribs. “Yah!” I said, lowering my voice as we entered the classroom that was almost filled with my org mates. “It’s a good thing we’re not late—“

“It’s a good thing you’re not fat,” He retorted straight forwardly, throwing his head back in laughter and I had to stop the urge to slap his face.

“Shut up!” I said, walking towards the back row but Chanyeol pulled me back in front and smiled.

“Not good to sit in the back. In Daegu, the teachers didn’t notice me the whole term because I sat at the back row. Gave me the lowest grades,” He muttered, aiming for the middle seats in the first row.

“But there’s only one more seat left—“

“Excuse me?” Chanyeol said to the upperclassman who sat beside me a couple of times. “Could I take your seat instead? I have really bad eyesight.”

 The guy looked confused but Chanyeol continued to stare at him with his large creepy eyes. He shrugged, gathered his things and stood up, transferring to a vacant seat at the third row, right beside Lay.

Lay.

“JungHee!” I could hear his voice, calling my name. He waved his hand towards my direction and I had to look away. I forgot about him. I tried to not look at him as Chanyeol and I took our seats in front and started talking about what we missed during his stay in Daegu. But minutes and minutes passed, our professor still hadn’t arrived and I could feel holes boring in my back.

I was guilty. Guilty of not being able to call him and ask him if he was okay after being soaked in the rain and kicked out of my house. If I were to choose who I wanted to avoid between my brother and him, I’ll pick Lay.

 “You look…weird.” Chanyeol stated as he stopped midway of his story once he noticed me spacing out and looking pale. “Are you sick? Bad stomach? Head ache?”

He pressed his forehead against mine, a routine we always do when checking each other’s body temperature. He smiled widely and his eyes crinkled at the sides, making him look almost like the kid I’ve always known. “You don’t seem sick. You’re blushing.”

“That’s because you’re too close.” I whispered, laughing and shoving him lightly on the chest.

“You’re my bestest friend! My favorite girl! We always do that!” He said, chuckling. “You should really get used to how I specially treat you.”

“It’s awkward with a lot of people, Yeol. We’ve got them staring weirdly at us. They don’t even know you’re my best friend.”

Lay doesn’t even know you’re my best friend and I can feel him staring at us.

“Were you able to do it?” I suddenly heard Lay’s voice beside me and I was surprised to see him sitting on the chair next to me, occupying the seat of the noona awhile ago.

“Why are you suddenly sitting there?” I asked, surprised to see him close to me.

“Where’s our project proposal?” He calmly reached his hand out to demand for the paper.

“Ugh, wait,” I said, picking up my bag and rummaging through my things. “I think…”

“Hi. I’m Chanyeol,” Chanyeol suddenly interrupted, extending his hand way past me to reach for Lay’s outstretched arm.

“And you are?” Lay said monotonously, eyeing Chanyeol’s hand.

“Uhh, Lay, this is Chanyeol, my friend,” I smiled sarcastically at Lay. “Chanyeol, this is Lay, my—“ He’s not my friend so what is he? “—org partner. Uhh… yeah.” The atmosphere was getting heavier and awkward as they shook hands.

I pulled out the document from my bag and quickly gave it to Lay. “Here. Since my brother kicked you out of the house and you basically didn’t do anything last night, you have no right to complain about what place I chose in the end, do you understand?”

“How worse could it get?” He muttered, grabbing the document from me and scanning it from top to bottom. “Let’s revise this after lunch. You no longer have classes, right?”

“Hmm,” I said, tapping my chin with my index finder. “, NO! I have to go somewhere.”

“Where?” Chanyeol and Lay said in unison as they stared at me and waited for me to continue.

“It’s Jaejoong’s fan sign later and I was given a backstage pass for it. I can’t miss out,” I said as if missing it could mean failing a subject.

“No you can’t. We have to do this project.”

“I have to, Lay.”

“I thought he dit—“

“Don’t,” I said sternly, my eyebrows shooting up in surprise. I signaled for him to stop using my eyes and silently prayed that he would not say anything in front of Chanyeol. If Chanyeol knew that Jaejoong treated me slightly worse for the past few weeks, he’d throw a fit and ask Jaejoong for a wrestling match. “Uhh…”

“No, just don’t go!” He forcefully said, leaning forward and begging me with his eyes. “This is our grade and Jaejoong won’t give a crap if you passed or failed—“

“I’ll accompany you,” Chanyeol suddenly proposed, placing his hand on my shoulder, making me face him. “Let’s skip class and roam around Seoul or something then I’ll drive you home.”

“Lay, I can’t… I’m sorry. Maybe tomorrow? You know it’s Jaejoong we’re talking about here.” I told Lay, looking at him with an apologetic expression.

“Yes, I know. The guy who just pushes you away and treats you like garbage. I know.” He said, shaking his head and standing up. He leaned down closer to me and placed his lips near my ear and spoke softly, a whisper that was meant for me.

“I can’t believe that after how Jaejoong treated you like nothing, you just go back to him as if it never happened. And worse, you’ve gotten another backup guy who looks like he’ll flirt his way down to getting in your pants.”

“Hey!” I said as Lay started walking back to his original seat. “Take that back!”

It was the worst insult a person has ever given me. If people think that Chanyeol slightly looks like a man who probably sleeps around most of them, well, they’re all wrong. He’s my best friend and yes, maybe there are times when he tends to be all touchy but it’s his nature. It’s normal for him to act that way around me because we’ve been best friends since we were kids. No one insults him that way and compresses in one sentence the words Chanyeol and getting in my pants.

“All you do is insult everyone I love and care about!” I shouted at him, feeling all the anger rising inside me.

By then, everyone was looking at me and whispering to each other. Even Chanyeol stared at me confusingly as I stood up. He held my hand and tried to pull me down, coaxing me.

I closed my eyes and counted to ten. I sat back on my seat and did not look at Chanyeol. He tried making me face him but he was unsuccessful. I was just too pissed off to deal with everything that was happening.

Slowly, he placed his hand on mine and squeezed it. He leaned and whispered in my ear, “Calm down, JungHee. You’re getting ugly.”

The professor arrived and before he could even place his things on the table, I saw Lay approach him with clenched teeth. “I need to abstain from today’s class. I’m not feeling well.”

“What happened to you?” The professor eyed him suspiciously.

“I’m feeling sick. Sick in the stomach. I think I’ll puke.” He looked at me sharply, and then shifted his gaze towards Chanyeol.

Chanyeol tightened his grip on my hand and it was all I needed to stop me lunging forward and starting a fight with that stupid and rude bastard.

---

I stepped outside of the car to the entrance doors of the mall, waving Chanyeol goodbye as he dropped me off at the activity center where Jaejoong would have his fan sign.

“What’s up with Lay and you?” He asked when we pulled out of school a while ago. He glanced at me, a worried look on his face. “Did you get into a fight with him when I wasn’t here?”

“Do I look like a bad person to you? Do I look like a war freak?” I said, looking out the window and wondering why I ever fell into that kind of tough frienemy relationship with Lay.

“No.”

“Am I flirty? Not to you but to other people?”

“I rarely even see you talk to guys!”

“Is liking Jaejoong too much?”

“Maybe but I don’t know. It’s a girl’s thing.” He said slowly, trying to think if he was actually saying the right words in order to not hurt my feelings. Maybe he was avoiding the words obsessed, lunatic, and delusional.

 
“Why are you asking all these things? Did he tell you that you are like that?”

Yes. He even insulted you.

“No.” I lied smoothly, shaking my head and forcing a smile. “He just teased me about my clothes today and said stuff about awful my color matching was.” I laughed nervously, hearing the words come out of my mouth like ice.

“But your clothes seem okay…” He said, giving me a fast once over. He chuckled and grinned. “We men don’t know anything about girls’ fashion except that they should show some skin so just let him go… he’s just teasing you.”

If only I could easily let him go, I thought.

I gripped the handle of the paper bag I was holding tighter, taking a deep breath and thinking of calming thoughts.

This was the first fan sign I’d ever attend after officially being Jaejoong’s friend. It felt different, of course, because before I felt like a normal fan hoping that he’d glance towards my direction and notice me but now I know that he’d look at me because he knew me and we’ve gone out together a few times.

I went to the area and signed at the entrance gate of the event. There were many people; some looking like foreigners and some were students still dressed in their high school uniforms. It didn’t matter now if I was at the end of the line because I knew that maybe he’d give me some slight VIP treatment if he saw me in the audience. I was expecting and assuming, sure. But this is what a fan does, right?

I brought out my phone from my pocket and started typing him a message.

Guess where I am?

and pressed send.

A few seconds later, the beep came.

If you’re at my fan sign, don’t line up anymore. I’ll meet you at the backstage.

See? I knew he’d give me VIP treatment.

I smiled to myself with satisfaction and kept my phone inside my pocket, ignoring his orders since I wanted for him to be surprised in seeing me at the audience. Now, there was only an hour to kill before he’d be surprised I was here, lining up and spending such efforts to see him and hopefully make him happy.

---

“NEXT!” One of the staff clad in black said, waving for all the fans in line to step forward.

I walked to the first marker, the marker which was three meters away from where I would be standing in front of Jaejoong’s table. There were a few reminders—not to block him entirely with my body, not to take pictures until the event has finished and not to give him any food and leave all the fan gifts at the other end of the table.

I waited with a smile on my face as the fan preceding me took all her time talking to Jaejoong. I smiled at the thought of how I was like that before; asking how he was and if he had a great day. But now, I knew his number and even ate a few meals with him. I couldn’t say I wasn’t lucky.

“NEXT!” His manager said, motioning for me to walk quickly to the table.

Right when the fan left her gift at the side and I had a full view of Jaejoong, my heart skipped a beat.

Suddenly, I was that fan who barely knew him, who spent nights dreaming of the next fan sign, who hungered for some attention from him. I felt like I was back at square one.

When he saw me, he immediately focused his eyes on me. His eyes grew bigger with surprise and recognition. He leaned forward as I approached him, grinning.

“Surprise!” I said, laughing. “I didn’t want to simply visit you backstage. It seemed unfair to—“

“I told you to meet me there!” He said firmly as if I was a student in his class and I just disobeyed his rules. “Why are you out here?”

“Because I just wanted to surprise you!” My smile fell and my palms started to sweat—not with giddiness but with fear that he’d humiliate me and get mad at me because of what I’ve done. “If you really wanted to meet backstage and not here, then you should’ve insisted or said something or---“ I was running out of excuses as I started to stutter and panic.

“You’re here already, right?” He sighed, leaning back in his seat, obviously looking upset.

“I could leave if you want me to and just meet you later… I’m sorry but I just wanted to surprise you…” I said slowly, feeling the tears fill my eyes—pure humiliation. He didn’t seem like he was happy to see me. He looked more of ‘I’m surprised you showed up. But I wish you didn’t.’

“No, no.” He said immediately, his expression changing from pissed to repenting. “I’m sorry. I was just…”

“Just what?” I shot back, feeling my efforts gone to waste.

“Just taken aback that you chose to line up for hours instead of personally meeting me backstage!” He said, his smile fooling me. He leaned forward and looked up at me, his seductive eyes erasing all my worries. “Come forward.”

I followed what he said and bent my head a little, my eyes looking at him innocently.

“More.” He said, gesturing for me to come closer with his finger.

I stepped forward once again and felt the table bump against my pelvic bone. “There’s no more space!” I said, shaking my head.

He suddenly placed his hand on the nape of my neck, his cold hand sent shivers down my spine. He pulled me forward until our faces were side by side, the heat of his face flooding my cheeks.

“Listen,” He whispered, his lips against my ear. “Why don’t you meet me backstage later so I could buy you dinner and bring you home? To make up for my rude welcome?” He wasn’t really asking me. He was telling me we should.

I was back to being that giddy fan and his words sent tingles to my body once more, making my knees weak and feel like jelly. It was that y voice and tempting invitation mixed in one sentence that made me feel vulnerable.

“Okay,” I managed to say. Who was I to say no? “Now, are you letting me go?”

“Of course.” He said after a beat, removing his hand from my neck and leaning back. He smiled and reached out his hand to me. “Where’s my gift?”

“Oh, I’ll leave them there.” I said, pointing at the exit gate of the area where all the other fan gifts were placed. My voice was still shaky from his touch, his invite. “I have—“

“You don’t have to. Give them to me, I’ll be the one to keep them.” He said, winking as he ran his hand through his hair. “You’re different from them, more special.”

“But won’t you sign my album?” I asked after handing him the bag. I pulled out the album from my bag and gave it to him.

“I’ll sign them tonight.” He said, the words resounding with a promise.

“Oh.. uhh.. I’ll go, then.” I said, smiling and forcing my legs to move away from the spot. “I’ll see you tonight?”

He chuckled and nodded. “Of course. I’ll come to your rescue.”

I should totally tell Lay that Jaejoong still hasn’t given up on the role of being my knight in shining armor.

---

It was now 7:45 in the evening. An hour has passed since I left the activity area and sat on a bench where he told me we’d meet.

---

8:30 pm. Forty five minutes since the hour I waited and still no call or text message.

---

I was itching to call him now as I constantly unlocked and locked my phone. Only thirty minutes left until the closing time of the mall. But I didn’t want to bother him. Maybe he was still packing up or changing to his normal clothes. He promised me we’d meet here and I trusted his words. Maybe he just had something more to do.

---

12 Midnight.

I flagged a taxi over and got in. I told the driver the address of my house and we sped through the highway.

Still no call or text message.

---

I was stood up.

---

Maybe I would tell Lay that he was slightly right on the part where Jaejoong would never come to my rescue. But we weren’t in good terms right now so maybe I’d wait until I see him in school again.

---

I was stood up and it hurt so badly.

---

I wanted to cry but I couldn’t. I was better than this, stronger.

---

The first tear fell.

I was disappointed.

So disappointed, my heart ached.

---

I got stood up.