Chapter Twenty-One

Updated on 28th of November 2013.

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Bringing him back to reality, she let her head fall, muttering softly, "W-We should go."

His heart simply deflated - if it was possible, it did. He was literally trying to portray his emotions seriously but she was avoiding it - why? The emotions building up in him was enough for him to just let it all out right here and right now.

"H-Hae Lynn, wait. Listen to m-"

"We should probably get going now. We can talk later."

Seeing that she wasn't going to listen to him even if he tried, he got swept off his feet by her. He gave in by nodding once.

"You look awfully down for someone who reached back the first." Nicole sat down beside Hae Lynn who was just sitting in front of the sea on the beach with her legs folded up as she hugged them. Kyungsoo and Hae Lynn was the first couple to reach back with the time record of 64 minutes and 34 seconds. With that, the two of them each get extra credits as from the start up to the end, they didn't take out their handcuffs. Even the staff working there reported back to the coach, praising how good their team work was - indeed it was simply great.

But even she couldn't deny that after Kyungsoo sang that song, she tried to play it off - hoping that he wouldn't come to her and tell her what he wanted to tell her in the first place before she cut him off like that. Deep down inside she knows what he was going to say and believe her, she really does but there was something pulling her back even though she wants to hear it so badly.

"Why not, Hae Lynn?" Nicole questioned after listening to Hae Lynn explain for ten solid minutes on what happened throughout the day and what she's been feeling nowadays. Hae Lynn shrugged, hugging her legs tighter as she rested her cheek on her knee when Nicole shifted closer towards her best friend. "There has to be something you're not telling me, Hae Lynn."

"If you like him and he likes you - the signs are very obvious, why not listen to his confession and accept him? You definitely deserve to be happy, Hae, considering that you've been hurt so much before and finally you've fallen for someone that might've fallen for you as well? Girl! You don't need to wait for a long time like how Joon Myun-" Nicole paused, inhaling deeply to exhale everything she was going to blabber out that may have nothing to do with Hae Lynn.

"What I'm trying to say is, you have to go for it and give it a shot. You can't turn someone down without even giving him a chance to win you over."

Biting her lower lip, the words Nicole said were true - no lie there but... "I'm afraid." Hae Lynn admited meekly, closing her eyes as she sighed quietly. "Hae..." Nicole breathed out as she wrapped her arms around Hae Lynn from the side. The girl hugging her best friend pulled away slightly to see that Hae Lynn was really afraid. No - she was petrified.

"I'm just afraid that things will go bad. I don't know for sure if he likes me and if he does, it scares me even more. I would even freeze there and there if he confessed because I won't know what to do. I want to accept so badly, but the thoughts of knowing that something may go wrong if I do, it scares me so much."

"Hae Ly-" Nicole let her voice trail off as she unwrapped her arms from Hae Lynn.

"No, Nicole." Hae Lynn lifted her head from her knee to look at Nicole with a serious look. "Even up until now, it's been crazy knowing we're getting along so well. We can hold hands, we can talk freely, he even smiles at me, he sings to me, Nicole."

"I don't want to put all of it at risk." The sadness in Hae Lynn's voice was evident, it made Nicole shudder on the inside.

"I know I should accept him, Nicole." Hae Lynn nodded once before she lifted her chin to look at her. "I want to too. I really do. I've never been so happy before in my life but knowing that it could go wrong like how everything does in my life, I'm just afraid to take up the chance. But..."

Nicole gulped nervously, a hand on Hae Lynn's shoulder. "But what...?"

"I don't know what to do either..." Hae Lynn mumbled softly, shaking her head. "Nicole!" A voice shouted from a distance. The two girls turned their heads to the left only to see that Joon Myun and Kyungsoo were on their way towards where they were. Hae Lynn's lips parted as she got up from the ground to quickly leave. "Hae Ly-" Nicole tried calling her out but it was useless, Hae Lynn ran off already.

"Hey," Joon Myun greeted as he sat down beside Nicole with Kyungsoo still standing up. Kyungsoo grew suspicious as he looked left and right, scanning through the beach as he swore he heard her voice, where was she now? "Hey." Nicole greeted back and giggled softly when Joon Myun planted a kiss on her forehead. "Where's Hae Lynn?" Kyungsoo asked as he looked down on the couple before him. "She, uhm, had to go do something."

"Where did she go?" Kyungsoo asked and Nicole simply lifted her hand up to point behind her where there was a sidewalk to lead to the nearby park. Since dinner was only in thirty more minutes, Kyungsoo had more than enough time to go find her. "Thanks." Kyungsoo mumbled softly before his feet brought him away to the sidewalk as he followed the path.

Sighing, Nicole leaned back against Joon Myun as she rested her head on his shoulder. "What's the matter?" Her boyfriend asked caringly, wrapping his arm around her waist as she let out another soft sigh. "Babe, you're scaring me..." Joon Myun muttered softly, causing his girlfriend to smile as she s her arms around his waist, breathing out, "It's nothing, it's just..."

Lifting her head up higher to meet with his gaze, "I just want Hae Lynn to be happy."

Joon Myun simply pulled her closer to rest his chin on top of her head. "I'm sure Kyungsoo has that covered."

"Yeah..." Nicole agreed silently when deep down - that's the problem, Joon Myun...

Hae Lynn didn't know where this path was leading to, but it was fine with her as long as she was far away from where Kyungsoo was. She wasn't ready to face what was coming her way and if she had a choice, she didn't want to face it at all because she knows that once she hears it, her heart will immediately accept it without thinking of the consequences. Always in her life when something good happens, something bad will automatically follow right after that - how was someone so unlucky all the time?

It happened too frequently until she was scarred for life.

One incident that left a huge impact was the one where she got adopted.

It was like a big ray of light shone down on her when a 'lovely' couple came to adopt her - offering to take care of her with all their hearts but it turned out to be something else after a week of officially being their daughter. It was complete hell, torture and it was definitely more hurtful than anything else to be dissed by her own step mother when all she did was try to fit the perfect picture of satisfying her needs but it would never work. Anything she tried - failed. Anything she said - she might as well kept shut.

She was afraid of all the possibilities that might happen between her and Kyungsoo if she accepted him. She knows that maybe they might work out, but if that possibility is available, a bad one would be too. It took Kyungsoo so long to finally open up to her to the extend where they could just talk randomly whenever, study together during school hours, tutor one another a subject they were weak in, walking home together, practicing running together and sometimes, spending recess time in the library rather than eating. How was she able to put all of that on the line when all these simple activities could make her so happy?

Everything was jumbling in her mind as she walked, she didn't notice anything around her nor her surroundings. Her eyes widened and her instincts kicked in to move her body vigrously when arms pulled her to the side off the sidewalk. She screamed but it was muffled as she was hushed when she was turned around only to be greeted with Minhyuk's grin.

"Minhyuk!" She raised her voice, smacking him at the arm before taking a step away from his embrace. He chuckled, ruffling her hair playfully before he looked at her happily. "Sorry, did I scare you?"

"You gave me a heart attack!" She smacked him on his other arm and he snickered. "Can I have a walk with you?" Minhyuk asked and she grumbled, looking away from him as she rubbed her arm. "C'mon..." He poked her arm and she sighed, "Fine..."

"Where is she?" Kyungsoo mumbled softly as he walked down the path. His head tilted sideways a little as he saw a familar figure by the park. Gulping, he felt his hands getting sweaty all of the sudden. G-Get yourself together Kyungsoo, that's probably someone else. As he took a few steps closer, his eyes widened when he could easily see Minhyuk walking side by side with Hae Lynn. Unintentionally, his fists clenched as he followed them silently - letting his curiosity get the best of him.

"So how's your training?" Minhyuk asked with a smile as his hands were clasped behind. "It's great." She breathed out as she looked up to the sky that was growing darker because it was nearing night time. "And tiring..." She muttered softly before looking down to the ground. "What about you?" She asked as they walked around the park cluelessly, not realizing Kyungsoo was literally tagging behind them, hiding behind tree after tree.

"It was really tiring but walking with you now makes everything better." Minhyuk admitted sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck as he admitted that. "That's great to hear." She nodded once, not letting his words affect her as they walked. "I think I should get back now." Hae Lynn's voice was slightly louder when they stopped walking.

Kyungsoo smirked behind the tree a distance from them. Yeah, you better go back.

"W-Wait," Minhyuk called out, hand gripping onto her arm to tug her backwards before she could leave him.

"Hmm?" She hummed in response, looking over her shoulder to eye a very weird Minhyuk before she turned back around to come face to face with him. Minhyuk's smile fell  when she stood in front of him with a concerned look on her face. "M-Minhyuk, are you alright?" She waved a hand in front of his face back and forth. She gulped as she started to feel weird, why is he staring at me like that?

She kept thinking if she did anything wrong that she should apologize for but there was nothing.

Did something happen to him? She thought next.

"Kim Hae Lynn," Minhyuk whispered softly as his hands lifted to rest on Hae Lynn's shoulders. She glanced down on her shoulders to see Minhyuk's hands gripping onto her shoulders before she lifted her chin to make eye contact with him. "Yeah?"

"I like you."

Her eyes were wide like saucers as she gulped, hard. Her insides started to turn about and she didn't feel good - she felt slightly awkward as she stared into Minhyuk's eyes. "W-What?" She croaked out audibly, not being able to believe the words Minhyuk had said.

"I like you so much, it's been driving me crazy."

"M-Minhyuk, I-"

She didn't even have a chance to say anything when Minhyuk's eyes closed, closing the gap between them as he pressed his lips against hers regardless of whatever she was going to say. Her cheeks flushed red as her hands clenched, not being able to grasp on the situation she was in right now - she really wanted to go back now. No, she needed to go back now.

The boy who was standing behind the tree had a hand up as he wanted to call the girl he's been following with his body half revealed to storm over there to drag her away but everything vanished just like that. His hand fell, just like how his smile fell to the ground. His lips parted in disbelief, not being able to realize what he was seeing at that moment. His clenched fists clenched harder than before, letting his nails dig into his skin painfully - but he couldn't feel anything.

At that moment, he swore he felt his heart cracking.

A/N : -pats Kyungsoo on the shoulder- 
Sehun : I'll be in the next chapter soon guys! Wait for me!