Journey 29

Jinri and Joonmyeon's second breakup had been the trending topic of gossipers in SMA for the next few weeks. Speculators believe that it was because of third party on Jinri's part. The funny thing was, they linked her to Kyungsoo, Jongin and Luhan but never to Chanyeol. Life - as it proves itself - was naturally ironic.

But what surprised Jinri was that Chanyeol never seemed to take any interest from her breakup issue. Honestly, she expected him to be the first one to react but it never came. Why? The question kept on haunting her subconscious. In the end, the only conclusion she can get was that Chanyeol doesn't like her romantically anymore. And to confirm that suspicion is to ask Chanyeol herself - which she will never do.

However, students in SMA have a more dreaded issue to think of. March's arrival means final examination which explains the expected swarm of students in the libraries.

Jinri, Luna, Amber, Kyungsoo, Luhan and Jongin were one of these students who were busy burning their eyebrows inside the bookroom. Everyone pored on their own textbooks quietly, letting the numerical numbers or unfamiliar words sink in their brains. Amber was the first one to give up. She laid the book defeatedly and slipped a bubblegum in .

"Where's Chanyeol?" she asked no one in particular, finally noticing the decrease of their number.
"He's in a study group with Krystal." Luhan answered.
"And with Krystal alone?" Kyungsoo raised his eyebrows to Jinri, who in return tried to look impassive.
"Yeah."

A glimmer of a smirk replaced Kyungsoo's facial expression. He stood up suddenly, making everyone in his table looked up from their books.

"I just remembered - Jinri and I still need to catch something up." he said, tugging Jinri upwards.
"HUH?" Jinri uttered confusedly. Nevertheless she let her feet follow Kyungsoo's lead until they reached the the exit door of the library. "And what are we supposed to be catching up?"
"Chanyeol and Krystal's study date. What else?" Kyungsoo rolled his eyes.

Jinri stopped walking and yanked his arm from Kyungsoo's grip. She placed her hands on her hips and tapped her foot.

"Why?"
"Because..." Kyungsoo grabbed her hand again and urged her to continue walking. "I know you want to."

And that shut Jinri up.

* * *

They found Chanyeol and Krystal sitting under the cool shade of three-flowered maple on the student's park. There was a blanket laid on the newly-mowed grass, a wooden basket filled with sandwiches, and books in heavy volumes as well.

"I thought they're in a  study group? How come there's only two of them?" Jinri muttered.

She and Kyungsoo were hidden behind a bush which was not too near nor not too far from Chanyeol and Krystal's place. They watched Krystal picked a sandwich and propped a piece of it on Chanyeol's mouth. Jinri scoffed.

"And why does it look like they're more on a picnic date than studying?"

Minutes flew. Now they watched Krystal playfully slapped Chanyeol's back after the latter obviously cracked a joke.

"I believe this is a student's park. That's too much PDA." Jinri grumbled.
"Oh God you're worse than him." Kyungsoo groaned.
"What?"
"Never mind." Kyungsoo shook his head and stood up, brushing the leaves off from his sleeves. He looked down at Jinri who was still crouching low behind the bush and raised an eyebrow. "So shall I leave you here or what?"
"Wha- ? Oh! No, of course I'll come." Jinri stood up too and brushed the leaves away. But before following Kyungsoo, she took one last glimpse on Chanyeol's direction.
"Jinri?" Kyungsoo's voice brought her back to Earth.
"Coming." she called.

Deep inside, Kyungsoo was bursting with laughter. He remembered very clearly how Chanyeol reacted after Jinri and Joonmyeon made up from their first ever fight. Kyungsoo simply offered Chanyeol his plate of jelly which the latter refused, trying to look unconcerned from the mushy event he witnessed. But jealousy was a strong emotion. Chanyeol, who was a stranger to human feelings, could not hold his emotion off.

Meanwhile, Jinri was still on the denial stage. It was a bit offending that Jinri thought of fooling him - he who had been with her for the last 19 years - about her obvious affection towards Chanyeol. He can vividly point out the differences: When Jinri was still with Joonmyeon, she never paid attention to Chanyeol; there was no spark in her eyes whenever he looks at him; never gets worried of what will happen to him; and most of all, Jinri never felt insecure nor jealous when she was with Joonmyeon unlike now when she felt so threatened with Krystal's presence.

Now Kyungsoo could not mistaken Jinri's softened expression every time Chanyeol talks; her too concerned questions whenever Chanyeol was home late; and the shooting daggers that Krystal always gets from Jinri whenever she's with Chanyeol. He knew with all honesty that his best friend never meant it intentionally, but he guessed that her being a novice on the world of jealous hearts made her confused with emotions.

Simply put, Chanyeol was expressive, Jinri wasn't. Chanyeol admits that he likes Jinri, Jinri denies. And the only thing that the two of them have in common was they both like each other - which no one sees but him.

Now what can he do to set the fire ablaze?

* * *

On that evening, Jinri prepared a beef stew for tonight's dinner. She excused herself earlier at Blu Planet, telling Victoria about her non-existent headache and went home. But truthfully, she doesn't want to be with Krystal alone. They still hadn't made up since their musical play, and Krystal seemed determined to not let her grudge from Jinri go. The awkward tension between them whenever they're at work was claustrophobic, urging Jinri to go home first every night before Krystal does.

"Is there something wrong between you and Krystal?" Victoria asked before Jinri went home.
"No." Jinri answered casually.
"Yeah, like that would've fooled me. Really Jinri? You know I'm also your friend right?"

Jinri stopped wiping the last glasses and looked up.

"Fine. It's that thing when I stopped her from kissing Chanyeol on our play."
"I knew it."
"I just did that by instinct." Jinri defended.
"I know."
"And that I don't want my cousin to kiss anyone but -" A pause.
"But who?" Victoria prompted.
"But.... But...."

Thankfully, a customer went over the counter and asked Victoria for his special cocktail mix. Victoria tended on the customer's need first before she turned her attention back to Jinri.

"Anyways, I think you should just understand her Jinri. Although Krystal's already 18, sometimes we can't deny that she still acts like a kid." Victoria smiled understandingly.
"I know." Jinri breathed.
"And that whatever the cause is, friendships weighs better than love."

Jinri smiled in genuine sincerity. She did not regret that she opened up with Victoria tonight. What her senior advised her lifted a hook clamped on her chest, letting her breath at least easier than before. That's it. She'll take the initiative to let go of her ego - for the sake of friendship and freeing herself from bitterness, she'll do it.

"And that - I assume - is the same way you're doing with Kyungsoo?" she asked.
"Correct." Victoria winked. "Whether he likes me or not, or my love be returned or denied, our friendship is more important. Now go and get something for your "headache". I'll take care of these." She snatched the glass from Jinri's hands and wiped it herself.

At that exact moment, Chanyeol entered the apartment, bringing Jinri back to her senses. She turned to look at him and saw him soaked from head to toe, watter dripping rapidly from his wet hair, clothes and shoes.

"What happened to you?" Jinri demanded. She checked the sky to see if it was raining but the darkness was as silent as the rustle of leaves. She strode over the bathroom and grabbed Chanyeol's towel, then tossed it over his head.
"Some kids played a prank on me. You know that newly-built apartment from the right street? I think they believe it's fun to pour water on passers-by. I nearly used my powers but I guess I was too shocked to use it anyways."

Jinri went to Chanyeol's drawer and pulled a pair of sweatshirts and pants. 

"Lucky you did not transport under their eyes or that would take a lot more explaining." she answered, laying the fresh clothes on the couch. "Let me help you with that." She offered. She rubbed his wet hair with the towel while the man took his wet shoes and socks off.
"Excuse me." Chanyeol muttered after a while. He took a step back and stripped his upper shirt off, showing his bare chest in front of Jinri. Jinri instantly blushed, remembering that night she spent with Chanyeol when they were locked down from Kyungsoo's basement. After three months... that memory still haunts her?

Chanyeol reached over towards his new shirt and wore it. Jinri watched how Chanyeol's biceps flex as he contracts his arm inside the sleeve's hole; how his messy hair gets messier after he successfully popped his head from the shirt's neck hole, and how he rubbed his tummy with four pack visibly seen on it and how disappointed she gets when he totally wrapped himself up.

"Are you done checking me out?" he smirked.

Jinri shook her thoughts away and cleared .

"Fool. I'm not doing that." she said and reached on Chanyeol's towel again. "Come here."

Chanyeol obeyed willingly and sits down on the couch, Jinri following his lead. She did her best to pay attention only on his wet hair and his wet hair alone. She can feel Chanyeol's soft breathing against her chin... she was tempted to look down on his face. She can feel his heartbeat pounding loudly... she was tempted to lay her ear on his chest and listen to it. There were so many temptations from the man in front of him that it surprised her how far she managed to control herself.

"Jinri?" Chanyeol muttered.

Jinri continued rubbing Chanyeol's damp hair. It was no real need at all, because Chanyeol was close to dry already, but she still do it.

"Jinri I think that's enough..." he said, laughing slightly.

She was afraid that the moment she lets go of the towel and looks down she might as well admit something her conscious mind doesn't want to say.

"Hey." Chanyeol said softly. He reached over Jinri's hands on his head and placed it carefully on her lap. Jinri glanced on Chanyeol and he gave a her a smile. "Thanks. Now I smell some beef stew over there. How about we try it out?"

He stood from the couch and sat on his usual seat in the dining table. Jinri sat down too - beside Chanyeol - and together they ate their dinner in silence.

Chanyeol chuckled out of nowhere. Jinri turned to him curiously and asked,

"What's the matter?"
"You're so preoccupied that you missed something on your lips. Wipe it." he said.

Jinri wiped the right side of her lips.

"No, it's on the left side dummy."
"You did not say." Jinri argued. She reached towards the left side of her lips but Chanyeol's hand was faster. He leaned innocently closer to Jinri and rubbed the soup remnants on Jinri's lips with his thumb. Jinri gulped. Chanyeol was too close to her. Close enough to let her count his eyelashes, touch his nose with her nose or feel his red... curvy... moist... lips...

And the next thing she did was out of instinct - or stupidity - or emotion.

Jinri tilted her head and kissed Chanyeol, thinking of the humiliation she would feel if he pulls back. But Chanyeol did not. He tensed, then he relaxed, urging Jinri to trace his lips and make him feel her warmth. Fire. Yes, that was the best metaphor... It was like every inch in Jinri and Chanyeol's bodies were on fire. Heated. Hungry. Desired.

And for the first time in his life, Chanyeol kissed her back.