After years of chasing after Jaebum, it felt weird avoiding him. All these years, all I’d ever wanted was to be noticed by him, but just when I’d finally figured I had what I’d craved, everything turned out to be a lie.

Chasing after him was all that I knew how to do.

So how was I supposed to react, when he came searching for me?

I froze in Daehyun’s arms, my breath catching in my throat at the sound of that all too familiar voice. Like always, I hadn’t been ready. The world, it seemed, never liked to wait for me until I was good and ready. It liked to shove things in my face, and then laugh at me as I struggled desperately in the mess.

“Youngjae,” his voice sounded grim, octaves lower than the happy chirp it normally was. Was he mad at me? I didn’t want that. “Youngjae, I need to talk to you.”

I reluctantly pulled away from Daehyuns arms, a pang of queer disappointment striking me when he allowed me to do so without a fight. Glancing at him, I realized he was just as surprised as me to see Jaebum here. Lim Jaebum wasn’t supposed to be in our school.

“Jaebum,” I whimpered, staring down at my hands, “I … I don’t want to talk to you.” I knew all too well; if I talked to him now, he would only break up with me, officially, to go skip off with Jiyeon. Even if it was behind my back, I’d much rather have him cheat on me than to throw me away. Call me selfish.

He didn’t budge from that spot at the door, and I didn’t feel necessary to make the first move. I was comfortable with the space we had set between us. It was awkward and stiff, and I missed being curled into his arms, but I liked it better this way.

For a second, we remained in silence, but Jaebum’s sigh cut it off, the sound echoing harshly in my ears. “Daehyun ah, can you leave for a minute?”

My eyes automatically shot to my friend, begging silently to not leave. I didn’t want to be left in here alone with him. I wasn’t ready. I would never be ready.

And Daehyun knew that. He knew I couldn’t be alone with Jaebum. Even if I hadn’t told this to him in person, I knew Daehyun knew enough about me to know that I would never be ready to be alone with Jaebum again. He knew better than to leave me to die.

“I don’t want to,” Daehyun sighed eventually, his hand falling on mine to give it a little squeeze, “but I guess I doesn't have a choice here.”

I wanted to punch him in the face. I wanted to cry, wail and punch at Daehyun for even thinking about leaving me alone with Jaebum. He knew I couldn’t be in the same room as him. Maybe he didn’t know what had really happened, but my behavior the past week should have told him enough rather than to leave me alone.

My eyes had fallen back to the ground, teeth tearing away at my bottom lip to stop myself from crying, but I could tell Daehyun had already lifted from the ground to crouch in front of me, “I’ll be outside the door if you need me.” I could tell he was hovering over me, his thick brows curled together in his usual worry.

“If you make him cry again, I’m going to assume all rights to punch you in the face, Jaebum.”