Chapter 22

“Hey are you alright?” Luhan whispered to Hyemin who was tapping her fingers on the desk. It was Thursday afternoon and the two were sitting next to each other in extension math their last subject of the day. “Hyemin?” Luhan whispered again to get the girl’s attention who was blankly looking out the window. He found it annoying how Hyemin continued to tap her fingers on the desk and shake her legs under the desk making Luhan’s desk vibrate.

It has been two days since Hyemin met the man who inspired her to stop smoking, Jong Yul. In that two days she has not touched a single cigarette, she has been rejecting her friends offers and she is staying away from the scent of it. Hyemin didn’t want to turn into Jong Yul in the future, she was a smart girl and realize that enable to prevent this from happening she needs to stop smoking now. It is a very hard thing to do for Hyemin, its only day two and she is on the verge of cracking. The withdrawal of smokes is driving her insane with both mentally and physical problems keep attacking her.

The day before Hyemin got a fever and this morning she was shaking uncontrollably and now she’s feeling nervous, all because she stopped smoking. It was driving her crazy but she has hidden it from Luhan, he still doesn’t know Hyemin has quit smoking. Actually Hyemin is waiting for the day where Luhan notices she has stopped. This is pretty much a test to see if Luhan cares for her as much as she cares for him.

Hyemin looked at Luhan upon hearing him calling out her name. “Yeah?” Hyemin whispered feeling dizzy but tried to hide it from Luhan.

“What’s wrong? You seem like you’re nervous for something, you keep shaking” Luhan showed some worry. Hyemin just shook her head in response and then looked back to the view outside the classroom. She was in no mood to talk to anyone especially Luhan. Something odd could be seen in Hyemin’s actions and Luhan could see right through her. He knows her so well that he knew something was up with Hyemin.

After class instead of walking to the alley to meet with her friends, Hyemin took another route confusing Luhan who was following her. He has been worried since he sensed something in class. Even the way she walked, Luhan could sense something was up. She looked so gloomy and depress but it was all in Hyemin’s mind after keeping a good forty-eight hours of keeping from cigarettes.THese symptoms occur when suffering from quieting smoking. Its a process most people go through, as their body is begging for a smoke but their mind it telling them not to.“Where are you going?” Luhan ran after Hyemin to see what’s up. Hyemin just turned around, she looked very pail and tired. “Home” Hyemin said in the softest voice, Luhan could hint something wrong was going on.

“What’s wrong? Aren’t you going to hang out with your friends?”

Hyemin just shook her head, she was too sick for that and also she is trying to avoid the scent of smokes. All Hyemin wanted was to hang out with Luhan, use him as a distraction from continuing to think about smoking. She grabbed his hand and in twine with them, she made a swift gesture of telling him to come with her using her head.  Luhan looks down deep into her eyes, as much as he wants to go with her he can’t. “I can’t I have to go to tutoring with Ji Young…” Luhan’s voices faded when Hyemin looked even more sadden when Ji Young was mentioned. “It’s fine” Hyemin’s voice croaked looking more and more pail.

“Are you sure?” Luhan made sure for the last time, Hyemin just nodded in response.

“Seriously, just go” Hyemin said before turning around and walking the direction to her house. Luhan took one more glance at her before making a brave decision of turning the other direction from Hyemin, going back to Ji Young to pick her up. His hands were full, he didn’t know who to go to. Both girls needed his help and both were enemies however, Luhan made the courageous decision help Ji Young out. A promise was a promise, he promised Ji Young to help her with her school projects at the library and he decided to keep with that promise. Somehow Luhan did feel guilty for leaving an awfully looking Hyemin but he knew she will be fine as soon as she reach home, she is a strong girl after all.
 

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Hyemin turned around to find Luhan walking away from her, she was unhappy with Luhan’s choice in choosing Ji Young over her. Before she knew it, tears were rolling down her eyes. This wasn’t the first time she was chosen over someone, Hyemin has been a reject a lot in the past but never in a million years would Hyemin experience being rejected by one of her closet friends, Luhan. “Am I not good enough?” Hyemin whispered to herself before turning around and walking back home.

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During the tutoring session with Ji Young, Luhan couldn’t take his mind of Hyemin. Ji Young was busy getting books while Luhan waited for her at one of the tables in the library. “Why did you leave her pabo, she obviously sick” Luhan thought as his eyes focused on an item in the distance. “She could have fainted on her walk home” Luhan continued to worry, thinking weird assumptions. Each assumption got much worse than the other, “What if she got kidnap? Kidnap by aliens?” All these assumptions were getting crazier each time Luhan thought about it. Ji Young came back with some text books and threw them on the desk next to Luhan waking him up from the loud bang caused by the books. The two were studying at Seoul National University library where Hyemin and Luhan go to study and hang out. “Oppa, can you help me?” Ji Young fluttered her eyelashes at the innocent boy who stared at her like she was some kind of freak. “Oppa, I can’t take the books down. Since you’re taller than me can you please get it for me?”

Luhan nodded and lazily stood from his seat and followed Ji Young to the aisle where she claims she needs help with. “Oppa, up there I need help to get that book down” Ji Young explained trying to jump up to get it. Luhan noticed it was the same row where Luhan gave Hyemin the black pearl necklace. Actually it made Luhan happy that Hyemin has continued to wear the necklace he gave her, not once has she taken it off. It was one of the purchases that Luhan had to get, even when there is no purpose in buying it. He just wanted to buy it for Hyemin because it reminded him of her, because Hyemin was his black pearl. This shot an idea into Luhan, “Ji Young ,I’m sorry but I need to go” Luhan explained before running back to the table and gathering his stuff. He thought he needed to go home, he needed to see if Hyemin was aright because the guilt of leaving her alone was getting the best of him. “Ya! Oppa! You need to help me!” Ji Young yelled after Luhan but he didn’t hear. He was already far from Ji Young to hear what she has just said.
 

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Meanwhile at home Hyemin found three packets of cigarettes in her secret stash in her room. She took them away and threw them in the bin in her room. Hyemin then sat on her bed still feeling dizzy, she lifted the sleeves of her uniform to changes the patc