Chapter 9

Easier said than done

Yoseob and Jihyun were biology partners.  The thing was, Yoseob wasn’t good at hiding things from Jihyun.  By the end of their experiment in class, Jihyun had managed to get the full scoop of what happened yesterday from him, including the part about Hyuna and Junhyung hearing everything and getting themselves stuck together for the whole night.

The last part had made Jihyun laugh non-stop.  Yoseob looked at Jihyun confused at her sudden burst of laughter. 

“Why is this funny?”

“Because Hyuna just got a taste of her own medicine.”  Jihyun replied. It also meant that Hyuna and Junhyung knew everything, about her liking Doojoon and Hyunseung liking her.  Then she remembered what Gayoon said. 

I’m not sure what you want me to say Jihyun-ah.  Do you want me to tell you that you should give up on Doojoon or that you should make Hyunseung give up on you?  If you don’t know, it means your answer isn’t clear to you yet.  But, if you’ve not going to admit to Doojoon that you like him, I think you’ll be stuck… in a dead lock. 

Gayoon was right.  Gayoon had always been a decisive person unlike her.  She always knew how to make up her mind, even if she knew the whole world would be against her.

If she hung up on liking Doojoon without doing anything, she would never get anywhere.  She needed to do something.  But she knows that Doojoon likes Jiyoon, all along, all this time.  So what was she to do?

“I think she’s going to yell at me at lunch today,” Yoseob replied with his automatic-cute-sad-face on.

Jihyun sighed at Yoseob’s comment.  “I wish my worries were as simple as yours.”

Yoseob put on a frown.  “Are you calling me a simpleton?”

Jihyun laughed.  “No, I’m envious that you can be so carefree.”

“I think you should give Hyunseung a chance, Jihyun.”  This time he tried to find an answer in Jihyun’s eyes.

Jihyun didn’t answer him but smiled back at Yoseob.  It was a smile that usually fooled everyone, except for Hyunseung apparently.  Now that Yoseob looked carefully at her, he sensed that something was off but what?  Yoseob thought that Hyunseung was amazing in a way, being able to see past Jihyun’s supposed façade.

Yoseob didn’t ask anymore after Jihyun had replied him with her smile.  Even he knew what that meant, things are getting confusing, he told himself. 

Biology had finally ended and as Jihyun and Yoseob were walking back to their lockers, they stopped halfway in the corridor.

Because it was Hyuna and Junhyung standing beside her locker like a complete flirt.

Jihyun and Yoseob looked at each other with interestedly.

“Something definitely happened between them last night, Yoseob.”  Jihyun commented, as they moved closer to get a better look.

But as soon as they came close enough to hear their conversation, Hyuna had left her locker and walked away from Junhyung.

“Junhyung!”  Yoseob called out.

Junhyung turned his head and found Yoseob waving happily at him. 

“Hey guys.”  He greeted the pair and noticed how Jihyun was staring suspiciously at him.

“What was that about?”  She enquired.

“We were just talking about the rumours about the two of us.”

“And are those rumours true?  It’s not fair you heard me and Hyunseung, yet we know nothing about what happened to the two of you.” 

“Don’t worry Jihyun.   Your situation is much more interesting than ours.”  He answered with a smug grin.

Jihyun frowned at this comment.  “If you keep these rumours going, they will get out of hand and might become malicious.  Don’t think you can control the rumours, Junhyung.”  She retorted back.

“I know.”  He replied back.  Jihyun examined his calm expression.  This boy definitely had something up his sleeve, she thought.

“What are you up to?”  She looked at him suspiciously.  Jihyun had originally planned to get Hyuna and Junhyung together; she hadn’t expected Junhyung too be so interested in it.  It was surprising to say the least and less work for her.

Junhyung didn’t answer her, and just simply smiled back.

Jiyoon spent her spare time, practicing her singing.  When everyone was busy chatting away at lunch, if she wasn’t with them, she would be in the music room. 

It was her time alone, where she could concentrate and think.  As she thought about Hyuna and Junhyung together, she smiled at how well-matched they were. 

Then she remembered him. 

The way he used to , swing his arm around her shoulder and held her close.  The laughs they had, the smiles they shared together. 

“Jiyoon-ah.” He called out, and as the familiarly of the sound of those words hit her, she realised something she didn’t want to. 

He knew that she would be in the music room and had gone to search for her.

“What do you want Dongwoon?”  She spoke politely, but with an obvious bluntness to her tone, in attempt to hide her real feelings.

“I just want to talk to you properly.  Not just to be slapped off like that.   Can’t we at least end things admirably Jiyoon?”  His voice didn’t change, always deep and mesmerizing.  And as always, Jiyoon couldn’t shake off his words.  But he was right, she didn’t want any more lingering feelings she was having.

He sat down on the piano bench and indicated with a smile for her to sit beside him.  Jiyoon hesitated but eventually sat down beside him. 

“You always told me, how much you wanted to be a singer.”  He began.  “I think even before I knew the person of the voice I heard, I already was c