CHAPTER 12

“Kim Jongin?” Soojung blurted out and covered afterwards. Jiyoung just grinned and acted normal.

“I see you have a guest,” Jongin said emotionlessly, back to the Jongin who was in school, “I guess I should just leave.” Jongin stood up and was about to walk.

“Why go home? Stay. It’s only Soojung, you guys know each other and you guys talk to each other right?” Jiyoung said to him casually and told Jongin to sit and she pushed Soojung to have a seat as well, “or are you guys… awkward towards each other? Though you guys are texting~” Jiyoung teased them both within her tone and smiled sheepishly.

“Of course not!” Jongin and Soojung answered her simultaneously and almost immediately; which makes everything more suspicious and awkward.

“Sure. Ok~” Jiyoung just smiled at her awkward cousin and her embarrassed friend, “anyway, I’ll get some refreshments, so you two just stay here and… chat? Or anything~” Jiyoung smiled at the two where both Jongin and Soojung sent her their famous death glares. Jiyoung ignore the two and smiled teasingly and skipped her way to the kitchen.

“Eommmmaaaaa~~~ Can I have orange juice?” Jiyoung’s voice could be heard from the living room, “and a lot of ice~ the living room is quite hot and tense. Probably it’s just those two. Heheh!” Jongin felt like strangling his cousin while Soojung felt like digging a deep hole and buried herself in there.

Silence engulfed the atmosphere.

Two people sitting in one sofa next to each other.

Awkwardness between them.

None of them wanted to start a conversation.

Soojung then looked at Jongin who was busy glaring at the television. She looked at his side profile; his hair to his eyebrows then to his eyelashes then to his beautiful brown eyes, to his nose then she stopped on his lips. She stared at them when suddenly two pairs of eyes were staring back at her. Both made eye contacts and Soojung quickly looked away. Jongin too looked away but he smiled a bit; not showing to her how excited he was just sitting next to her.

“How are you? You didn’t reply my text,” Jongin asked her, still staring at the TV; although he wasn’t sure what kind of drama were they watching.

“Hmmm,” Soojung was too dazed to him then Jongin looked at her.

“I was asking you a question…” Jongin said while looking at her. Soojung then looked at him with a tint of red on her cheeks; not a lot but visible to Jongin.

“I was in Jiyoung’s room when I got your text. How are you…?” Soojung asked him back and mentally smacked her own head.

‘WHAT THE HELL JUNG! HOW CAN YOU ASK HIM THAT??? HE JUST FREAKING BROKE UP! HIS BEST FRIEND SLEPT WITH HIS GIRRLFRIEND! AND HERE YOU ARE ASKING HOW HE IS?!’ Soojung shouted at herself in her head while looking at her feet.

Jongin understood what she meant.

“Me?” Jongin said to her; with a pinch of sadness in his tone, “well… Sulli dumped me if you forgot.” Soojung closed her eyes due to the feeling of guilt.

“I didn’t mean to ask you… I mean…” Soojung then inhaled, “I’m sorry to hear about Sehun…”

“You’re not surprised…” Jongin said to her with his bitter smile.

“Jiyoung,” Soojung answered with sadness in her eyes, “how can Sehun and Sulli do that to you… argh, me and my big mouth.”

“Jiyoung? Figured.” Jongin just simply said, “it’s ok…” Soojung kept shut again when Jongin started to talk again.

“Hows school without me?” Jongin said to her and Soojung just kept quiet.

Soojung started, “ It has been 2 days only, the school quiet down. Bet girls will be lining up for you again once you enter the school.” Jongin just nodded and continued watching the TV. Soojung sighed heavily.

“Will you start to line up too?” Jongin asked her while his eyes on the TV.

“Ah?” Soojung asked.

“Nothing~” Jongin just smiled. Soojung’s face reddened and both kept quite and continued watching the drama on TV.

Jiyoung who was in the kitchen, listened to the two’s conversation and sighed.

“Why can’t those two show more affection in their tone,” Jiyoung whispered to herself and found her mom was watching Jongin and Soojung with her.

“What’s up with those two?” Jiyoung’s mom whispered to Jiyoung.

“I’ll explain later mommy~” Jiyoung gave her mom her aegyo, “now I’m going to save those two from drowning. Drowning from their awkwardness.”

“Soojung ah~ Jongin ah~” Jiyoung brought some snacks and drinks and set them up on the coffee table while sitting on the sofa opposite the two, “have some~”

“This took you so long in the kitchen?” Jongin suddenly said to her, “did you ‘bake’ them out of the packets? And did you ‘squeeze’ the oranges too from the cartons?” Jiyoung glared at him and Soojung giggl