Chapter 31

A long hurtful sigh escaped Jong In's lips that night. He turned to the left side of the bed, rested his head in the curves of his strong bicep and with his eyes, traced the outline of his bedroom window as he let his mind wanders into string of thoughts. What now?

He didn't even get the chance to tell Soyeon his feelings and he had already lost her?

Jong In closed his eyes, forcing sleep to take him away from his misery, but the horrible feeling that pooled in his system would not go away. He wanted to cry but his tear duct doesn't seemed to function. He wanted to scream but his voice is stuck in his throat. He wanted to be strong but he felt so weak.


 

A sad, helpless smile escaped his lips as that evening's events crept back into his tired mind.


 

"Are you happy Soyeon?" Jong In croaked, his voice at the edge of breaking. "Are you happy with him? With J-Jung kook?" He stuttered as the name left his lips.

Jong In did not have to hear from Soyeon to know that the girl was truly happy as he watched her light body fly into the sky as the swing propelled upwards into the darkening upper atmosphere. Her dark hair disheveled and was already covering her beautiful face; her cheeks were a rosy tint and her eyes-

 

Her eyes shined with contentment.

 

She's happy.

 

As the swing slowed it's pace, Soyeon placed her feet on the ground as inertia acted upon the steel swing and it swung slowly before coming to a full stop. "I'm not sure. I'm always happy." She answered truthfully, her smile slowly changing into a shy one. "But at the same time, the exhilaration and excitement felt totally new to me."

A fluttering thought crossed her mind and Soyeon blushed as she remembered the kiss they shared. It was the kind of kiss that made her know that-- "I was never so happy in my whole life."



Jong In nodded. That's all he needed to know. That's she's happy.

 

He was curious, yes. But he wasn't prepared to learn more behind the story of how Jeon Jung Kook won over Lee Soyeon's heart.


 

----
 

The moment Soyeon stepped into the school compound the next morning, she could sense that it wasn't going to be a normal day. Well, first off, Suho who wasn't usually early was the first to greet her that morning while Jong In was quick to get away from her as soon as they arrived at school together.
 

Oh, and not mention that the whole Exo gang including Hyeseong and Haerin were by the front gate waiting for her.

"Good morning guys." Soyeon greeted them with a confused look. "What's up?" The air was thin and Soyeon could sense the tension that arise as she let the question rolled off her tongue.

"What do you mean what's up?! What's up with you?" Baekhyun piped up with a snap of his beautiful fingers,  his sassy mode was on.

"How come you didn't tell us --"

"Is there something you didn't tell --"

"What happened --"


Soyoen felt dizzy as her head spin at the multiple questions being thrown at her by her friends. Before she could answer one, another one was asked. And she's not even sure what they were asking about. "Stop, stop, STOP!!" Soyeon shouted as she closed her hands on her ears.

Everyone went quite.

"Jung Kook."

That was the first word Kris had said since Soyeon's arrival and that was the only word it took for Soyeon to understand the situation. They must have known too. Soyeon remembered the picture of Jung Kook and her that Jong In had showed to her yesterday. Who else had seen those pictures? 


"Is it true?" Haerin asked, her lips twitching in curiosity. Deep down, Haerin knew it's true. She had noticed the obvious interaction  between Soyeon and Jung Kook all along and she had no doubts that this was bound to happen one day. But what about Jong In?

Gasp. "That's why he looked so sad this morning." Haerin whispered under her breath as she scanned the area for any sight of the boy.

He wasn't there.

"Is it true?" Chen asked, repeating Haerin's unanswered question and everyone looked on Soyeon's nervous expression as she does her jittery dance on the spot by the front gate; constantly shifting her light weight from one leg to the other. She looked guilty as charged.

 

"It--"

 

"It is." A voice answered and gasps were heard as they removed their attention away from Soyeon and onto the fair limb that had managed to snake around Soyeon's small waist without any of them realizing. Like the others, Soyeon too was frozen on her spot as she turned her head to face the handsome looking Jung Kook, just centimeters away from her face.

"What are you doing here?" Soyeon muttered under breath and her body tensed up in Jung Kook's arms.

Jung Kook lets out a cute chuckle as he ran his eyes over Soyeon's pretty face, his grip on her waist tightened. "To study of course. Have you forgotten that I still go to school?"

Hyeseong squirmed at the new couple's adorable interaction. "Oh my gosh!! Oh my gosh!! It's true!" She squealed as she jumped up and down and tugged on Baekhyun's arm. A hand flew to cover and Hyeseong continued to scream into it as she ignored her sister's stern hush.

Everyone had their jaw hanging in disbelief. A fly could have entered their mouth and they would not have realize it. Kyungsoo was quick to recover from the shock as he asked the first question that popped into his mind.  "How long have you been going out together?" Chanyeol nodded from his side, wondering the same thing.

Soyeon held onto the arm that was resting firmly on her waist; in anticipation to what Jung Kook would answer, after realizing that her effor to push him away was fruitless. Jung Kook smiled down at Soyeon with a small smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "A while." He answered.

Soyeon paled in contradiction to the glow radiated from his warm face. "In public, really? Aren't you scared?" She asked him, her voice merely a whisper as he searched his eyes for any hidden meaning.

Something in him snapped and Jung Kook was brought back to reality. "Oh ." He had forgotten all about their relationship being private and now, he had just revealed to each of Soyeon's freinds that they are indeed together.

He wasn't sure what had got into him that morning. He kep telling himself to be careful around her but the moment he saw Soyeon with her friends, with that gentle smile on her face - he couldn't help it; he wanted to tell the world she was his.
 

 Jung Kook scanned the area and was glad that they weren't many students around and the ones available didn't even spare them a glance. "Can you guys please keep it a secret?" He pleaded, his eyes rounded in panic though his hands never leave Soyeon's.

Luhan his lips that went dry from the prolonged mouth-hanging. Being the closest to Jung Kook, he draped an arm over Jung Kook's shoulder. A playful hum played on his lips as he contemplated his next moves. Everyone could see that he had decided his answer but was just trying to torment Jung Kook as he lets the poor boy wait in agony.



"Sure, why not?" he finally answered after what felt like forever. "We wouldn't want your crazy fans to harm our Soyeon."

"Lay hyung, I think you should ask that photographer to take down those pictures from the website." Sehun said as turn to Lay and the others nodded in agreement as they began to walk away; still trying to wrap their mind on that new fact. That Lee Soyeon - their Lee Soyeon who had never been into any sort of relationship - is in a relationship with an idol.

Both Soyeon and Jung Kook smiled in relief and the anxiety on Jung Kook's face was wiped away as he looked down at his wife with affection,

Haerin stared in horror at the sight before her. "What did I just let happen?"

 

-----

Jung Kook closed his eyes as he felt his eye lids grew heavier and adjusted his arms at the back of his head, the other blocking his eyes from the sunlight. But before sleep could envelope him, he was awoken by hurried footsteps and heavy pants. He caught on to the familiar scent of his wife and immediately sat up on the garden bench.

Soyeon took in her surrounding and after making sure that the garden at the back of Seoul High is completely empty and without any students or teachers in sight, she made her way to slump on the bench beside Jung Kook. 

"Sorry I was late. I came here as soon as I can." She apologized half-heartedly as she tried to catch her breath. "There was a fight going on in the hallway."

Jung Kook rounded his eyes. He wasn't sure if he was surprised that a fight had took place or the fact that Soyeon said it as though it wasn't anything big. He took in Soyeon's expression and that's when he realized the white chalky dust from the plaster of the school walls smeared against the bruise on her cheeks. 

"Were you involved in the fight or was there to stop the fight?!" He asked frantically as he cupped her face and titled her chin so that he could have a proper look at the swollen cut and Soyeon flinched at Jung Kook's soft touch as he gently brush his fingers below the cut. "Does it hurt? What happened?"

Soyeon blushed at his intense, concerned gaze. She gave him a curt nod before answering him. "Lee Byunghun got irritated at a kid so he punched him." She chuckled and Jung Kook couldn't understand what was so funny about it. L.Joe may have appeared all weird and brotherly the other day, but he was still the same scary L.Joe in school!

"I tried to pull them away but the strength in his swinging punch was too powerful that he accidentally knocked me back into one of the walls." She juts her bottom lip in a pout before chuckling again. "Egoistic pabo." She mumbled to herself.

Jung Kook did not find the situation funny at all. Soyeon was hurt. "Did he apologize to you?" Jung Kook asked, his hand clenched into a tight fist on his sides. He waited for an answer but she gave her none.


And it doesn't seem as if she would answer him and that alone told Jung Kook everything he needed to know.

"Why did you revealed about us this morning?!" Soyeon suddenly blurted out, remembering the question that had been bugging her all day. Her attempt to steer the conversation from the previous topic was a success as she saw Jung Kook shifted nervously under her gaze.

"It was an accident! I couldn't hold it in." Jung Kook answered and the deadly look he had on a while ago had vanished as he gave Soyeon what he thought was a puppy face look. "I'm sorry." He apologized as he puffed air into his mouth.

Noticing that Soyeon was still frowning at him, he leaned closer to her face and plant a chaste kiss on her lips. "I said I'm sorry."

Soyeon reddened, her heart pounding rapidly that she was sure it might result to something fatal like I don't know, a HEART ATTACK?! 

"What are you doing?" She asked with a small scream as she took hold of his face in her hands. "You cannot just simply kiss me whenever you wanted!"

Jung Kook huffed childishly as he crossed his arms across his chest. "Why can't I? Your lips belongs to me now." He said with no hint of embarrassment on his face, an opposite reaction to Soyeon. The tips of her ears were already a bright red.

 She can't help but to giggle as she looked away, completely flattered. "You're impossible." She pushed him away and stood up to walk away, pretending that she was angry at him. A minute ago she was wondering when would lunch be over but now, she just wanted go home and crawl under her bed, drowned with love sickness.

"Yah. Soyeon, come back!" Jung Kook called out from across the garden before he got up and rushed to pulled Soyeon back before she could walk further away from him. "I was just joking."

 

No, he wasn't.


 

"How did your friends find out about us anyway?" Jung Kook asked as they sat back on the bench in the garden.

Soyeon tangled her hand with Jung Kook's and rested it on her lap and compared Jung Kook's hand to her's. His big ones fitted perfectly with her small one and the warmth they exchanged as Jung Kook held on to it tightly comforts Soyeon. "A foreigner on vacation took a picture of us when we went shopping at that small village during Somi unnie and Pylgeun oppa's wedding."

Through the internet huh? Jung Kook can't help but to tensed up after hearing that. "Did those pictures circulated on the web?" He asked, the traumatic experience from the rumor he had with Minhee still haunting him.

"According to Jong In, it was a private page that Lay had subscribed to. It wasn't popular and he doubted anyone would know and Lay will ask the website to take it down later." Soyeon answered as she played with Jung Kook's hand, tracing the knuckles softly with her own fingers.

"Kai knew too?" Jung Kook asked, an uneasy feeling settled in the pit of his stomach.

Soyeon nodded and her expression suddenly changed. "He was the first to know. I told him yesterday." She lifted her head and stared up at a nearby tree, with a distant look on her face. "And it appears that he was the most affected by it. He has been avoiding me." Soyeon shifted her gaze back at Jung Kook and he could sense that she was worried and sad.

Jung Kook did not know what to say. A small part of him kept saying that it was nothing, but a larger part was feeling guilty. Jung kook was well aware that Jong In has some sort of feeling for Soyeon and from the looks of it, it's been going on for quite awhile. Jung Kook can't help but to feel guilty that he had took Soyeon away from him.
 

But he loves her. He wouldn't trade her for anything else.
 

Not even if he pity Jong In. He wouldn't let her go to anyone else.

---
 

Jung Kook was half surprised when he received a text that late afternoon from Jong In, asking to meet him up after school. He had planned to personally meet Jong In to confront him about his feelings, but the boy had called Jong Kook first instead. He could not imagine what could the boy would want to talk about.

Jung Kook threw his school bag on the ground as he leaned against the bark of the tree by the front gate. He turned to face the empty school compound as he waited for Jong In to finish his school duty. The last of the student came out, and the girl giggled at Jung Kook as she wriggled her fingers at him, in an attempt to wave cutely.

Politely, he smiled at them before closing his eyes shut for a rest. 
 

"Sorry to kept you waiting." A voice bellowed several meters away from Jung Kook, waking him up in the process. Jung Kook squinted his eyes at his wife best friend's as the tanned guy make his way to his direction before stopping a small distance away from him.

"It's okay."


Silence. And it was an awkward one.


"Kai--"

Jong In cut his words, as he turned his back on Jung Kook. "I sincerely congratulate the both you from the bottom of my heart." He said calmly. Only god knows how much difficulty it was for him to say those words.

Jung Kook stood still on his spot as he bore his eyes in confusion at the back of the tall male before him. He didn't know what to say but "thank you."

 

The next few minutes went by in  complete, deafening silent. Jung Kook hates nothing more than silence like this but he knew better than to interrupt the moment.
 

"Please don't hurt her." Jong In said, finally looking into Jung Kook's eyes. "I don't know you very well to trust you with her, so if you were to break her heart, I won't let you go." He said with a deadly serious tone in his voice that Jung Kook could not help but to find it intimidating.

However, that did not prevent the small smile from tugging at the corner of Jung Kook's lips as he lets out a small chuckle. "I'm glad that Soyeon had you before I was in the picture. I'm glad that she was in good hands." Jung Kook extended a hand for a handshake. It was Jong In's turn to stare in confusion at Jung Kook before finally taking his hand for a firm handshake.

"Thank you for taking care of her. But it's my duty now and I will protect her with my life." Jung Kook continued with his words after letting go of Jong In's hands. He turned his back on Jong In and bend down to retrieve his school bag on the ground before slowly walking over to Jong In and gave him a curt bow, leaving Jong In speechless.
 

Jung Kook was already walking for a few meters when he heard a slight nasally voice calling out to him. He turned around to see Jong In still standing on the same spot he had left him.



From a distance, Jong In shouted. "Take my warning that I won't back down easily. I will always be there to catch her when she falls." 
 

 Author's Note;

Feel free to comment guys. I would love to know what you guys think about the story.
 

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