SUPER short chapter. this is a filler chapter but giiiiiiiiiiiirl (or boy) the next chapter...
well, actually i'm lying. i honestly don't know because i kind of just write as i go like i don't really have a set plan for things, the only thing i have set is like two sentences of the ending hahaha haha ha...
which by the way: DUN DUN DUNNNNN~ this story is almost coming to an end. weird, huh? don't worry, things will wrap up ;)
but anyways, enjoy xx (no those are not links they're just really important so i underlined them kk)
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

            I take a seat on the bench alone and open my book, but the lines skip over my head. I was in bed all day yesterday. They say that it’s the heart that hurts, but my entire body was in pain. Luckily enough, it didn’t last long. I became numb after a while.
            “Aubrey…” a soft voice calls. Jesus?
            I look up at the voice. Hyunjoong. He gives me a little smile. “Hey, I was wondering if you wanted to go out for lunch.” he says, his voice still soft which was highly unusual. And he was being nice—definitely not his normal self. “We could be back before your next class starts.”
            I thought about my next class: fashion design. I thought about who was in it: Linda Park. I stand up and clear my throat. “I’ll skip that class for today. We’re probably not doing anything important.”

            I stir my dakjuk and let the steam evaporate so it could cool down. Hyunjoong hasn’t said much after his invite to go out to lunch. I look at him as he stares down at his bowl of the same meal. “You’re acting really weird.” I finally say. “You haven’t said anything about in the past forty-five minutes.”
            He gives off a little laugh, but it was full of bitterness. “ is what got me in this mess.”
            My brows furrow, I drop my spoon. I take a moment to process every single word he just said. “Did you get someone pregnant?” I whisper. His eyes widen and he shakes his head.
            “No! Don’t jump to conclusions.” he scoffs. I roll my eyes.
            “Well, sor-ry.” I mumble, stirring my porridge again. He sits up, getting closer to me.
            “Before I tell you, I want you to swear to me that you’ll keep it a secret.” he says. I nod.
            “Yeah, whatever.” I reply.
            “Aubrey.” he says sternly, his voice completely changing. I look up at him, his face completely serious.
            “Yes, Hyunjoong.” I say in all seriousness. “Swear.”
            He bites his lip, looking down at the table. One minute.
            One and a half minutes.
            He looks up at me and takes a deep breath through his nose. “I went to a party after the fashion show on Saturday. Obviously I had a few drinks—it’s a party. Anyways, I met a lot of cool people in the backyard. I had a few more drinks with them and eventually I start to get a lot past tipsy and a little before getting completely hammered.” he looks down at the table. “One of the cool people I met that night was a guy who goes to Gachon University. I remember taking a couple of shots with him, and then walking into a room together.”
            He pauses. I clear my throat. “You don’t have to finish if you don’t want to.” I say, already seeing where he was coming from.
            “But you don’t understand, Aub. We had , and for the first time in a long time, I had an .” he says, his voice bitter. “And there are pictures of us at the party getting a little close. This is causing people to talk.”
            “People talk about people like us all of the time.” I say. “Most of the time, none of these things are true.”
            “But this time it is true. And I can’t just simply go out and deny them in a span of a few days because it’ll seem too suspicious. Everyone will know I’m bluffing.” he says.
            “Telling the truth is the best thing to do, Hyunjoong.” I say softly, reaching for his hand. “There are just things you can’t control, and there’s nothing wrong with that. And I’ll be here if you need me.”
            He intertwines our fingers and looks me in the eyes. “Aub, everything is wrong with that.” he says. “I’ve been surrounded by girls my entire life, and things just suddenly change?! I’m not supposed to be… this. So I’m begging you to help me.”
            I furrow my eyebrows. He continues before I could open my mouth to say a word. “You have to pretend like we’re dating. Only until the situation dies down.”
            “What?”
            “If we pretend that we’re dating then everything will die down before the speculations reach my parents. Do you know how crazy the Internet would get if we confirm a relationship between the two of us? Plus, my parents love you. It’s perfect!”
            “No!” I reject, pulling my hand away from his. “Hyunjoong, you have to tell the truth. Putting up a façade will only make things worse in the long run. I’m sure your parents will understand.”
            “Aub, my parents would be more than disappointed in me—in themselves. No one ever intentionally wants to raise…” He pauses again, closing his eyes. “A gay boy.” he continues. My heart yearns for his, wanting to comfort his broken self. “Aubrey… please…”