XVIII.

Pas de Chance

I held onto my chest as I got out of Soojung's apartment. My heart was beating so fast it's about to explode.

I never thought she'd do something like that. I don't know what her problem with me was, but I do know that she's avoiding me. It hurts me a lot, that she can't tell me what it is about. But I'm mad too. I'm mad that she didn't tell me about her and Taemin's relationship.

I admit, I was jealous. Ever since the party, I was angry that I wasn't the one who saved her from humiliation. I was angry that she kept pushing me away, but that was because I didn't know they were dating already.

When she told me I was the one who started avoiding her first, I felt a pang in my heart. I didn't know why I did that as well, just because I'm confused with my feelings.

To be honest, until now I'm still confused with my feelings. I don't know if I like her as a little sister or as something else, and this seriously pains me as well.

I leaned on her front door and let myself slide down, until I'm sitting on the cold tiled floor. Maybe she's mad at me because of myself, because I was confused and because of that she got affected because I started avoiding her.

I don't know anymore. I suddenly felt like not going to the trip. 

Of course I still had to. Kyungsoo had been pestering about it ever since Taemin invited us. And because of his excitement, he woke me up at 5 in the morning by ringing on my doorbell nonstop the next day.

"What the hell Kyungsoo!" I screamed as I saw his energetic happy face when I opened the door. I groaned in anger.

"Hey! You just woke up? Oh my god Jongin go take a bath now!"

"It's freaking 5 in the morning you !"

"They say the early goose gets the worm!"

"It's a bird not a goose!"

"A goose is a type of bird!"

"WILL YOU TWO SHUT UP!" one of the neighbors screamed as he gets out of his front door. I rolled my eyes and pulled Kyungsoo inside. I guess I have no choice but to do as he says.

Another reason why I think I'm stupid and dumb is out of everyone at the party whom I could easily declare to be my fake boyfriend, I had to pick Kyungsoo. I'm still angry at him, at how he kissed me without my permission. I've never kissed a guy before, and just thinking about that incident sends shivers down my spine.

We had a long talk after that. I never get to tell him that I was just pretending that he was my boyfriend and that I was gay, because he gave a long speech about the joys of me finally accepting him and how it is bad that I cursed at him. In the end, I just gave up. No matter what I say anyway, Kyungsoo's never gonna listen.

At around 10:30, Kyungsoo goes to Soojung's apartment to check on her. I was still awkward with her, so I sat on the couch while Kyungsoo and her talked endlessly of what they're planning to do.

Soojung still looked awkward around Kyungsoo though, which surprised me. Did something happen between them? Kyungsoo seemed fine with her though.

Taemin arrived after a few minutes, a big smile plastered on his face.

"Are you all ready?" he asked joyfully. Kyungsoo was the only one excited, and Taemin's smile faltered when he saw that Soojung and I were uninterested.

"Are you okay?" he asked as he approaches Soojung. I saw sadness in her eyes, but he masked it with a happy face and nodded.

Another thing she's not very good at is hiding her true emotions. I just want to pull her somewhere and as her what's really going on.

The whole car ride was silent. Nothing was heard except the radio and Kyungsoo's awful singing. (okay maybe not awful, he's actually pretty good)

I was sitting next to Kyungsoo and Soojung was sitting beside Taemin, who was in charge of driving. I decided to break the ice.

"Where are we going anyway? Why did you let us pack a lot of stuff?"

"Gyeonggi-do province! We're going camping for 3 days. I feel like so much has been happening during the past weeks and we need a little bit of peace in our minds."

"That's awesome! I've always wanted to camp!" I heard Kyungsoo comment. I rolled my eyes. I had to stay off work for this? I can't believe this.

Although camping sounds great, I can never forget the time when Soojung and I trekked up the mountain. If something like that happens again, I'd never forgive myself.

We arrived at the campsite and immediately prepared the tents and other stuff. We had to rent two tents, and after much debating, which involved Kyungsoo wanting to sleep in Soojung's tent because they are "of the same kind", we finally settled down.

The sun was blazing hot, and I felt like melting. Summer is just about starting, and I'm kinda annoyed we chose this season to camp, I mean in autumn, it's colder and less sunny, but who was I to complain, I'm just a guest after all.

"Hey, let's fish!" Soojung suggested as he pulls Taemin cheerfully away from us. I furrowed my brows. Just a few minutes ago she looked so sullen, and now it's like she's back to her original state.

Taemin nodded in delight and pulled us along, albeit our tired state.

"We're jetlagged!" Kyungsoo whined. I mentally slapped my forehead.

"You didn't even ride a plane, Kyungsoo. Come on!" Taemin replies excitedly as he pulls onto Kyungsoo harshly. In the end, we found ourselves sitting by the dock at 3 in the afternoon, waiting for fishes to get caught in the bait under the roaring hot sun.

I felt like I was continuously being stabbed in the head. The blazing heat was giving me a piercing headache, and Kyungsoo's loud chatter wasn't helping at all.

"I want to sleep on Soojung's tent! She might feel lonely without anyone else there! And there might be ghosts!" Kyungsoo blabbers on and on.

"Ghosts do not exist, you dummy. She'll be fine." Taemin smiles. How can he smile when it already feels like the sun is about to eat the earth alive?!

"But they do exist! What are you talking about?"

I whacked Kyungsoo in the head, indicating that he should stop. He glared at me murderously, but I was too pissed off to even get scared.

"Hmm..... Why don't we go ghost hunting later? Sounds like a good plan right?" Soojung suggests.

I scoffed and looked at her, and she frowned at my smug expression.

"I'm not going with you."

"Why, Jongin? Too chicken? I guess you are, I think I can already see you trembling." she mocked.

I grit my teeth and glared at her. This little evil woman! I hope you get abducted by a ghost!

"Fine! I'll join your stupid game. I'll prove to you that ghosts don't exist."

She made a face at me, and I did the same. We were so immersed with making faces that we didn't notice Kyungsoo's bait moving.

"Oh my god I think I got something!" he says. Panicking, we all rushed towards him and helped him slowly drag the fishing rod up.

But of course, Kyungsoo was too dumb for life, so he pulled it harshly, making the fish stuck in his bait fly in the air and fall towards Soojung. She gets shocked as the fish moves its tail and slaps her face, and she screams and backs away until she falls down the river.

"Soojung!" I screamed and on instinct, I jumped toward the water to save her. God, since she's so dumb like Kyungsoo she probably can't swim.

I felt something on my arm and grabbed it immediately and swam up.

"Are you okay?" I asked after Kyungsoo and Taemin helped us up the dock. I checked if she had any injuries, and I felt my heart stinging as I saw a slight scratch on her face, probably caused by the fish's tail when it slapped her.

She bowed her head down, and I prepared myself for her sobs and wails, but she suddenly clutches on her stomach and....... laughs?

"Oh my god that was so exhilirating! Let's do it again!"

We stared at her for 3 seconds before Taemin huffs into a fit of laughter, followed by Kyungsoo who looked like he was about to die from lack of air. However I was the only who didn't get the joke.

"Why are you so serious? Laugh!" Soojung instructed as she places both her hands at each side of my lips, twitching it up to make a smile.

I stared at her cheerful face and felt my heart beating fast. Here it is again, the confusing feelings. I don't know why I'm like this whenever I see her so happy and so close, a part of me tells me I shouldn't feel like this and that's probably the reason why I'm so confused.

Taemin halts after a while and helps Soojung stand up.

"You need to get washed and changed. We don't want you getting sick, you might miss the ghost hunting later." Taemin says and Soojung waves goodbye to us as Taemin assists her back to the tents.

I took notice of how careful Taemin was towards her, how his arms held her form perfectly so she would'nt fall. I felt annoyed, which lead to me getting confused again. It wasn't the fact that he was touching her so intimately, it was the fact that they looked so...... perfect together.

I kept thinking about it the whole day. My feelings, the reason why I'm so confused which I still can't figure out why, and Soojung and Taemin.

At around 8pm, Taemin called everyone out to let the ghost hunting begin. I still think this is a dumb idea, but knowing how clumsy Soojung can be, I decided to go along.

"I'm so glad you're here! In case I get lost, I know you're there to look for me." Kyungsoo says as he slings an arm around mine. I wiggled uncomfortably and looked towards Soojung's direction, only to see her crestfallen gaze at me. I furrowed my brows, but she seems to have noticed because she suddenly looks away.

What is her problem? Sometimes I don't get her at all. Not only my feelings for her are confusing, even she herself is.

We started trekking towards the forest, flashlights in hand. Taemin agreed that everyone must walk through different directions for more thrill.

I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't notice I was walking deeper and deeper into the forest, and within minutes, I realized I don't know where I'm supposed to walk back.

"Taemin? Soojung? Kyungsoo!" I screamed, only to get nothing in return. I searched onto my bag for a whistle, but I found none. Dejected, I sighed and continued walking. I knew this would happen, I just didn't know it would happen to me. I expected Soojung or Kyungsoo to get stuck like this.

"AAAH!" Suddenly, I found myself sliding down a deep hole uncontrollably. I tried to get off, but the walls were too slippery, and it was covered in moss.

"HELP!" I shouted, feeling alarmed. If something would be worse than getting lost in a forest late at night, it's falling down a hole. Who knows what lurks inside this hole, and besides, it's so cold here, I feel like I'm in a freezer.

Funny how it was blazing hot earlier with the summer heat starting to crawl up out skin, and now I'm stuck in this hole, freezing and shaking in coldness and anxiousness.

After a few minutes I heard footsteps and heavy breathing and felt relieved, knowing I'll be saved.

"HELLO! I NEED HELP I FELL DOWN THIS----"

"AAAAAAAH!" and before I knew it, this other person fell down the hole as well, falling on top of me. I groaned in pain.

"Ouch......."

"Jongin? Is that you?"

Wait....... who the......

"Oh my god it is you I know your scent!" Soojung said as I feel her tight grip around my neck. Cue the confusing feelings.

Great, now we're both stuck here and I feel funny because I'm with Soojung for crying out loud.


a/n: okay so I said I'd do a double update yesterday but I got distracted by ao haru ride because of one of my friends who was reading it at the moment so I got curious and....... yeah stay tuned for kaistal's well adventures! (yes, they fell down a well)

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dreampuffs
so uh...... jongin and jennie...... that ing hurts...... #KaistalLivesOn

Comments

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Seulkai99
#1
Chapter 41: Perfect fanfic :)
I love this sentence " Learning to love an imperfect person perfectly".
NUR2501
#2
Chapter 41: Wow....this is such a nice story.
Really glad that Kai and Krystal ended up together ^^
Thanks, author-nim :)
bubblegum-
#3
Chapter 41: Omg that was a bit of a bittersweet ending, but still beautiful as ever :( I'm wondering why Kyungsoo did that too and he is a wonderful human to do that. I'm happy for Soojung and Jongin. Thank you for this story! ♡
reedus179 #4
Chapter 41: Waaaaaaaaaq T...T
Kaisootuan
#5
Chapter 41: This so beautiful and sad. Thank you for write this story, you are really creative. I'll probably miss this story and in few years I' ll comeback to read again. Was a sweet and bitter story like Kaistal, I'm too sad about Kyungsoo, but well he is an angel.
Thank you, I hope you keep writing. Take your time!
natashanash13 #6
Chapter 39: bawling my eyes out!! gosh i love it so much!! it's so beautiful <3
Kaisootuan
#7
Chapter 39: You don't know how much I missed this story, how much I miss kaistal. Thank you for the update!
bubblegum-
#8
Chapter 39: KAISTAL IS LOVE KAISTAL IS LIFE and finally, I am so happy that they're there for each other and will fix their relationship together ♡
reedus179 #9
Chapter 38: I want the next chapter u.u
Kaisootuan
#10
Chapter 38: I'm speechless... I'm glad they finally saw each other again.
Thank you for the chapter, I really missed this story! ^^