2-365

Hyejin sigh looking at her watch as she pace back and forth by the sidewalk. She was waiting for a text message from Jihyun to inform her whether Kai is in class with her.

Hyejin needs to go back to his apartment to pick up all of her clothes and her belongings. There was nothing for her to wear and she is currently wearing Jihyun’s pink oversize sweater with her unwashed black skinny jeans.

She didn’t want to bump into Kai while she’s at his apartment. Hyejin choose to go there in the morning because from what she can remember Kai was barely at home. He would usually comeback in the afternoon and heads back out at night and repeat the same thing again the next day and the day after. That has been going on for months maybe almost a year.

Just thinking about it makes her head hurts and her heart aches.

She took out her phone from her pocket and check again for any notification. The needle on her watch indicates its 10 o’clock. She looks around to find some place to sit and she got her eyes fixed on a grocery store.

As soon as she enters the store she makes her way to the back of the store where the beverages are placed. Hyejin was about to swing open the fridge door when she saw her reflection. She lets go of the handle as she brings up her fingers slowly to trace the outline of her eyes. Her eyes were red and puffy. She looks like she hasn’t been sleeping for days or more. The dark circle below her eyes is vastly visible. She’s not wearing any make up thus making her look pale and sick. Her hand made its way to her hair; vigorously combing it through with her fingers trying to tame them. She looks miserable. Hyejin pulls up the sweater hoodie to hide herself.

She then grabs a can of coffee and walks off to the counter to pay for it.

Just when she was about to take out her money out of her wallet she’s caught on the boxes that’s been straightly place in lines located in the display behind the cashier. She stands there thinking of buying a pack.

She has never tried it before. She never knew how it tastes like and every time she asks her friends why they smoke; all of them answered the same thing ‘it calms me down’. She bites her lip thinking about it more when the cashier interrupts her thinking

“Miss, is this all?”

“Give me a pack of Light Marlboro and one of those lighter please” Hyejin answers without hesitation and points to the lighter displays.

The cashier lady turns around and grabs the two items that’s been requested by Hyejin. Hyejin pays for her items and exits the store.

She stuffs the pack of cigarette and the lighter inside her beg and drinks up her can of coffee while she walks towards Kai’s place.

When she arrives at his place she couldn’t even bring her fingers to press the password into the keypads. Instead she just stands there her hands inside the sweater pocket. She’s afraid that she would meet up with Kai and that’s the last thing she wants right now.

She turns around and walks back towards the lift and press the G floor. Once she reaches the floor she takes out her phone and sends a text message to Jihyun

Hyejin: Yah, what’s taking you so long? Is he there?

After waiting for a while she decided to walk towards the park where she used to hang out with Kai in the late hours.

She sits on one of the bench which is facing the basketball court. She sighs loudly as she buries her face inside her palms. Hyejin pushes back her hoodie and fish for the cigarette inside her beg.

She takes off the plastic in which was protecting the cigarette box and takes a cigarette out slowly.

She places the cigarette between her lips and gently lights it up. This is her first time tasting it. Breathing in through the lit up bud she took in the taste of nicotine. She coughs on her first breath of cigarette and took it out of her lips.

She her lips wetting it before putting the cigarette back between her lips. Again she does the same process but this time very slowly. To her surprise she enjoys the taste of it. And what her friends said about it being a method of relaxing she believes it now. She’s definitely calmed.

She stares over the empty basketball court as she smoke her first stick of cigarette. And memories came flooding back into her mind. Memories of her and her prince Jongin. On some nights they would come to the court and play basketball, just the two of them. They would playfully fight and make bets on the winner.

Of course Kai would always win and in some cases Kai would let her win intentionally. And whenever they’re having an argument on whose choice to pick like what they should have as a midnight snack they would settle it with a short basketball game. Hyejin at basketball. One thing she’s not good at is definitely sports.

She would often lose to Kai. But on days that she won she knew all along that Kai would let her win.

Hyejin heaves a sigh at the image of them playing basketball. Somehow she can picture them playing right now; the picture of Kai running around circling her bouncing the ball, and Hyejin trying hard to reach for the ball. And his laugh, she can hear clearly the way he laughs and the smile on his face.

Hyejin closes her eyes as she pictures Kai’s laugh and his smile. To her it’s the most beautiful sight to see, his smile. And it’s such a beautiful sound to hear, his laughs is music to her ear.

“Jongin I miss you” she whisper to herself.

Hyejin opens her eyes slowly and throws away the cigarette bud into the rubbish bin.

“I didn’t know you smoke”

Hyejin jumps off her seat a little when she heard the voice.

“The last time I saw you, you look pretty decent and not at all this shabby” The voice continued, eyeing Hyejin from head to toe.

“How are you Jo Hyejin?” He said still standing staring at her, one hand holding onto his backpack.

Hyejin hastily pull up the sweater’s hoodie to cover a part of her face and turn to see the boy.

“Sehun- ah” Hyejin said getting up

“Annyeong” The boy named Sehun wave towards Hyejin

Sehun is one of Kai’s closest friends. Before everything happened all of them used to hang out together a lot. They would go out for dinners, karaoke night even drinking out. The boys would come over Kai’s and they would have a movie marathon and barbeque parties; of course this was all before Kai started to change.

Hyejin smiles faintly at Sehun.

“How are you Sehun?” Hyejin asks

“No I asked you first” Sehun replies shaking his head

Hyejin let out a small laugh and fixes her hoodie

“I’m doing okay” Hyejin replies

“You sure, you don’t look like you’re okay” Sehun said lowering his head to see her face.

Hyejin shrugs.

Sehun walks over to Hyejin and pulls her hoodie down

“Look at you, how long has the break up been, two three days?”

Hyejin keeps staring on the ground trying to hide her face from Sehun. Her hair falls over her face following the direction of her head.

“Yah I can’t see your face! Look up!” Sehun grunts pushing her chin up.

“Because I don’t want you to see it you idiot” Hyejin said jokingly pushing away his hand.

Sehun tries it again his hands at the side of Hyejin’s face trying to push up her face but it was retorted by Hyejin’s hand.

Both of them are now caught in a friendly fight pushing each other’s hand away. Laughter and grunts can be heard around the park.

“Oh Sehun stop it!” Hyejin groans

“You stop it” Sehun mimic her

Hyejin pouts and gives up trying to fight back the tall boy.

Sehun laughs when Hyejin finally shows her face to him.

“Haish you should at least put on some foundation or something. You look like a ghost” He said poking her cheeks.

“I don’t really care about my physical looks right now” Hyejin replies fixing her hair

“Where are you headed to?” Hyejin asks

“Somewhere” Sehun answered looking past through Hyejin as if he was trying to show her the destination he was heading towards to. Hyejin turns back to look at where he was directing to but was stop by Sehun when he pokes her side.

“What are you looking at, I’m right here” Sehun said with a smirk on his face Hyejin rolls her eye and hit Sehun by his arm.

“Yah” Sehun wince at the touch.

The two stayed there standing in front of each other not saying a word. But after a while Sehun broke the silence.

“Seriously though Hyejin, how are you holding on?” He asks.

There was something different about his tone when he asked her. He was concerned about Hyejin especially after seeing her smoking.

Hyejin pushes her hair back and shakes her head.

“I don’t know I’m like this I guess.” She answers back helplessly

Sehun pouts and walks closer towards Hyejin. He puts his arms around Hyejin and hugs her.

Hyejin flinches when Sehun suddenly grabs and hug her. She stood there still in disbelief that Sehun is hugging her. Her eyes wide open in shock.

“I just thought you needed one of these” Sehun said slowly letting go of the hug

“Oh, Thank you” Hyejin answers awkwardly

“If it makes you feel any better, Kai isn’t doing that well too. He’s a train wreck”

“How will that make me feel better.” Hyejin replies

“I don’t know I just thought you’d prefer to hear that than ‘Oh Kai is having his time of his life. Now that he’s single he doesn’t have to care about anything anymore.’”

Hyejin stare at Sehun for a long time. She bit down on her lower lip and heave a heavy sigh. She knew he meant it as a joke but it still hurts. Everything about Kai right now is gloomy. She understands that Sehun wanted to make her smile but she just couldn’t bring her lips to curve upward.

Hyejin was getting blue and she didn’t want Sehun to see her down especially when Sehun was trying to cheer her up.

“I – I should get going. You should too.” She said

“Jo Hyejin we haven’t seen each other in a while and you’re already leaving me” Sehun pouts

Hyejin couldn’t resist Sehun’s cuteness and she must admit that she somehow miss hanging out with him.

Right then Hyejin thought of something. Maybe it would be less awkward if she brings Sehun along to help her pick up her stuff at Kai’s.

“Sehun ah do me a favor?”

Sehun narrows his eye and made a click sound with his tongue.

“What favor?”