20.

It’s been weeks since the fire incident died down and the school was now, back to normal.

But as for Jaemi, school wasn’t normal for her.

For these past few weeks, Chanyeol was so busy, he hardly had any sleep, and not to mention Jaemi, Baekhyun hardly see him too.

Baekhyun only chance of seeing Chanyeol is during lesson time. But lesson time doesn’t mean he can talk to Chanyeol because he would be busy dosing off or paying attention. He couldn’t even get to see Chanyeol during lunch break because once lesson is over; Chanyeol would be right in the staffroom discussing the matter with teachers and principals, keeping things under control in the school.

And when Baekhyun goes back into the dormitory, he just hoped to see Chanyeol opening the door and talk to him for just a minute. Just a minute.

But it was only until 2 a.m. would the door creak open and Chanyeol could be seen. By then, Baekhyun would be asleep.

Jaemi knocked on Chanyeol’s dormitory, taking in a deep breath to prepare herself. But her shoulders immediately slumped when she saw it was Baekhyun instead of Chanyeol who opened the door.

“Hey Baekhyun, where’s Chanyeol?”

Baekhyun shook his head and leaned on the door frame. “Not here, he was summoned to the staffroom early in the morning.”

“But it’s a Saturday,” she said.

Baekhyun shrugged and sighed. “The fire incident in the school made everyone speculate. The rumours from the students travelled to the teachers’ ears and it travelled into the principal’s ears. Chanyeol is in charge of the students, so he has to think of a solution to calm the students down.”

“But the fire incident is already over. The students stopped talking about it, what else he needs to discuss?” she asked, frowning.

“I don’t know. The school is keeping everything from us,” he said and looked around the hallway before leaning towards her. “I heard from some of the students, that there will be one female and male student that will be transferred here for three months.”

“Three months? For what? A probation?” Jaemi asked.

He shrugged. “I only know this much.”

Jaemi sighed and slipped her hands into her pockets. “Tell me once Chanyeol is back, I’ll get going.”

She felt uncomfortable. Without the presence of Chanyeol, she felt empty, lonely. Everything was boring to her. She didn’t feel happy without the happy virus around her.

It was just different after the fire incident.

She remembered once, just one day after the fire incident, when she went back into the general office to check up on her health, she met Chanyeol in the hallway who was holding onto files, flipping through the pages.

She approached him, but Chanyeol didn’t look up and smile at her, instead just brushed past her, continuing walking to the other end and she frowned, biting her lip.

Jaemi couldn’t take it anymore. Boredom was killing her. She had to talk to Chanyeol. She took out her phone and dialed his number, again. It was directed to his voicemail and she groaned.

She screamed into the phone. “Park Chanyeol! Where the hell are you! It’s been weeks since I last saw you after the fire incident and it’s like you just disappeared into thin air! I looked around the whole entire school, roaming here and there like a wandering ghost just hoping that I would be able to bump into you but you were nowhere to be seen!”

She flung one of her hand up in the air in despair and groaned. “It’s ridiculous! We are in the same school, we go to the same school every day but not once have I bumped into you! How can you just ..leave me hanging like this! Not knocking up on my door everyday! Have you forgotten what we’ve.. been through?” She softened. “We climbed seventeen floors was a piece of cake, helping Dasul, catching after the pickpocket, eating, studying together, spending the night just to help Dasul, and poof! You’re gone!” she yelled and sighed.

“Can you believe it Eunmi. We are in the same school, how can we not bump into each other? It has been weeks, I don’t even know what’s going on with him. Baekhyun could hardly see him too!” she exclaimed, exasperated.

“Well I bumped into him the other day,” Eunmi said while she placed her jacket into the closet.

Jaemi jumped out from her bed. “You saw him? Where?”

“In school,” she replied.

“Will you just relax and calm down. Why are you so anxious about him and his whereabouts. It’s not like his your boyfriend or something.”

“Wh-what boyfriend? It’s out of concern. After all he’s the student president. If he just dies or disappear into thin air then what will happen to the students and his fans?” she said, going back to her bed and hugged her bolster, sulking.

Chanyeol yawned and closed the file. He walked out of the staffroom together with the teachers. Teacher Yang smiled and patted his back. “Sorry Chanyeol, you had to stay with the teachers every day after school,” he said.

Chanyeol yawned and forced a smile, rubbing his eyes. “It’s alright. It’s my duty,” he said.

The teachers left, leaving Chanyeol alone in the hallway and he yawned once more.

For these past few weeks, he was deprived of sleep. The teachers took his sleep. The school took his sleep. Studies took his sleep equals to no sleep at all.

He looked in the mirror and mentally screamed. His eye bags were so obvious, his hair was in a mess and he ridiculously look like a ghost.

“This is crazy. Once I get back to the hostel I need to have facial. Ah, a mask and cucumber to get rid of my eye bags. Great idea,” he murmured, looking in the mirror as he walked towards the dormitory.

He entered the dormitory and opened the cabinet, taking out his phone and turned it on.

Just as he entered the toilet, his stomach grumbled and he took in a deep breath, grumbling and sighed.

He grabbed his phone, his keys and went out of the dormitory, walking out of the school.

He stopped in his tracks and looked at his phone. “Eighteen messages and ten missed calls, all from Jaemi?!” He couldn’t believe his eyes.

“Hey Chanyeol, I was just wondering where you have been for these past few days, I.. I got some questions to ask you, call me back soon, thanks.”

He smiled.

“Chanyeol, so, how’s school? Are you busy? Didn’t see you for the past week after the fire accident I was just wondering what you’re doing. Call me back when you’re free.”

“Yah Park Chanyeol, are you really that busy? Baekhyun didn’t see you for a week, call us back soon, okay?”

He grinned. At that moment, he saw Jaemi, lurking around the school gate. She slipped her hands into her pockets, walking back and forth in front of the gate and he softened. Just one look at Jaemi made him feel energetic again. He heard her voice, looked at her, see her walking back and forth just made everything worth it.

He knew all those nights for staying up late were worth it. Worth it because of the school, for the students, teachers, Baekhyun and also worth it because of Jaemi.

He listened to the last voice call, and he had to say he didn’t know whether to laugh or wince at her voice.

“Park Chanyeol! Where the hell are you! It’s been weeks since I last saw you after the fire incident and it’s like you just disappeared into thin air! I looked around the whole entire school, roaming here and there like a wandering ghost just hoping that I would be able to bump into you but you were nowhere to be seen!” He rubbed his ear and smiled at her voice while looking at her from a distance at the same time.

“It’s ridiculous! We are in the same school, we go to the same school every day but not once have I bumped into you! How can you just ..leave me hanging like this! Not knocking up on my door everyday! Have you forgotten what we’ve.. been through? We climbed seventeen floors, helped Dasul, caught the pickpocket, ate and studied together, spent the night just to help Dasul, and poof! You’re gone!” He softened and sighed. “Sorry, just call me back when you’re free. Thanks.”

“That Baekhyun, he said Chanyeol went out, shouldn’t he be back by now?” she whispered, glancing at her watch. “What?! It’s already 1 am?! I’ve waited for two hours?” she murmured.

Chanyeol approached her and grinned. “It’s in the wee hours. Close to two, why are you, young lady doing here? Waiting for someone?” Chanyeol asked, coming out from the shadows and Jaemi turned.

She saw him. After weeks she finally saw him.

Her eyes rounded in surprise and her lips slowly curved up into a smile which made Chanyeol smile too.

She bit her lip and looked at Chanyeol, smiling from ear to ear. “Chanyeol..” she whispered.

He walked even closer to her and stretched his arms out. “Come, give me a hug,” he said and Jaemi’s smile immediately faded.

She harshly kicked his foot, glaring at him while he immediately let out a scream and groaned out.

“What the hell?! Jaemi!”

“Jaemi Jaemi Jaemi, all you can do it smile, laugh and call me Jaemi Jaemi Jaemi,” she said harshly. “Because of you! Calling me Jaemi everyday that now it became a habit to me once I hear your name I would kick your foot. But for weeks, for weeks! I didn’t even get to see you, not to mention talk to you.” She softened and frowned.

“You’re so irresponsible Park Chanyeol! You’re doing so many things, discussing school matters with the teachers but in fact, what you think you are doing is actually harming me, torturing me! You have no idea how I felt when I didn’t see you for weeks, that feeling was itching me and annoying me ten times more than how irritating you are right now! I acted like a fool!” she screamed and stomped off.

Chanyeol quickly chased after her and grabbed her wrist. “Hey, don’t be mad. I was doing what I had to do,” he whispered and Jaemi shook his grip off her. “Doing what you had to do? That includes just .. not telling Baekhyun or me anything? At least give him a call or a note! You guys are roommates and yet you guys are-“

Chanyeol pressed his lips against hers, shutting her up. He grabbed her wrists tightly and closed her eyes.

Jaemi blinked in surprise. She blinked furiously and she gulped. But she slowly slipping into a daze and she slowly closed her eyes too.

She placed her hands on his chest, letting Chanyeol be in control.

Her hands travel up around his neck, pulling him closer for a deeper kiss and he groaned, his grip on her waist tightening even more.

She enjoyed it. After weeks of not seeing Chanyeol and feeling all so uncomfortable because of him, Jaemi can be easily contented with just a kiss from Chanyeol.

That, was the power of Chanyeol.

Jaemi stopped and she shot open her eyes, pushing Chanyeol away. She looked at Chanyeol wide eyed and she immediately yelled, kicking his feet.

“Park Chanyeol!” she screamed and broke free from his grip, wiping with her hands and she gawked at him. “You! You! Argh!” she yelled and quickly ran away, her cheeks furiously blushing and her pulse quickened.