2: Not Sugar, But Salt

If Chorong thought that she fooled everybody, including her friends, with her stoic expression and pretentious act of being too busy to even acknowledge her ex-boyfriend’s presence, she was wrong.

Before Chorong could even go outside the door, half of an all-too-familiar back of a person leaning on a wall appeared outside the door frame putting her into a halt. Time seemed to freeze her into place until she was the only one left in the room. It occurred to her that there’s no way out of this one. The thought of running away from him also popped in her head. But the plan.

In an instant, rage filled her chest, eventually fueling her determination to finish this once and for all. After regaining her composition, she walked passed the door with her held high; confidence and pride heightening with every step. When she was parallel to him, she turned to him – eyes darting up to his face, and met his eyes, a furrowed brow, indicating his impatience. Seconds later, he smoothed his expression.

The girl Chorong was before wouldn’t realize the immediate change of attitude whenever Yifan waits for him and she sees him tapping his left foot restlessly, or when she asks him to accompany her inside the library to study which will make him sigh then give her a small smile. Little things Taeyeon observed and told her one night. That she chose to ignore.

“What were you doing inside?”

The first sentence that parted from his lips sounded gentle. What Chorong heard though was, “Why did you make me wait?” in a displeased tone. She barely managed not to knee him in the gut for the jerk he really is.

Sarcasm flowed freely from her lips as she replied, “Oh, I wasn’t informed that you still needed to wait for me after my classes.”

His jaw stiffened. He opened his mouth to speak but he was clearly surprised from her ex-girlfriend’s meaningful answer.

This reaction gave Chorong the opportunity to scratch the imbecile’s precious pride.

“Dunna’ worry, lad.” She purposely spoke louder this time. “Y’dunna’ need to anymore.” A mocking smile formed in her face from trying too hard to sound Scottish and y at the same time.

Few students passing them by turned their heads to them; mindful of the two’s conversation in the hallway.

Yifan knew this, and he eyed her rather scrutinizingly. The reaction she got from him made her uncomfortable. What is he doing now? An irritated question developed in her mind.

“What?” She couldn’t help but ask in the midst of the staring.

Yifan snapped back into reality, stepped back and was swallowed by the students in the hallway. Chorong on the other hand, blinked thrice before she could fathom what had happened. Her ex-boyfriend just left her without a word. Left her confused because of her incapability of identifying the expression on his face back then.

During her next classes, his face disturbed her even when she tried really hard to focus.

*****

Baekhyun snuck behind Taeyeon’s back and wrapped her arms around her waist causing the short yelp that escaped . She jerked away but was unable to leave his tight hold of her. He rested his chin on her shoulder; drops of water falling from his wet hair.

Taeyeon stopped moving then.

“Did you just shower?”

With indifference, he said, “Yes. Why?”

Instead of getting to the point already, Taeyeon gave him a question again.

“What are you wearing right now?”

“Nothing.”

Taeyeon could feel Baekhyun’s wide grin so she covered her flushed cheeks with her hands and grunted.

*****

“I’m home!”

Chorong removed her shoes and replaced them with her slippers. She stopped midway in her way to the kitchen. There Taehyung was, curled up on the couch in the living room. He’s sensitive to noises when it comes to sleep so she decided to avoid making unnecessary noise to wake him up. She slouched down to see his expression more clearly but his hair – his bangs - makes it quite hard. Without intending to, her right hand went to his hair and swept his bangs from his face as softly as she could.

Taehyung’s hair feels smooth and soft that Chorong couldn’t help herself to play with his hair.

“Only for a bit,” she muttered and giggled softly.