Chasing You

Chapter Thirteen

Hesitance

Yura glanced to her left and right, looking for her friend whom she bet was just out there sitting at one of the tables in the study area. In her hand was a cup of juice and as she was sipping, she finally saw Da Eun. As a girl, she could easily tell the difference between Da Eun's aura from before and now. Her friend looked so radiant, cheerful, glowing, or whatever was synonymous with amazingly happy. Yura walked a little faster to reach her friend because she wanted to talk about something that concerned Da Eun’s personal life and the past. She saw that Da Eun was holding a book that was about art, but Yura didn't have the slightest interest when it came to books or even school work, so she did not think of asking what she was reading. To Yura, school was fun. Being in school was better than just staying at home, and the allowance was a plus, that was her reason for still attending classes.

"You look happy," she commented, interrupting Da Eun’s reading time.

Da Eun smiled smugly at the entrance of her friend, closing the book as she gave her full attention to Yura. "I always am since I don't have any particular reason to be sad," she said with a bright look on her face.

"And you have any particular reason to be happy?" Yura mocked.

"Shut up, Yura. Stop teasing me."

Yura made a surrendering gesture, saying, "Alright, I get it. I just came to say that a kid from the principal's office asked me to give you this."

"What were you doing in the principal's office again?" Da Eun asked worriedly as she grabbed the letter from Yura's hand.

Yura merely shrugged. "Just a little cutting classes. No big deal."

Da Eun stared at her knowingly. "I'm getting worried about you, Yura. You've been acting rebellious over the past few years."

It was true. At first, Da Eun thought that she was just going through the stage wherein teenagers rebel a little because they want to discover things in their own, fun way. However, Yura's habit of skipping classes, and being close to the wrong choice of people caught Da Eun’s attention significantly because it was affecting Yura's studies and relationship with other people, even to her parents. They had been friends for many years now, but the only indication that Yura was close to a family member was her blabbing of her cousin before, much to her dismay.

School was important to Da Eun in a way that it was normally necessary for a person that wanted success. Yeah, she was smart and had talents, but that was not the reason she loved school, it was because of the people in it and the lessons she was learning every day outside the classroom. In a way, she could relate her point of view to the students in the Art Committee. So, to see Yura disregarding school was weird for her and as a friend, she had to remind her to be serious, but sadly, that was the only thing she could do right now because nobody was ever allowed to command another person how to live his or her life.

"Da Eun, chill. I wouldn't worry about it if I was you because I can totally handle this."

"Whatever. I'm just reminding you."

"Let's just open the letter," Yura suggested, seemingly more excited than Da Eun.

"I think I'm going to open it when I come home."

Yura rolled her eyes. "Whatever makes you sleep at night, Da Eun."

"Thank you so much, Yura."

Da Eun tried to return to her book, but in her peripheral vision, she saw Yura fidgeting as if there was more that she wanted to say. After years of being friends, Da Eun could not believe that it was still hard for Yura to talk to her. She was not untouchable or superior, no, she was never one. But why did people find it hard to approach her? She wanted to ask Sehun later.

"I'm aware that I am not the kind of friend who is always with you and is always there for you, but we barely talked last week. You've been very busy hanging out with your boy."

"Stop calling Sehun 'my boy.' It sounds so weird."

"You know I can't do that. So, what's new?" Yura asked, pretending that she would be happy to hear it but she was just asking it to have Da Eun’s attention directed at her.

Da Eun closed her book completely. Her eyes traveled from side to side and with one breath, she said, "I've decided to accept his feelings."

It was just as Yura expected. It had been long, too.

"Really? When?"

"Not far from now."

Yura looked at her friend worriedly. "Have you thought about this a thousand times?" she asked.

Da Eun gave out an offended smile, questioning Yura from her suspicion. "Yes. Why? Is something wrong with my decision?" she asked.

"I don't know. Don't you want him to wait a little longer?"

"What's this? The 19th century?" Da Eun spat sarcastically. "I like him. There is no point in making this longer than what you are saying because, in the end, I'll still like him."

"The idea of you having a boyfriend is weird to me," Yura admitted.

"Because I've always hated boys?"

"You never hated them until-"

Da Eun panicked with Yura’s choice of words and what she might spill, so she made an effort to interrupt her sooner. "Yura, stop. I don't want to talk about him. I'm happy now, and I just hope he is happy somewhere." She said it in a very authoritative voice to be effective. The surprise in Yura's eyes was evident to Da Eun, but she couldn't care less if she startled Yura because it was her fault after all for bringing the topic up.

She was crossing the line and being insensitive, Yura knew it herself. But, she was talking about it for a reason, and she had no bad intention whatsoever so Da Eun’s sudden switch to act superior would not intimidate her. Yura chose to continue what she planned to say. "I know my cousin is a jerk but-"

"You know what? I can't believe you are opening this topic after years. We were so young then, purely immature, and he never loved me."

"And Oh Sehun does?" Yura mocked.

"Sehun is a great person. He deserves more than your insults."

Da Eun was barely defensive because she would usually let people say whatever they want and she didn’t care unless it was very necessary. No reasonable person would let somebody mock their loved ones, and that was just what Da Eun was doing now. Sehun was incomparable to that one person who lied to her about everything. She couldn't seem to concentrate on anything because too many thoughts were entering her mind. She had a habit of overthinking things way too much, which was not good because it does nothing but bother her even while sleeping. She barely heard what Yura was ranting and only kept in mind the last parts of her blab.

"The way he treats you is the way he treats his best friend. Maybe less than that, I'm afraid."

It was upsetting to hear that from a friend. It was upsetting that what Yura just said might be true. There was no distinct difference how Sehun was treating Ah Reum from the way he treated her. Da Eun felt helpless as she was realizing just now, that it took Yura to say it aloud in her face just for her to notice it. But then again, she remembered what Yura was talking about earlier, and she had the right to doubt her opinion. There was a strong indication that Yura was just saying what she was saying to make her talk to her cousin, and that would never happen. It was too much to ask for. Even though she was slightly worried, she still did not believe Yura's words.

"If you are saying that to convince me to talk to your cousin, then you won't succeed."

"He just wants to explain things to you."

"Why?" Da Eun asked angrily.

The question ambushed Yura, so she just let out a lame answer. "To clear his name?"

"Why now? Why not during the time I was desperately asking him for a reason as to why he did that? "

"What? Just because Oh Sehun came, you don't care anymore?"

“Yeah, you are right." Da Eun answered her friend honestly, and she was proud of what she said. She was so open with her feelings, so what? She had every right to do so. "See? Guilty or not, nothing will change. Let's not talk about him ever again."

"That would be impossible," Yura said, smiling in disbelief.

Da Eun closed her eyes to ease the irritation she was feeling right now and tightened her grip on the nearest solid object her hand found so that she could, at least, release her feelings through it. "Can't you just promise?"

"Well, I promised him that I will convince you to talk to him."

"Tell him to get lost," Da Eun said firmly, looking so serious. "Goodbye, Yura."

The blonde haired girl shrugged her shoulders and placed her hands on her waist. She was disappointed on how things turned out. Now, she knew that Da Eun would be so hard to convince. "Okay. That went so great."

….

Her table was full of papers but being the neat freak she was, her table was still workable. Seulgi had so much paperwork to do, and the most important of those was the progress report she had to pass to the adviser of the Writer's Nook. The deadline was not until next week, but she was doing the report already so that it would not cause a conflict to more important works. Her table was across the large windows of their office and with that, she had the lighting she needed, and so were the rays of the sun which were disturbing her. It was a good thing that the room was air-conditioned or else she would love to do the work outdoors rather than in their office. She had everything that she needed for the report. She had her laptop, her draft, her energy drink, and her peace.

After finishing the report, she would finalize the proposal for the upcoming Org Ball. Kang Seulgi sighed not because she was cramming but because she was not feeling very well for the last few days and not in a way that she was sick, she was just feeling dull. Maybe because for the first time in her life, someone had the courage to stand up to her and the fact that Luhan was never on her list of friends made it even more unexpected. And she was not thinking about Luhan right now. She could not believe that she let him under her skin. The thought gave her a headache. She was massaging her temples when someone just entered their office so casually.

Seulgi frowned when she saw the person and upon his arrival, she immediately dropped her pen. "What are you doing here, Luhan?" she asked unwelcomingly.

"It is obvious," Luhan answered.

"Apologizing is pointless. Go away."

"So, even if I apologize or not, you just won't care? Does that mean I'm forgiven either way?"

"I'll appreciate it if you leave me alone." Seulgi gave Luhan a sharp look, saying that she did not give a damn, and what he was doing would b