§§§§§

Namjoo was afraid Lee Chul might try too hard to make this date perfect. She could never forget that he liked her. It wasn’t like that at all.

The date was nowhere near extravagant. Lee Chul first took her to a dog café where she spent at most three hours cuddling and playing with the dogs. Afterward, they went to Namsan Tower just to play a game of rock paper and scissors on the stairs – winner moved up a step and loser remained where they were. She lost. Her punishment was to buy replenishing food for him. And she did.

Lee Chul didn’t treat her like a girlfriend. She was just his friend. They played, laughed, and merely did things together. Perhaps, that might the definition of a couple to some but to her at that moment, to them, they were just friends on a date. The thin line between it was what allowed her comfort and air to breathe. Namjoo really did enjoy her time with Lee Chul that before she knew it night had fallen.

They had just spent the last hour wandering through the streets of Gangnam grabbing bites from street vendors and walking through old music stores. Lee Chul was currently telling her a ghost story before they were interrupted by his phone. Standing by, Namjoo watched him seriously talk into the phone. He hung up with a desolate sigh.

“I think we should call it a day,” he said.

“Why?” Namjoo asked. She wasn’t ready to head back home yet. It had been much fun. She hadn’t had this much fun in a while.

“Lets go to the car.”

Namjoo grabbed his arm as he turned, “What’s wrong?”

Chul sighed perplexed. “It’s my brother. He’s drunk. His girlfriend called me.”

“Oh…” Namjoo let her hand slip, “but if he’s drunk, you might need help.”

He shook his head, “Don’t worry about it. It’s happened before.”

Chul pivoted in the direction of his car. Namjoo watched quietly. The class president always seemed to be go-lucky, but now wasn’t the past anymore. Hurrying after him Namjoo grabbed his arm again, “Where is he? I’ll go with you.”

§§§§§

A few minutes later Namjoo wasn't quite sure she’d made the right decision to come along. Gripping the cord of her purse she stared up at the motel sign. Out of all Gangnam it appeared to shine the brightest, as if to tell the world I AM HERE.

Pressing her lips together she turned to look at Lee Chul.

“You don’t have to come in,” he tried. “Do you want me to call you a cab?”

“No,” Namjoo shook her head. “I’ll go with you.”

It was obvious Lee Chul wanted didn’t want her to, but he said no more. Lowering her head Namjoo followed him in and made an extra effort to keep her face hidden when he spoke to the desk receptionist. A few minutes later after having their IDs verified they were led down the hallway to the room occupied by his brother. Chul thanked the receptionist after he unlocked the door and left them. Dozens of beer bottles were sprawled over the floor. On the bed ahead lay Chul’s brother in his tacky suit.

Grabbing her arm lightly Chul led her in before closing the door. Once they were secluded in their own privacy Chul apologized, “Sorry you have to see this. Why don’t you sit down?”

He appeared embarrassed more than sorry. Namjoo didn’t know how to react. In the end all she could ask was, “What happened?”

“They were supposed to get married,” Chul began grabbing a grocery store bag and started cleaning up. “My brother and his girlfriend, I mean. Then he got scammed and lost all his money. He’s been drinking a lot since.” His voice grew quiet, “I don’t think they’re getting married anymore.”

“I’m sorry.”

Chul turned around to look at her and smiled handsomely. “What are you still doing there? I told you to sit.” Walking toward her he grabbed one of the available chairs in the room and made her sit down. She watched him resume cleaning. Namjoo would have helped him, but she didn’t. A part of her wanted to leave him be, let him keep some of his dignity in front of her because Lee Chul had always been perfect in front of everyone’s eyes.

Once he finished cleaning and set the bag in the corner of the room Chul moved over to open the window. A fresh breeze of air whipped inside coolly. Suddenly Lee Chul looked so different before her. All throughout her life she thought she struggled the most. She was the average student who couldn’t pass the entrance exam and had fallen behind everyone else. Chul had excelled, interned, was now back in school with a part time job, and a promising career in front of him.

Now…now, Lee Chul appeared as normal as her. He was the common boy she passed on the street. He was the hardworking son who tended to his family’s needs. He was the man who made up for what everyone around him lacked.

Namjoo had nearly forgotten that Chul wasn’t just a man, the one who had feelings for her. He was still the same person she’d gone to school with. He was still her friend.

She was horrible. Her eyes had gotten clouded after hearing he had feelings for her. She had disregarded him as a person and seen him as a man who liked her, and that was all he’d been to her. She was so bad.

Moving over to sit at the edge of the bed he stared at the wall ahead. His side profile was sharp, distinctive. Again, Namjoo wondered why she had no feelings for him when he was this handsome. She liked good looking people, did she not?

“Are you ok?” Namjoo asked after a minute.

“Mhmm…” he nodded. “I’m just thinking.”

“About what?”

“Today,” he smiled with head slightly tilted back so that his nose was parallel to the ceiling, “and how it made me happy.”

A soft smile grew on her lips, “I had fun, too.”

“Can we do it again?” The smile slowly eased off her lips. Chul continued, “Have another date. Another one like today’s, but instead of friends, lets be a couple.”

The silence grew in like a box trapping them in the center. It was now or never. She would have to face him today.

“I like you, Namjoo,” he turned to look at her. “I like you.”

Namjoo stared into his gaze then averted her eyes. Wishing her heart would rapidly start beating. Let her lips cry out a solitary yes and jump over to hug him. Neither her soul nor body moved. Nothing about him moved her.

“There’s someone else I like,” Namjoo lifted her eyes up to his.

He didn’t break. Didn’t show her what disappointment was through his expression. Lee Chul simply smiled. He accepted it. Just like that. Namjoo wanted to start crying.

After a moment he said, “So it’s like that.”

Namjoo pressed her firm lips together and nodded. She could hear him smiling from where she was even though she could no longer look at him.

“I hope he’ll realize he feels the same.”

Unable to help herself she peered up to see him looking at her. Did he know? Did he know it was Sehun?

§§§§§

It was 2AM when she made it back home. Namjoo couldn’t bring herself to head inside. She stood in front of the door, feet glued to the doorstep. Turning around for encouragement she glanced toward Lee Chul’s car. He waved to her from the driver’s seat and made a gesture that he’d call her again. With a smile, Namjoo nodded then turned around and reached up to unlock the door. She felt timid. A lot of hesitation warped through her unsteadily. There was no reason to feel this way, but she was tense.

Quietly closing the door Namjoo stepped forward and found her way to the stairs. Out of surprise she snapped her eyes shut when the lights . Squinting, she turned to find Sehun standing at the foot of the stairway towering over her. His eyes were glazed with anger. Without a second’s waste he snatched her arm and dragged her up the stairs. Namjoo almost tripped two or three times. She was bewildered and lost. At the top he shoved her back. She nearly fell backward.

“Where were you?!” his voice raged. “Do you know what you just did?!”

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Namjoo asked rubbing her arm.

“Answer me!” Sehun raised his voice. She had never heard him so angry before. Namjoo exhaled sharply when he stepped toward her and gripped her arms. “What has gotten into you?! Do you hate yourself?! Do you?!”

Namjoo’s head snapped back when he shook her. With a scream she managed to push him back. “What the are you doing?!”

With one stride forward he grabbed her arm again, “I told you not to go.” He stared right into her eyes with fury. Then he shouted even more angrily, “Didn’t I?!” Her back slammed into the wall as he pushed her away, “If you see him one more time, I’m going to kill that bastard.”

Stunned, Namjoo listened to Sehun slam his bedroom door. She didn’t understand. What just happened?

§§§§§

The anger still bursting in his chest was as crude as ever. Sehun couldn’t even look at Namjoo the next morning. He wanted to lock her up and continue giving her a piece of his mind. If she felt obligated to date Chul she didn’t need to go as far as spending a few hours at a motel.

He really hated how she was doing this. He didn’t like her doing this. He wanted to remind her about what kind of valuable person she was. He could take her cold shoulder but he couldn’t take her giving her body away like it was nothing.

Was she not sane?!

“What is wrong?” Namjoo’s father wondered. “You look upset this morning, Sehun.”

“It’s nothing. I just didn’t sleep well,” Sehun lied. And of course, her parents. What would her parents say?! They didn’t raise her to be like this.

Vexed, Sehun angrily stuffed himself. He was angry at Namjoo. He was angry at what she’d done. He was angry she let someone touch her. Why with Lee Chul?

Chul!

His grip tightened on his spoon. Unable to withhold his curiosity he turned to see Namjoo eating in a carefree manner, slurping her soup happily. He glared when she turned to look at him.

Namjoo beat him to the stairs after breakfast. Silently fuming as he followed her up he wished there was a way to release his frustration with her. He didn’t quite understand where the root of his anger really came from, but he was upset with Namjoo. Because of her date with Chul. Because they’d gone to the motel together. Because…just because.

Quickening his pace, he pushed her aside and strode the rest of the way up. He closed the door before he might have the urge to turn back and see her reaction. Sehun hoped she was angry, annoyed, irritated. If what he did didn’t even make her feel the slightest bit of annoyance with him he would…he would…he would be even angrier.

He paced his room for a while just biting onto his thumb and staring at the wall that separated his room from Namjoo’s. How could she be so calm and reserved as if she’d done nothing wrong when she’d done everything wrong?!

It was so frustrating he couldn’t even breathe. Snatching his sweater, he pulled the door open and dashed down the stairs. Half an hour later he was at a bakery nearby Seona’s apartment. It took her 10 minutes to arrive. While waiting he had sipped on a cup of cappuccino. The plastic cup was now in the garbage.

“Sorry I took long. I was in the middle of my project,” she apologized taking the seat beside him. Air was breezy today. The planted flowers outside swayed to and fro as it passed. The smell of coffee and bread grew stronger like perfume by the second, pleasant to the nose.

“I didn’t mean to bother you,” Sehun apologized gripping his hands together. Staring at the vase of flowers on the table he said, “I thought seeing you would make me feel better.”

Seona watched him and smiled a tiny bit. “You must be having a hard time, huh?” Reaching over to hold his hand she assured, “It’ll get better soon.”

He didn’t quite believe her and he didn’t quite feel better, but he felt comforted with her presence.

§§§§§

Namjoo turned around from her desk to stare at the door when Sehun loudly hurried out of his room. She assumed he would be seeing Seona. Maybe they were having one of their dates today. She felt like scoffing at them because they saw each other every day at school. Was it already not enough?

Pressing hand against her forehead she leaned against her desk and stared at her notes. There was a quiz this Monday and she wanted to ace it. Right now she was back to her study mode. Forget about Sehun, she persuaded herself. Everything would somehow fall back into place with time. Perhaps she would start healing too. Sehun wasn’t everything.

He wasn’t.

Her phone rang about an hour later. It was Chul offering to buy her a meal in apology for the mess she’d seen yesterday. Even though Namjoo assured it was all right he insisted. She easily gave in because he was her friend after all. She paused when she left her room and inevitably glanced toward Sehun’s room. He still wasn’t back. Never minding him she turned to head out.

§§§§§

“Is your brother all right now?” Namjoo asked sipping on her root beer float. They were at the ice cream parlor. Luckily they’d arrived early enough to steal one of the best seats at the corner of the store under the air conditioner.

“He’s fine. Mom made some hangover soup for him,” Chul explained then shivered. “Maybe we shouldn’t have sat here. It’s getting kind of cold.”

Namjoo giggled then resumed sipping her cup.

“So,” Chul started, “how’s Sehun doing?”

The cheerfulness she’d just experienced quivered at the mention of him. Namjoo shrugged. “Probably with his girlfriend.”

“Girlfriend?” Chul’s eyes widened. “He has a girlfriend?! How come he didn’t say anything?”

She shrugged again. “They got together a few weeks ago. Have you seen her?”

“No,” he replied. “She pretty?” Namjoo nodded. “You’re pretty too, Namjoo.” He added a smile when she started fiddling with her straw. “It’s a compliment. I don’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

Namjoo nodded then grinned. “I know.

They took a short walk around the shopping district before Chul gave her a ride home despite her resistance. She waved to him and promised to meet him over the weekend again since classes were starting to get hectic. Another car arrived when she took a step toward the house. Halting, Namjoo recognized both Sehun and Seona through the front windshield. The grip within her chest tightened and she turned away. It wasn’t quite the thing she wanted to see.

“Hey,” Chul called out from his car. “I’ll call you sometime, ok?”

Namjoo nodded and watched him go before hurrying toward the house. She was silly. The length of time she had imagined to start talking with Sehun like normal again was around a month. Sehun wasn’t just any regular friend. No, she couldn’t forget that fact. She would never forget how much he meant to her. The time to start healing again couldn’t be measured.

Midway up the stairs she heard the front door open and close. Biting her teeth to hold back her unsettling feelings she calmly walked up the rest of the stairs as Sehun hurried after her. If he was going to throw a fit again she’d just let him do it then disappear into her room. She didn’t want to see him.

“You were with Chul? Again?” He sounded like he was about to start screaming in her face again.

Pausing at the top Namjoo felt her hands tense up into a tiny fist. “Yes, we were together.”

Moving the rest of the way up he circled her until he was in front of her. “I told you not to see that bastard. Didn’t I warn you?!”

Her brows tightened. He was so aggravating.

“Bastard?” Namjoo repeated exasperated. “Chul is suddenly a bastard? Why?”

Sehun tightened his jaw. “I don’t like him. Stay away from him.” Stunned with his behavior Namjoo just stared at him. “I still care about you, so you better listen to me. This is my last warning as a friend. Do you understand?”

Tears welled up at the corner of her eyes when he brushed past. Agony consumed her again as he closed the door. It just felt like he’d just ripped more of her heart up.

***Well...aren't they frustrating. Lets hope I can turn the tables again next chapter so this doesn't last too long

***last update till next week!