CHAPTER 3: Sorry

Still in the street stall, the sound of the glasses toss from the next table were the backsound when Jaehwan said something me. Didn’t really catch what Jaehwan say, I asked him, “Uhm?”

Jaehwan glanced at me and then bent his head down again. Slowly he repeated what he said before, “Sorry..”

I frowned, didn’t understand what his meaning. “Sorry? Why?”

He looked up and tried to explain. “Talking about old memory, I remember the time when that incident happened.”

Incident? I still couldn’t understand what he mean.

He looked like having difficulty to explain, but slowly he told me. “You know.. When Hani fell from the stairs back then.. and she accused you that you’re the one who push her..”

Listend to it I was taken aback, he remembered the exact thing I have just remembered. Yeah, that incident. But why should he apologize to me?

“I know it’s not you.. You will never do that kind of thing, Kyung...” Jaehwan said to me. “Sorry, that I couldn’t tell it to you back then, and decided to make a distance..”

Distance.

Yeah, that was what he did after that incident.

“Hani ya, are you okay?”

Hani directly cried in Jaehwan’s arms. In the middle of her sobbing, she said, “Hwan ah, Unnie pushed me..” She said it while pointing at me.

That made Jaehwan looked up and saw me, standing nervously at the top of the stairs. I shook my head telling him that it’s not me. But Jaehwan gave me his deep disappointment stare. I really wanted to go down and explained everything, but he was quick enough to pick Hani up in a bridal style and left to the school clinic.

He left.

He left me.

After that day, Jaehwan was always next to his girlfriend. And his witch girlfriend was acting like she lost her leg, by leaning on Jaehwan’s arms every time they met me. I was disgusted by that view. I really wanted to turn back the time and literally pushed her and made her can’t walk anymore. I knew it was an evil thought, but it was the same as what she did to me. She played victim and turned me into a felon.

Rumor spread so fast. The foolish class-retaker was hurting the princess of the school. That was what happened. Everyone was looking at me like I’m a sinner, some guys even cursed at me. Well, I didn’t find it burdening me, even before that incident no one liked me. I also didn’t think the need for clarification, there was no need to tell them that I’m not making any mistake, because they won’t believe me anyway.

But actually, it was more because, the only person that I really wanted to believe was already left.

One thing that made me sad, Jaehwan was making a distance with me. When usually he always called my name excitedly every time he met me, after that incident he bent his head down, avoiding my stare every time we met. When usually he always greeted me with a loud good morning, after that incident he walked pass me like I’m invisible.

From that time, I think I lost My Jaehwan.

My best friend, my first love, Lee Jaehwan. He was gone.

So, I tried to live my life again just like when I haven’t met him. Excluded, alone. It was hard at the beginning, because I was too depend on him, I used to have him next to me. So to live my life again without him was a difficult thing to do. But seasons change, so does me. I was succeed to build a 4-wall around me, I told to myself to not craving for attention from others and not giving a damn attention to others. I live in my own world, no one can hurt me anymore, including Jaehwan.

But as I changed, Jaehwan was also changed. After a moment passed, Jaehwan started to erase the distance between us. But it was too late. He couldn’t open the door that I’ve build so hard.

That day, he waited for me after school. I acted like I don’t see him. But when I walked pass him, he called me. “Kyuung..”

My heart was dropped. It was such a long time to hear his voice calling my name. I really missed the way he called my name. My heart told me to turn my head and welcome him with a smile, but my logic told me the otherwise, It’s only your imagination, Kyungri. Just continue to walk.

I followed my logic and started to walk away, but then Jaehwan blocked me as he said, “Wait, we need to talk..”

I looked up and saw his eyes. He was looking at me in the eyes. It was such a long time we didn’t look at each other like this, we were trying so hard to avoid each other’s gaze for these long time.

“What do you want to talk?” I asked coldly.

“I’m sorry Kyung..” He said.

Sorry? For what? for not believing me? I questioned him in my mind.

 “I’m sorry for avoiding you these times.. You know, Hani is a bit sensitive.. about us..” He was struggling to explain, and I was remain silent. “She worried that we.. mmm, more than just friends.. when the fact we’re only friends.” Listened to what he said just open my old scar. He continued, “Yeah, girl sometimes get easily jealous, right? That’s why I avoiding you, Kyung.. for a moment until Hani get calmer.. I hope you understand..”

“Understand??” I voiced it out loud. Suddenly I felt like my chest was burning. He came to me after all the times, saying sorry, just to ask me to understand her jealous girlfriend? He doesn’t even sorry for not believing me, but he was sorry because he avoiding me for the sake of his witch girlfriend? I thought that I’m going to explode in tears, but I held it with all my strength.

“Do you want me to understand, Lee Jaehwan ssi? Sorry, I can’t do it.” I said it firmly and tried to leave him, but he grabbed my wrist.

“Kyung, I know I’ve been bad to you these times.. But I just want to pull us out of the fire, I still want to be your friend, Kyung.. And Hani has just agreed for me to go back to you as a—“

Didn’t wait Jaehwan to finish what he said, I finally exploded. “I DON’T NEED A ING APPROVAL FROM YOUR ING LOVER TO HAVE YOU AS MY FRIEND, JAEHWAN!”

Jaehwan was taken aback by my outburst. Never in our friendship’s story, I cursed in front of him. But this time, I couldn’t hold it anymore. Tears were falling to my cheeks without permission, and while sobbing I slowly said, “I don’t need you to be my friend anymore, Lee Jaehwan ssi.. Don’t ever looking for me anymore.” With that, I walked away, leaving him standing frozen.

It’s not you who leave me, Jaehwan. I’m the one who leave you.

“I should’ve ask Hani to apologize to you back then.. Sorry Kyung, I’m really such a fool.. You must having hard times.. I should’ve done something, but I chose to close my eyes.. You must be really hating me..” Jaehwan’s words woke me up from my daydream.

I laughed it off. “It’s just a past.. You know, teens known to have an unstable emotion.. We were just normal teens back then..”

Jaehwan also laughed. “Yeah, maybe you’re right..” Then he asked, “So, are you forgiving me?”

“I already forgave you long looong time ago, Hwan ah, don’t worry...” I answered as I smiled.

“You’re such an angel..” He praised me easily. “But yes of course you already forgave me.. If you haven’t, we won’t back to be friends again in our 3rd year, right?”

I smiled and then nodded. Yeah, we were back to be close friends again in our 3rd year. Something I never expected happened, and it changed the story.

[A picture of Kyungri shouted in front of Jaehwan]

#Shannon Noll – Sorry it’s just too late

A/N: I don’t know if this story still have readers, but I want to say sorry for just comeback after a looong time. I have just finished my other story, so yeah this time I think I can focus on writing this one. What happened to Jaehwan and Hani that can make him go back to Kyungri? Please read the next chap, see you soon ^^