TIP #19: “Quand on n’a que l'amour, pour tracer un chemin et forcer le destin a chaque carrefour”

(If we only have love, we can forge a path and create our own destiny at each crossing)

They say that when someone is in love, it’s time to put down your walls little by little.

Jongin acknowledges that, he had been too caught up in the past for so long that he can’t even see someone standing right before him. It obviously isn’t easy at first to accept the pain drilled in him, but shutting it off further will never allow him to find solace.

But how his cloudy vision cleared up, is something he can’t explain logically.

He’s practicing laughing without hesitation and loving without boundaries with In Hya, a pocketful of sunshine.

“I’ve been staring at you for a good 10 minutes but you haven’t even noticed.”

In Hya blinks before looking over her side to see Jongin propping his head on the table, smirking dashingly at her.

“You were?” In Hya mutters nonchalantly, now sensing the crimson hue rising up her cheeks.

“You’ve been looking listless. Something bothering you?” He tugs his lips and can’t help wondering if yesterday’s event has deeply disturbed.

Have you ever feel the impact of being caught red-handed? In Hya panics, thinking that the distraught in her face is showing.

Of course, she isn’t thinking about that. There’s no luxury in her fiber to spend on menial stuffs at the moment.

She’s too busy thinking about Wonwoo and matching them with with all the weird encounters that Baekhyun had highlighted with precise. If it’s really Wonwoo.. just thinking about it sends chills down her spine. She can still feel his hands wrapping around her neck, and how ferocious he looked before. And now he’s back. Out to fulfill the vow he had gravely screamed at her in a thick holler.

“I’ll remember you! I’m going to kill you! MARK MY WORDS!”

Surely not.. It’s been so long.

“Knock knock.” Jongin casually greets, jabbing her head lightly. Even the mere touch on his tips sends a bizarre sensation in him. He’s fallen too deep.

“Told you Maths was draining.. not only to Yunae.” In Hya tries to joke around, hoping that Jongin will buy it in which he pleasantly accepts it with a pinch of salt.

“Sorry I stayed longer today. I wanted to finish marking other student’s assignment before I head home.” She sighs in content, “There’s a rubrics I have to start working on tonight.”

“Believe me, it’s no trouble at all.” Jongin passes it off and can’t emphasize enough on that truth.

In Hya continues marking the sheets piling in front of her and scoops in a spoonful of warm chicken porridge that Jongin has earnestly whip up for her.

“Did something happen between you and.. Baek?” He quietly pops the question out of the blue.

“Huh?” Her face become briefly stricken at the analysis Jongin just concluded, yet again with the look of graze in his eyes. His expression melts in a faint way like it’s half-afraid, half-expectant, half-melancholic? She can’t tell for sure..

In Hya whimpers a contort sigh. Telling other people she was a crucial eyewitness to a crime that changed her life forever is not the most ideal thing to say, especially to someone she deeply cares about.

“There’s nothing between us..” She says wearily and her sentence structure gets misinterpreted by Jongin but but he soon covers with a stretch of smile.

He looks achingly beautiful and it makes In Hya want to forget her woes for a while. Returning the gesture, she scoops up the last bit of congee and packs her stationeries.

“I should be leaving.” In Hya speaks out while slinging her bag over her shoulder.

“Wait. I’ll send you home.” Jongin gets up to get his coat and keys but she halts his movements.

“A-Ah. I’m gonna pass by the supermarket on the way, so you don’t have to.”

“Oh, it’s okay, I’ll accompany you.”

“Jongin..” She stutters for a second and he waits for her to continue, “Erm, it’s really fine. I will go back home on my own tonight.”

She really just wants to be alone. A myriad of clustered, clustered thoughts she wants, no, has to dispel away.

He peers at her odd behaviour with unshed concern, “Are you sure? Like, really really sure?”

In Hya musters up a nod and her voice is crystal clear, “I am.”

* *

The last thing Baekhyun needs today is something that will send him into another recession from his already exhausted state.

He dims the blinking screen, unlocking the phone.

It is not an SMS this time, rather, an MMS.

It is horribly unsettling.

It does not fit one of his usual patterns and it leaves an ominous premonition within Baekhyun.

08:47PM
[Image]
‘What’s troubling you?’

Baekhyun maximizes it and feels his heart stop.

It is a candid photo of In Hya.

* *

A picture tells a thousand words, how ing true.

Baekhyun finds himself racing over Jongin’s apartment, dashing past the speed limit as he hits redial on In Hya’s phone number but it never comes through.

“Dammit!” He exclaims and bangs onto his steering wheel.

Not being to contact In Hya makes the situation 10 times worse as if something really, really terrifying is about to happen.

Dread fills his stomach with every second he screeches into the sidewalk.

Nothing, NOTHING, must happen to you.

He sprints out of his car and desperately pounds on the front door.

“Jongin! Jongin it’s me!”

His knuckles are bruising from the intensity of his knocks but Baekhyun is too caught up to notice.

“Jongin, open the damn door! Now!”

Baekhyun hears footsteps rushing in and the door sways open.

“Uh, Baek? What are you doing at my place?” He groggily asks, obviously speechless by his uninvited appearance.

“Where’s In Hya? Is she with you?” He attempts to break in but is halted by Jongin.

“It’s not really convenient, my mother and niece are sleeping.”

“Where is she?!” Baekhyun shouts with ferocity in his voice once Jongin steps outside his apartment.

“Well she was here before to tutor Yunae.. But she’s gone home.”

“You didn’t send her home?” Baekhyun asks with contempt, disbelieving his actions. Almost like an accusation.

“She said there wasn’t a need to and wanted to pass by the supermarket..” Jongin says, suddenly having the impression of being cornered for no reason.

“How long has it been since then?”

“20 minutes.”

Not even remembering he came by car, Baekhyun gets ready to run but Jongin stands in his path.

“Why? What happened?” Jongin asks steadily despite now feeling distrait and agitated.

“She’s not ing picking up her phone.”

Jongin his head, “Maybe she’s just busy.”

“There’s no time to explain!” Baekhyun bellows vehemently.

Something in Baekhyun’s dismay causes Jongin to share the same feeling.

This animosity feeling.

He tries to organize his composure. 

Jongin closes the front door and makes sure to lock it before turning to Baekhyun.

“Let’s split up.”

* *

In Hya the ice-cream cone in her hand as the vanilla cream drips onto her fingers. It has been nice admiring the peaceful scene of the Seoul night landscape and it allows her troubled mind to flow freely.

When the freezing cream comes into contact with her buttery lips, it prickles her insides and she wishes that it can be like this everyday.

She finishes off her dessert with one last crunch and wipes her sticky fingertips with a tissue. Taking out her phone from her hoodie pocket, she turns it on and her eyes widen to see 31 missed calls from Baekhyun.

She sees her bus approaching and rises from her seat while calling him.

“Hel—“

“WHY DIDN’T YOU PICK UP MY CALLS?!” Baekhyun booms out from the other end and In Hya has to pull away from her phone because she is surprised.

“Erm, I was eating ice-cream..” She dumbly states.

“ICE-CREAM!?” Baekhyun exclaims in a pique, “Okay, forget about that! Where are you now?!”

“I’m going up the bus near Jongin’s apartment.” She taps her card and looks out of her window and blinks a couple of times, “Hey hey! I see you! Here, in bus 71c! Look to the front!” She waves happily to the panting man standing at the opposite bus stop until she finally catches his attention, oblivious to his disorient, “Why’re you there though?”

In Hya sees Baekhyun take a large deep breath when suddenly his face falls astray. Ignoring his mood swing, she takes a seat at the third last row.

She watches him charging toward her side of the road and wonders why the hell he is recklessly trying to follow her. She finds herself jumpy at the edge of her seat when she sees cars honking with flashy headlights, swiveling urgently to avoid running over him.

“What are you doing?! It’s dangerous!” She exclaims in horror.

Unfortunately, the bus engine starts moving and she hears Baekhyun cursing in futile at the other end of the line.

Why is Baekhyun sounding so flabbergasted?

Is something h