No Right

My Hometown

 

 

Water surged out of the faucet as steam emitted from the sink. Wheein stared down aimlessly, watching the soap fizz out as she scrubbed the dishes. The fact that she was wasting water didn’t cross her mind.

She pursed her lips, pondering, as she worked out the smudges with a sponge. Should she call Hyejin? Wheein assumed that Hyejin would call when it was time to hang out or drop in her house unannounced. Wheein frowned, putting more force as she rubbed at the clear part of a plate.

She didn’t want to call Hyejin. She didn’t want to draw herself to Hyejin, like she used to. It was hard enough having to hear her voice, to see her face.

Her phone buzzed and Wheein jerked her hand with a shout. The plate and sponge fell from her hands and clattered in the sink. She cringed, hoping her mother wasn’t nearby.

Wheein quickly turned the valve, diminishing the water, and wiped her hands dry on her shirt. She loomed over her phone, tapping her fingers against the counter. It’s only a text. She won’t notice how nervous you are about this.

She closed her eyes and pressed a button to light the screen, yanking her hand away as if it were fire. After a few seconds, she opened one eye to glance at who it was from. She blinked, staring. It was Myung-Hee.

A weight was lifted off Wheein’s shoulders and she gave a sigh of relief, ignoring the small, but nonetheless strange, feeling of disappointment underneath her anxiety. This was fine, Wheein wouldn’t feel stressed talking to her. She lifted her hand over the screen and—

Just so you know, I was serious back there. Wheein stopped, her index finger suspended over her phone. That’s right. This was the first time either of them have contacted each other since Myung-Hee confessed.

It wasn’t like she didn’t want to talk to Myung-Hee. Her friend did say she would give her time to answer, but it felt insensitive to discuss trending fashion or cats or trending cats in fashion right after Myung-Hee revealed her feelings. Wheein could never do what Myung-Hee did, exposing her heart so easily.

The least Wheein could do was look at her message and do her best in answering. She unlocked her phone, wearing a mournful expression. “Check out this video I found,” Wheein read aloud. “This cat’s tuxedo looks better than my future…” Wheein’s voice drifted off as the words sunk in. Droplets fell from the faucet one by one, the soft pattering the only sound in the room.

Wheein let out an exasperated groan, fiercely typing away. YOU GAVE ME A HEART ATTACK!

The response was almost immediate. Technically the cat did. I think his name is Mr. Whiskers? Anyway, I’m just a humble messenger so blame your cardiac arrest on the actual content! Following the message were an excessive amount of scowling cat emoticons.

Wheein’s nose crinkled. You know that’s not what I meant. I was anxious when you decided to confess and now all of a sudden you decide to send clips of cute animals.

She jumped up to sit on top of the counter, pressing her cheek against her knee. She waited as three dots appeared, signaling that Myung-Hee was thinking of an answer.

Well, that’s exactly why!

Wheein tilted her head, her eyebrows creasing. What?

I mean, yeah I like-like you, but you’re still my friend first. I know I made you uncomfortable with my confession, but at the very least I could show you that I don’t need an answer from you right away! So we can talk about the more important things in life like cats until you want to give a response.

Wheein’s jaw slackened. That was actually very considerate of Myung-Hee.

Unless you already have an answer…

Wheein winced. I’m sorry, the truth is I forgot to even think about your confession since I arrived in Jeonju. It’s been… complicated.

That’s perfectly fine! If you want, we can talk about what’s been happening with you and Jeonju.

Wheein frowned, her stomach churning. Did she want to talk about it? Of course not. But then again, she initially didn’t want to go back home and here she was as of right now.

She didn’t have to tell Myung-Hee the whole truth. It might even give Wheein a piece of mind, knowing she can pour out her troubles and not hold it in. Sometimes Wheein feared that if she kept pretending everything was fine, the truth would flow out of her like a waterfall.

Usually, people came to their best friends with their problems, ready to vent out, but… that was out of the question if the best friend was the problem. Wheein laughed bitterly. “As if I can call her that now,” she whispered.

Sure, why not.

______________________________________________________________________________

Wheein locked the door behind her before turning to the three that were waiting for her.

Hyejin smiled at her, but Wheein avoided her gaze, shoving her clenched fists in her pockets. Though it wasn’t raining, the air was still freezing which caused Wheein’s cheeks to appear rosy pink. She wore a beige overcoat and a gray turtleneck underneath to withstand the weather.

“Do you have any plans for today?” she asked.

“As a matter of fact, I do.” Hyejin hooked her arm around Wheein’s. Wheein didn’t move away. “But I can’t tell you, it’s a surprise.”

Wheein scoffed. “How convincing.” She whined when Hyejin pinched her right cheek.

Hyejin chuckled, relishing in Wheein’s annoyed look when she wiggled her cheek. “Just trust me, dummy.”

They walked past the farmer’s market, their arms intertwined as Hyejin held Wheein close. They ran into former classmates along the way. The cameraman recording the impromptu reunions as Hyejin and Wheein hugged their old friends. Each of them asked the same question: “How have you guys been?”

Both of them gave the same answer, Wheein saying she was having fun in art school while Hyejin said that she was aiming to get Mamamoo more recognition.

“Are Yongsun and Byulyi as touchy off camera as they are on camera?” Hyo, who was known in their class for her nosy behavior, asked. She claimed that she’s been a fan of Hyejin’s idol group since they debuted. Wheein raised an eyebrow at the unexpected question.

Hyejin snorted. “Yes, sadly. It can be annoying.”

Hyo smirked. “Really? Because in a lot of videos, you don’t seem like you mind at all.”

Hyejin gasped, shoving the friend roughly, but playfully. “Keep that up and I’ll take back my offer of getting Yongsun’s autograph for you.”

The two shared a laugh. Wheein glared at their friend, her lips set in a hard line. What did she mean by that? Wheein wanted nothing more than to ask, force the answer out of her if necessary. But then she remembered all the reasons why she couldn’t, watching Hyo wave goodbye. She stayed silent as Hyejin led her to their destination.

“Here we are!” Hyejin waved her hand, sizing up the building in front of them.

Wheein read the sign displayed on the roof. “A hanbok rental store?”

The manager behind them nodded in approval. “It would certainly give the video a feel of Lunar New Year.”

“Now that I think about it, taking pictures in hanboks has been a popular trend lately,” Wheein commented.

“I haven’t done it before, so I thought this would be a good opportunity. Hyejin tugged on Wheein’s arm. “Let’s go inside already!”

When they went inside, the clerk greeted them with a smile. She was courteous, insisting on helping Wheein choose a hanbok despite her old age. Meanwhile, Hyejin was assisted by another staff member.

The elderly woman held the hanbok against Wheein’s chest. “I think this’ll look beautiful on you.”

Wheein stared at the dress through the the antique mirror that hung on the wall. The top half of the hanbok was black and embroidered with red and white flowers. The skirt was bright red and reached the floor, its length accented by the gold ts down below. She grinned. “Yeah, I think I’ll choose this one.”

Fitting into the dress was relatively easy, but Wheein pouted when she had to take off her coat to make sure the hanbok wasn’t restricting.

“Aww,” Hyejin cooed. “You look adorable.”

Wheein’s smiled, the girl rolling her eyes. She turned around, taken back when she saw Hyejin. “I didn’t expect you to pick a male hanbok.”

Hyejin posed, one hand supporting her tall hat while the other rested on her hip. “I decided that I wanted to shake things up.

The cameraman leaned towards Wheein, cupping his hand against her ear. “She just really liked the hat,” he whispered.

Wheein sputtered, throwing her head back in laughter. The cameraman earned a jab to the gut from Hyejin.

“Oh!” The clerk clapped. “We should get you a hat to match your friend here!” She scampered off to the back room and came back with a bamboo hat that had a design similar to Wheein’s hanbok.

“Um, I don’t thi—”  The clerk didn’t let Wheein finish, planting the hat on her head and snapping the elastic string against her chin.

Wheein cringed, rubbing the sting on her chin.

Hyejin patted Wheein’s shoulder. “Isn’t this great? Now you’re almost the same height as me.”

Wheein’s mouth fell open and she smacked Hyejin’s hand away. “We are only one centimeter apart, you jerk.”

Hyejin chuckled and sauntered toward the entrance, motioning Wheein to follow her. When they stepped outside and onto the cobblestone steps, Wheein looked down to straighten her clothing. What now? She didn’t trust that simply walking around again, but in hanboks, was intriguing enough for the video.

She lifted her head to ask Hyejin, but stopped short when she saw the latter dancing, swaying to nonexistent music. “What are you doing?”

Hyejin pumped her fist in the air and bounced on the balls of her feet, clutching her unsteady hat. “Come on, Wheein! Let’s party like the nobles did!”

“I’m certain they didn’t dance like a drunk teenager at a club back then.”

Hyejin wrapped her arm around Wheein’s shoulders, shaking her. “Loosen up, will ya? You’re being a drag right now.”

Wheein’s eyebrow twitched. “You know what?” She gave a tight-lipped smile. “Fine. LET’S DO IT!”

The onlooking manager and cameraman widened their eyes at the girl’s brashness, watching in shock as Wheein flapped her dress and kicked her legs up in a frenzy. However, Hyejin wasn’t put off by this. In fact, it encouraged Hyejin to follow Wheein and soon they were clapping along to an internal rhythm. They were lucky that this area was practically empty.

“Hyejin’s friend would fit right in with Mamamoo,” the manager remarked.

“This doesn’t fit the song’s atmosphere at all.” The cameraman cracked up when Wheein almost fell backwards, Hyejin having to grab her by the waist to prevent her from falling. Wheein’s hat slipped from her scalp, the string holding onto Wheein’s neck. She took the opportunity to make hacking sounds as if she were choking. “They look cute together though, I think the fans will be happy if they see this.”

Eventually, the dancers panted with exhaustion and enough footage was recorded. They went back inside to return the hanboks and pay the appropriate renting fee.

“What do we do now?” Wheein asked. She was aware that Hyejin hooked their arms again, but she didn’t flinch. Hyejin opened , but her thought died out when a rumbling reached her ears. She bit her lip, slowly turning to Wheein. Wheein’s face flushed, her hand instinctively reaching her stomach.

Hyejin laughed, her head leaning forward to rest on Wheein’s shoulder. “If I remember correctly, I think there was a cafe nearby.”

Wheein bowed her head and covered her face with her free hand. Hyejin led the way, ignoring Wheein’s embarrassment. She groaned when she heard the manager whisper to the cameraman. She wasn’t able to decipher the whole conversation, but she could make a guess on what they were talking about when she heard the word “adorable.”

The cafe was small, but quaint with calm yellow wallpaper. The four took a booth in the corner of the restaurant to not bother the other customers. Hyejin and Wheein sat on one side while the cameraman and manager sat across from them.

“Wheein and I used to come here a lot.” Hyejin waved her hand nonchalantly as she chatted with the cameraman. “The owner always used to get mad at us because of how loud we were.”

Wheein’s eyes glued to the table, her arms wrapped around herself. It was too familiar. Don’t think about it.  Her hand tightened its hold on her sleeve. Don’t think.

“Wheein?” Wheein blinked, turning towards Hyejin. “Do you not know what to order?”

She spotted the waiter, who was waiting patiently with a pen and notebook in hand. “Sorry, I spaced out for a second.” She grabbed the menu from the table, pointing at the first thing she saw. “Can I have the bibimbap, please?”

The waiter nodded, jotting it down.

“I’ll have the Dakjuk,” Hyejin said.

The waiter looked at the duo across from them. The manager shook her head while the cameraman requested a glass of water. He clicked the pen closed, settling it behind his ear. “I’ll be back with your food,” he said before advancing to the next waiting group.

Wheein’s eyes trailed the waiter, watching him approach two young girls that sat by the front windows. One of them made a joke, causing her friend to laugh a little too loudly. The server shushed them, but Wheein could tell the three of them were on good terms. The girls made a sour expression at him and then turned to each other with wide smiles. Wheein frowned.

Wheein’s phone buzzed, rumbling the table and bringing her back from her reverie. Peering down, she realized it was a text from Myung-Hee again. She touched the screen, about to unlock her phone.

“Who’s that?” Hyejin asked suddenly.

Wheein turned to Hyejin, whose eyes were narrowed toward the screen but immediately went back to normal when Wheein faced her. “Huh?”

Hyejin casually tapped her nail against the screen. “Who’s in the picture with you?”

Wheein looked carefully at her lockscreen. In the picture, Myung-Hee had Wheein in a headlock, both of their faces caked with paint and a few streaks that had gotten in their hair. She remembered when this picture was taken. Myung-Hee was being more annoying than usual that day; Wheein attempted to shut her up by painting a happy face on Myung-Hee’s forehead. Myung-Hee responded by drawing a puppy in Wheein’s cheek and the next thing she knew, Myung-Hee was covered in pink and purple while Wheein was painted in orange and blue. Their heated gazes towards one another were brief, ending when Wheein began to giggle and Myung-Hee followed suit. They decided to take a picture because of how silly they looked.

“She’s a friend in my college.” Wheein handed her phone to Hyejin. “Her name is Shin Myung-Hee.”

Hyejin hummed, leaning back on her seat. “She’s pretty.”

Wheein scoffed. “I guess, but you better not say that around her. She’ll let it get to her head otherwise.”

Hyejin threw a glance toward Wheein. “Are you two close?”

Wheein nodded, crossing her arms. “She’s my roommate, so it was bound to happen.” She turned to Hyejin, startled when she saw Hyejin’s eyes continue to stare at the picture, unreadable.

“Hyejin?” The girl in question looked at Wheein. “Can I have my phone back?”

“Oh, sorry about that.” Hyejin placed the phone in Wheein’s palm, staying until Wheein pulled away. “You two look cute together.”

______________________________________________________________________________

It shouldn’t have mattered. Wheein clicked with her mouse, directing her to the next video. The computer in front of her was the only source of light in her room. She turned toward her digital clock, frowning when she saw that she should’ve fallen asleep hours ago. It wasn’t a big deal. Why did she need to stay up all night, just because she was anxious over what her friend said about Hyejin and the rest of her members?

The video loaded, showing Hyejin laughing with two other girls. Wheein’s eyes widened when she saw Byulyi lean closer to Hyejin, her hand resting on Hyejin’s nape. Wheein could make out Hyejin rolling her eyes, calling out the other girl’s bluff by wrapping her arms around Byulyi’s neck and pulled her closer until—

Byulyi cried out, pushing Hyejin away. The audience, mostly girls Wheein saw, squealed and Byulyi hid her rapidly reddening face by yanking her snapback down to cover her features. Hyejin laughed, proud. Wheein scrolled down and clicked on a random video, not bothering to see the video til the end.

Byulyi hugged Hyejin from behind, the latter patting the older girl’s head for she was used to the behavior by now. Click. Yongsun complained about how much of a flirt Byulyi was, claiming she’d rather go out with Hyejin. Hyejin smirked, saying that Yongsun was better off with Byulyi, if flirting was a problem. Click. The three idols laughed, clutching their stomachs, tears threatening to spill over their eyes as they talked about an inside joke the show host couldn’t understand. Click.

“I know I act like they’re a nuisance at times,” Hyejin told the interviewer. “But at the end of the day, they’re a few of my closest friends. We’ll always be there for each other.” Click. Click. Clickclickclick—

Wheein slammed her laptop closed, panting heavily as her eyes was met with nothing but darkness. She clasped her hands over her head, attempting to take deep breaths.

This was a good thing. Wheein should’ve been glad that Hyejin had friends while they were distant, that Hyejin has friends to support her right now, that Hyejin will have friends that will continue to support her when Wheein leaves Jeonju and Hyejin.

This was fine. Hyejin was fine. She was—   

Rain fell on top of her laptop and Wheein was confused, touching her face. She was crying. And when she realized, she bit her lip as she cried harder, so her mother next door wouldn’t hear. She curled on her chair, bringing her legs closer to her body. She wiped at her eyes, but her face wouldn’t stay dry as tears continued to run down like a waterfall.

Wheein hated the fact that she was back at Jeonju, Wheein hated the fact that she had to coincidentally come at the same time Hyejin did. She let out a whine, doing her best to lower the noise by placing her trembling hands over her shuddering lips. Wheein hated that she was being selfish again.

Wheein had no right to grieve over this. Not after she let Hyejin go.

______________________________________________________________________________

Hyejin stared at her phone, Wheein’s message thread shown on the screen. She chose the option to create a new message, but her fingers froze as she struggled to form the words. She wanted to know everything. How long did Wheein know Myung-Hee, did Myung-Hee treat Wheein well, did Wheein ever think about her when she was around Myung-Hee? Above all, Hyejin just wanted reassurance. Reassurance that Hyejin wasn’t being replaced.

She twisted in her bed, scowling. She couldn’t ask such a heavy question through a text message. She would ask Wheein personally when she had the chance, so she could tell whether or not Wheein was lying. Hyejin typed on her phone, leaving it on the nightstand when she pressed send. The least she could do was show Wheein that she still cared, that she always cared. That she didn’t plan on leaving Wheein again unless she pushed her away.

Good night Wheein.
 

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[Author's Note]: Woah, I can't believe more than a thousand people have read this! I'm sincerely grateful so many of you guys decided to give my story a try, so thank you so much and I hope that you continue to enjoy it. I know this update has been the latest so far, but I assure you I'm not giving on this story until I finish it!

Also, the hanbok scene was inspired by an actual part in the Hometown music video. I was wary when writing it because most of the time I heard of it, it's been in a formal setting. However, I learned that there has been a trend where Koreans, mostly from high schoolers to university students, do wear the hanboks for fun. I assumed that was the reason Hyejin and Wheein wore hanboks in the video and danced, so I'm glad I wasn't offending their national attire.

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Comments

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mmm_always #1
Chapter 10: THIS IS SO GOOD
Wheesateas
#2
Chapter 10: I'm not gonna lie but when I first saw the number of chapters I didn't except this slow-burn to be this angsty. I thought it'd have some drama until they'd figure it out but I certainly didn't think it'd affect me this much. My insides were twisted almost throughout the entire story, especially whenever they interacted. I cried more than once and during Hyejin's focused chapter my heart actually sunk...I felt so bad for her when Wheein said all that stuff to her.
I'm rambling but my point is that I love angst and this story hurt so well, I absolutely hated and loved it.
Thank you so much for taking your time to write and share this and I hope you'll share more in the future :)
noubliepasdetaimer
#3
Chapter 10: just wanna saying that this is the best slow-burn fic that I've ever read! I kept coming back to re-read it, you did so well, I really love the ride of the rollercoaster of emotions of this story :')
thank you for this fic, Author.
aglaonema #4
Chapter 10: Damn, I love it
SilverTiles #5
Chapter 9: AAAA THIS IS SO GOOD ;_;
smolwndy
#6
Chapter 10: i read it in one go and ahskdldlfg gosh my heart

i cried a lot more than i should :') seeing my baby wheein sad really tore my heart. but, like what wheein said, it was definitely worth it. this is definitely one of the best mamamoo fics i've read.

thank you for the wonderful work, author-nim!
Squeakytoys
#7
Chapter 10: Ahhhh, this was wonderful, thank you sharing authornim, I’m crying at 1 in the morning, but it’s the good kind of crying, the one where you’re just delighted that there’s a happy end to all the suffering (people can be so daft)
Again, thank you very much for sharing
starrynight0417
#8
I read this a long time ago and I've just realize that I haven't left any comment nor an upvote. I really love this, I can't imagine if Wheein didn't become a singer.