9.10 p.m.

Chaeyeon hugged the brown teddy bear close to her chest in bed and found herself smiling as the memory of the kiss at the downstairs lobby kept replaying through her mind throughout the evening.

Over the course of when they first met and to the present moment, much to her surprise, he had another side of him she found appealing. Though he’s shy at times but when push comes to shoves, he didn’t back down as evident of the many teasing she gave him. People would think a guy like him would be abashed by that kind of game however it’s the opposite. He retaliated her teasing back by giving back with what he got that usually rendered her speechless.

Talking about teasing and kisses, another memory fleeted across her mind. She stuffed her face to the teddy bear as she felt a blush rushed to her cheeks. If someone had asked her on why she initiated the kiss in the first place, she wouldn’t even tell them. Chaeyeon really didn’t know what came in to her but she suddenly had the urge to kiss him. The question about checking the cuts on his face was innocent as its own because she was really curious how the cuts were. Maybe it was their close proximity or that her gaze went to his lips, she suddenly had the urge to close the distance between them.

It was really impulsive on her part but that didn’t stop her from kissing him. She really caught him off guard as evident by his first response. In the back of her mind, Chaeyeon wondered if the kiss itself had made an effect on him as he to her and so she had trailed up her hand at towards his chest where his heart.

Well well wouldn’t you know? It was the response she had known and expected all along.

However one thing she didn’t expect back was that the kiss elicited a response back from him when he tilted his head and deepened the kiss which shocked her that she shoved him.

She could still remember the unabashed feeling she felt washed through her at that time and yet if someone asked her if she regretted kissing him, her answer would most definitely a no. At first yes she would admitted she did regretted it because he didn’t say anything or comment on it but then if she didn’t kiss him first, they wouldn’t even have that second kiss.

Chaeyeon was grinning and so deep in thought that she didn’t even realise there were two known people leaning on her doorframe watching her weirdly all these time. They had been noticing since afternoon and during their dinner, their friend was in some sort of daze staring at nothingness and it took them several times of calling her name before she responded to them.

Judging from their friend’s expression now, Chaeyeon definitely had a really eventful day today.

“Are you okay Chaeyeon?” Nayoung asked breaking the silence.

The said person didn’t even flinched or surprised by the two presences in her room and just directed them the smile that’s still etched on her lips. The two girls looked at each other before sitting at their friend’s bed.

“What’s with you Chaeyeon?” Chungha asked curious and a little bit worried.

Chaeyeon didn’t have the chance to reply to that question when Nayoung answered for her instead.

“Let me guess first. It’s Jaehyun right?”

Chaeyeon let her expression to speak for itself but nodded anyway.

“Aaaaah.” After that there were only silent because they had expected their friend to explain further but didn’t.

“Well what happen?” The long silence made Nayoung impatient.

Chaeyeon pursed her lips debating with herself whether to tell them or not. Not that she’s haven’t told and revealed secrets about herself. She trusted them wholly. It’s just that…….she would still like to have a moment with herself with the memory of the kisses as it’s still fresh in her mind.

“You know Chaeyeon, it’s been a while since I saw you like this. Happy and smiling in bliss. Not since you broke up with Junhong.” Chungha pointed out.

“I am happy unnie.” She said hugging the bear tightly to herself as if she could imagine hugging Jaehyun instead.

“You have the look of someone in love.” Nayoung teased not realising her words had an impact on Chaeyeon who suddenly become stilled. Her smile wiped from her face.

Chungha and Nayoung widened their eyes as they noticed the change in their friend.

“Really Chaeyeon-ah?” Chungha asked.

Chaeyeon blinked not knowing what to say as she questioned herself. Was she in love in him? How could she be? She had only known Jaehyun for only a couple of weeks. That didn’t mean she’s in love with him right? She would admit that she liked him though. Liking and loving are two different things. Maybe this was a case of infatuation on her part. It’ll slowly go away soon. Maybe that’s it but why does she feel like she’s not convinced enough?

“I-I don’t know unnie.” She answered instead. She was really confused and little bit flabbergasted.

Seeing the expression on her face, Nayoung and Chungha looked at each other worriedly.

“Did something happen today Chaeyeon-ah?” Nayoung asked again.

The seriousness tone and their worried expression of their face prompted Chaeyeon to pretty much confessed. “Well……we-we-kissed today.” She stuttered as she averted her eyes and a blush forming on her cheeks.

Both girls whistled and hoot. “Well well well. Looks like someone really had an eventful day today after all.” Chungha smirked.

Chaeyeon though still embarrassed, proceeded to tell them on what happened that day from the coffee shop at his neighbourhood to the event at the mall. When the event that led to the kiss, she stopped and found herself hesitating for a moment. She knew if she told them, they wouldn’t believe it because they knew she’s not that impulsive. In the end, she ended up telling both girls anyway.

“Wow. Never knew both of you had it in you to do that.” Chungha said.

Chaeyeon just shrugged nonchalantly. “I’m surprised myself unnie.” She realised Nayoung was silently watching her from the side. “What is it unnie?”

Nayoung just smiled. “Nothing. I’m just happy that you’re smiling right now. After the break up and the ordeal with Junhong stalking you well you’ve been stressed and worried for a while.”

Speaking of it, Chaeyeon remembered something “Well I forgot to mention to you girls something.” She told them of that incident at the library three days ago. During the entire time, her friends shared a concern look with each other and at her.

“He was completely a different person especially when he stared at Jaehyun for a long time before he left us.” She told them worriedly.

“I sense trouble here Chaeyeon. I’m just afraid if he’s going to do something to Jaehyun.” Nayoung voiced out after a long while of thinking.

Chaeyeon never thought of it that but now that her friend pointed it out, she distinctively recalled his behaviour that day after they had left the coffeeshop. “Maybe that’s probably why he was behaving strangely today.” She murmured.

“What happen?” Chungha asked.

“Well when we left the coffeeshop, his eyes were darting just about anywhere and he had this….tense look on his face as if he was searching for someone. He has been doing that for the past two days as well. When I asked him about it he just said nothing. I didn’t think too much of it after that. You don’t think….something had happen to him?”

Her two friends didn’t say anything as they were clearly in the same thought. All of a sudden, her phone vibrated signalling an incoming message and saw it was from Jaehyun.

She bit her lip as a moment of hesitation came over her. After what she had discussed with Nayoung and Chungha, she suddenly had the urge to ask him if something or more precisely someone who had hurt him but then even she did ask, he probably won’t give her the truthful answer anyway.

She swiped and it read:

“Chaeyeon, I’m sorry but for the next few days I don’t think I’ll be able to see you because well something unexpected come up but don’t worry though I’m still going to fulfil the three days left with you. I’m really sorry about this.”

Something unexpected? She furrowed her brows and read the text again. Something was not right. She felt it in her gut. If he’s saying he’s busy, he should have just said so and she would have understood.

“What’s wrong?” Nayoung asked.

She just handed her phone without replying to her two unnies who huddled together. After a few minutes, Chaeyeon asked “Do you think something happened to him? What do you think he meant by something unexpected?”

“Well” Chungha started “it could be maybe his family or a relative of his passed away or was in an accident. Maybe it’s nothing to worry too much Chaeyeon.”

She knew she was in over her head thinking something had happened to Jaehyun. It eased her worry a bit hearing Chungha’s answer but still she felt that niggling worry and dreaded feeling as if a bad premonition is going to happen. Soon.

“Like Chungha said, it’s probably nothing Chaeyeon-ah.” Nayoung comforted.

Chaeyeon bit her lip as if not really convinced enough. Seeing that, Nayoung sighed “If you’re not sure, you could always visit him.”

She jerked her head up as if taken aback by that suggestion and stared at her unnie with wide eyes. The thought of it, made her feel a bit uneasy and was it anticipation she felt at the thought of being in his private space.

“Do you know his address?” Chungha questioned further.

She shook her head.

Surprised, Nayoung said “Really? You don’t know his address?”

She shook her head again. “Can you ask one of your friends who was in the student council?”

“Wait a moment. Let me text her. She should still be at the uni at this late hour.” Nayoung proceeded to search for her friend’s contact number in her phone.

While she was doing that, Chungha asked “Are you going to visit him?”

Chaeyeon nodded. “I’m still not sure about that message. I felt something did happen to him and he’s not telling it to me straight. I don’t have class tomorrow so might as well drop in and asked him. Wonder if he had class tomorrow?” she said and asked Nayoung “Unnie, can you check his schedule for me as well?”

Her friend complied and several minutes later, Nayoung proceeded to tell his address and schedules for the next few weeks. She then forwarded both to Chaeyeon’s phone.

She discovered that his apartment were only few block away from her near a well-known restaurant she frequented and that in a week, he only had four class. Tomorrow he had no class. A perfect timing for her.

Satisfied she thanked her unnie and the three girls chatted some more but this time with a change of topic. Before going to sleep, Chaeyeon mentally prepared herself for the confrontation she’s going to have with him because she felt it in her gut, that he’s not being truthful to her and she’s going to find out why.