Description

In which Junhoe creates a little accident, all because of Chaeyoung.

-🌷-

2/4 of the just friends series

-🌷-

Junhoe sent me a look across the table, a manner of which my friends couldn't help but notice. Then again, those girls notice everything when it comes to Junhoe and me.

I expected Jennie unnie's freshly-manicured hands around my arm, her grip tightening as she sent me a grin.

"You have to tell us what's going on with you two or I'll force it out of your mouth if I have to!" she hissed excitedly, her head tipping towards me to prevent the others from hearing it.

At my other side, Lisa clapped like a kid. If that wasn't the worst, the bubbly kid had the audacity to tease me by singing, "Chaeng's having a boyfriend~ Chaeng's having a boyfriend..."

My hand shot up to , a glance nervously thrown around the table to see if they heard. And they did, based from Yunhyeong oppa's curious smile and Bobby oppa raising a brow. Heat crept up to my cheeks when even Junhoe glanced at our way.

"It's not true!" I replied indignantly, louder for everyone to hear.

Jennie unnie had to in by saying, "Then what is it with you and Jun—"

"Unnie!" I slapped the table hard and I quickly realized it was a bad move since everyone was now looking at us. "O – Oh! Bugs!"

Hanbin oppa jumped out of his seat in fear. "Where?!"

"Uhm... Oh, my bad. It's gone now."

"What?!" Hanbin oppa exclaimed, his voice cracking in a girlish voice, which sent the others laughing. "If there's one right now, I ing swear I'm leaving!"

Chanwoo had to fan the flame even more when he pointed at something on the floor, then slightly raised his legs up. "Hyung, what's that?!"

The laughter grew louder when Hanbin oppa went true to his word as he jogged out of the cafeteria's doors. I, on the other hand, felt my cheeks heat up when a single statement from me sent oppa out. But at the same time, I was thankful that it served as a diversion. At the corner of my eye, I saw Jisoo unnie laughing not at oppa's fear of bugs, but at me, since she knew what I did.

I frowned and leaned back on my seat. "Not funny, unnie."

-🌷-

You know who are really not funny? Lisa and Donghyuk.

The two of them, Junhoe, and I belong to the same class so after eating with our friends at the cafeteria, we would always go to our classes together since it's the logical thing to do.

But then, of course, those two had to leave us alone. I expect it from Lisa but not from Donghyuk! I know Lisa had something to do with this...

"Hey," Junhoe's husky voice woke me up from the fantasy of torturing Lisa by breaking her beloved lipsticks. He shot me an amused look. "You look like an angry grandma."

"Are you insulting me using grandmas? Well, huh... Unlike you, they're sweet and adorable," I fired back, not in the mood to play with him. It was a petty comeback, but whatever. I wasn't looking to defeat him on that anyway.

As usual, a smirk went around his lips, irritating me more. I don't know what it is with Junhoe, but he has the uncanny ability of making me annoyed with every little thing he does.

"So... unlike you too?"

A crossed look passed my face. "Excuse me. I'm sweet. And adorable."

Instead of the usual smirk, his eyebrows went up in surprise. "Where did you learn to be like that?"

"You know you're toxic, Goo Junhoe. A bad influence."

"Ouch." Junhoe put a hand over his chest, stepping in front of me so that he was walking backwards on the hallway. A feigned look of hurt crossed his features and it was taking all my willpower not to smack him in the head. "You're breaking my heart here, honey."

I looked away, just not his face, hoping that he wouldn't see me blushing at that little endearment. But Junhoe had to see it, of course, since he acts like he knows everything. He fell back in step with me and bumped my shoulder with his, although with his towering height, his upper arm was really what hit me.

"Just admit it." He wriggled his eyebrows suggestively. "You've got the hots for me."

"I do not!" I retorted, too quick for my liking. And the heat in my cheeks was a living testament to that.

"Then why are you blushing?!" Junhoe spluttered back.

Embarrassed about this stupid thing, I covered both my cheeks with my hands, resulting in my books to slide down, tucked underneath my armpit. I could feel heat radiating off my cheeks and it further made me anxious.

"It's because you're making me, idiot!" I exclaimed.

I thought it was going to be an insult since it sounded like that in my head, but then realized it meant so much more. So with a huff, I my heels and walked the other way.

"Don't follow me!"

"I won't," Junhoe's grin was evident on his teasing voice. "Baby girl."

I wanted to tear my hair out. "Urgh!"

-🌷-

I took the long way in getting to my classroom since I don't want to bump into a certain egotistic guy at the moment. Afraid that if I do, I was going to accidentally spill a secret that shouldn't be spilled at all.

The fumes that were going off in my head disappeared when I saw a definite figure walk towards me, and dread couldn't help but crawl on my nape. I kept my books close to my chest and bowed my head down, hoping that she wouldn't notice me, but she did, as always. Even if I'm on a sea of people, she always had the ability to spot me like a hawk.

She blocked me and I attempted to go the other way, but she followed my every step.

"If this isn't my favorite girl in the whole wide world..." When I attempted to turn around, she held both of my shoulders and kept me in place. "Hey, I'm talking to you! Disrespectful girl..."

I didn't say anything, because if I do, this meeting will become longer with hurtful words thrown at me. So at best, it was better if I don't say anything at all.

What I didn't expect was that it would be something that hit close to home. And she did this because she knew it would hurt me the most.

"Hey, I heard your parents are going to get divorced," Sohee pouted and carressed the top of my head. "How is miss perfect Chaeyoung doing? Heartbroken enough yet?"

I had the urge to slap her hand away. Instead, I gripped the books tightly on my arms, glaring at the biology title on top of the pile. Why does it give her so much satisfaction hurting me?

"What is it with you, princess? Too afraid to squeak a word?"

"Please stop it..."

"What?" Sohee threw her head back and mockingly laughed, her arms plopping on her sides. "It's true, right? Your parents are going to leave you. And it's because they don't love each other anymore. I think they regret having you made at all."

"Please..." I was gripping my books so hard that the hard edges against my stomach was starting to hurt me. "Stop..."

"So who's it gonna be? Mommy or daddy? Whose house are you staying, Park Chaeyoung? Or are they gonna leave you with grandma or auntie because they don't want to handle a regret like you?"

"No..."

"I'll tell you what, Park. You're gonna grow up with mommy and daddy issues and after a few years, you'll have stepbrothers and stepsisters and stepmoms and stepdads who frankly, wouldn't care less about you. Then your parents will forget you for a few years, skipping to invite you for birthdays, thanksgiving, and such. You'll suffer with a lot of issues that will haunt you for the rest of your life. Ha. You'll become so ty you'll end up doing everything for cheap money."

With a vile grin and a menacing stare, she finished it off with, "You are going to be a failure, Park Chaeyoung. And there's nothing you can do about it."

That's it. I don't have it in me to endure her hurtful words any longer. She's being too much.

For the first time ever, I did something about it, hurting her by shoving her away. It made Sohee take a few steps back, not expecting the action. It was done without much thought, like a reflex, something that my mind wanted me to do as defense for myself. That was unexpected.

There is something that lives inside you when people like Sohee get into your head as if it's their home. My surprise retaliation wasn't victorious nor satisfying. I'm scared that she'd hurt me back, physically this time. She haven't done that to me yet but at this rate, I fear that it would happen to me anytime soon.

I briefly remembered our psychology teacher talking about a fight-or-flight stress response to one's threat of survival, and I guess now, I'm choosing flight.

Keeping my head down, I pushed past her and blended in with the throng of students, scurrying their way to get to places. I heard a screech from behind but I didn't turn around to see. I knew I provoked Sohee enough.

-🌷-

The girls' bathroom became a witness to my silent tears. It's ridiculous crying because of Sohee, but her words hurt me so much, like daggers piercing my heart. It's a highly sensitive topic because 'till now, mom and dad are still sorting out things, properties, legal matters, and me.

Sohee was true about one part. Who will I pick between the two of them? Choosing was like saying who I love the most. And to think that I grew up with so much love from them, why... why do they have to do this? What went wrong? Why us?

Unfortunately, my parents didn't have answers to that either. They said they fell out of love, no third party, no secret families, nothing. How can one even do that? Fall out of love?

My eyes were starting to sting from the tears. I hate this feeling so much and I hate it more when people call me a crybaby. I'm no crybaby.

The headache was coming, so I stopped thinking bad thoughts for a moment. With a wipe of my uniform's sleeve, I fixed myself and hoped that I still looked presentable, although obviously, I'm gonna look like a wreck.

I slid open the cubicle's door, went out, and the first thing I saw was my reflection in the mirror. Forget being a wreck, I looked like someone who recently broke up with a boyfriend. This is all Sohee's fault.

As far as I can remember, I didn't do anything wrong to make her treat me like this. Had I slighted her one time and lived on with hatred the entire year we were classmates?

She attacks me when I'm alone so my friends don't know about this either. Frankly, I'd like to keep it at that. It would be much worse if they knew.

Taking a deep breath, I slid a smile showing my teeth and repeatedly told myself, I'm okay, in front of the mirror. A self-hypnotizing method I'd do whenever I have crying episodes. It works most of the time and I guess I wanted it to work now too.

Man, it wasn't worth skipping classes just for this, so I mustered up the courage to leave the bathroom. I know my friends would notice me crying. They'd be concerned, but I'll say it was just because I thought of my parents (which was partly true).

Lisa's comforting hug or Donghyuk's worrying eyes didn't happen though as commotion happened outside the classroom. My classmates scrambled out of the door, quickly forming a circle around the hallway. Donghyuk passed me by without a glance, while Lisa almost tripped me over when she came running after Donghyuk, their sight tracked on one thing only.

"Oh. My. Gosh."
"This is so unreal."
"Do something..."
"Junhoe's hurting her!"

Hearing the last bit made me anxious so I shoved people out of the way to get past through the circle. My fear intensified when I saw Junhoe and Sohee in the middle, with Junhoe gripping Sohee's forearm so hard that his fingers dug on her skin. It really hurt, I could tell, based from the expression on her face.

I became restless knowing that it was the first time I saw Junhoe hurt someone. He never hurts anyone, girls even, even if he has a sharp tongue. What pushed him to the edge to attack Sohee, of all people?

A gasp escaped without knowing when my sight trailed to Junhoe's eyes. They were blazing with so much emotion, so much hatred, that it sent goosebumps on my skin. It was a stark difference from his playful smirks and eye-rolling episodes. Why is he like this?

"J – Junhoe... Let me go. P – Please..."

"Junhoe!" I heard Donghyuk shouting over the students' murmurs, but it was futile.

And then it was as if a spell was broken. The students scrambled so quickly that it was hard to catch what was really happening.

A teacher caught them and while others tried to disperse, I stayed rooted on the spot. I watched as the teacher drag Junhoe down the hallway, at the direction of the faculty. I watched as Sohee sneered behind Junhoe's back, her eyes darkening with intent. I watched Junhoe following the teacher without even looking back, without even looking to see me.

It was too overwhelming for me that I couldn't do anything but force myself to breathe. In and out. In and out. I repeated like a mantra. But somehow, it wasn't enough for my lungs to register the words in my head.

-🌷-

Mrs. Lee's history class passed like a blur in my head. All I could think about the whole period was Junhoe, and why it was taking too long for him to come back to class.

When the first ring signaled for next period, I immediately got up from my seat and rushed outside, down to the hall of the faculty.

The door was ajar so I peeked inside. I saw Junhoe's figure rigidly standing in front of Mr. Kim's desk. They were talking in hushed whispers, actually a one-sided conversation leaning more on Mr. Kim's, since Junhoe would only give short responses. When Mr. Kim stood up and patted Junhoe on the shoulder, I knew it was finally the end of their conversation. I quickly moved to the next corner leading to our classroom and leaned myself on the wall, afraid of Mr. Kim noticing me snooping around. A while later, Junhoe finally turned at the corner where I stood. I almost collided into him if I didn't step back aside in time. Well, here goes nothing.

"Junhoe."

He turned at the sound of his name. And it was confusing, on why his mood seemed to go south when he saw me.

"Park Chaeyoung." Junhoe dictated my name with hard intonations, annoyance seeping in through every syllable. "What the hell are you thinking?!"

"J – Junhoe—"

"Why didn't you tell us about this, huh? She's bullying you, for 's sake! Are you insane? What went through your mind to think that it's okay for her to step on you like you're a darned rag? Are you masochistic that much?"

So he did hear...

"I'm sorry, okay?" I cried in defense. "I don't want you guys to be concerned. Besides, it's not worrying much."

"Not worrying much?" His pitch seemed to go higher. "Are you crazy?! Tell me one good reason why it's not a matter not worrying much, because hell, you look like you needed damn saving."

I didn't want to match Junhoe's anger with mine, but he was making it easy for me. Shouting and fighting weren't good combinations for me at all. It must be the tone of his voice that made me so agitated and responded with the first thing that came to mind.

"This is my problem. Why are you getting involved with it anyway?"

Junhoe distressingly tousled his hair. In his eyes were mirroring something I couldn't decipher, something that looked like he was shutting himself off from me. And before I could even try to read him, he curtly nodded. "Yeah, you're right. Why am I even getting involved with your problem in the first place? I shouldn't care that much. You're nothing to me anyway, as much as I'm nothing to you too."

That hurt. I must've looked stupid, opening and closing my mouth, trying to force out a reply to that, but I couldn't, not when his words was too biting.

In a Junhoe-like flair, he turned his back on me. I stood there unmoving, as I watch Junhoe's back growing farther and farther away from my sight. There is a sinking feeling in my chest, either because of his coldness or because he walked out on me, I couldn't differentiate.

As if sensing that I was staring too much, he turned around to face me, deep lines of distress found in his features. With angry strides, he arrived on the same spot in front of me, his stance tall and his shoulders rigid, almost making him look like I was face to face with an enigma. And admittedly, he really was.

"You know what, it would've been something if you didn't make people who care about you worry so much."

Before I could say another word, he held my wrist and dragged me away. I was left speechless, never making sense of what was happening. In fact, it was too much that I gave up the idea of struggling under his gentle grip on mine. But we were just fighting...

-🌷-

Junhoe took me to a vacant staircase, located at the halls of the senior classrooms. It was quiet around here with the classes still ongoing. Maybe the graveity of the situation called me not to bother skipping classes much, as it would under normal circumstances.

I sat at the third step, leaning my thighs on the lower ridges of the stairs. My school skirt skidded way up so I gently tugged it down. Junhoe, meanwhile, didn't sit, but rather, stood in front of me. To tell the truth, it was uncomfortable for me because of his tall height. His scrutinizing gaze didn't help either.

Squirming, I avoided his eyes and silently asked, "...Why did you do that?"

At my words, his stiff posture seemed to relax. "Who wouldn't? She crossed the line and she has to know. Why didn't you tell us about her?"

I found the strength to look at him since his tone was now calm. It was a lot better. "I don't want you guys to get involved. She'll hold it against me and say I'm weak. These things... they don't stop, you know?"

"We're your friends, Chaeyoung. It would've made a big difference if we knew. Besides, didn't you hear her clearly? That's not something a normal person would say. She's attacking you for a reason and the worst part is, you're letting her. Where is the feisty Chaeyoung I know that gives me weak comebacks?"

I smiled. I don't know why, but it felt automatic when he said that. "Okay, fine. Next time, I'll do something about it—" The words got stuck in my throat when he leaned closer and pinched the skin under my eyes.

"Did you cry?"

"Huh?"

"Did you cry?" Junhoe repeated, his tone getting serious.

I drew in a deep breath. Lisa and Donghyuk's reaction were the same too. I think they didn't buy the reason why I cried, so I didn't attempt to do the same for Junhoe. "Yes."

"That bit—"

Anticipating the next word that would come out of his mouth, I pinched his outstretched arm, coupled with my glare. In response, he squished my cheeks more.

"You have really chubby cheeks, Chaeyoung. What are you eating that you look like a chipmunk so much?"

Junhoe's character is really so unexpected. How could he tease me at a time like this?

"Please stop that..."

"I can't. Your cheek fat's eating my hands!"

"Seriously." I frowned. "Junhoe!"

Finally, he got the hint and removed his hands off my face, with a chuckle, of course, since he loved riling me up so much. I couldn't stop the smile itching to show itself since his laugh was contagious. Restraining it was hard anyway when I'm around this guy.

Junhoe's laughter stopped and mellowed down to this once-in-a-while smile, a smile that wasn't a smirk or a tease, but the smile that had the capability to make me weak on my knees. And it was doing exactly that right now.

"Smiling looks best on you, Chaeyoung. Wear it often."

A firework of heartbeats thumped in my heart, all because of him. It felt like a tornado of thoughts soon came to hit me in the face. The confusion, the numerous instances where I had to fight off a smile, the blushing episodes... it was starting to make sense.

Oh my gosh. I like him. Goo Junhoe. I like Junhoe.

~🌼tbc.