CHAPTER 3 – Make things lightly

Jiyeon POV

It’s been a week since Eunjung and I went to the ice cream shop and since then, I haven’t had the chance to see each other again. I am kind of hoping that she will get my number and we at least send each other messages or call each other once in a while like any other friends do but it will never seem to happen. I sighed, “You are in deep thinking again?” Soyeon said approaching me to my seat as we are waiting for our professor in our design and drafting subject to resume the class.

I smile, “No, I just remember something”

She eyed me suspiciously and trying to examine my expression, The smile still plastered on my face. “Yeah you remember something with someone”

I suddenly slack-jawed, am I too obvious?

“No unnie,” I exclaimed, laughing awkwardly as I looked away from her.

She pat my shoulder lightly while continuously teasing me with the way she looked at me, “Do you like someone now Jiyeon? That’s why you have been acting up last week?”

“NO!” I answer back immediately.

Soyeon let out a little chuckle, “Now I understand why you have been so feeling depressed last week.” She said as she crossed her arms, looking confidently at me.

I arched my eyebrow as I asked her,  “What do you mean?”

“You just felt depressed and sad where in fact you are just falling in love and it is an unfamiliar for you, so you kind of mistook and interpret in other way”

I watched her intently while she explaining it to me, but to be honest. I didn’t understand what she have been trying to convey. I let out a heavy sigh.

“Do you think, I am falling in love?” I blurted out, she stared at me wide eye as she smiled. “I don’t know,”

I leaned my shoulder trying to contemplate everything what she just said. “You know why it is so hard for you Jiyeon?”

 “Why?”

“Because you overthink everything, why don’t you just let it flow?” Soyeon asked as she keeps on eyeing my expression, Her question somehow caught me off-guard and without knowing, I speak my heart out and blurted something without much thinking “Because she didn’t tell me she likes me, and I haven’t seen her since last week”

Soyeon smirked slightly slack-jawed to what I just said, I twitched my nose as I am a little ashamed of what I blurted out, putting my head down. “So, that person is a she?”

I pulled back and have realized what I had said, Maybe Soyeon is right, since I met Eunjung 3 weeks ago, she was always at the back of my mind, I have been curious to know everything about her but something inside of me doesn’t have any courage to do so. The warmth embrace, the ramyeon and the ice cream, there’s a lot more to it.

“I honestly didn’t know you were a gay” She mocked, and I didn’t know if it is positive or a negative remark from her, I couldn’t really tell.

There are a lot of guys who have tried to court or ask me out on a date most especially when I was in High school, but for some reason, I wasn’t that interested into dating or anything to be involved romantically, when it comes to crushes or puppy love, I don’t have one as well. All I know that they do exist in Movies I have watched many times. Eunjung is the only person has the power to get under me, and the feeling is so magical and I can’t explained.

“Is it a bad thing?”

“No.” She gave me a reassuring smile and that really comforts me a lot.

Before our conversation became deeper, our professor made his way in and get our attention to resume the class.

QRI POV

Hyomin and I always have our way to make sure that we will have our drinking session on a Saturday night, We do dance, party and throw ourselves harder after a long week of exhausting reports, projects and home works. But, I noticed Hyomin’s a little bit off for the past few days. She seems to have been thinking a lot and been spacing out than her usual.

“Is there something that you might want to share with me Hyo” I said, eyeing her the whole time since we came in, she have been also drinking a lot than the usual.

She sip another glass of tequila, she smiled at me and shake her head tremendously. “Nothing, let’s go dance and keep our spirit alive!” She exclaimed before she made herself on the way to the dance floor.

I watched her intently as she moves and dance along with strangers, I shake my head while watching her. We have been friends for quite some time and I know if she is up with something or not. She is the type of person who really talks a lot but having a hard time explaining herself from other people most especially with her sister and Father, I shake her head again, and brushed the thoughts as I joined her on the dance floor.

EUNJUNG POV

“Eunjung, why you just can’t do your job?!” Mrs. Kwon yelled angrily while she keep pointing at the broken plates that I unintentionally break and threw on the floor, I put my head down as I continuously bowing my head to apologize, I don’t have any excuse to say anything more.

“You know what, I don’t have time to listen to your excuses, I will cut all of this to your salary and we’ll talk again!!” She continue to yell before storming off into the kitchen, leaving me and all my co-workers quiet and awkward.

It’s been a week since I have been a little extra busy and exhausted, I am still delivering milk and newspaper around town every morning and working every night at the restaurant. Not to mention the extra part time job I got last week as a janitor into a prestigious construction company in Seoul that I dream to work on when I finish college. It was little too hectic because I wasn’t able to go to school and keep missing my important classes.

I sighed on that thought while continue washing the left dishes, then suddenly I felt a little dizzy as I twitch my nose and a sudden rush of blood out of my nose, I put my finger and gently pressed my nostrils closed, “Jessica, can you take care of the dishes, I have to go outside,” She said while Jessica looked at me surprisingly, “What happened to you?”

I smiled awkwardly, “Nothing, it is just as simple nose bleed, can you do me a favor please?” I plead and she agreed immediately giving me an okay sign and assurance that she will take care of the rest, I smiled as I thank her.

Then I run passed the exit door of the kitchen, and found a bench beside as I sit there comfortably while gently pressing my nostrils to remove the blood,

 “Ham Eunjung!”

I looked at towards the direction who called me, and smile at her awkwardly as I keep the tissue paper on my pocket discreetly. “You don’t have to keep it from me Eunjung, I saw it,” She firmly said, as if she was upset into something that I wasn’t so sure of while she sit beside me sighing.

The awkward silence filled between us, as no one dare to speak first, we sat there for a while before she talk again, and this time her worried face soften a bit. “continue to blow your nose, and clean it properly”

I smiled, “It’s okay now Soyeon, no need to get worried”

“How can I not get worried if you are slowly killing yourself Eunjung?” She ask calmly as she stared at me.

I suddenly felt guilty, Soyeon and Boram are the only family I have left, we have been friends since childhood, They helped me through a lot of hard times and have always been there for me, they stick with me and accepted me for who I am. They have helped me grow, kept me grounded, lifted my spirit and brighten my life when I was at my worst, but I have to accept that I can’t always depend on them and trouble them just for my personal.

She watched me intently as her worried face says it all. And I can’t seem to find the good word to say. “You don’t want us to be your friend anymore?”

“Soyeon, No” I blurted back immediately, no matter what my reason could be, I don’t want her to be mistaken that way.

“Then why are you distancing yourself from us?” Soyeon trailed off while she was watching me the whole time, When I met her gazed, I was a little off-guard seeing her tears forming into her sparkling eyes that are about to fall into her pinky cheeks. I caressed it, “I don’t want to trouble you guys any longer”

“You weren’t. We are a family Eunjung.” She said, and her eyes telling me that she is being sincere and genuine that I couldn’t ask for more explanation telling me that I wasn’t and never been a trouble for both of them.

I sighed, trying to find a right word to explain it to her without hurting so much of her feelings, “I couldn’t thank you enough for having you in my life,” I cut my word mid-sentence as I smiled at her widely, “When the time comes that I do think that I couldn’t take it anymore, you are the first person that I will find”

That comfort her somehow as I notice that her lips forming into a smile. I pat her shoulder and put my arms into hers, “Stop being dramatic Soyeon, It doesn’t suit you at all!” I said, teasing her while trying to break the wall I have created between us, and she was right, we are family and I can’t afford to lose them anymore.

Then suddenly my phone vibrated and saw Qri on my phone’s screen. I answered, “Hello?”

The loud noise coming from her background echoed into my phone, I arched my eyebrow as I didn’t hear Qri speaking, “I will hung up the phone if you are not going to talk Qri, I am busy”

“Eonnnjeong!”   She suddenly exclaimed, I sigh, obviously, she was drunk. Again.

The noisy background echoed into my phone,

“Bad habit of yours Qri.” I utter then I heard Soyeon cursed a little, “Aish that girl!”

I awkwardly smiled at Soyeon and giving her a sign to keep quiet, She seems too disappointed but nodded anyway.

“Eonnnjeong, pick me up please?” She said while doing her best aegyo on the other line, “I think, I overly exhaust myself from school and my alcohol tolerance lessen tremendously” She endlessly trying to explain her drunk self and I can shake my head.

“Luckily, I have Soyeon here with me, because I don’t want to take care a drunk person, Alone” I retorted back at her before I hung up, I glance back at Soyeon with the scowl on her face.

 “Why?” I asked calmly.

Soyeon rolled her eyes. “That Qri isn’t your baby, Ham Eunjung!” She suddenly exclaimed, I smiled and riffled her hair a little bit as she yanked my hands away.

 “Let it slide this time Sso” I said, trying to pursued her.                                                                                                                                  

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