‘Can we meet at Social Science Department’s second building on Monday, around 3PM?’

‘Sure.’

She already promised to meet me today, maybe it’s the cause why the time ticked slowly. I was surprised that she’d agree easily like that, without asking me any question.

I can feel a stare from Yabuki Nako, my good friend who is currently sitting beside me. She seems worried when I told her last week that I’ll confess to Chaewon. She’s somehow easy to read, it’s all written on her face. She didn’t say anything, though, and I know she won’t say anything. Still, it’s cute that she worries about me that much.

The class finally ended and the professor makes his way out from the class. Everyone eventually leave the classroom, including me. I need to go to the entrance to meet Chaewon and bring her to the rooftop, but Yabuki calls me.

“Are you sure?” She asks. I was wrong. I thought she wouldn’t say anything. I nod to her as a response. I know, it’s hard for her. Chaewon’s girlfriend is also her friend to begin with. She won’t root for me, maybe even hoping that Chaewon will turn me down. But... I can feel that she cares for me. She worries that I will do something stupid, which I won’t.

Well, I’m already doing it. Confessing to Chaewon is stupid, but I should do it no matter what will happen.

I leave Yabuki, who is standing still. I should meet Chaewon at the entrance of the building. I try my best to not turn my head to see whether the small figure I just leave is still there.

I can see Chaewon’s slender figure already as I go outside the entrance. I quickly noticed that many people around the building is staring at her, knowing that she must be not someone from this department. She’s looking at her phone, a faint smile plastered on her face. I bet she’s currently admiring the photo of her gorgeous girlfriend. I should be honest, if I’m her, I will think that I’m the most luckiest person in this world for dating someone like her girlfriend.

I’m approaching her silently, trying my best to not noticed by her. When we’re already close, I greet her, “Chaewon-san!”

She startles for a bit, surprised that I’d greet her that way. She puts her phone quickly inside her coat pocket.

“You’re surprising me...” She says.

“You’re just too focused with your phone you don’t realize that I’m here,” I say, pointing at her coat pocket, “What were you seeing?”

“Nothing. Just Wonyoung being cute all over again,” She answers. If she said another name, I know that she lied. But Wonyoung... now I can’t guess whether she lied or not since she loves Jang Wonyoung, her younger cousin so much.

Chaewon said that it’s been a long time since the last time we have a proper conversation, which stings my heart for a little bit. Even though she said that she’s glad to meet me, she didn’t say that she missed me. We’re walking through the corridor, then climbs up the stairs to the rooftop.

No words exchanged when we finally reach the rooftop. Chaewon looks around, the smile she had before is nowhere to be found. She must know the reason why I brought her here.

Right now, right here, I should end all of this for once and forever.

“Why did you agree to come here?” I ask. She stops looking around and her eyes finally meets mine.

“Because you asked,” She’s not changed at all. Despite her cold demeanor, she never said no when I said I wanted to meet her.

“Did you tell your girlfriend that you’re meeting me here?” I mention her lovely girlfriend. Chaewon widens her eyes for a bit, seems to be surprised that I know about her dating someone.

“I didn’t,” She says calmly.

“Why?”

“Because I don’t want her to become worried,” She averts her gaze away from me, looking somewhere else. She knew the reason why I asked her to come here from the beginning.

“Okay, so I can just say it, right?” I take a deep breath before continuing my sentence.

“Kim Chaewon, I love you,”

The girl in front of me didn’t even surprised when I said those words. She’s just looking at me with those beautiful eyes.

“Sorry,” she responds shortly.

Honestly, I already know the answer. But no, I never hope that she will accept my feeling and it’s never be my reason to do this. The only reason why I decided to confess my feeling to her is to confirm.

“If I told you those three words two years ago, would the answer be different?” I ask, while clenching both of my hands.

She shakes her head slowly, but no hesitation is shown when she does it.

And with that gesture, I understand that my feeling is never reciprocated, even in the past.

“Even now, I’m still feeling thankful that I got a chance to befriend you, Hiichan... I treasure you, like everyone that is important for me. Hyewon-unnie was right, I’m happy to be with you,” She says. Gosh, why I feel that those words stabbed me so hard.

“You don’t have to tell me that...” I try my best to hold my tears back. No, no, I can’t cry in a situation like this. Ah, it’s too late, I can feel tears rolled down on my cheeks.

In the past, I once broke one of Chaewon’s favorite thing. Feeling guilty, I cried like a little child. That time, instead of being angry, Chaewon patted my head, telling me that it was alright. Her hand was the only thing I needed to make me calm and stop crying at that moment.

Through my blurry vision, I can see Chaewon’s hand slightly lifted up, but stops midway. Instead of reaching to me like in the past, she pulls her hand and put it inside her coat’s pocket.

She’s waiting for me until I stop crying. Wiping off my tears, I collect all of my remaining energy to speak,

“What are you doing? You should go, right? Your girlfriend must be waiting for you...”

“Hiichan...” She steps forward.

“You don’t want to make your girlfriend worries, right?” I feel like I’m hurting myself every time I mention Kim Minjoo, the one who own Chaewon’s heart.

“I’m sor--”

“No! Please don’t apologize, it’s never be your fault! I already know it from the beginning, that you won’t reciprocate my feeling... At least, it’s already clear for me... that our feelings for each other were not the same...” Ah, today’s objection is finally fulfilled.

“Please leave me alone,” I say it firmly, almost like a command. I really need Chaewon to leave now. Without anymore words escaped from her lips, Chaewon leaves me alone on the windy rooftop.

Dang it, being heartbroken is really something. It’s not like I wasn’t prepared, but it still hurts. I inhale the cold wind, hoping that it will help to make me feel better.

“Yabuki-san, if you want to me console me, you can do it now,” I call out my good friend. A petite girl comes out from behind the wall.

“You know that I was watching you two?” She asks. Her face is red, maybe embarrassed because I just exposed her.

“I don’t give you the time of my confession for nothing,” I let out a smirk, already feeling better since my another presumption is right today.

Yabuki is puckering . She doesn’t do anything yet, but her presence is already consoling me. Perhaps, it’s a benefit for having a caring good friend.

“You already know that she’d reject you, why did you confess anyway?” She asks, intrigued by my motive.

“I just wanted a confirmation, whether our feelings were mutual or not. Turned out I was wrong,” I shrug my shoulders. It’s still painful when I say that Chaewon never see me that way.

“So, your feeling is never mutual?” She asks.

“There’s no need to make it any clearer,” I complain.

“At first, I wondered why the hell you and Minjoo like someone like her. But after witnessing her rejection, maybe I finally understand the reason,” Seriously, is there any reason to mention about me being rejected?

“Do you even have any intention to console me?”

“I don’t remember having it,” The small girl in front of is now the one who let out a smirk. This girl is really annoying, huh?

“So do you think that Chaewon is a good person now?”

“Maybe? Anyway, I’m amazed that you can talk to me that easily after being rejected.”

“My brokenhearted phase is already passed.”

“Then why did you cry?”

“Because it was hurt to hear the rejection directly.”

“Soooo, you won’t do anything weird?”

“Of course no.”

I can see that she feels relieved upon hearing my answer. Sure, confessing to Chaewon was stupid, but I never thought that it’s something weird. I look at Yabuki, don’t tell me the reason why she kept looking for me for the past week is...

“Are you worried that I’d do something... weird?” I squint my eyes.

“N-no!” She refutes. Hearing her stuttering voice, I grin.

“But then... what was your reason for following me past week?” I tease the small girl. Oh, her cute lips is puckering again.

“It’s not like that! I noticed that you seemed down after hearing Chaewon and Minjoo are dating. That’s why--”

“That means, you’re worried about me,” I cut Yabuki’s words, a victorious smile now plastered on my face.

“Whatever...” She pouts, feeling defeated.

I take a deep breath, inhaling the not-so-healthy air Seoul offers to it’s citizens. After having such a conversation like that with Yabuki, I don’t know why I’m already feeling better.

“I’m craving for cheese right now, let’s go eat somewhere,” Cheese is always be my good friend beside Yabuki.

“I just want to bring you to my favorite beef soup shop!” Yabuki protests.

“Aww, we can eat both!” I pull Yabuki’s wrist, leaving the rooftop.

Chaewon told me that she’s grateful to had a chance to befriend me, and without any doubt, I feel the same. Perhaps, I should try to be grateful for having such a good friend like Yabuki too.

Truthfully, I don’t know when this pain will be healed. Being rejected is indeed painful, but as the time goes by, I’m sure the wound from the past will be healed in the future. To be honest, the pain is less painful than I thought. Maybe, it’s because I already prepared for it...

...Or because the fact that I have an amazing person like Yabuki to stay by my side.

-

A/N: This concludes the third story. I know it was short, but please forgive me for being unable to portray Nako and Hitomi’s relationship better than this. T^T

The reason why there’s no romantic development (yet) when this story ended is because I wanted to portray a relationship that will bloom in the future, and it’s hard to make Hitomi falls in love to Nako in 4 chapters... I truly apologize for my limitation. m(_ _)m

As for the fourth story... I don’t know when I’ll upload it, but I think it won’t hurt to post the cover here since the six stories will have a similar layout. xD
So, here it is:

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Please expect more fluff and bubble from one of the grandest ship of IZ*ONE! xD

See you later!