connivance
PARADOXyou were in high spirits the next morning, feeling like everything around you is lively and vibrant and beautiful.
you keep smiling at all the students you passed by, not caring if you look creepy or stupid. you're just so happy to the point you feel like your feet are floating while you walk.
the gang, as usual, was standing outside the classroom. you searched for her figure and found her busy on her phone.
"seulgi!" it was yongsun who's coming to you and grabbing you by your arm. "about yesterday, i'm sorry for treating your girlfriend that way."
you glanced at irene and found her still busy on her phone. it seems she hasn't told them about your little date yesterday.
"seulgi..." yongsun pulled your collar to get your attention. "i said i'm sorry..."
remembering what irene told you about yongsun, you took a different approach. "i'd only forgive you if you promise me you're not gonna do it again."
yongsun's face lit up. she raised her hand. "i promise i won't! i just don't want you to be mad at me again..."
"i'm not mad," you said, smiling. seeing the y yongsun turned into a baby now is really something. "i hope you'll apologise to hyojung too."
"are you serious?" asked yongsun, surprised.
"yes, i am."
"but why? is she your girlfriend?"
"we're not together but she's a good friend of mine."
"so... is your girlfriend the one you're with yesterday?" asked yongsun, tapping a finger to her chin. "i saw you with a girl in hamster café yesterday when my car passed by the area."
irene was already looking at you with wide eyes when you met eyes with her.
it's clear to you now that she doesn't want to tell them about it. maybe it's her way of keeping you out of trouble since she mentioned before that jimin can ruin your scholarship if she wants.
"i just didn't see her face because her back was facing me," added yongsun. "plus the bushes were covering the view. is she your girlfriend?"
you blushed. "uh. no..."
"wee. seulgi, tell me the truth..."
"no. we're not together..." you were scratching your itching eyebrow due to embarrassment. "she's... a new friend of mine..."
"i'm jealous of her." yongsun pouted. "is that new friend of yours pretty like me? i won't let you date someone below my standards."
you chuckled. "yeah. she's pretty," you admitted, trying your best not to look at irene's direction.
the bell rang. the subject teacher appeared at the end of the hallway. students immediately swarmed and entered the classroom.
it became crowded in the door. students poured in and blocked the entrance. not wanting to squeeze yourself in there, you waited for the coast to clear. as you were about to enter the door, you felt someone from the back gently pinch your arm.
irene then appeared on your side, walking past you. her hair was blocking her face but you got a glimpse of her lips which seemed like they were smiling.
you almost farted from trying your best to hold off that squeal from coming out.
---
hyojung didn't come to school that day.
---
your class was about to be dismissed when simon came around to stand in the hallway outside. he had his shades on even though it's not sunny. he held a mirror in front of him, looked into it and fixed his hair. after that, he put his headsets on. he sat idly on the veranda as he swings his legs and sticks his tongue out from time to time.
you still wonder what irene saw in this .
getting too annoyed, you glanced at irene for good measures. she's talking to yerim.
the bell eventually rang. you were fixing your things when you had a weird feeling that someone is staring at you.
and you were right. irene is standing still beside her chair, looking at you. her lips lined a smile when your eyes met. she raised her hand and wiggled her fingers, discreetly saying goodbye to you.
you smiled at her and mouthed "take care."
irene mouthed back "you too" and went outside after.
"okay. please stop beating too fast," you whispered to yourself as you clutch your heart with a hand.
---
you were discussing with the professor about hyojung's absence when you absently turn to look at the window. irene and the gang are still talking to simon. they looked serious. you wonder how their talk with the principal went.
simon's eyes the area as he listens to jimin talking. when his sight trailed your direction, his eyes shifted into a glare. and without taking his eyes off you, he stretched his arms around irene's shoulders and pulled her closer to him.
you furrowed your eyebrows, wondering what's wrong with him.
does he know about your little date with his girlfriend yesterday?
irene didn't do something about the move simon pulled. she was busy talking to the others.
and now you're envying him for getting the privilege to hold irene like that anytime he wants to.
lucky bastard.
---
you chuckled when saw something in front of your apartment room door. instead of pulling out your keys to open the door, you bent down to look at the familiar box.
"why do i can't bring myself to believe that this is really from yongsun?" you mumbled, picking up the pringles box with both hands.
---
hyojung was at your door that afternoon, smiling brightly at you.
"i was not feeling well when i woke up this morning," she said. "mom asked me to take a rest."
you were glad to hear it's not because of what happened yesterday at hamster cafe. you kind of felt guilty about it. "feeling any better now?"
"mmm-mmm..."
"i'm about to go to your house in an hour," you said, quickly glancing at the wall clock. "but since you're here now, i can discuss the lessons you missed today with you."
"that's so kind of you," said hyojung, clasping her hands together. "umm. aren't you gonna invite me in first?"
you're getting a feeling something's off with hyojung's aura. even so, you let her in.
she was standing motionless in your living room when you approached her. "hey, you all right?" you slightly turned your body to glance at the couch behind you. "why don't you sit he--whoah!"
hyojung pushed you down. it was too sudden that you lost balance, ending up slumping on the couch behind you.
before you could even regain momentum, hyojung pinned your hands against the arms of the couch. you raised your head to look at her and that's when you saw a different hyojung in front of you.
"there's just something i'd like to try," she said and the next thing you felt is her lips crashing on yours.
it happened so fast. your mind didn't have the time to think thoroughly, not enough time to signal your body to avoid her. her lips aggressively met yours. it's supposed to make you feel something, anything similar to how irene made you feel before. but there was none. it was empty.
so you pulled your hands away from her grip and shoved her. "hyojung, what the hell are you doing!"
hyojung seemed surprised by your action. "kissing you."
"why?"
"you need not ask why. you're supposed to kiss me back."
your mouth fell open. "what's gotten into you?"
hyojung pulled away to stand straight. she put her hands on her waist and said, "i can't take this anymore, seulgi. if i don't make any move now she'll take you away from me."
"take me away? who?"
"irene."
your heart skipped a beat. "w-what are you saying?"
"you like her, right?"
you stood up to avoid her gaze. "you're just overthinking."
"i heard you and byulyi talk about her often. i thought it was byul who likes her but it's just recently i realised it was you."
you couldn't make a response to that. you sighed. you know there's no point in denying it now. hyojung isn't someone you can easily fool.
"of all the people in the campus why her, seulgi?"
"i don't know." you shrugged.
"but she's not right for you."
"then who's right for me, you?" you turned to her. "is that the reason you're telling everyone in school that we're dating?"
"it's because we really are dating!"
you massaged your temples. "hyojung... i... i apologise if by any chance i had given you the wrong impression about our status, but this..." you paused, slowly shaking your head. "no, we're not dating."
you can see how she was hurt by it. "b-but you like me, right?"
"you're pretty, yes. but what i'm feeling for irene is more special."
"how so?"
you looked down. "i... think... i think i'm already in love with her..."
hyojung snorted. "in love? it's just a simple crush that will go away soon. you can't fall for someone like her, seul."
"you wouldn't believe me if i told you i wish i didn't."
"for how long now?"
"years... two years. if this is just a simple crush i don't think it would last that long."
hyojung looks away, crossing her arms on her chest. "so, that's the reason you're not dating anyone..."
it was not a question but you nodded to agree. "i know everyone around us wants us to be together but that's just not the way i feel about you."
"didn't it occur to you once that you have to listen to what everyone around you is saying?" asked hyojung. "can't you see it, seul? i'm the perfect one for you."
"but i just see you as a friend, hyojung, a friend..." you reasoned.
hyojung shook her head again. "she will never like you back. you know that, right? you're just gonna put yourself in misery with this one."
you felt a little hurt with that. "i guess that doesn't matter to me yet."
"so, what now? is this how our friendship will end?"
you looked at hyojung. "we can still be friends. i still care for you that way."
"you know that's impossible, seulgi. you'd have to drop one of us because i won't be able to bear seeing you being good friends with them."
"hyojung..."
hyojung turned away, walking around your room. "let's just be honest here. after my confession, everything will not be the same between us. don't tell me you're planning on being friends with irene without telling her your true feelings?"
"staying friends with her is enough for me than nothing," you said.
"you'll just end up getting hurt," said hyojung. "she'll never return your love. you'll just endure the pain seeing her with somebody else. i guess you should find that out yourself first. i'm gonna let you enjoy your time with her for now. i'm sure you're gonna come back to me when you realise i'm right."
you said nothing, but you knew she is right. you felt scared.
"i'll see you at school tomorrow," said hyojung, walking out of your room.
---
he's not in the mood since this morning because of the news that given to him. after telling it to his friends he felt more pissed that his girlfriend didn't seem to care much about it.
tok... tok... tok...
he took the cigarette away from his mouth and blew smoke into the dorm room. "come in."
a guy with a slightly buffed figure came in. with the entire place fogged with smoke, the newcomer searched the dark room to locate his friend until he saw a figure on the couch. "someone wants to see you."
the figure inhaled his cigarette one more time and exhaled with smokes coming out from his nose. "tell him i'm not in the mood to talk to anyone, jinhwan."
"it's not a he, it's a she."
"who?"
"see it for yourself," jinhwan answered. "it's not every day you get unlikely visitors."
without having second thoughts, the figure jumped from the couch and headed outside. a smirk grew on his face when he saw the woman sitting in his living room.
"wow. i am surprised. anything i could help you with?"
the woman stood up and handed the guy her phone. "i don't have business with you. i just want to straighten things out."
the guy, who doesn't have a single clue what the girl meant, hesitantly took the phone. his eyebrows furrowed at the sight of the picture shown to him. it was his girlfriend with someone.
"there's more," the girl encouraged.
the guy swiped his finger on the screen and ran the burst shots of his girlfriend leaning forward to cheek kiss another person--the person he hated most.
"what the ..."
worrying her phone would be thrown out by the temperamental guy, the girl snatched it away from him. "i know we're in the same boat here. to avoid problems could you make sure your property stays with you?"
"when did that happen?" he hissed, still can't erase the image from his mind.
"just yesterday," the girl answered, putting back her phone inside her bag. "don't worry. they are just friends as of the moment. but it might lead to something more special soon if we are careless."
the guy greeted his teeth and clenched his hand.
"i'll do my part in keeping my property to me. just make sure your girl won't trespass again."
the guy didn't say any word as he watched the girl walk towards the exit of his room. he's never friends with her but they weren't enemies either. they just have a common interest at the moment and it wouldn't hurt them to keep their 'properties' from seeing each other again.
"oh, and by the way," the girl said, twisting her body to his direction. "we never had this talk, okay?"
he brought the cigarette back to his mouth and inhaled it. he nodded as he blew out the smoke.
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