Chapter 6



"Maybe we should get going..." Ryujae suggested.


"No," Hayeon said firmly, and followed the waitress into the restaurant. Their table so happens to be in the view of Junhyung and his female partner. All the better.


"Um, I'd like to have the house's speciality spaghetti, and a bowl of wild mushroom soup, please," Hayeon ordered without waiting for the others. "Wow, I'm famished!" She commented, smiling at the friendly waitress.


This Nam Hayeon is definitely different from the Nam Hayeon he knew. That order was way too little to satisfy her greed for food, let alone her hunger. And she wouldn't simply smile at a waitress. Everyone's too scheming in her mind. They're definitely hiding something from him.


Jongup sighed to himself as he watched Ryujae absentmindedly ordering the same as what Hayeon did. Zelo was taking his time and discussing with Hayeon about whether he should order a set meal or just go with two separate alá carté.


"Maybe you should just have separate orders. You don't need so many set meals and drinks and soups and desserts and—"


"But it's cheaper!"


"I don't know why I even bothered advising," Hayeon sighed exaggeratingly. "You never do listen."


"I do."


"No, you don't. Ever."


"Yes, I do, you annoying woman."


"No, you brat."


"Yes, I—"


Jongup blocked them out and followed Ryujae's blank gaze to a well-postured man sitting some distance away from them. He had very brown hair, looking like he just got off the bed but Jongup was pretty sure it took him quite some time to get that hairstyle right. The young man was considerably well-dressed with a blazer and a plain black tee underneath, aiming at a semi-formal look. It took Jongup awhile to realise that this man is, by any standard, incredibly attractive.


But Ryujae was not looking at the male with ogling eyes. That expression she wore was some sort like......disappointment and betrayal.


Ex-boyfriend, maybe? Jongup thought to himself. No wonder they were so agitated at the entrance......


He wondered if Hayeon would like a man like that.


"Just order, will you? I'm hungry." Ryujae snapped her head towards the quarreling two, suddenly.


"Fine." Zelo shot her a look before turning to the waitress and offering her one of his most charming smile. As expected, she swooned, and Ryujae rolled her eyes. "Ribeye Chef Recommend and Barbecued Chicken Fillet set meals. Ice lemon tea and a— Jongup, would you like a drink?"


"Cappuccino, thanks."


"And a cappuccino, and for the side dishes, mashed potato and french fries. I think you can just exchange the ladies' soups with my sets' soups. And um the desserts......ladies?"


And both Hayeon and Ryujae eagerly slammed the menu to the never-ending dessert section and started another debate on it.


Now Jongup understands where Hayeon attained her gluttonous habits from. Zelo reminded him of a friend, Lee Sungyeol, one he made in Canada, only that his friend could only be satisfied with at least a three-person portion. For every meal.


Surprisingly, these two guys were not in the least fat. They were lean like sirloin steak, as how Sungyeol would describe it.


"I think I need the washroom," Hayeon said, after her eyes glanced in the direction of the charming male from before.


She left the table, and soon after Jongup noticed both Ryujae and Zelo exchanged worried looks. Something's not right somewhere......


Then it dawned on Jongup's slow mind. This man wasn't related to Ryujae......he's related to Hayeon!


Jongup took another look at the man, but he had left, for the washroom, perhaps. His partner was still savoring her meal.


Isn't there where Hayeon went?


Jongup leaped from his seat and made a mad dash for the washroom. He just hoped that they wouldn't cross each other's paths like how dramas depict......


But he had hit spot on.


He had reached the deserted corridor to the toilets, when the scene unfolded before his very eyes.


"Hayeon," the man, not much older than Jongup himself, called her name tenderly.


"Let go of me," she said calmly, struggling against his strong hold. He had both of her hands in his, pinning her, with his strength, against a wall.


"It's not what you think, Hayeon. It's a blind date."


"So what does that got to do with me?" Her defiant eyes flamed with character.


"I......I......" The man struggled with his words. Obviously it had nothing to do with her. Not anymore.


"Listen up, Yong Junhyung." She flung his hands away from hers as soon as he loosened his grip. "Whatever you do now, has nothing to do with me. We are over and that's that. Our lives are no longer interlocked."


Sadness overfilled Junhyung's eyes as her words sinked in.


"You know I didn't mean what I said that day. I was forced to......I still love you, Hayeon."


"Cut all this bull." Jongup could tell she was close to tearing. "I've move on. Don't come back; I've already learned to live without you."


He grabbed her again, as soon as he sensed that she was about to leave. "Don't go," he begged.


This was when all the pieces finally clicked into place in Jongup's puny brain. He walked forward with a certain air of confidence.


"That's enough." He tore them apart, holding Hayeon's hand in his. She didn't protest.


"What—who are you?" Junhyung straightened up.


"Hayeon's fiancé. So get your hands off my wife." Jongup gave the man a death glare, though he hardly needed to use one, he hoped it was scary enough to drive him away. Then, he pulled Hayeon away from that place.


"Do you want to go back home? Or do you still have an appetite?" He asked gently.


"I will forever have an appetite," she said, and gave him a weak smile. He nodded, giving her the space she needs.


He knows it hurts, because he has been there before.

__________________________________


Jongup had already been Ryujae and Zelo's personal chauffeur and sent them home. Perhaps he was overthinking, but for two people who weren't in love, isn't it a little weird to be cohabiting? It wasn't his place to say anything, so he didn't.


"Home?"


"Where else?" Hayeon didn't even argue with him. She had totally zoned out after Ryujae and Zelo left, and he knew she was just putting on an act for her best friends to see. They can tell she was pretending to be okay, so Jongup didn't understand why she had to act like nothing's wrong. Women's logic.


Hayeon stared outside the car's window. It was a breezy night, and the leaves rustled under the light of the street lamps.


When she realised that he wasn't taking her home, she was mentally exhausted to even be surprised. She simply asked, "Where are we going now, Mr. Moon? It's late."


"Somewhere you'd like to be now."


They arrive at a park blooming with cherry blossoms and it was more or less empty. The small, fragrant petals of the cherry blossoms drifted down from the trees and showered them with gentleness. Walking in silence, he couldn't help but wonder what she was thinking about.


"We've dated for 3 years," she said, out of the blue. "And he broke up with me about a year ago."


Her voice was lacking of emotions, but deep down, he knew she was just on the verge of breaking down. He had been there before. At least she had a year to get over him. Jongup just broke up with his girlfriend of 5 years, just 2 months before, and he still couldn't get over the girl who was once his.


"I don't know what to say, Nam Hayeon. But know this for sure, all of us can't get over the past, no matter how hard we try," he muttered softly, partly to himself too. "But we have to move on, because either way, we still don't have a choice."


She remained silent.


"Home?"


And he sent her home, but was greeted at the entrance by her brother, Himchan.


"Don't you want to come in?"


"No, it's late," Hayeon answered on his behalf. Jongup nodded dumbly.


"See you tomorrow, I guess." Their eyes locked for a moment, before she turned and went into the house.


He nodded shyly to himself, and vowing that he will never forget that moment when their eyes locked. Because in that moment, her eyes seemed to say, "Perhaps I may start to trust you from now on."


So we're the same, he thought as he drove home. We're just pawns, in our parents' cruel, twisted plans.

A/N: so hello yes i am back with a chapter lol okay YAY so i'm being a procrastinating and i've yet to edit anything (except the pictures hehe) and my writing for chapter 6 onwards (yes i wrote till chapter 10 ARE YOU HAPPY HEHEHEHEHE BC I AM) is different from the previous chapters. sorry to have ditched you guys but i'm pretty sure i won't be posting anytime soon because of school...though i'm sure i will be able to write continuously at the end of next year. will you wait till then? :>