The amount of documents that were placed on the table by his secretary was no joke. He heaved a loud sigh and rubbed his temples. The morning didn't turn out so well like he imagined it. He didn't mean to hurt her feelings again, but this was Yongguk's fault. Himchan blamed it entirely on Yongguk since he was the one who built up his ego in the first place. Frustrated at his own thoughts, he ran his hands over his tired face.

 

"Uh, wait...Mr. Bang, you can't go in there" Himchan heard his secretary's voice from the other side of the room, and as expected, Yongguk came barging through doors with his secretary trying to hold him back.

 

"It's ok." Himchan shooed his secretary away. She let go of Yongguk and bowed apologetically to him before leaving.

 

"So you finally made it?" Himchan said sarcastically. He got up and sat on the edge of his table and watched his friend from across the room, who looked red in the face with anger.

 

"Why did you do that?" he raised his voice at Himchan. Yongguk was already on the verge of beating that guy into a pulp. But he held it back. He didn't want to hurt Himchan, just not yet.

 

"Do what?" Himchan raised his head, not backing down from Yongguk's glare. He knew exactly what Yongguk meant, but he didn't want to admit it.

 

Yongguk stormed up to the younger guy and grabbed him by the collar, pulling him off his seating position from the table and shook him a little, hoping that he would be able to shake some sense out of Himchan.

 

"You did it on purpose, didn't you? You think it's some game to piss me off, huh?" he growled at Himchan. "We're not kids anymore Himchan! Jieun is the one who you should be thinking about now, don't you think?"

 

Himchan scoffed and glared straight into Yongguks eyes. He really hated the fact that Yongguk thought that he could teach him a lesson.

 

"What do you know about me and Jieun huh? Stop telling me what to do. Instead, why don't you go teach that boy of yours to stay away from her? That little prick is too attached to her, it's so annoying...”

 

"Don't bring Zelo into this! He takes better care of Jieun than you do!" Yongguk spat at him. Himchan paused and after realising the fact, he looked away from Yongguk. His face grew annoyed when Yongguk said that. He was wondering if it was true whether that boy could really take better care of Jieun than he did.

 

"You're afraid, aren't you?" Yongguk said, calmer this time. Himchan turned his head back to face Yongguk and frowned. "You're afraid that you'll lose her" he continued.

 

"I'm not...” Himchan mumbled, containing his anger. He didn't like where this was going, especially if it came out from Yongguks mouth. Every single thing that came out from Yongguks mouth would just make him nervous, but most importantly, because they were true.

 

"Just say sorry to her. She'll forgive you because she loves you unconditionally. It's ok to be afraid at times like these Himchan...” he said but got pushed away by Himchan.

 

"Just shut up Yongguk! And I'm not afraid of anything. I'm not afraid of losing anyone. I don't give a damn anymore!" Himchan suddenly burst which left Yongguk blinking in silence. 

 

" this. I'm out of here" Himchan said as he grabbed his coat and left the room slamming the door behind him.

 

Yongguk sighed, disappointed, since it seemed like there was no other way to fix the situation anymore. There was only one more thing left to do though and it was his final plan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The house was quiet now. After the many attempts of persuading Jieun out of her room, Zelo had finally left after receiving a note that was slipped from under the door, telling him to leave her alone for a while, and so he did. Since then, she had been sitting on the edge of the bed and grasped the box of cupcakes while staring at it with an empty feeling. The questions and doubts that scurried through her mind made it hard for her to think and every single word that Yongguk had said the other day infiltrated her mind.

 

She realised that it wasn't the first time that she had felt this way, but she blinded herself not wanting the reality to get to her. Unfortunately, it hit her so hard this time that she couldn't even pretend that nothing happened.

 

She tried to remember back the last time she had a good memory with Himchan to ease off her pain, but it was too long ago that she couldn't remember a single thing. 

 

'Why are you doing this Himchan?' she asked herself.

 

She only had memories of Himchan neglecting her, not even wanting to return her hug. Last time he abandoned her and asked her to walk back home alone. He acted so cold towards her nowadays.

 

'Is this what they mean by a one-sided love?'

 

She had just asked herself a question with an obvious answer and so she closed her eyes tight to prevent another tear fall. She jumped a little when she heard the doorbell echoed in the empty house. Finally being able to get up, she headed downstairs to greet whoever was at the door, somehow hoping that it wasn't Himchan.

 

She slowly opened the door revealing Yongguk on the other side. He was the last person she wanted to see right now but she still let him in. She walked into the living room and sunk into one of the sofas, looking away from Yongguk so that he couldn't see that she was crying.

 

"Zelo told me you weren't feeling well. I wanted to check if you were ok" he said from behind her.

 

"Everything was ok, until you ruined it" she said still not turning to him. He finally walked up in front of her to confront her.

 

"Everything was already ruined in the beginning" he said. It hurt him to say that to her but he was just telling her the truth. Jieun turned her head to him and Yongguk could see that her cheeks were already wet from tears.

 

Jieun quickly swiped her eyes with the back of her hand but that still didn't help from stopping the tears. Her eyebrows stitched together not pleased with Yongguk's answer, but she couldn't help but to admit.

 

"You were with us from the beginning. Did he really ever love me?" she asked him and looked down at her fingers that were trembling.Yongguk stayed silent and it was killing her inside when he didn't have a definite answer for her.

 

"Why aren't you answering me?" she grew irritated at the silence. Still without an answer, Yongguk got up from his seat and pulled Jieun up with him.

 

"What are you doing?" she asked, surprised by his actions.

 

"Get dressed. We're going out?" he said with further details.

 

"Going out? Where to?" she blinked in confusion when he pulled her to her room. He opened up her closet and threw some random clothes onto the bed.

 

"You're going to ask him that question yourself. Now, get dressed" he said and closed the door behind him as he left.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Loud music was pumping on the streets and Jieun stared at the flashing lights coming out from the club. She backed away slowly but bumped into something hard which turned out to be Yongguk. She looked up at him with her worried eyes, curious to why he had brought her here.

 

Jieun was about to open to ask him why they ended up at this place but he had already grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the entrance.

 

This club was where Yongguk did his part-time job, so they didn't bother to line up and just went in instead. They went down the narrow stairs which lead to a hallway which had mirrors all over the wall and even the ceiling. As they kept on walking, the music pumped even louder in her ears, making her nervous and unconciously gripping tightly onto Yongguk's hand.

 

They reached a tinted glass door and when Yongguk was about to reach for the handle, Jieun pulled him back and shook her head.

 

"I don't like this place" she said out loud so that Yongguk could hear her over the loud music.

 

'"We'll just look for Himchan and then we'll be out of here, ok?" he said.

 

"Himchan is here?" you asked but he didn't hear her. He opened the door and led her inside the club. Her eyes widened at the scene in front of her, not that she hasn't been to a club before; she just wondered why so many people would waste their time at a place like this dancing like crazy drunkards or even hooking up.

 

The colourful lights flashing nearly blinded her and she couldn't even see where Yongguk was leading her to. She was brought to the bar and he sat her down on the stool.

 

"Patch her up a drink" Yongguk said to the bartender and let go of her hand. She immediately got up from her seat and grabbed his hand; there was no way he was going to leave her alone in this place.

 

"W-where are you going?" she pleaded to him, pulling him closer back to her.

 

"Just stay here Jieun. I'll be right back" he said and sat her down again on the stool and this time, he really left her for real.

 

The bartender placed the drink in front of her and she nervously smiled at him. Too afraid to look around, she tightly closed her eyes and wished herself to become very small. Too bad for her, her imagination couldn't help her through the loud music and disgusting smell of sweaty people dancing so closely to each other that it made her nose sting.

 

Gripping tight onto her dress under the bar table, she was hoping for Yongguk to come back as soon as possible, because when he did, she was going to force him to bring her back home immediately.

 

A little while after, she felt a tap on her shoulders and a familiar voice calling out her name.

 

"Jieun nu...”

 

Still with her eyes tightly closed, she got up and wrapped her arms around the person really tight. 

 

"Yongguk, please take me home. I don't want to do this anymore" she pleaded and was at the verge to cry. She soon realised that the person she lunged herself to wasn't Yongguk, but instead he had a smaller built.

 

Jieun slowly pulled herself away from him and her eyes widened in shock to see Zelo.

 

"Zelo! What are you doing here?" she asked him, but still holding tight onto him just in case he decided to leave her like Yongguk just did.

 

"I heard from Yongguk that you were coming here" he answered so innocently not even aware at the fact that he was at a club. He wasn't even of legal age to be here.

 

"You're not even allowed to be here Zelo. How did you come in?"

 

"I came in through the back door using Yongguk hyungs ID card" he admitted and rubbed the back of his neck ashamed of himself when Jieun could only stare wide eyed at him, "Do I look similar to Yongguk hyung because the security passed me when I showed him Yongguk hyungs ID" Zelo joked and smiled at her trying to cheer her up, but it failed when she shook her head in response.

 

How irresponsible could Yongguk be to let an underage boy into a club? He should just quit this worthless job and do something else, for the better future of Junhong. It seemed like Zelo understood Jieun's thoughts because he was consoling her about how he wouldn't get influenced by all of this.

 

"Nuna! Don't be mad at me or Yongguk hyung. Pleeease" he pleaded with his puppy eyes which he knew she couldn't resist. Jieun shook her head to resist him.

 

"Come on" she got up from her seat and grabbed Zelo's hand, "I'm taking you home" she said, which also meant an excuse for her to leave this place.

 

"Wait nuna! We can just go through the back" he suggested, and she followed him to the opposite way of the main entrance. The area where he led her to was less noisy than before and she could feel her ears ringing. She noticed couples making out and wondered how Zelo could even pass through an area like this.

 

As they walked passed by a few people, she heard something that made her ears prick up and froze in her spot. She didn't even realize that Zelo had already walked way ahead of her.

 

"Himchan...” a lusty voice was heard not far from where Jieun was standing. She wasn't sure whether it was her ears that were ringing earlier but like an instinctive feeling, she backed up slowly and moved in closer to take a better look.

 

In the other end of the room, she saw a girl with her back faced to Jieun, straddling on her man, whom Jieun couldn't really see since the girl was blocking her view. When the girl let out another lustful moan, Jieun's cheeks flushed red when she realised that she was actually eavesdropping into people’s private moments.

 

She quickly turned away to leave when suddenly she heard a cry of pain from the voice of the same girl. When she looked across the room again, the girl was on the floor and the guy stood above her.

 

"I told you to stay away from me, didn't I?" the guy said to her furiously. 

 

"Himchan?" she blinked at the figure that was standing over the girl. 

 

Himchan shot his head up and his eyes widened to see Jieun a few feet away from her.

 

"J-Jieun" he called out to her. She pursed her lips in response not believing her eyes. The puzzle pieces finally fit with one another. The reason why Himchan always came home late was because he was here, at this club playing with other girls.

 

Jieun wasn't angry and she wasn't sad either. Honestly, she couldn't feel anything when they both looked at each other in the eye.

 

The girl on the floor was in pain; Jieun noticed this and ran up to the girl to help her up. When the girl got back up on her feet, she rudely pushed Jieun away and hooked her arms around Himchan's.

 

"What are you doing? Leave us alone" she yelled at Jieun and stumbled a little.

 

Jieun choked on her saliva. Wasn't Himchan going to do anything? And why did he let her touch him like that?

 

The girl went to the table behind her and grabbed a glass filled with a clear looking liquid and Jieun doubted that it was even plain water. It shocked her when the girl tossed the drink over Jieuns head, wetting her hair, her shoulders and her dress.

 

Himchan's eyes widened in shock and pushed the girl away from him, making her stumble into the table behind them.

 

"Jieun! Are you ok?" Himchan said as he grabbed onto her shoulders, unsure of what to do. Jieun just froze in her position as the alcohol dripped from the ends of her hair. Himchan pushed away her bangs to take a better look at her face but Jieun was swiftly pulled away from him and into Zelo's arms.

 

"Jieun nuna, where did you go?" Zelo cooed and her hair, even though it was already all wet. At that moment, Yongguk appeared just in time to witness the scene in front of him. He should have never left Jieun alone, he was out to look for Himchan, but it seems like she found him first.

 

Zelo eyed Himchan, his eyes filled with disappointment since he couldn't really get mad at his hyung.

 

"Zelo, please take me home now. I don't want to be here anymore" she whispered so that only Zelo could hear him. For now, she could only depend on Zelo.

 

"Ok, nuna" he said and walked her out through the back door.

 

Himchan stood there, this time he was frozen, unable to react to what had just happened. An arm slipped around his waist and it was the girl again.

 

"Himchan ah, she's gone now...We can continue" she tried luring him in her failde y voice and before she could make another move on him, Yongguk pulled her away from him.

 

"Get out from here now before I throw you out myself" he scowled at the girl. The girl pouted but ended up leaving them both alone.

 

When she finally left, Yongguk grabbed Himchan by the collar and smashed his back against the wall. Back at the office when he promised himself to beat Himchan into a pulp, this was it. He had lost all his sanity because of this stupid friend of his who couldn't even do anything right.

 

"What should I do Yongguk?" he looked up at him, for the first time, feeling vulnerable. If Yongguk were to take him on, he would let him.

 

Yongguk let out a frustrated sigh and loosened his grip off Himchan's collar.

 

"Go after her, before I kick your out of here" he threatened him and pushed him towards the door that Zelo and Jieun went through earlier. 

 

"Why do I have to clean up everyone's mess" Yongguk complained.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~+*+*+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Himchan ran as fast as he could. He was relieved that they didn't go too far when he saw Zelo in the distance. Himchan was still dizzy from the previous situation and tripped a few times before finally being able to catch up to them.

 

"Jieun, wait!" he called out when he ran up in front of her. She tried holding onto her hand but she pulled it away from his grip and hid behind the tall boy.

 

"Zelo, I don't want to see him now" she said behind Zelo and Himchan could hear it clearly.

 

His heart felt a sudden kind of pain when he heard those words coming from her.

 

"Jieun" she called her name softly this time.

 

"Hyung, she doesn't want to see you right now" Zelo said as he held onto Himchan so that he wouldn't get near her.

 

"Zelo, please" he pleaded to the boy, but Zelo shook his head. Still determined, he pushed passed the boy and grabbed onto Jieun behind him. "Just give me a second, please Zelo" Himchan said holding tightly onto Jieun. Zelo finally gave in and waited in a distance not far from them.

 

"Jieun, I'll take you home" he offered but she shook her head. Unexpectedly, she placed her head on his chest and grasped tightly onto his shirt.

 

"I love you Himchan" she blurted out which left him frozen again and choking on his words, "but I can't hear it anymore" she continued.

 

"Hear what, Jieun?" he asked her in the softest voice and placed his arms around her waist to keep her closer to him.

 

"Your heartbeat. I can't hear it anymore. You don't love me anymore" she said and his brain started to faze at her words. If it was about what happened at the club earlier, it was all just a misunderstanding. After his fight with Yongguk in the office, he came here to get his mind off things and that’s when that girl suddenly came onto him. And when the girl poured the drink all over Jieun, he was in panic because he didn't know how to protect her. He was about to help Jieun when Zelo came in and took her away. He wanted to explain all this to her, but his tongue was numb to even say a word to make her feel better.

 

"I tried doing it on my own, but it was hard when you couldn't receive what I tried giving you" she looked up at Himchan's eyes and the words that were about to leave her lips would make her regret it forever. "It's over Himchan" she said and pulled herself away from him.

 

"It's not over Jieun" she gripped firmly onto Jieun. Desperate to not let her go. 

 

"Do you love me Himchan?" she asked him. He knew, those words were his final judgement. He opened his mouth but frowned when he couldn't say it. Gritting his teeth, he cursed himself for not being able to form the words on his lips.

 

"Jieun, I can't...” he ended up saying. Jieun was really hoping that he would say it, but ended up in sheer disappointment. She pulled herself away from him once again and left with Zelo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

++++++++++*+*+*++++++++++

 

 

Wooah! I know I wrote this update but can I just give Himchan a slap in his beautiful face. Why can't you say those words, dammit you zombeh!!! WHHHYYYY!? *aaaand I'm being overdramatic again*  This update was a bit longer than the previous chapters, so I really hope you guys liked it, and since I can't do it myself, I would like to ask my lovely readers to smack the sense out of that zombie. Please and Thank You :D