CHAPTER FORTY-SIX: White Day

{ "You really are something else." } * Click for BGM!

"Hey, Aunt Jae. Just checking if you've been taking your medicine," Hyejung was leaving a voicemail, her phone sandwiched between her ear and shoulder as she tugged down at the sleeves of her blazer. "I haven't heard from you in awhile, and I'm kinda worried about you. Well, I just hope you're doing okay. Call me whenever something happens." She hung up, stuffing her phone back into the depths of her pleated skirt. 

Passing through the entrance gates of Seoul School of Fine Arts, Hyejung trudged on into the school building with her limbs loosely dangling at her sides. Obscenely, she stifled a long yawn that she was too lazy too cover up whilst grabbing a couple of textbooks from her locker. The moment she shut it, she surprisingly saw Kai standing right by her side.

Hyejung expected it though, because Kai was usually the first one to greet her first thing on the weekday. She honestly had no idea why she came to notice something so little yet meaningful.

Hyejung jolted a bit, not to dramatically, blinking a couple of times to let the sleepiness somewhat subside. "Oh. Hi."

Kai scoffed lightly. "Is that how you greet me on a lovely Monday morning? Man Hyejung, you're just so charming." A sprinkle of sarcasm was found in his voice. Hyejung knew Kai too well not to notice it. 

Hyejung snorted, walking away. Kai persistently follow, like a puppy at the heels. The girl found it amusing, stifling a secretive little laugh. 

"So? Do you know what day is today?" Kai placed his hands innocently behind his back.

Hyejung rolled her eyes, running her fingers through hair (which was a bit more neat and tidy after the little trim she had). "Uh, it's Monday? Where've you been all your life, Captain Obvious?" 

Kai raised his hands in defense. "Oh, well I'm sorry. I forgot you're PMSing this month."

Hyejung sighed nonchalantly, giving Kai a straight face. "Forgot, huh? Don't make me stuff my foot down your throat," she growled. "Now what the heck do you mean?"

Kai shrugged, offering the usual smirk that came along with the teasing. "Do I really have to point it out? Use your eyes, Hyejung." He pointed to his eyes before exaggeratedly gesturing his arm. "Look around you." 

"You sound like the blue assed monkey from the Lion King right now."

"You're getting off topic, Hyejung." Kai sighed. "Just look, will ya?"

Hyejung heaved a bothersome sigh, muttering 'okay okay' before doing what Kai requested. Around the bustling halls and even in the classrooms, it seemed like numerous boys were flocking and hanging around their girls more than the usual. Gifts given and received, affectionate skin-ship, and sweet proposes of 'would you like to go somewhere with me after school?' were happening all around.

Raising a clueless brow, Hyejung drew her gaze back up at Kai. "I don't get it. I just see a bunch of sissy babies staying around other sissy babies."

Kai nudged the girl lightly with his arm. "Aw, come on Hyejung! Don't play stupid just because you think it seduces me."

"I'm not trying to do that!" Hyejung huffed. "I seriously don't know, Kai, okay? And I have no idea why you're making such a big freakin' deal of it." 

"Let me give you a hint then." Kai wiggled his eyebrows. "It's technically the opposite of Valentine's Day.

Hyejung gave Kai a strange look. "I thought Hanukah was in December."

Kai scoffed, skeptically amused, crossing his arms. "And how, may I ask, is Hanukah the opposite of Valentine's Day?"

Before Hyejung could somehow answer the incredulous question, a tall boy (who was considerably good-looking) strode up to her with a confident vibe.

"Hey. You're from that party Saturday night." The guy tilted his head, his vibe not only confident but flirtatious. "Seo Hyejung, right?"

Kai tensed a bit, his eyes slightly narrowing. He didn't like where this guy was going with this.

Hyejung gave the boy an incredulous eye. "Um, yeah? Do I...know you?" 

Amused, the guy chuckled leaning a bit closer. "Heh, yeah I kinda assumed that. I'm Minhyuk."

Kai was now gripping a fist.

"Huh. Still don't know who the hell you are." Hyejung carelessly shrugged. "Now move aside, dude." 

"Woah, feisty, eh?" Minhyuk snickered, not following Hyejung's frank command. "Hey, you seriously got some killer moves girl. Since it's special day and all, how about you go out with me tonight?"

Before Hyejung can retort, Kai stepped forward and wrapped his arm around Hyejung, bringing her closer to his side. "Sorry, but Hyejung's already got plans."

Hyejung gawked. "What? Plans? I don't have any pla-"

"Oh? So I'm assuming she's got plans with you, Kim Jongin?" Minhyuk crossed his arms, slightly annoyed.

"For sure." Kai smirked, tightening his protective hold on Hyejung. The latter shivered, not uncomfortably, but because of the fluttering heat Kai exherted. It felt nice.

Minhyuk frowned in disappointment. "Fine. I'll be asking again in the future, Hyejung." The lad winked before turning around, rejoining with his group of friends shortly after.

After a few seconds of awkwardness, Hyejung shoved Kai away off of her. "Get your hands off me."

Kai chortled, scratching the back of his neck with a boyish grin. "I don't regret it though."

"Whatever," Hyejung remarked, folding her arms over her chest. "And what the hell was that?" Referring to the random dude who approached her, she scrunched her brows in disgust. 

"Eh, it's just some dude who saw you dance on Saturday night," Kai nonchalantly explained, inwardly smirking at the memory. He didn't want to give Hyejung the explicit details, or else she would probably get her hands on some innocent person and beat them up like nothing. If anything, it would most likely be him. "Does it matter?"

"Well no, but, no one never really treats me like that," Hyejung grumbled, continuing to walk. "It's weird." 

"You mean flirting?" Kai raised a brow. 

Hyejung heated up, her face contorting. "Yeah, yeah, that."

Kai slipped his hands into the depths of his pockets. "But I do that all the time with you. Flirt, tease...stuff like that."

"Yeah, well, it's different when you do it," Hyejung promptly admitted, but she suddenly regretted it when Kai grew that mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Oh, really now?" Kai tapped his bottom lip, a dramatic look of intelligence upon his face. "How am I different compared to him?" He nudged Hyejung's elbow with a playful expression.

Flustered, Hyejung slapped Kai's arm firmly. "Hey! You just are okay? Like, I don't know him, but I know you-"

"You don't like him, but you like me," Kai tilted his head back and forth with emphasis. He grinned mildly. "Something like that, right?"

Hyejung scowled, not bothering to retort because she knew she would probably end up stumbling on her words and will soon hate herself for it. 

When the pair came to a left and right turn in the hallway, they abruptly stopped when Kai was facing the right direction. 

"Hey, where you going?" Hyejung shot Kai a pointed look. "Your first class is this way." She pointed to the left, never letting her eyes leave Kai's.

Kai chuckled lightly, turning himself so he faced the girl directly. "Since when did you know my class schedule, Hyejung?" His lips grew into that warm smile that made hearts melt into goo. 

Hyejung huffed her bangs out of her eyes, her ears in a scarlet shade. "I just know them okay?" 

"Creeper." Kai winked, making Hyejung's face redden more. "I'm gonna be in class later. I just got to go out for a bit."

"Go where?" Hyejung interrogated.

"Somewhere."

"Where's somewhere?"

"It could be anywhere."

Hyejung folded her arms stubbornly. "And why are you going to this somewhere which can also be anywhere?"

Kai laughed handsomely, reaching out to ruffle Hyejung's hair. "Bye Hyejung. Don't miss me too much." He smiled at her before spinning on his heels, striding down the right hall with a heartiness in his step. 

Hyejung bit the inside of her cheek, watching as Kai's figure gradually disappeared from her sight. And with that done, she whirled on her heels and marched lamely to class, not even noticing the scowling, troubled look Heejin was shooting her from a few feet away.

~*~

Hyejung frowned.

As the long, tiring school day progressed with the White Day fluffiness still all around, Hyejung noticed that Kai never seemed to be around ever since earlier that morning. He was even there for dance class, and that was definitely strange. Mind-boggling, even.

With Hyejung absentmindedly following the routine in dance class, it seemed like a river of endless questions was constantly flowing into her pondering mind. 

Honestly, it felt different without Kai around. Hyejung almost could say she felt empty, like something was missing from her. 

Her thoughts were suddenly disturbed when Yuni declared that class ended. 

Hyejung heaved a deep sigh, lifting her arms to loosely stretch them. 

As all the dance students scattered about the room, Sehun eagerly scurried over to Hyejung exclaiming her cheery nickname. "Hyejungie!" He stuck himself to her side and gave her a tight, endearing side-hug.

Hyejung choked a bit, lightly pushing the boy away. "Woah, woah, lay off, Sehun. I kinda need to breathe in order to live."

"Ohh!" Sehun's mouth formed into a a little 'O', and his eyes formed into crescents when he beamed. "Okay! Sorry, sorry!"

Hyejung shrugged, pulling her long sleeves down while glancing around the room through her fringe. Her brows furrowed when she spotted Heejin storm into the girls' locker room, glaring daggers at her.

"Heejin must be so pissed off. Hyejung totally humiliated her Saturday!" a senior girl exclaimed, gossiping with a small circle of friends.

"Oh, yeah, but you have to admit it was damn funny. Hyejung's awesome," a senior guy remarked, and he slyly grinned at the said girl from the side. The senior girl smacked the guy's arm with an annoyed façade.

Sehun blinked, staring curiously at Hyejung's contorted expression. "Hyejungie, are you okay..? You looked kinda out of it today."

Not answering Sehun's question, Hyejung took a brief glance up at the maknae. "Er, it's nothing, Sehun. I'll see you later." 

"Oh, well, okay then!" Sehun nodded vigorously, freely strolling out of the studio. Hyejung made her way to the girls' locker room, not noticing the numerous curious looks being given to her.

Taking a right turn into the aisle of her locker's location, Hyejung immediately spotted Heejin scavenging through her own locker. To Hyejung, it seemed like Heejin was especially moody today compared to other regular days. 

Hyejung twisted her lips in thought, opening up her own locker and shuffling with her stuff. 

"What the hell is your problem?" Hyejung muttered, keeping her eyes focused on the contents of her locker.

Heejin stopped, whipping around to only face Hyejung's back. "Are you talking to me?" she asked incredulously, agitation in her tone of voice. 

"Well, there's no one else around, so you do the math, ," Hyejung retorted, leisurely turning around to lock eyes with Heejin's piercing, narrow ones. 

Heejin scoffed in disbelief, crossing her arms. "My problem is you, idiot."

"Funny. I feel the same way about you," Hyejung remarked, leaning against her now closed locker door. "But that's beside the point. What I did on Saturday night wasn't intentional."

"Oh, and I'm sure it wasn't," Heejin sarcastically growled, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "You must be so proud of yourself, Hyejung; humilating me in front of my party guests."

Hyejung laughed lightly, trying to keep herself collected. "Hey, I made a freakin' fool out of myself too, y'know. Look, I would love to humiliate you any day, really, and I'm sure you feel the same way. But I did what I did for a reason that...I, er, don't really remember."

Heejin snorted. "So that clearly makes it intentional. My, you never were the smart one, were you Hyejung?"

"I was drunk then, so it wasn't fully intentional, okay?" Hyejung sighed impatiently, growing frustrated because it was hard to put what she wanted to say into words. "Can you make this conversation anymore complicated?"

"I don't care. I don't even want to talk to you right now," Heejin snapped, but her voice sounded weak. "So, please. Back off, will you?"

Before Hyejung could retaliate, Heejin bitterly strutted out of the room, bowing her head as she skirted pass a couple of snickering girls.

Hyejung sighed, scratching the back of her neck. "Now I understand why guys say girls can be complicated. Aish..."

After getting her needed things and sauntering out of the locker room, her sweat pants vibrated.

Hyejung knitted her brows, fishing out her phone and opening a text. For some reason, her heart hoped it was from Kai.

It wasn't.

From: Lu

Happy White Day, Hyejung :)

I'm waiting for you outside

Hyejung scoffed lightly, amused, stuffing her phone back in her pocket. "Ohh, so it's White Day today. Huh. Who knew."

~*~

Hyejung chewed on the big straw of her chocolate bubble tea as she blankly stared out the window. She languidly propped her elbows on the table, her legs dangling from the sleek white high chair.

"Hyejung," Luhan casually mused, flipping through the pages of the local newspaper that was left on the high table. "You're usually not this quiet, only when you have a lot on your mind."

"That's true," Hyejung admitted, twirling her straw to mix the liquid. "How did you come to know that?" She looked at the boy, her brown orbs softly twinkling in wonder.

"Observation, my dear, Hyejung," Luhan proclaimed, stout and professional. Hyejung rolled her eyes, chortling in amusement as she at her straw some more.

"So," Luhan started after taking a long sip of his own taro bubble tea. "How's life, Hyejung? Is everything going well with Kai?"

Hyejung shrugged, fiddling with her straw in an almost awkward fashion. "Everything's cool I guess, but you're kinda asking like Kai's my...my, er-"

"Boyfriend?" Luhan finished.

"Uh, yeah. Kinda," Hyejung mumbled, suddenly deciding to avert Luhan's bright eyes. 

Luhan nodded, his lips formed into the slightest smile. "Hyejung, I don't mean to pry or anything, but what's your relationship with him?"

Hyejung almost choked on one of the 'bubbles'. "Wh-What? My relationship with him? You mean Kai?" she uttered incredulously, wide-eyed.

"Well, we're not talking about anyone else at the moment, so." Luhan chuckled cutely, and Hyejung found her face subconsciously heating up.

"We're, uh, we're just friends. And obviously dance partners too," Hyejung muttered, nodding to herself with her lips creased tightly into a thin line. But for some unknown reason, the words seemed question