People always say that Joohyun is really lucky. She was born with beauty and brain, she grew up with nurturing parents who educated her into a refined young lady, and she always gets the best boys crushing on her. Joohyun used to think that she is really fortunate as well. When she was finally being honest to herself and admit her interest to Chanyeol, she felt really grateful that he was so close to her, almost within her reach. However, life wasn't that kind with the perfect Seo Joohyun. Life introduced her to Kim Hyoyeon, whose mere existence crushed all her hopes.

 

It was another lunch break when Joohyun decided to go to Chanyeol's classroom in order to get his approval on a budget revision she had made for a school event. Joohyun didn't know why she wasn't patient enough that day to wait for Chanyeol appearance in the student council room later that afternoon but for whatever reason it was, she regretted it. The moment she stepped her foot in the 2nd year corridor, she could hear the boys whistling at her. She ignored it, kept her head up and held the proposal closer to her chest. She stopped in front of his class and took a peek before entering it.

 

She could spot Chanyeol easily in the room but she felt uneasy as she saw him whispering and sometimes laughing with an unfamiliar blonde female student. Joohyun unthinkingly pursed her lips at the sight. The blonde girl wasn't pretty--in her opinion-- because that girl was tanned, her nose wasn't that prominent, and her eyes weren't that big but she was still too close with Chanyeol for Joohyun's comfort. Their approximity made her chest felt constricted and her breathing rather difficult. It was a new feeling for her and she hated it.

 

Chanyeol, however, spotted her standing at his classroom's door and called her to him. "Joohyun-ah, this is Kim Hyoyeon, my childhood friend. Hyoyeon, this is Seo Joohyun, student council treasurer, the one I told you about," Chanyeol introduced Joohyun to the blonde girl and the said girl, Kim Hyoyeon, smiled widely at Joohyun.

 

"I know you! You are so popular! You're much-much-much prettier in person, Joohyun-ssi. Woah, Channie is really lucky to be working with you," Hyoyeon beamed at Joohyun, her eyes twinkling with genuine adoration for Joohyun, making Joohyun felt unease. Joohyun broke into an awkward smile, not really sure as what she should do with Hyoyeon's compliments.

 

"I live in the same neighborhood as you too," Hyoyeon cheerfully chirped, "Channie and I are neighbors. Someday, I'd love to go home with you too."

 

Joohyun nodded courteously. Although she had dark complexion, Hyoyeon was as bright as sun and she radiated rainbows and unicorns and other happy stuffs. Joohyun ended up spending the rest of her lunch break hearing Hyoyeon chirping noisier than any birds alive. Chanyeol was chatty but Hyeoyeon took talking into a whole new level. The blonde girl  praised Joohyun non-stop--it seemed that Hyoyeon was one of the girls who idolized Joohyun--and blabbered about literally everything.

---

 

As days went by, it was clear for Joohyun that Chanyeol and Hyoyeon were more than just childhood friends. Joohyun started to notice that Chanyeol sometimes mentioned his childhood friend and some cute habits the older girl had when he talked to Joohyun as he walked Joohyun home in the evenings. In the rare ocassion when Hyoyeon joined Chanyeol and Joohyun home, the two seniors often bickered and joked around, making her felt like a third wheel.

 

Hyoyeon's appearance in Joohyun's life was confusing for Joohyun because she simply couldn't find any major fault in the blonde girl. If Joohyun was the female protagonist and Chanyeol was the male lead, then Hyoyeon should be the antagonist, right? After all, Hyoyeon was a possible love rival who entered the story later and wasn't as pretty as Joohyun--at least that was what Joohyun thought. However, Hyoyeon was not the typical clingy, annoying, two faced, scheming antagonist in regular love stories. On the contrary, Hyoyeon was--unfortunately--a natural sweetheart that Joohyun found it difficult to hate her. In fact, Hyoyeon cared about the younger girl so much that sometimes she was the one who walked Joohyun home when Chanyeol couldn't. Hyoyeon's kindness made Joohyun feel that she was the one at fault if the younger girl insisted to hate on Hyoyeon. Was Hyoyeon really suppose to be the antagonist in her story?

 

However, all her confusion was cleared when she visited the dance club a couple months later. It was another late afternoon--nearing evening--when she barged into the dance club to find Jongin, who was the coordinator of art division of the student council at that moment.

---

 

"Jongin, where is the budget revision I asked you for three weeks ago?" she quickly darted while still smiling calmly as she sat next to the tanned man who was sitting on the wooden floor and panting. It was clear that Jongin was still out of breath because of the dance routine he had just practiced. Jongin looked at her in disbelief from under his dampened bangs.

 

"What the hell? Can't you ask me some other time? Can't you see that I'm in the middle of practice?" he scoffed breathlessly.

 

"I've been asking you for the same thing for the whole two weeks, Jongin. Give it to me now or I'll do it on my own. And that means I'll cut your budget into half," Joohyun retorted calmly with the orchestrated serene smile never left her lips. The sweet smile was contrasting the venomous tone she was using. Joohyun might have the reputation for being a sweet and poised girl but she took her duty as the treasurer really seriously that those who worked with her in the student council knew her as the strict treasurer with the smile of death. 

 

"," Jongin cursed under his breath, wiping his sweaty face with his palm in frustration because he knew he was in no position to bargain, "we need that money, Joohyun."

 

"Give your revision to me now, then. You know I can't approve your current budget," Joohyun cleverly piped in while her smile grew wider. Jongin rolled his eyes and glared at  her cresent shaped eyes before he gave up--while muttering a series of profanities--and stood up.

 

"I'll take my laptop first. Wait."

 

Joohyun seated herself on the warm wooden floor as she waited for Jongin. She scanned the whole practice room and saw a familiar figure. A blonde tanned girl was sitting while leaning to the mirror covered wall, talking to some other students. Her glorious womanly figure was outlined by her dampened white sweat shirt. It was Hyoyeon. Joohyun was about to call Hyoyeon out when another recognizable person came into her view. A tall guy with awkwardly swung limbs strided to approach Hyoyeon--Chanyeol. He proceeded to sit next to her and joined the conversation easily. Hyoyeon and the other girls giggled while Chanyeol let out his distinctive laughter. There was a subtle intimacy as Chanyeol slung his arm around Hyoyeon and she whispered at him. Joohyun subconsciously frowned.

 

"Hey."

 

Jongin tapped her shoulder before slumping next to her and placing his laptop on his lap. Joohyun nodded approvingly as she watched him opening the proposal.

 

"Here," Jongin said while scrolling down the pages, "what do you think if I ask for this much?"

 

Joohyun was supposed to listen and maybe argue a little with Jongin but she ended up nodding and agreeing without saying anything, like a muted doll. She was too distracted to concentrate on the numbers in front of her since she couldn't push the sight of Chanyeol and Hyoyeon's closeness out of her vision. When she stole some glances at the couple sitting a few metres from her, she would feel an uncomfortable tug at her heart. She felt everytime she saw them casually interacting intimately with each other. It was as if it was ad natural as breathing for them. Jongin, in the other hand, was too exhausted to notice that Joohyun wasn't paying attention to him at all. He only smirked smugly after he handed her the USB containing the revised budget, clearly proud that Joohyun could easily accept his revision.

 

"Does he visit here often?" Joohyun innocently asked Jongin while putting the USB in her blazer pocket.

 

"Who?"

 

Joohyun turned her face to Chanyeol's direction, pointing at lanky guy with her chin wordlessly.

 

"Ah, Chanyeol-hyung? Yeah. Hyoyeon-noona is here, after all," Jongin answered offhandedly while turning back to look for his drinking bottle.

 

"But they are not dating, right?" she asked with suppressed curiosity. However, her heart were thumping nervously and her hands were sweating out of anxiety.

 

"Hmm?" Jongin muttered unthinkingly while reaching for his green drinking bottle which was a feet behind him, "Ah, they are really close but no, they are not. Or probably better if I say not yet. It is just a matter of time, though. At least, everyone in this school thinks like that."

 

Joohyun felt as if her heart had stopped after heaaring Jongin nonchalant comment. She was baffled with the casuality in Jongin's tone; as if stating that his remarks was a natural public opinion. She couldn't--she didn't want to--believe that everyone at school were supporting Chanyeol and Hyoyeon to be a couple. People aren't supposed to encourage the antagonist to end up with the main male protagonist; they are supposed to help the female lead achieve her love interest. Since Joohyun was the female lead in this story, shouldn't they be rooting for her instead of Hyoyeon?

 

Jongin was unscrewing his bottle when he took notice of Joohyun uncanny sudden silence. He stopped midway and quickly turned to Joohyun. His eyes were full of suspicion when he asked her the question she dreaded the most, "Wait a minute. Could it be that you like Chanyeol-hyung?"

 

Joohyun felt her heart dropped at the question. No one supposed to know about her crush for Chanyeol. No one.

"What? No, no, no. I'm just curious. That's all," she hurriedly answered. Joohyun was flustered at the sudden question but she quickly regained her composure. However, it was a split seconds too late for Jongin's perceptive eyes to miss.

---

 

When Joohyun went home alone thay evening, she realized that she might not be the heroine in Chanyeol's love story. she prayed that the lead wouldn't be Hyoyeon's either because if Hyoyeon was then Joohyun was left with no other options but to be the antagonist in their love story and to be honest, Joohyun really didn't want to take the antagonist role.

 

However, life sometimes makes you take the choice that you hate the most.

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TBC

 

an:

Thank you for all the comments, subbs, and votes T-T

I love you all. I'm sorry I haven't updated for sometimes.