ChapterThree

The last few days have been pure torture for Yuri.  The morning she woke up with another headache because of Luhan’s drink, another scandalous morning greeted her.  That time, people weren’t even discreet in making her as the topic of early gossip.  Apparently, a lot of people saw Yunho taking a wasted her to her dorm and it instantly became a hit. 

“It’s a realization of the scandal that happened months ago,” Seohyun quipped as she kept on groaning whenever someone would smile at her or call her.  Seohyun couldn’t even believe that her and Yunho were definitely happening all those times.  She woke up on a wide-eyed Seohyun at the foot of her bed waiting for to wake up and bombard her with questions about last night.

The other thing she had to endure for the past days was that she realized how much she had let herself be attached to Yunho.  There’d be times that she would wait for a message from him to meet him in a covert place.  She’d seen him a couple of times around the campus already but she would avoid him every time.  She didn’t know if she could keep herself from ignoring him if she would meet him again.

“It would have been easier if you told him about it,” Seohyun said while reading a journal.  As much as she wanted to keep everything to herself, she needed someone to know about what really happened and she considered Seohyun as one of her trusted friends.

“That would be asking for hell to come down on me,” she said and dropped her phone on her lap.  She had been constantly anticipating for someone’s message.

“That would have simplified things.  If there truly was a bet, he would be the one avoiding you, not the other way around and if there wasn’t, you wouldn’t be in this predicament.”

She was right though, she still didn’t get why she always have to be the one would try to avoid him when he was the one who made a bet with his friends.  She stared at her roommate for two years.  Why do people younger than her are ones trying to give advices to her now? 

“Predicament?  Wow, Seo, you’re deep.”

They stared at each other and they both laughed.  They laughed mirthlessly as they both knew that it wasn’t a laughing matter.   

“Truth is, I was scared.  I didn’t want to hear that he only wanted to get close to me just because of that bet.  I think I unconsciously fell in love with him,” she said and buried her face in her hands. For the first time since that night, she allowed herself to succumb to that pang of sorrow and loss. 

Seohyun hugged her even though they both know that it wasn’t in her arms that she could find solace.

…and if there wasn’t, you wouldn’t be in this predicament.

Seohyun’s voice rang inside Yuri’s head.  It was all that could think of for the rest of the day.  While most people were talking about their school’s qualification in the semi-finals for hockey, she was droned in her own world and thinking of what Seohyun told her.

The day of the match, she found herself face to face with Luhan.  His smiling eyes annoyed the hell out of her but the pub was deserted as everyone watched the hockey semi-finals and talking to him is better than nothing at all. 

“How the mighty have fallen.”

“Shut up.”

“Of course.”

Yuri’s eyes followed Luhan’s every move.  For the past few days, Luhan became inevitably became her friend as she opted for the alcohol’s false comfort whenever she would bump into Yunho. 

“Luhan, you’re an .”

Luhan laughed and stood opposite her behind the lounge.  “What is it this time?”

“Everyone was talking about him the whole day.  How was I supposed to forget about him when I get reminded of him every conversation I get into?  Hey, are watching tonight’s game?  Yunho’s in good form.”  The rant was ended with a sigh.

“You won’t forget him by just blatantly avoiding him.  And shouldn’t you be watching the game right now?  You bought tickets.”

“I gave them to Seohyun.”

The pub’s door opened in a bang, loud voices filled in singing their school’s anthem.  Wooyoung was carried by two people on their shoulders, shouting names to their opponents earlier.

“Kangin can kiss my !”

“Beer on the house,” Luhan pushed a tall glass towards her.  “Looks like our team would be playing in the championship.” 

Her eyes scanned the growing crowd over her glass of cold beer, looking for someone she had been avoiding for the past few days.  She found him talking to Luhan at the other end of the lounge. 

Has he seen her yet?  Why did they have to come here of all places?  Suddenly, she didn’t like being in the crowded place, or a noisy place.  She didn’t like to be in a place where he was.  It was suffocating her that he doesn’t talk to her or look at her.    

…and if there wasn’t, you wouldn’t be in this predicament.

Seohyun’s words echoed inside her head again.  It had been days and she would look stupid if they really placed a bet to Yunho to get her.   She finished the remaining beer inside her glass, stood up, prayed that there would be a buzz inside her so she wouldn’t think straight and have the courage to say the things she wanted to say.  A few more steps towards him and she stopped.  A girl she could barely remember as his rumored ex-girlfriend wound her arms around his neck and pulled him in an embrace.  She stood there and watched as they talked by whispering intimately in each other’s ears.

“Yuri!”

Yunho looked up in her direction at the sound of her name.  It has been a long time since they saw each other eye to eye.  If his look could say a million words to say, she didn’t bother hearing it as she immediately turned to Luhan who called out her name the second time. 

“You forgot about your phone,” Luhan said and handed her phone to her.  She frowned. 

“How did you get it?”  He just smiled at her and turned to a couple of guys hollering their orders.  There was a message from Jongin.

I got accepted in Seoul Arts Institute.  Maybe you could give me a tour when I get there.

She looked at Luhan who winked at her.  He’s a weird kid but he’s not bad at all. 

Why not?  Just promise me that Luhan won’t pop up somewhere.

It was early January and the cold bit her skin even with her thick coat closed around her.  She closed the pub’s door and shivered in the cold.  She’s in no mood for a celebration.  Her warm bed was a better idea than being in a room with Yunho who has a girl clinging to him. 

 She hasn’t gotten that far when her name again.  Yunho was briskly walking towards her, leaving ghostly breath in his wake as he breathed. 

“Hey, congratulations for making it to the championship,” she said, trying her best to look cool.

“Thanks,” he stopped in front of her.  “You didn’t show up so we came here.”

“I heard you were great.”  She ignored what he said.  She can’t allow herself to fall for whatever he is saying again.  Talking to him like he did nothing wrong to her was hard already.

“I was terrible.  Wooyoung saved the game for us.”  He took off his scarf and placed it around her neck.  “You should not let yourself go out in the cold wearing just like this.”

She stopped him before he could secure the scarf around her.  Even with their gloves covering their hands, she could feel the familiarity of her hand touching his.  “What are you doing?”

“Yuri, let’s stop this.  You didn’t mean what you said that night.  I was hurt, you were hurt.  Let’s just stop this game and be together again.”

“Game?  What game, Yunho?”  She was getting mad.  Did he think that she finished whatever they had going on because she wanted him to chase after her? 

“I really like you, Yuri.  I know you like me, too.  Whatever you want to say to me, I’ll accept it.  If there’s anything I have done to hurt you, please tell me.  It’s hard to see you avoiding me whenever you see me.  I hate to see you averting your gaze whenever our eyes meet.  God, Yuri, we can work this out.”

So he knew.  And she thought he fell blind when it came to her. 

“We can’t work something that’s never been built.  The game was long over, Yunho.”  She swallowed her pride and breathed out her pain that kept her awake for many nights for she was made a fool over some masochistic pride.  “You see, I know about the bet.  We are over, right?  You won and I lost.”

A/N:  Okay!  One more chapter before this comes to an end.  Or not.  Guys, it's been so long!  I think I overdid this chapter.  Ugh!  Do you like Luhan? I like Luhan.  But I'm not shipping her with Yuri coz otp is flawless.  Do you think so, too?

Anyway I made something.  I hope this will ease all the YunRi wathdrawals you're all feeling.  I'm gonna make a full gif set of this soon :)

and I'm gonna add my perfect bias, too.