The duo stopped talking for a few days now, Eunji was annoyed yet worried. She didn’t know what was going on and she wanted to so badly, he wasn’t telling her anything which definitely was much help to her. Eunji thought it was just a phase that all friends would go through so she brushed it off and went on about her daily activities. But she couldn’t help but think about him, did she like him? Was she starting to?

No.

Eunji shook her head with disgust, repeatedly reminding herself that this isn’t what she is, guys don’t mean anything to her, not now at least. She then lived on with that mentality, denying the fact that she might actually like In Guk. But she seriously couldn’t stop thinking about him, what he was doing, why he was doing this to her. It all felt like torture, something undeserving and painful. She couldn’t suffer anymore and texted him first.

‘Hey, are you like ignoring me or something? I mean, you just stopped talking to me and umm, I don’t know what’s going on.’

*bbyong

‘Huh, uhh I’m not ignoring you. There’s nothing going on.’

Eunji raged, she literally threw her phone on the bed and clenched her fists.

What does he mean by he’s not ignoring me and there’s nothing going on. There is obviously something going on and he’s just not telling her.

Oh my god, I’m becoming a girl.

Eunji immediately shook out of this delusion and texted back

‘Okay, so we’re cool?’

*bbyong

‘More than cool Eungggg!’

And like this the duo started talking again. The four of them hung out more often, having lunch and movie ‘dates’ together. It felt like everything was going well and Eunji was happy again. Then the unthinkable happens.

To: Yongg Jaeeee :>

‘Ya, I really don’t understand In Guk. What the heck is going on dude. Does he think it’s a game, like just ignoring and switching off when he wants to?’

*bbyong

‘Uhmm. He’s just going through some stuff right now, maybe you’re caring too much. Just give him time I guess...’

‘What do you mean give him time. It’s been a week Jae, a bloody week and it’s not the first time this has happened. I just wanna clear things up and I don’t even care if we can’t be friends anymore. I’d rather be strangers than two people with bad blood.’

*bbyong

‘Then talk to him, just tell him straight.’

‘But you see, why do I always have to be the one who talks first, the one who starts the bloody conversation when he is the one who does all this bull. I mean, you guys treat me as half dude but it still takes a lot for me (a girl might you remember) to put aside my dignity and just start talking again. We think about him and his problems but who will do that for me?’

*bbyong

‘Okay. I’ll try to talk to him for you. Just don’t get pissed if he doesn’t reciprocate the way you want him to.’

‘Thanks.’

Eunji met up with In Guk and Yong Jae near the school field. An air of awkwardness encompassed the three of them as Eunji sat down on the steps near the track. The three of them sat in silence until Yong Jae decided to speak first. He asked Eunji to say what she had to and then offered to explain what In Guk was going through to help mediate the situation. Apparently In Guk had a rough childhood, he wasn’t on good terms with his parents, they always compared him to his two older sisters who were extremely intelligent. At 15, In Guk stopped talking to his parents, to the point where they had to text him to come out of his room for dinner or have any form of conversation.

She understood all of this, but still didn’t understand how them telling her this would solve anything. It didn’t give him a reason to do this to a person. She knew that everything would be resolved if she just let this matter go and continue how things were. But this hurt her, hurt her deep, taking into account her feelings for him, it wasn’t as easy as she wanted it to be.  Eunji told him that if he wanted things to be okay she needed time, time to heal and forgive. So the duo continued being ‘strangers’, not talking even though they sat next to each other, being all awkward when the four of them gathered.

The funny thing was, Isabel got really close to In Guk. They would hang out after school alone, study together, do everything together actually and this obviously gave Eunji this occasional jealousy mood. Being her best friend, you would naturally think that Isabel would have done something to help the two resolve their issues but what Eunji saw was her doing the total opposite. Everytime she saw Isabel, she saw In Guk and it would get all awkward and that Eunji just didn’t want to talk to her anymore.

*bbyong

From: Isabel

‘Hey Eunji, can we talk? Maybe meet at the field after school?’

‘Ok.’

Eunji walked toward the field with her backpack. She pulled her coat tighter around her as the wind sliced through the air. She saw Isabel waiting near one of the steps, kicking at the gravel that surrounded her feet. She looked up and their eyes met, Eunji felt the awkwardness fill each breath she took and she felt overwhelmed with jealousy? She heaved out a huge breath and watched the smoke curl and disappear into the air.

‘Hey.’

‘Hey.’

They both said, leaving silence to take over again.

‘Uhm. Okay, so I know it’s kinda awkward between us and I wanna let you know its only because when I see you, I see him..’ Eunji spoke.

‘Yeah, I know. This is where I have to start explaining.' Isabel responded.

'So you see, after In Guk stopped talking to you he texted me more often and ever since then we’ve been talking a lot. You know how I always wish I have a boyfriend right, so I was talking to him one day and I told him about it. Then he kinda hinted to me that he likes someone.’

‘It’s not me is it?’ Eunji held her breath, half hoping Isabel would actually say yes.

‘No, don’t worry.’ Isabel responded and smiled.

Eunji’s heart dropped a little but she didn’t want to show that she was upset.

‘Oh.. Good. Then is it you?’ She asked.

‘Yeah.. I was really shocked and I didn’t expect it..’ Isabel continued speaking but it was as if the words suddenly got lost during their journey to Eunji’s ears. She couldn’t hear anything, only blankness filled her mind.

Eunji was friend-zoned, maybe not even friend, stranger-zoned?

Hey guys!

I'm SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO SUPERRRRRRRRRRRR sorry about this late update. I've been extra busy with exams and stuff so here's chapter 3! Real dampener huh. haha, its different from Our Love after Reply 1997 but i hope you guys still like it! :> Thanks for waiting and look out for the next update! I'll promise it'll be soon!

Loves, Eunguk1997 <3