a big welcome to c h a p t e r f o u r
. . .kekeke
@jaebyun_98 : Awesome dinner at Bay Sizzles with the girls. omg it was lovely ;)
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Mentioned by @byun_baekkk : @jae_byun98 : Are you still mad?
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15 January | Sports Day : Rugby game
It's strange how the silence in a conversation stings more than 140 characters or less.
Eyes trailed everywhere she went. Every step she took, every room she entered, everyone she talked to. People couldn't believe it.
Seo Eun changed.
Her pony tail used to be uncombed and tied at the bottom of her head, close to her neck. Now, it was tied higher with a lovely neon pink rubber band wrapped around her soft bundle of brown-red hair. It was a small change of hairstyle, yet it brought so much difference for now everyone could see she actually had the perfect shape of a head. She did put in a little more effort in the combing, and now her hair was neat and brushed, her curls gentle and free. Her skirt didn't drag below her knees, now it rose a little. Not as short as the other girls, but it was elegant and sweet. Her calves were now fully exposed, and they were actually fair and slim, no scratches, no dirt, no scars. And the most differentiating element - Her spectacles was not clung onto her face.
Now, Seo Eun's eyes seemed to have a world on their own - Free from the frames. And when people in school had contact with the pair of sparkling eyes, an inaudible 'lock' sound was heard.
Seo Eun had a face that was quite improbable in its loveliness - Not what you would call perfect, because perfect implied a humdrum of orderliness of features, and Seo Eun's features were definitely not in perfect placings. It was a starkly original design ; unusually high, sweeping brows, a conventional, soft and pimple-free nose, and her lips was a rosebud, her cheeks round like buns, fair with tangibility. Yet these small imperfections only made her more striking.
No one paid attention to Seo Eun's eyes last time. But now, everyone could see it so clearly. They were shaped like semi-circles, like an inviting tunnel of secrets - Steely and dark. Yet when you gazed at them, it was so bright and kind. And it was as though her eyes itself was strong enough to convey messages to you, telling you that she had made a change.
Changed for the better.
It was the big day for Rugby players. And everyone had gathered at the magnificent field. It was a roaring event with tons of bustling about. Numerous students had their jerseys on to show support for honourable teams, and majority of them were munching on popcorn and jumping about. Students piled the front row seats, taking a glimpse of the eye-catching cheerleaders.
Baekhyun was tasked to take photos for the big event, and he felt as though it was a dream come true. With an expensive camera hung on his neck, he wore a huge smile on his face, capturing the things he saw.
Snap.
Seo Eun spotted him despite the huge crowd of people. She was seated with Yuri, and talking about Yuri, she was squealing with excitement and delight the whole time ever since she saw Seo Eun's change. Seo Eun watched him interview students and take pictures of the crowd. Then, she realised the young boy and his camera was soon fixated on her.
Embarrassed, she looked away and pretended to be indulged in a conversation with her friends.
Baekhyun let out a boyish chuckle. Is that Seo Eun?
Snap.
He looked at what the lenses caught and unknowingly smiled to himself. Those eyes and cheeks, that's Seo Eun alright.
And then he rememberred Jae Yi would be performing that day as well. With the camera in his hands, he squeezed his way down the stairs.
15 January | Sunny
Some things are better left unsaid, some things are better left unseen.
|
Baekhyun wished he didn't see what he had seen there and then.
Jae Yi was against the wall, dressed in her cheerleading uniform. With Suho in his jersey, his hands on her waist, their mouths interlocked.
And Jae Yi didn't struggle, she loved it. With poms poms strewn on the floor and her mini red skirt tightly gripped by her ex-boyfriend, that was not an imagination.
Speechless, Baekhyun turned around, his fingers shrivelled like dead leaves upon releasing his camera.
There was nothing good to snap anymore.
In a blink of an eye, the word spreaded around school like wildfire. Jae Yi didn't give him a proper explaination, and Baekhyun might not have acknowledged it either. And suprisingly, Baekhyun didn't cry, nor did he hate her. Because he realised that he didn't really love her like he thought he did.
It was a clean breakup.
Baekhyun couldn't really joke or talk like he usually would for a few days, and the liveliness of his clique seemed to extinguish like fire in the wind. He would sigh abruptly, stand up and leave even while Xiumin talked about the food he had for dinner. Baekhyun didn't intend to be rude, because he never was. But this time, he really had to take a breather.
Quickly, Seo Eun learnt about the break up. And she also heard that Jae Yi even bought a mango smoothie as a break up 'departure' drink.
What is my cousin thinking? A smoothie as an apology? Baekhyun doesn't even like mangoes!
Jae Yi had made use of Baekhyun to get back at Suho. Suho was charming and rich. Everyone goes gaga, and Jae Yi was no exception. Typical.
Jae Yi also changed her username again. It was no longer @jaebyun_98. It was now @jae_ho98.
There was something that always remained the same in all the changing of her usernames. It was the year she was born. She never failed to put herself wherever she went. Pride was priority.
Seo Eun posted a singular picture. It was about how she had made a change and how she felt about it, together with a mini comic strip of a drawing : A boy with a dark cloud hovering him, and a girl with oversized spectacles at the corner with the word bubble :
Watching your crush feel crushed, knowing him better than anyone else, yet unable to be there for him.
Many girls commented on it, saying they could relate to how she felt.
And that day, Seo Eun's online friend was nowhere to be seen.
There was no @quietguy1234.
However, thankfully, there were some things that have not changed. Like the morning bus rides Seo Eun took.
Baekhyun climbed up the bus, and once again, he didn't look at anyone. Seo Eun was a little disappointed, because she thought this time he would notice that she was in the same bus with him all along.
That day was a little different though. An unfamiliar old lady was on the bus as well. And because of her, the bus had to keep coming to a halt.
Seo Eun was curious, and Baekhyun removed his earpiece.
"I'm lost....." She whimpered to the bus driver.
"I want to go to...." She dragged slowly, trying to figure out where she was.
The bus driver waited patiently.
"Oh, where are we?"
"We're at Bunsang Street, are you alright?" The kind bus driver said.
The old lady didn't respond, she just nodded her head and walked to the front seat beside Baekhyun.
She looked around cautiously as the bus continued to drive.
"Wait..." She tugged at Baekhyun's arm, her eyes fleeting with worry. "Where are we again?"
Only then Seo Eun and Baekhyun and the other passengers knew the odds.
The old lady was suffering from amnesia. Patiently, Baekhyun guided her and she managed to get off at the right stop. She praised Baekhyun and waved goodbye, her face creased with smiles of gratitude.
All she wanted was to meet her son at a nearby food market.
20 January | Cloudy
There are edges around the black and every now and then a flash of colour streaks out of the gray. But sometimes we cannot really grasp any of the silver memories that emerge.
The old lady I met today still smiled despite being lost and forgetful.
I'm thankful I still see things like it was yesterday. I'm glad I still remember who I am even after changing a little of my self.
I'm thankful Baek remembers my name at least. That's good enough
:)
Goodnight,
Seo Eun
As soon as Seo Eun uploaded her drawing of the bus incident, comments were flushed out from everywhere. They complimented her on how well she drew the old lady, how original it all was. But none of them saw the meaning of her art. No one actually read between the lines. Maybe because her drawing obviously had no lines. But still, Seo Eun was trying to convey that we should all treausre what we have.
If you have woken up today and you remember what you had for dinner last night, you are blessed, for some across the globe have not eaten for days. If you wake up and can see the colours of the sky, you should be thankful, for some were blind since they were born.
And if you wake up thinking you are not good enough for society, you should reflect, because some can't even remember who they once were.
Reply from @quietguy1234 : @pinktips_ : ... You take Bus 851 too..?
Seo Eun was stunned. He takes Bus 851 too? But she wasn't going to reveal anything yet.
Reply from @pinktips_ : @quietguy1234 : Nope. Random bus number.
Seo Eun was quite shocked. She tried to remember the passengers on the bus, her photographic memory was brilliant.
There was always the lanky schoolboy who picked his nose and drooled on his uniform. Seo Eun shivered. Could she have been talking to him for the past few weeks? Definitely didn't seem like it.
What about the female punk who wore shades and a gum in a mouth? Maybe she could have changed her gender on the net. Who knew?
Seo Eun thought about the other passengers for a while.
It had been three weeks since the break up when Baekhyun found Seo Eun sipping on some soya milk beside the pavilion. She looked peaceful. And Baekhyun was attracted. By then, Seo Eun's self confidence in school had risen, and she was more well-known than before. But she wasn't changed. She was still her.
"You're holding your sketchbook again." He said, his voice as calm as the waters lying on the pavillion.
Baekhyun sat down, his arms stretched behind the bench. If he had tipped his fingers, they would brush Seo Eun's hair. They talked about the homework they were receiving, the stress they had to manage. It was a good thing they didn't talk about rather sensitive things. Like Baekhyun's break up or Seo Eun's sudden change in appearance. But it wasn't as though they had avoided it on purpose. They just knew.
And somehow, their conversation led to Baekhyun flipping the pages again.
That was when he came to her comic section. Baekhyun couldn't believe what he was seeing. All those word bubbles, style of drawing, the similar pictures as what he saw on his favourite webcomic site.
He cocked his head with a quizzical look at the yong girl beside him. She tilted her head in imitation, half smiling like a cheeky child.
Baekhyun laughed cheerily, "Okay, this is going to sound crazy," he cleared his throat. "But I think I know you."
Seo Eun raised an eyebrow. "Of course you do, if not you wouldn't -"
"No, no," Baekhyun put his hands up. "I mean," He tried to craft his sentence. Then he sighed and smiled lopsidedly.
"Are you... Pinktips?"
Seo Eun's shock compelled to hang.
"D-Don't tell me..." She stuttered and jerked a finger at Baekhyun.
Baekhyun playfully pushed her finger downwards and started nodding while laughing.
"Quietguy 1 2 3 4?!" They both shouted elatedly in tandem, earning a few glances from some passers-by.
Then they erupted in a peals of laughter. And that was the start of a deeper friendship.
Unknown minutes turned to two hours that Baekhyun and Seo Eun talked non-stop about how silly it was that they had already aquired a friendship behind their keyboards. Baekhyun spilled all his queries and compliments about her webcomic and Seo Eun was smiling so much she thought her cheek muscles would tear any moment. It was so funny how Baekhyun just took a seat beside her. So unusual that he never felt like he had the energy to talk and laugh anymore after a tiring day at school. Yet it was like the empty seat beside her was meant for Baekhyun.
The next morning, there seemed to be a glow in Baekhyun as he went up the bus. This time, he looked inside the bus carriage. And Seo Eun didn't hide like she did previously. Even though she wouldn't stutter anymore, seeing Baekhyun every morning was as though it was the first time.
And as though her heart had been caught in the net, she stopped breathing as Baekhyun skipped his front seat and walked deeper into the bus.
The seat beside Seo Eun was empty, of course. Fate made it be. Because fate was clever - It knew all along who that seat belonged to. None other than Byun Baekhyun.
"Can I sit here?" Baekhyun asked as he motioned to the empty seat. He tilted his head and flashed a roguish smile.
"50 cents!" Seo Eun took out her palm and ordered. She was so suprised that she daringly teased Baekhyun.
Baekhyun slapped her hands away gently and Seo Eun dusted the seat mockingly.
It was their first time ever that they shared seats to school. And there was no need to wreck up a conversation to dispel any awkward moments. Because there wasn't any. And dear Baekhyun and Seo Eun seemed to have an endless capacity for laughing pleasantly together about inane topics. Baekhyun felt happy, simple content that had never been achieved when he was with Jae Yi.
It didn't take more than two weeks before both of them developed feelings for each other. Just that Seo Eun already liked him long ago. And this Baekhyun was aware, because he read every single comic she posted.
Seo Eun used to have to scroll through more than 10 conversations to the bottomest of her Whatsapp conversations just to stalk Baekhyun's last seen. And when she did, she stopped by Jae Yi's one too, hoping that her last seen's wouldn't have a match with Baekhyun or that could mean theyhad been talking to one another. But now she didn't have to go through all that anymore, because Baekhyun and her conversation would always be at the top.
They hardly talked on the webcomic anymore, because they now had each others' numbers. ( Baekhyun would playfully give silly comments on her wall posts still )
Instead of the typing, quite frequently Baekhyun would call her at night and they would hear each other's voice in the quiet, both with congenial longing.
"Why did you call yourself Pinktips?" Baekhyun cooed as he carefully Seo Eun's hair.
It was night time. The velvety darkness was like a blanket, covering them from cold reality, bringing them comfort and security. There was so much peace and beauty on the hill as they both admired the night sky aglow with the bright city lights.
"Because I like pink," Seo Eun turned to face Baekhyun, only a few centimeters away from him.
"..And," she mumbled as she was now distracted at how Baekhyun's eyes were more beady in the dark, a thin sap of water protecting his pupil. Their breathing caressed each others' faces.
"Tell me later." Baekhyun smiled and said quietly as he cupped her soft cheeks and slowly slanted his lips over hers.
With the night breeze and the little rustle of leaves, they both shared their first kiss.
That was when Seo Eun felt like she was a jug of butterflies, and now that the fragile glass lid was opened, the butterflies had gushed out freely, fluttering high above like sparks of amber, but their freedom was short-lived - As they were selfishly snatched by the hands of Fate to be plastered onto the night sky as a star.
And maybe that was why that night suddenly grew a blanket of stars that stretched to infinity.
The stars were twinkling, as though delightfully congratulating both of them.
But the night was special and genuine because Fate felt like making it so.
And so when Fate wanted things to change, it will deal them a particularly mischievous hand, cruel or not.
Just that what was in the package with this lovely serenity were challenges Baekhyun and Seo Eun couldn't see.
The chilly night stretched out open and clear, vast and peaceful. They held each other in embrace, for they had every intention of keeping it so.
1 February | Chilly
I had my first kiss today. It was with Baekhyun.
Thank God I wasn't wearing my huge glasses,
.
.
.
Or I wouldn't be able to kiss him back
Comment okay? Feel free to! /hugs/
EXCEPT FOR XINYI AND SHIMIN AHAHAHAHA my love goes out there to you. And Roxanne for being so sweet. See you all in school <3
By the way... there's quite a lot of 'reading through the lines' here. I hope you spot some :)
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