Chapter Twenty Two  -   Decisions 

"Join the charity! It'll be fun!" 

I smiled to the second year student in the blue shirt who handed me a brochure delightfully. I recognized her as Hyuna. She was always the one who organized community service.

"I'll try to attend this," I grinned and took a glance at the colorful paper that she just gave. 

"Thank you! I hope to see you there," 

I nodded at her and walked down the hallway with a smile.

"Hey!" Sungyeol patted my shoulders.

"Hello," I said, still walking.

"Yuri suggests our class to be cooking for the arts festival," he beamed as he moved beside me.

"Mmh," I hummed with a sarcastic smile. 

"What?" 

"When are you going to ask her out?"

"Wait, wait, wait. I've only been hitting on her for like what? Not even a month. It's too fast," 

"Yeah, right, too fast," I rolled my eyes as we entered the cafeteria and took a tray.

"So you think I should ask her out?" He asked excitedly. 

"See! I knew it! You just want me to tell you to ask Yuri out when you already had it in mind," I scoffed as we took our food and waded through the sea of people to our table. 

"Can you not say her name out loud?" He said in a hushed tone.

"Okay fine, sorry," I apologized and we sat down.

I felt that something was not right once I sat. Like there was something out of nature and it was bugging me so badly. Turns out, it was because of Ailee sitting beside me. That spot was Minjae's and it was supposed to be empty. No, no, I didn't feel hurt whatsoever that someone had 'replaced' her. What is more of my concern was that Ailee and Dongwoo weren't talking. The male kept on sending guilty glances to the girl beside me who just gazed down at her healthy platter silently. 

I frowned and realized that yeah, the table was awkwardly silent. I glanced to Sunggyu and eyed them, asking him what happened telepathically. Sunggyu shrugged his shoulders silently. I sighed and started eating. 

"Woohyun, Mrs. Im is checking our homework today," Sungyeol said, his voice weirdly cracking. 

I mentally palm faced myself. Sungyeol obviously failed in making the situation less awkward. 

"Oh... I'll have to copy someone's then," Woohyun muttered, making the situation worse, while holding his laugh. 

Sora nudged his waist and glared daggers to the male who then lowered his head down. 

"Oh! By the way, are you guys ready for the Arts week?" Raina asked confidently. 

"Ah... Arts week," Hoya grunted. He always hated arts week because well, art wasn't just his thing you know. 

"What is your class doing Ailee?" The quiet sungjong asked from the corner of the table. From his glistening wide eyes, I could sense that he was having some hidden intention. That's it. From now on, I  that he could read minds. I didn't care if anyone else denies it but his instinct was bugging me.

"Oh," Ailee smiled nervously and fidgeted on her seat, she glanced at Dongwoo once before answering, "We're doing a haunted house," she said. 

"That sounds interesting," Sungyeol beamed, "Will Dongwoo hyung be the ghost?" 

Dongwoo looked a little taken aback when he was thrown with the question that he let out his fake chuckle, "Uh... Our class haven't actually agreed upon that, right Ailee?" 

"We agreed upon this Dongwoo," she muttered and suddenly, tension was all over us.

"Yeah, but the class suggest we do another theme since our budget isn't enough," Dongwoo explained slowly although it seemed that he had been doing it for the nth time.

Ailee sighed and stood up, "Do whatever you want. I thought you said yes," 

Dongwoo groaned and dropped his head on the table. Woohyun looked him with sympathy and massaged the elder's shoulder. 

"Figure it out man," Woohyun said.

Dongwoo took one deep heavy breath before standing up, catching Ailee. 

No one said anything after the both of them left. Funny though, I immediately remembered the moment Sungjong told me that Ailee and Dongwoo wouldn't last. I took a glance at Sungjong and unsurprisingly, he was looking back at me, shrugging his shoulders once we made eye contact. I could only him a sad smile with an inaudible sigh. 

I guess he was right. 

-***-

"Look, you just need to multiply the mass with the acceleration to find the force," Sunggyu explained with his teeth gritted. 

"But there are two masses! See!" I retorted, pointing to the black printed question, "This is why I hate phyiscs! They never give you information clearly!" 

"It's just you who never reads the question carefully," he rolled his eyes. 

"Ah... Let's just eat I'm hungry. Do you want a chinese delivery?" I asked and immediately closed my book before Sunggyu could avoid me from doing so. 

He sighed and plopped himself on my bed, "Nara, your finals are coming," 

"I know Sunggyu, and believe me, I'm trying my best okay. It's just now, my head feels like burning and you can't force me to study in this condition," I said and I was telling the truth, really. 

I had revised my biology and chemistry yesterday and the day before. I had even practiced my maths on top of that. 

"Yeah, yeah. Go order whatever you want," he said reluctantly. 

I took my cellphone and sat beside him before ordering two sweet and sour chicken for us. 

"What's your class making for the arts festival by the way?" I asked once I hung up the line.

"Third years aren't allowed to join arts festival. Don't you remember?" 

"Oh right! Graduating classes aren't allowed to join," I pouted while fiddling with the end of my bed cover, "By the way Sunggyu, do you think Ailee and Dongwoo will... break up?" 

"They haven't? I thought they did," his eyes zeroed.

"They did?!" I exclaimed.

"No! I'm not sure okay? Calm down, geez," He rolled his eyes and muttered, "But I heard someone saying they did," 

"I should ask Sungyeol about that," 

Sunggyu shook his head in annoyance, "Why do girls always want to know about everything?"

"Why do boys have to be so ignorant?" I snapped. 

Just then, the doorbell rung and I went out after taking my wallet. As expected, it was my delivery. The delivery guy handed me the plastic and I went inside my room again, not forgetting to thank him. 

"Here is our food," I sang as I opened the plastic bag above my bed, "I'm going to excuse you this one time to eat inside my room so you better not take this for granted and dirty my bed," 

"Okay, Nara. I'm well aware you have a minor OCD," Sunggyu spoke and opened his box, "How's you and Myungsoo?" 

Kim Myungsoo. I chuckled at myself. Even by listening to his name, my heart hopped a beat.

"We're so good," I smiled as I bit my chopstick, "How about you and him?" 

"We're okay... Well, since that basketball match with Jaeryul," 

I nodded and gulped my rice, "Oh! How about you and your crush?" I suddenly remembered. 

Sunggyu stopped chewing for a second before he continued what he was doing (chewing that was by the way), "She seems... Fine," 

"Can't you tell me in what class she is- well, at least what grade is she in?" I pleaded. 

"She's a first year,"

"First year? Oh my God, I didn't know you were into young girls! Is she in my class?" I asked excitedly.

"Not telling you," he said cooly.

"I freaking hate you!" I shrieked.

-***- 

Sungyeol poked me with his pencil as I was trying to concentrate on the english revision that was just handed out. 

"So... You're going out with Myungie tonight huh?" He wiggled his eyebrows. 

"How did you know?! Did he tell you?" I was holding myself back to not exclaim at the class, which was, at the moment, full of peace and serenity.

"I found out by myself. Relax," he rolled his eyes.

"And how did you find out?" I threw him a suspicious look.

He shrugged and leaned back, "Myungsoo kept on smiling today, you keep on smiling right now, and I'm not stupid," 

I nodded although I was aware that he wasn't able to see me with his back facing me. 

"Have you planned on what to wear today?"

No.

And that was why Sora and Ailee was inside my room right now, throwing every single dress I have, out of my cupboard.

"How about this? I think it'll look good on you," Ailee spread my old purple dress, which I doubted if I could still slip into it.

I shook my head, "No, it makes me look fat. Can't I just wear a skirt and shirt?" 

Sora stood up and sighed in front of my cupboard. Okay, it was true that I didn't have all these kinds of fashionable, sophisticated dresses and gowns that an average sixteen year old should have. My cupboard consists of t-shirts and shorts, and school uniforms, well, mostly. I did have formal dresses and skirts, but I haven't worn it in ages so.... I wasn't sure about that. 

Sora dug out something from behind and revealed a sleeveless knee-length navy blue dress, which I didn't even remember of buying or having it, when she pulled her hand out, "How about this one?" 

I took a good look at it before finally nodding. After taking a bath and wearing it, I judged myself at the mirror and smiled faintly. Why hadn't I find this dress before? 

"You look good," Ailee commented behind me with a smile.

"Now, we'll help you with your hair," 

"No!" I exclaimed, a little too loud I think that it made the both of them startled, "I mean, no. Sorry for shouting, but I don't want to... overdo this you know," 

Sora nodded, "Then at least let me comb your hair?" 

I nodded too and she did something that only involved the comb brushing against my hair, and yet it made my bangs looked good and neater. I was never fond of braiding or styling up my hair you see.

"Done, now you're ready," Ailee stood behind me while putting my hair gently to the front. 

I stood up and smiled to them, "Thanks a bunch, I owe you guys one," 

"No problem," 

I swirled myself in front of the mirror and adjusted my dress once again.

"You're already pretty," Ailee laughed, "Stop fiddling with the dress," 

I pouted and sat on my bed. The both of them joined me.

"Are you still mad at Dongwoo?" I asked carefully.

Ailee's cheerful expression immediately changed. I bit my bottom lip, wondering if I had asked the wrong question while Sora just sat there with her usual calm face, waiting for Ailee's answer.

"We're arguing quite a lot these days," she sighed, "I don't know what's wrong really. I mean, being together for almost a year, we should already be able to understand each other and all, but it turned out that there are so many things that we had been keeping from each other," 

"That's the hardest phase," Sora said, "Me and Woohyun fight too, but being able to finish it with a win-win solution, that's the difficult part," 

"No, it's not that we fight so often, but it's just... Sometimes when I see this new side of his personality, I'm really surprised that I haven't realized it after all this time with him," 

"Like?" I also wanted to know what should I expect when I date somebody later.

"Like say we're together in this restaurant, and all. We would talk about usual stuffs, but then, sometimes I feel that we don't really connect. Like when we talk, he would just grin at me, even if I'm talking about some serious matter," 

"Let me tell you something Ailee. Honestly, for the past one year, I think Dongwoo has been acting the same way," Sora started and made herself comfortable, crossing her legs, "Do you remember on the first half of your dating period, what you always tell us about his grin?" 

Ailee shook her head while I tried to remember. The topic was an interesting one although I wasn't involved anyway in it.

"You said that he was cute," Sora spoke, and I immediately remembered the time when Ailee always bragged about Dongwoo to us. I felt funny though.

Ailee raised her left brow, "I did?" 

"You did," I nodded. 

She laughed with no humor, and leaned her head on the wall, "What am I going to do now?" She whined. 

Break him up? Oh geez, Sungjong, just be a damn fortune teller.

"Should I... Break up with him?" Ailee asked uncertainly.

"It's you who knows what to do," Sora said.

"Look, the decision is yours, but I'll tell you something. Let's be honest here and have a girl's talk. Woohyun is also sometimes too whiny and cranky and all. And I really dislike it when he does that, but I would always tell him implicitly that he's being annoying. And once he knows that I'm annoyed, he would stop his act. Now what I'm trying to say is, there will be at least a quality from your guy that you don't like, but you have to try to work things out. You don't like his grin? Then tell hi

m slowly not to grin when you guys talk about serious things. Just you know... Try to work it out," 

Ailee nodded after listening attentively to Sora. One new thing I found out about Sora: She talks a lot when there's the need to. And she talks really sufficiently and to the point. It was cool, really.

"But... What if things don't work out?" Ailee asked again.

Sora gave a sad smile and shook her head, "You know what to do," 

Hello. Stupid o levels are coming up and I can't even understand chemistry. Screwed. Kay. Bye.

Thanks for reading <3