“He’s back, Soo Hee. Joon Myeon is back.”

Soo Hee felt her chest constrict as she gasped for air. He’s back? She could feel her heart hammering in her chest as everything around her seemed to become so distant.

“Earth to Soo Hee! Hello?!”

She leaned back in surprise as Jae Hee snapped her fingers in front of her face. Soo Hee tried to shake her head to gain focus but it just seemed pointless. The moment she heard his name out of Jae Hee’s mouth, her whole world came to a stop.

“I’m sorry, Soo Hee. We had no intention of surprising you.” Ha Ra emphasized the word ‘surprised’ as she glared at Jae Hee who just shrugged.

“Are you okay?” Ha Ra asked.

“I’m…” Soo Hee couldn’t get any words out. Honestly, she didn’t even know what to feel. She was battling it out between feeling happiness or sadness. She just clutched on her blanket as she tried to force a smile.

“I’m fine… I think.” Her voice came out unsure.

“You ‘think’?”

“Well… I don’t kn-”

“Shouldn’t you be happy that he’s finally back?!” Ha Ra exclaimed.

“I-”

“You should just break up with him, Soo Hee. He deserves it, anyway.” Jae Hee interrupted.

“He came back! Why should she break up with him?!” Ha Ra retorted.

“Because he made her cry a lot!”

“Guys, stop! Please! I can’t hear myself thi-” Soo Hee started to shout as she covered her ears to block out their annoying shouts when the door opened.

“What’s going on here?” Chan Yeol and Yi Fan came walking back into the room, worried.

“We heard shouting. What’s happening?” Yi Fan asked the girls. Soo Hee sighed and just pointed at her two friends who were currently looking away from each other.

“You’re amazing sister just told her that Joon Myeon is back.” Ha Ra explained sarcastically.

“And that she should break up with him.” Jae Hee added making Soo Hee grunt in disbelief.

“Why did you tell her?!” Chan Yeol looked at Jae Hee disbelievingly.

“That’s what I asked her.” Ha Ra shrugged.

“Wait, Yeollie… You knew?” Soo Hee asked as she looked at Chan Yeol, a tad confused. Chan Yeol looked at his cousin for a split second before averting his gaze from hers just as fast. A simple nod was his only response.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier. I just didn’t feel like you were ready.” Chan Yeol explained as he placed his hands on her shoulders. His eyes showed a hint of sadness and anger?

“When did he come back?” Soo Hee asked, her voice cracking.

“Last week.” Chan Yeol sighed. Soo Hee looked at her cousin with wide eyes. Suho came back last week. Last week. All self-control disappeared and she snapped as she pulled on Chan Yeol’s hair, an action she does whenever she is mad or annoyed at him.

“You idiot! Why didn’t you tell me?! Argh! You’re so annoying!” She screamed.

“I’m sorry! Ow! Ow! Hey! Stop it!” Chan Yeol tried to pry her hands off his head but Soo Hee clung on, her anger rising by the second.

“How dare you not tell me!” Soo Hee cried out loud.

“Soo Hee, stop! Chan Yeol is getting hurt!” Ha Ra tried to pull her friend’s hands away from the shouting ChanYeol.

“That’s enough.” It was Yi Fan’ voice which made Soo Hee finally stop as he grabbed her wrist. She looked up at him to see his placid face but the irritation in his eyes was evident.

“I’m sorry.”

She looked at Chan Yeol who had his head bowed low in guilt. Soo Hee bit her lower lip to stop herself from uttering another outburst as she exhaled a long exaggerated breath. Soo Hee hid herself under the blankets and turned away from the crowd of people in her room.

“Soo Hee? Hey, please don’t do that.” Chan Yeol was shaking his cousin slowly, trying to get her attention but she didn’t want to see his face right now. It hurts to think that he kept the fact that Suho has come back from her, but what hurts the most is the fact that she doesn’t even know if she should be happy or not.

~mylovewillprotectyou~ 

“Welcome home, Soo Hee!” Soo Hee’s mother greeted her with a hug and a kiss on the cheek as soon as she entered her home with Chan Yeol accompanying her. He earlier insisted on walking her home even though she didn’t even dare look at him nor talk. She didn’t like ignoring him but she felt so mad at the moment, all rational reason just left her.

“I’ll be heading out now, Auntie.”

Soo Hee looked back at Chan Yeol who was by the door. He gave out a small smile before turning his back and walking out the door until  Soo Hee’s mother stopped him.

“Yeol, please have dinner with us! It’s the least I can do for always being there for Soo Hee here.” Her mother explained. Soo Hee watched as Chan Yeol beamed another small smile before re-entering the door.

“I’ll just get dinner ready, so in the meantime, you kids just play around, okay?”

“Mom, we’re not kids anymore.” Soo Hee replied with a sigh. Her Mother just laughed before leaving them to themselves.

“I’m sorry, Soo Hee. I really am. I just didn’t want you to g-” Chan Yeol started to say before Soo Hee cut him off.

“Get hurt. I know, Yeollie.” She gave him a small smile which he returned a thousand fold. She could never stay mad at this lovable giant-of-a-cousin of hers. They both plopped down on the couch and proceeded to flip through the channels when she suddenly asked him.

“So why did you not tell me?”

Chan Yeol knew how important this matter was to his cousin. He knew how much Soo Hee cared and loved Suho for he was a common witness of their sweet affairs and rendezvous, always acting as the messenger and more or less like cupid. It was through Chan Yeol that Soo Hee even met Suho in the first place.

“Soo Hee, meet Joon Myeon. He’s the newest member of Yi Fan’ gang. He’s pretty smart and rich too, but he’s short.” Chan Yeol remarked as he slung an arm around Soo Hee’s shoulders.

It was a weekend and Soo Hee has decided to invite Chan Yeol to watch a movie with her like they always do whenever one of them was bored. Chan Yeol’s mom said that he was at school when she visited his home so she made her way to school, planning to drag him to the movies.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Soo Hee.” Joon Myeon smiled at her. If a smile was like a diamond, this guy had about a sack of it. His smile was oozing with charm that Soo Hee found really hard to ignore. She returned his smile with one of her own.

“Okay, now that you guys know each other, I’ll leave you alone.” Chan Yeol stated as he turned his back from them.

“Wait, what?! I came here to invite you to a movie!” Soo Hee half-shouted at him. He just gave her one of his goofy smiles and waved her off, saying that Yi Fan invited him to an action movie first. Soo Hee sighed and repeatedly stomped her foot in irritation, not remembering that someone was still standing next to her.

“Um… Is everything alright?” Joon Myeon asked. Soo Hee looked at the two tickets in her hand and without further thinking about it she grabbed Joon Myeon by the wrist and started dragging him towards the movies.

“Wait, where are we going?!” He stopped in his tracks and pulled his hand away from hers, making Soo Hee realize what she just did. She blushed in pure embarrassment.

“To the movies. I want to watch ‘The Princess of the Sea’ and since I have two tickets and that cousin of mine abandoned me, I want you to watch with me instead.” Soo Hee carefully explained while trying to look as casual as ever.

“The Princess of the Sea?” Joon Myeon looked at her with a tinge of excitement in his eyes as he smiled widely again, exposing those perfect white pearls.

“Um, yeah.” Soo Hee just nodded in agreement, her eyes still fixed on his perfect smile.

“I’ll come with.” He then grabbed her hand and pulled her forward as he walked in front of her. Soo Hee could feel her cheeks burn at the sudden contact and she let herself be pulled away as she watched his back.

~mylovewillprotectyou~ 

“Yah, stop crying already.” Joon Myeon tried to wipe away the tears on Soo Hee’s face with his handkerchief. They were outside the cinema and Soo Hee was crying her heart out for a good thirty minutes now.

“I c-can’t h-help i-it.” Soo Hee sniffed as she rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand.

“I really feel sorry for Arielle. She went through so much… She didn’t have to die, right?” Soo Hee breathed in and tried to smile as Joon Myeon wiped the remaining tear stains from her cheeks.

“She did it for the person she loved. I think that’s what true love means. To be ready to sacrifice anything just to see the person you love happy, even if it meant never being by his side.”

Soo Hee felt her breath hitch as Joon Myeon held her chin and tilted it as he continued to wipe. She looked at his ever-so-concentrating eyes and couldn’t help but giggle. He was so serious!

“Are you finally broken?” He asked jokingly, earning a light smack from her. He smiled back and offered to walk her home which, she didn’t know why, she happily agreed to.

~mylovewillprotectyou~ 

“Thanks for today, Joon Myeon-oppa.” Soo Hee smiled as they stood just outside the gate of her home.

“Suho. Call me ‘Suho’. It’s my nickname.” He said. She looked at him, shocked. They barely knew each other and he was already telling her to call him by his nickname! Soo Hee didn’t know what to say so she just nodded and faced the ground.

“Well?”

Soo Hee looked at him in curiosity.

“Say it! I want to hear how my name sounds like from you!” He exclaimed excitedly. She could feel her heart starting to beat faster than usual and her face getting hot.

“S-suho-oppa.” Soo Hee embarrassedly said in a whisper. She heard him laugh and the next thing she knew, he was ruffling her hair like she was a kid.

“Sounds good. It was nice meeting you, Soo Hee-ssi. I’ll be going now. See you tomorrow!” He waved goodbye as he started to jog-run away, his smile so bright in the dim-lit road.

“Goodnight, Suho-oppa.” She smiled to herself before entering her house, all the while repeating and testing the taste of his name on her tongue.

Soo Hee waited for Chan Yeol to answer. He was obviously trying to think of the right words to say. She poked his cheek and he looked at her, surprised.

“Well?” She asked.

“I don’t know what to say. I think it’s better if you find out by yourself, Soo. I’m sorry.” He frowned and looked at her with sad eyes. Soo Hee felt hopeless. Why wasn’t he telling her? What’s he hiding?

Soo Hee looked at the screen and pondered until something finally hit her. Why didn’t Suho tell her that he was back? Why hasn’t he contacted her yet?

Soo Hee felt stupid, naïve, and clueless. She is so slow. Why didn’t she realize those facts sooner? Soo Hee grumbled as she massaged her aching temples, oblivious to the worried looks that Chan Yeol was giving her.

Only one question lingered in her mind for the entire night.

Why didn’t Suho tell her that he has returned?

AUTHOR'S NOTE :

I AM SO FRIGGIN SORRY TO THE SUBSCRIBERS OF THIS STORY.

Recently, my hometown got caught up in a storm surge and it wasn't pretty. My devices were all destroyed and most of my stuff are wet. Our house is still under construction at the moment, and there was no electricity for the past month. 

I'll be updating soon, though. I'll be changing the point of view of the story and I hope you won't stop reading this. Please wait a while longer. I'd love it if you guys would tell me what you think of the story and if you have suggestions, please don't hesitate to tell me or comment it. 

Ciao for now!