Just Friends

The days after i met you - Perseverance Goo Hae-ra (OST) [Jinyoung of B1A4 and Min Hyo-rin]

 Everyone retreated back to the hotel with the full concern of the adults. Jieun massaged her swollen eyes with a cold spoon, looking out at the snowy scenery of Paris. Se-chan and Se-jong walked over and wrapped a blanket over her back. "Are you feeling alright?" they assured her. "We nearly lost you." Jieun nodded with a weak smile and breathed lightly. She felt so bad that she had ruined the family's New year, especially with the way Jin-yi and suzy were staring at her.

 "I'm sorry.. I ruined your new year.." Jieun murmured. She averted eyes with the twins. She couldn't face them after what she had done, how could she? She heard the twins chuckle lightly. They placed an arm on her shoulder and leaned on the couch, pulling her down with them. "We should thank you Jieun," Se-chan laughed. "for making our new years more special."

 Jieun glanced at them, confused.

"Vacations are always fun," they stared out into the scenery. "But if you know what's going to happen, the excitement sort of fades.. you know?"

"What do you mean..?"

"It's always the same every year. arrive on Christmas, sightsee and enjoy the country, spend new years, go back home. you get sick of it after a while." Jieun was silent. she didn't know that you could become sick of being rich, it was the most ridiculous thing she ever heard. But in another sense, she understood since her and their family had been living in a different world their whole life.

  "It's a relief that he found you," Se-jong chuckled, staring at the person who saved Jieun. "He seemed too happy." the twins sniggered, sensing a little something going on. the awkward silence flowed, before the even more awkward question from the twins bounced out of their mouth. 

"Do you like him?" 

Jieun's face started to burn up. "No.." she hummed. the more she stared into his back profile, the more she fell, and the more she couldn't stop. "We're just friends." Jieun smiled awkwardly and tried to avoid any questions, but inside she wasn't sure of her answer. as the twins joked and continued to tease Jieun, he turned around and slowly walked toward Jieun.

"Are you feeling alright?" he asked.

Through his sparkling eyes, Jieun saw her own reflection.

Earlier

 Admist all chaos, Jieun sat up and tried to figure where the sound came from. She was even more scared, now that she was completely alone. "Chanyeol..? Myungsoo..?" she breathed lightly, looking around the place. She tried to budge, but the bruise on her knee was hurting her and she could not get up. she hissed and hunched down, waiting for someone to appear and help her up. It wasn't the first time she walked with a bruise, and she was sure she would do fine.

 Just as she was about to grip herself up, warmth emanated her body.

surprised, she yelped to see a figure hugging her so tight and squeezing the soul out of her. the hug felt so assuring and she found herself responding to the hug, hugging him tighter. she didn't care who it was, just at this moment she didn't care. as she pat him gently, she heard muffled sobbing filled with fear, yet hope. She knew who it was, she didn't have to look to tell.

 She pat his hair gently and broke the hug, staring into his tear swollen face.

"I'm fine," she chuckled with slurred tears. "Chanyeol."

He breathed unevenly, hugging her so tight. 

"How can you just disappear like that..? do you know how worried i was?" he croaked.

"I'm sorry.." she whispered.

She heard the station ring with bells, marking 12AM. It was new years, and for the first time she wasn't alone. she laughed and embraced Chanyeol tighter. It was like cradling a little baby, only in her embrace would he shut up. over his shoulders, she saw Myungsoo and Se-chan rush down the escalator, halting as soon as they saw Jieun. she saw Se-chan gripping his knees to catch his breath, and Myungsoo who stood there blankly.

The camera in his hand dropped to the floor and the film fell out.

"Chanyeol," she whispered. "everyone's here now." she escaped his hug and ran towards Myungsoo. she stared at his pale face and punched him lightly, but he wouldn't budge. "Myungsoo, this looks expensive you shouldn't drop things.." she murmured, picking up the film and sticking it back inside the camera. she hung it over his neck and smiled stiffly, as if nothing had happened.

 He looked at her with teary eyes, which seemed to dry away before she even noticed.

He glanced at her hands and saw that she was wearing the red gloves, nice and tight. he grinned and slowly, hugged her. She felt his heavy sigh flying away as he breathed it out. "Are you okay...?" he asked quietly. his voice was filled with shock, but he seemed to be dodging it well. "Yes, i'm fine." she whispered back and released the hug, as if something was bothering her. 

 She laughed stiffly and returned back to Chanyeol, who was like a sloppy jelly on the floor.

Myungsoo stared at the two and closed his eyes, turning back. 

"Let's go Se-chan," he grit his teeth. "We found her, she's okay. She's.." he paused, and the tear that he tried to hold in finally fell. 

"Fine."

-END-

 Chanyeol examined her bruised knee. He brought a first aid kit and began applying ointment to her knees. She didn't know why, but it didn't feel right. She remembered the first time she met Myungsoo inside the closet and the way he healed her. The person who made her heart pound. It just wasn't the same. She looked around and saw Myungsoo staring out the window, lost in thoughts. 

 "Jieun," Chanyeol called.

"Y..eah?" she stuttered. 

 He laughed and placed his hand on her forehead. "Did you hear what i said?" "I," she sighed. "sorry.. i was thinking about something else." he nodded understandingly, but not all content because he knew what she was looking at. "You should change bandages first thing in the morning tomorrow." he pat her gently and stared at her hand. She was holding the two drink cans so tightly, almost as if she hadn't realized that she was holding them.

 "What are those for..?" he asked.

She stared down at her hands and saw the two drink cans that almost stuck to her hand because she held them for too long. She rose from the seat and limped all the way over to where Suzy and Jin-yi stood, gossiping amongst themselves. everyone except the adults looked. The two girls turned their gaze and glared at her contemptuously, bothered that she was before their eyes.

 "Here." 

She passed them the can drinks.

The two girls stared at the drink awkwardly. 

"What is this?" Suzy frowned, trying to slip out of the blame. it was obvious what Jieun was doing, and she wasn't going to fall victim. 

"The can drinks you asked for." she blinked twice, staring right into their soul. the four boys stared, confused. Suzy and Jin-yi laughed half heartedly and refused the drink. "What are you talking about Jieun~? we never asked for this!" Jin-yi chuckled and her hair gently.

"You don't have to pay me back," she said. "But next time, try to stay in one spot." she smiled and excused herself to her hotel room. It was awkward to stay in the place anyway. the four boys, except for Yoonhyung, all rose from their seats and walked toward the two girls who were biting their lips in guilt. Chanyeol frowned and glared at the two girls silently. "Was it you two who left her there?" Chanyeol asked with such force that a cold chill blew in the room.

  "N..no! we refused but s..she bought us this!" Suzy threw the can on the floor, which rolled and stopped at Chanyeol's shoe. he picked it up and stared at the can which left Jieun's faint fingerprint. 

"Why would Jieun buy you drinks?" he opened the drink and sipped it. "and a cold one at that too, during winter?" 

"Chanyeol, i can explain it wasn't what you think-" Suzy held onto Chanyeol's wrist. He looked back, purely disappointeed at her. the look that she could never forget, she released his wrist and he was busy following after Jieun. The twins all looked at her wretchedly before they retreated back to their room. Yoon-hyung sat on the bed with his legs crossed, snorting as if he knew it was going to happen.

 "I told you," he said lightly. "Karma would screw you." 

'UGH!" Suzy growled and threw a pillow at Yoon-hyung, who ducked right on time. she stormed out of the room, and the adults who seemed to take no care in the fight. Jin-yi sighed with arrogance and glared at Yoon-hyung who was laughing at the contents of his smart phone. "No wonder you don't have a girlfriend.." she threw her usual spiteful remark and excused herself out of the room.

 He glanced at Myungsoo who was staring out the window by himself.

Perhaps solitude was what he needed, just at this moment.

.  .  .

  After a long gruelsome trip on the plane, the family had returned back to Korea, nice and safe. Chanyeol was beside Jieun the whole time protecting her from y flight attendants who tried to have a go at her. As much as Jieun liked it in France, she had to admit that there was no place like home. the familiar people, the familiar air and the language, this was where she belonged.

 The whole family got off the taxi van, first time returning back home in 2015.

The twins cheered vociferously as they barged into the house, rolling their suitcases against the ground. The housekeeper greeted them warmly and bowed down as everyone entered the house and hauled their suitcases upstairs. Jieun smiled and looked around the large house. It was good coming back to the same place after a long time, because she never had a stable home to go back to.

 She carried her heavy suitcase and hauled it up the stairs, failing everytime.

"I'll carry it for y-" "A ladies man," Myungsoo shoved Chanyeol aside and grabbed her suitcase. He smiled affectionatly as he carried her suitcase, with his in the other hand. She skipped as she followed him to her room. 

"Here you go," he placed her suitcase down gently and waited for her to open the door to her room. 

"Thank you, Myungsoo." she smiled. 

Just as Myungsoo was returning to his room, she called.

"You're smiling more," she laughed. "keep it up." 

Myungsoo grinned back, his smile fading at the sight of Chanyeol. the two bumped shoulders as they passed each other. The two despised each other and nothing seemed to have changed, even with Jieun's efforts. 

 After dinner, Jieun sat on the couch in the atrium and flipped through the television channels with Yoon-hyung. The two had started talking at dinner and realized that he was actually not a bad person, he just seemed like it because he was Jin-yi's brother. Jieun liked this family, because every single second generation person in this household was so dashing, and she wished that she had some of that gene.

 "So how long are you planning on staying?" Yoon-hyung asked, casually resting his feet on the table. "I don't know," she shrugged. "until my father comes back i guess." her voice grew softer. Yoon-hyung ended up prying everything about her stay here and she was actually confessing to it. He nodded as he snatched the remote control and flipped through the channels. 

"How come you're not staying with your mother then?"

The question silenced her. she looked down, hoping that Yoon-hyung would excuse her, but he didn't. "My mother.. ran away from home." she nodded quietly. Yoon-hyung didn't bother to ask any more questions.

"Jieun!" 

She turned back and saw Myungsoo skipping over. It was good to see that he was smiling much more often. a smile suited his face. Yoon-hyung was surprised, seeing the smile on his face. Ever since middle school, Myungsoo was a person whose facial muscles hardly moved. Yoon-hyung stared at Jieun, and he knew.

 'Yeah?" she replied enthusiastically.

"If you don't mind Yoon-hyung," he joked. "I'm going to have to borrow Jieun from you." he stuck up his thumb and grabbed her wrist. Yoon-hyung watched in shock as the two disappeared into Myungsoo's room. He had never seen such a bright smile on his face since.. Suzy. 

 Jieun entered his room and smelled the minty scent.

"First time in my room, right?" he asked. She bit her lips and lied. "Y..eah." 

"I have a gift for you." he exclaimed, offering a chair for Jieun to sit on. Myungsoo's room was so dim and versatile, but that suited him. She heard faint printing and the working of electronics from the hidden corner of the room. not too long, Myungsoo appeared with something hidden behind his back. He smiled and walked towards her, handing her what looked  like a hard cover photo album.

 "This is for me..?"

As Jieun was about to open it, Myungsoo held it down.

"Look at it when you're alone." 

"Alright.." she nodded and closed the album. the two sat down quietly and looked around the room, then out the window. She loved the view from Myungsoo's room, it calmed her down. "I like your room.. did you choose it?" 

"Not really," he shrugged. "My parents insisted that i have this room. what could i say?" 

Jieun nodded lightly.

'Are you and Chanyeol..."

"Yeah?"

"you know.."

"I know...?"

"Interested in each other..?" Myungsoo asked with an half disappointed face.

Jieun chuckled. She found him so adorable the way he blushed and averted eyes with her when he asked the question. She looked at him in the eye and laughed at his adorable expression which he seemed to be ashamed of.

"Myungsoo," she assured. "Chanyeol and i are just friends. He's like a brother to me."

Myungsoo's face lit up and he smiled brighter than ever. 

  After a few hours, Jieun snuck out of his room with the album safely in her two arms. she walked out of the corridors, bumping into Chanyeol. His face hardened as he watched her walk out of the corridor in which Myungsoo's room was situated in. He forced a grin on his face and stared down at the album in her arms. he felt as if his heart was tearing into a million pieces but he held it in, because she could have never looked so happy.

 "What's that?" he asked.

"Oh, it's nothing." she giggled. "Good night!" she rushed inside her room, slamming the door behind her. Chanyeol sighed and looked down, stuffing his hands inside his pocket. It felt as no matter how hard he tried, his efforts always seemed to end up in the wrong direction. 

 Jieun jumped on her bed and opened the album, and to her surprise -

It was an album full of photos of her.

From the first day she set foot into this house, uptil the moment of France. with a satisfactory smile on her face, she flipped to the very last page and saw the engraving on the inner back cover. she ran her hands over it and felt the discern gravings made onto the cover.

Spero si scegli me.

"Italian..?" she murmured to herself. She had no idea what it meant, perhaps she should ask someone. lost in wonderful memories, she fell asleep under the full moonlight of Seoul shining into her room.

I managed to update this Chapter!

I don't really update except for friday, saturday and Sunday but it's a miracle i did today and on a MONDAY at that!

Sorry i'm just really busy and yeah LOL Hmm sorry if you're disappointed by who it was at the train station but you know my way of writing, you can never predict what will happen! Recently i've had alot of dreams where people die and i was kind of in a fearful mood but luckily writing made me forget about it for a while..haha makes me feel scared when i go to sleep >< i'm going off the topic again ishouldstop. I won't be updating until Friday at the most, so please be patient!

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