[CONTENTID1]Chapter 14 Who, not What[/CONTENTID1]

[CONTENTID2]                                                -In front of IU’s house, and it’s raining-

__________IU:   We’re here… *sighs*

________Zelo:    What’s wrong?

__________IU:   Oh, nothing. *fake smile*

________Zelo:    (Hmm now that I think about it, she hasn’t said much about her family.)

__________IU:   W-Well bye bye Zelo. *takes a step*

________Zelo:    IU.

__________IU:   *freeze*

                                                -Thunder roars and it pours-

__________IU:   *looks up at sky*

                                                -Zelo comes from the side of IU, and lean down to gently kiss her on the cheek-

________Zelo:    I love you. *runs away*

                                                -IU stood there for a few seconds until it shank in-

__________IU:   *heart aches* I-I love you too… but I can’t date someone younger than me. That’s just the way I am. *cries*

________Zelo:    (IU, I will definitely change for us. Please wait for me.)

                                                -Sunday morning-

______IU’s Sis:   Umma… IU wasn’t home yesterday too! She’s been going out a lot.

____IU’s Mom:   Mwuh? Has she been doing something shady?

______IU’s Sis:   I don’t know, but yesterday when she came home, her eyes were red and she was drenched in the rain. Something must’ve happened. Could she be doing drugs?

_____IU’s Bro:   *sighs* Umma, nuna was out all day too.

______IU’s Sis:   *screams* Y-YOU be quiet!

____IU’s Mom:   Y-You were home alone?! I have to go talk to that IU. *climbs stairs*

                                                -Pound pound pound-

__________IU:   … *stares at ceiling*

____IU’s Mom:   IU?! Are you finally dead? If not then answer! *leaves while yelling*

__________IU:   *grab headphones and plug to phone* *press play to Zelo’s Rap*

                                                “…Instead of saying I love you, saying I miss you

                                                Is more familiar in our conversation so my heart aches

                                                Every day, I am love sick over you

                                                Everywhere I look, I see you - so do you know how much more I miss you?

                                                …What's so important about that? I'm next to you

                                                Whatever we do, our time together is more precious…”

                                                -IU listened to Zelo’s Rap over and over… the lyrics linger in her heart-

__________IU:   *blank expression* Yes, what’s so important about age differences? N-Nothing is wrong with it… but Zelo’s still a minor. Does that mean I love him? If I don’t, I wouldn’t have cried right? Weren’t kisses supposed to make you feel good? Why was it that when he kissed me… my heart hurts more? Am I feeling guilty? I know it’s too unfair to make us both wait… but that was the only option at the time… *stares blankly at the ceiling* *raise cell phone to face* No texts or phone calls… *sighs* What am I doing…?

                                                -Ring ring; IU sat up quickly and answers the phone-

__________IU:   H-Hello?! *voice slowly fades* …oh Suzy…

________Suzy:   Huh? IU what’s wrong?

__________IU:   It’s not—

________Suzy:   Don’t say it’s nothing! You promised to tell me and Luna EVERYTHING.

__________IU:   *recalls* Ah… right I did.

________Suzy:   (Something really big happened; her voice isn’t as energetic as usual.)

__________IU:   I… I was trying to tell Zelo we should stay friends… but then he became stubborn and begged me to give him a chance. I-It was going to rain and the thunder was really scary, I just said whatever was at the top of my mind… It wasn’t the thunder; I just couldn’t make up my mind to turn him down completely. I told him I’ll wait five years for him. I-It’s not fair, to either of us. SUZY! *cries* uuu… I-I don’t know what to do now… *sniff* Please help me… uuu

________Suzy:   (S-She’s crying…) *heart aches* DON’T CRY! That means you love him RIGHT?!

__________IU:   Eh? …uuu *nods nods* un…

________Suzy:   *sighs* AHHHH! So you are worried because he’s only seventeen?!

__________IU:   *nods* un… *sniff*

________Suzy:   Love doesn’t have a limit… W-Well I’m not one to speak, but you can date, like, love whoever you want. Especially if that person also feels the same, Zelo really like you right?

__________IU:   *nods* UN! *wipes tears*

________Suzy:   We just need to assure you of your feelings first, before this could move on.

__________IU:   *stops weeping* H-How are we going to do that?

________Suzy:   Actually… I called you this morning because last night I got a phone call from Daehyun. He told me that Zelo got home and started acting weird.

__________IU:   E-Eh? Weird? *worries*

________Suzy:   Yeah, he said that Zelo started pressuring him to help Zelo find a job. Daehyun didn’t really want to help him since he’s still in high school.

__________IU:   (A job?)

________Suzy:   The weirdest part was… Zelo was speaking very formal to Daehyun.

__________IU:   H-Huh? How is that weird…?

________Suzy:   I th