Chapter 42

Her heart was racing when Kris led her to dance. Her eyes searched for the floor but she ended up stepping on his foot several times. When he told her to look at his eyes instead, she had to chant in her head to keep her heart calm. Looking into his eyes wasn't easy. It felt like his eyes were penetrating hers to see her very heart.

She wondered if he could read her and was partly scared if he knew her heart. She wondered whether he knew that she liked him too... along with another guy. Yeojin despise herself for being like this. She felt like the biggest jerk right now. 

Why did her heart have to feel this way? She never imagined she would have feelings for two guys at the same time yet react differently to both. There was no point to deny that she liked both Kris and Sehun, and she thought she liked them equally in the same way. Nonetheless, she feared of losing Kris but not Sehun. How could the same feelings make herself react differently? How could the same feelings make her want to avoid one but keep another? Or were they not the same? Was her feelings stronger for one than the other then?

Yeojin couldn't seem to find the answer no matter how much she thought about it. One thing she could really understand of herself was guilt when Kris told her of his coming birthday. How could that slip out of her mind? And she dared call herself his friend?

Guilt. Guilt. Guilt.

She hated herself too much now.

It struck her hard when he told her how he missed holding her at night. Had his feelings for her gone that deep? She wondered and could only feel guilty again. After much tossing and turning on her bed, she decided to visit him in his room and congratulate him on his birthday.

Nearing midnight, Yeojin slipped out from the bed careful not to wake her mom. She then crept up to his room only to find it empty. She decided to wait for him for a while. Kris didn't come up for a long time though, and Yeojin remembered she read a boring book before sleepiness overtook her. 

Her sleep was dreamless but she thought she felt tingles on her lips while she was asleep. And it strangely made her all warm and fuzzy inside.

The sound of running water made her closed eyes twitch. Yeojin turned to her side and moaned sleepily as her eyes fluttered open. Squinting an eye, she reached a hand for her phone on the bedside table to check the time. It was still early in the morning, she noted. The sound of running water from the bathroom stopped, and a few seconds later, the door swung open. The fresh smell of soap Kris usually used reached her nose.

"You're awake already?" Kris asked with a tone of surprise. "Go back to sleep. You can wake up in twenty more minutes."

Without turning to look at him, Yeojin nodded placing back her phone and pulled the cover over her again. She hummed in content snuggling her head on the pillow. But not more than two seconds later, her eyes flew open and she sat upright on the bed. She looked around and only then did she realize she was in his room.

Did I fall asleep here last night? She wondered. Of course, dummy! She knocked her own head.

Her eyes then landed on Kris who was going through his drawer and who- to her fear- only had a towel around his waist. Immediately covering her eyes, Yeojin shrieked making Kris jumped in surprise.

"Sheez!" He then cussed under his breath. "What's wrong with you?"

"Why aren't you wearing any clothes?" Yeojin shouted.

"I'm looking for them," he deadpanned turning back to his drawer.

"Why didn't you prepare them before taking a shower?" She felt heat rushing to her cheeks even though she was still covering her eyes.

"I forgot." He took out a dress shirt from the drawer then opened another drawer to look for a tie. "I didn't know you were awake either. Why are you fussing so much-" He suddenly paused and had to hold the urge to laugh when he turned and saw her covering her eyes. "Are you flustered seeing me like this?" He smirked raising a brow.

Yeojin quickly lay back down and covered herself with the duvet. She hated it when she heard Kris laugh. She tried to just sleep again, but the cover was suddenly thrown aside. She gasped before covering her eyes with her hands again.

"Ya! Put on some clothes, will you?"

Suddenly overwhelmed with playfulness, Kris only chuckled. "What if I don't want to?" His teasing tone made Yeojin both annoyed and nervous. "I'm your husband, you know? Why are you so afraid, huh, huh?" He started poking her waist making her squirm.

"Ya, ya, ya!" Yeojin protested and tried to grab his hand while still squirming and squeezing her eyes shut. "Stop it!" She started to laugh from his continuous poking on her waist. "Kris! Stop it!"

"I will if you open your eyes."

"You're crazy! Stop it!" Yeojin exclaimed in between her laugh.

She then tried to push him away, but Kris caught her hands and pinned them on the bed with a triumphant chuckle. Overtaken by surprise, she opened her eyes and was met with his. Kris suddenly stopped chuckling and the smile on his face slowly disappeared as he stared back at her.

Realizing she was trapped below him, she felt her stomach did a little somersault. Her brain was screaming to squeeze her eyes shut again, but her eyes didn't obey. She just couldn't take her eyes off of his. Not wanting to let her gaze stray down to his topless body, she let her eyes stayed on his. His dark brown irises were drowning her in an unexplainable emotion, and once again, her heart picked up its pace. She watched his gaze trail down to her lips and suddenly felt self-conscious. Pursing her lips, Yeojin could feel that tingling feeling on them again. She then swallowed the nervousness building up inside her.

Heat was rushing through her body and she felt like she would die of heartattack if he kept on staring at her like this. Finally regaining herself, Yeojin wiggled her hands free from his and pushed him to the side. 

"You're ruining my sleep!" She threw a pillow at him before dashing out of the room.



Witnessing flustered Yeojin was entertaining. Yet Kris didn't expect himself to get flustered just by glancing at her eyes... and lips. He almost threw out the effort of trying to be patient and be just a friend to her. Thank God she shoved him away! Or else he might have done something that he would regret.

Kris ended up taking another cold shower after Yeojin left. When he came down for breakfast, the family shouted a happy birthday to him except Yeojin who stood quietly and awkwardly beside Jinho. He suddenly felt unnecessarily shy when he sat down beside Yeojin at the table. It was obvious to him that she was trying to avoid eye contact. He was too. 

Despite the awkwardness because of what happened in the morning, Kris still wanted to have her all to himself for today. After school, he reminded himself. He had already planned everything, and he didn't want to throw it all away. Besides, it was his day after all.

Just before Yeojin and Lin entered the car, he gently grabbed her arm. Yeojin looked at him a little surprised but then looked away again.

"Dinner's still on right?" He asked but then shook his head. "I mean. You have to come with me for dinner," he stated. "I-i-it's my day." He cleared his throat letting go of her arm. "And you've promised."

"A-alright. I know! Sheesh!" Yeojin feigned annoyance.

He smiled. "Good."

"Eonni, let's go! Bye, Ge!" Lin gave him a knowing grin at which he just blinked.

"I'll see you later then." Yeojin bobbed her head and quickly entered the car.

Kris's lips remained an upward curve as he watched the car drove farther. He would make sure he wouldn't make any mistake today.


Yeojin turned to Lin who was giggling. "What?"

"Did something happen between you two last night?" Lin asked with a teasing smile.

Yeojin frowned not understanding. "No. Why?" 

"You and Gege looked all shy with each other earlier during breakfast." Lin leaned sideways and  narrowed her eyes on Yeojin. "Are you sure you two didn't do anything?" A little smirk grazed her lips as she prodded, "You didn't give him any special present for his birthday last night?"

Yeojin felt heat rushing to her cheeks suddenly remembering how Kris gazed at her while trapping her under him this morning. She blinked several times before flicking Lin's forehead. "Goodness! What has gotten into your head!"

Lin pouted. "Did I say anything wrong? I only asked whether you give him a present." She narrowed her eyes on the older girl again. "You were the one getting weird ideas into your head, Eonni." She giggled and their driver coughed to hide the urge to chuckle along.

Flustered, Yeojin nudged her sister-in-law. "Y-ya!" She clicked her tongue.

Lin just shrugged. "Well, it's legal and not wrong for you to think of such thoughts since Gege is your husband anyway. Plus, don't people our age do it with their boyfriends or girlfriends these days?"

Yeojin's mouth fell agape as heat were rushing rapidly to her cheeks. "Aish!" She hit Lin's Arm. "Ya! Just because everyone does it doesn't mean it's the right thing. Don't you dare do it before marriage, Wu Lin! Understood?" Lin nodded with a pout. "Sheesh! I think Jongin's erted mind is rubbing off on you. You've been hanging around him too much, haven't you? I heard you two often phone each other lately."

This time Lin was the one flustered. "N-no!" She quickly denied but found it hard to look at Yeojin in the eyes. She looked away. "And what ert? That guy is a total dork!"

Yeojin stifle a chuckle. "So you do know him pretty well, huh?"

"It's not that!" Lin retorted. "I was saying I have no interest in such a dork." Her shoulders slumped and she lowered her head as she continued, "Besides, you know he's not the one I like."

Realization struck Yeojin like a lightning. The teasing smile on her face was immediately wiped out as she lowered her head too. Guilt started eating her heart. She just remembered that Lin liked Sehun, and she had made a promise that she wouldn't fall for her supposed fake boyfriend. Yet she broke that one promise. She had already fallen for Sehun. 

"I-I know he's still acting as your boyfriend because he wants to uncover your secret," Lin continued in lower voice careful not to let the driver hear them. "But you've promised!" She raised her head to look at Yeojin with a grin. "And I know I can trust you."

Guilt. Guilt. Guilt.

Yeojin couldn't say anything but stared at Lin. She had broken her trust.

"Don't worry! I'll help you, Eonni!"

"Huh?"

"Some students have suspected that you're the girl with Sehun in the pictures. But I'll help you!" Lin smiled.

Yeojin didn't understand what the girl was having in mind, but she couldn't bring herself to ask. Her heart and mind was too preoccupied with guilt at the moment. She had now broken another heart.

Lin looked out the window with the smile she wore earlier. "I can tell that Gege is in love with you just by the way he looks at you." She sighed with eyes lingering on the passing view outside.

Yeojin felt a stab through her heart.

"I hope Sehun will look at me like that one day," she dreamily wished.

Another stab penetrated Yeojin's heart.

"Just tell me who she is," Oh Jaehan tried to persuade his youngest son.

Sehun sighed. "Dad, I've told you. She's no one. Those are just ty rumors!"

"Language, Sehun!" His mom warned him.

"You wouldn't hangout with just a 'no one'," his dad started again. "I'm not mad at you. I have even ordered my people to prevent any of the original photos from leaking. I just want to know who your girlfriend is."

"She's not my girlfriend!" Sehun suddenly stood up from his seat
surprising the family.

"Yo, chill!" Luhan told him.

Sehun sighed and excused himself to go to school. Upon entering his car, he took a moment to take a deep breath before starting up his car. He wanted to claim Yeojin as his girlfriend so bad, but he knew it might not be good for her if his parents knew of her role as his girlfriend. She was not his after all, and sooner or later people would know about it too. That she belonged to Kris Wu.

At school, ever since the photos were released, he had tried his best to avoid her, hoping no one would suspect her. He forgot that he had claimed her as his girlfriend to his council members back at the camp. Yet yesterday, he overheard them gossiping that he might have broken up with Yeojin because of the rumors surrounding her and Kris. That was probably for the better, Sehun thought. The rumors with Kris had pressured her enough. No one should know it was her with him on the pictures. It would just burden her.

As he was walking toward his class, from a distance he spotted Yeojin in front of her locker getting out some books and came to a halt. It had only been two days since he avoided her, but it felt like he had not seen her for too long. He missed spending times with her. He missed her. God! Why did he let himself fall to deep for her, he questioned himself.

Yeojin closed her locker and turned to walk for her class. But Sehun saw her suddenly pausing in her steps. As if having a heart that beats along with his, Yeojin turned back around and caught sight of him. Her eyes grew a little wide and her lips parted a bit as if wanting to shout his name. But maybe it was just his wistful thinking.

For a moment, they just stood there separated by distance. Their eyes locked, but neither of them took a step to close the distance. Students hustled around them to get to their own classes. None seemed to notice the internal conflict between the two. 

Sehun was the first to break their gazes as he started walking. He saw Yeojin lowering her head taking a step as well. With every steps, they slowly walked closer to one another. He was walking toward her, but not to her. Without stopping, he set his eyes far ahead trying hard not to glance at Yeojin. The back of his hand brushed against hers as he walked past her like she wasn't there.

Sehun wished he could just grab her hand and tell everyone that she was his. He missed her, but this was for her own good, he told himself. He would protect her even if it meant hurting himself.

Anyone shipping LinHun/HunLin here? Or maybe JongLin? hahaha

I'm glad people are actually frustrated over Yeojin. I didn't want her to be a perfect girl anyway. But okay, I might have made her way too frustrating, haven't I? Sorry for that lol

Anyway, I was planning to post Kris' birthday date with Yeojin here, but it got too long (as always). So, I'll update another chapter soon