TWELVE

Author’s POV

“Where’s Jiyeon and Sehun?” Myungsoo asks as only three of them left at the valley.

“Oh! I’ll go and find them.” Krystal offers, but Joon blocks her.

“It’s okay. I’ll go and look for them.”

Joon has sensed something unusual about Sehun and Jiyeon, so he decides to find out himself, just in case both of them missing got something to do with that something unusual he noticed. He walks to the pension and as that’s the first place he can think of. He enters the boys’ pension and it’s empty, no Sehun in there. He leaves the pension and kind of in lost about where to find them. He looks at the girl’s pension and starts considering whether he should check in there too or not.

“What if Jiyeon is in there? I’ll just wait here for a few minutes just to make sure.”

Joon talks to himself and sits on one of the empty gazebo near the pension area. Sometimes, his ears caught familiar noises like Sehun’s and Jiyeon’s voices, but then it feels like he’s hallucinating. He boringly looks around, but there are only strangers passing by. Just when he’s about to give up and find them elsewhere, the girls pension’s door burst open revealing Jiyeon and Sehun walk out together with their arms linked to each other. Joon smirks in disbelief before he stands up and focuses his eyes on them. Both of them startled once they saw Joon is standing in front of them.

“Busted.” He says.

“Hi hyung!” Sehun greets as if nothing is wrong.

“What are you guys doing in there?”

“I was hiding from Jiyeon just now and she caught me hiding in their pension, that’s why I was dragged away like this.” Sehun calmly addresses, while Jiyeon quickly nods to avoid any further suspicion.

“I don’t believe you!” Joon keeps his face serious.

“Ah why?!” Sehun yells.

“Jiyeon, this playboy is trying to flirt with you right? Don’t fall for him or else you’ll have to face the scary Krystal.”

“Hyung! I’m not a playboy anymore!” Sehun defends himself.

“Yeah, because you already got Krystal.” Joon continues, and Sehun’s expression rapidly changes.

“Why does everyone has to associate me with Krystal?! I say don’t like her! Isn’t it obvious enough? I don’t like her!” Sehun emphasizes and his face is turning red. He then walks away, leaving them.

“Did he just scolded me, Jiyeon?” Joon asks, surprised.

“He was just disheartened about what we thought of his relationship with Krystal. Don’t worry oppa, let’s go.”

They walk back to the valley where Myungsoo is seen sitting alone on the rock, eating a sausage. He is looking a bit down and dull. Joon and Jiyeon approach him and he only bitterly smile at them. He takes another bite of the sausage before starts talking to them.

“What’s happened to Sehun?”

“He’s upset because I said Krystal and him are together. By the way, where’s Krystal?” Joon says.

“Oh, no wonder he appeared with an angry face just now. Krystal is there, trying to talk to him.” Myungsoo points a few feet away from them where Krystal is talking to Sehun but he just keep his face straight, doesn’t even response to Krystal.

“He’s being quite sensitive lately. I hope he’s okay.” Jiyeon then speaks.

Out of blue, Sehun is heard shouting, surprising all of them, “I said go away! Can’t you be a little bit thoughtful and selfless?! You’re annoying as !”

“Oh my God.” Jiyeon sighs. Krystal approaches them with tears in her eyes. Jiyeon quickly helps Krystal wiping away all her tears while Joon and Myungsoo are trying to calm her down.

“He must be really upset. Now I feel bad.” Joon blames himself.

“It’s okay guys. We all know he can be cold at times. I’m gonna talk to him.” Jiyeon offers, but Myungsoo quickly stops her.

“No Jiyeon! What if he scolds you too?”

“He won’t. I’m going.” Jiyeon confidently states before heading towards Sehun that is sitting a few meters away from them.

She calmly approaches Sehun and sits right next to him. Sehun is ignoring her too. He keeps looking down the ground and his face looks stressful. Jiyeon slightly smiles looking at how his cheerful crazy friend turns cold like this. She then takes Sehun’s right hand and holds it with both of her hands. Sehun still doesn’t move, restraining himself. Still holding onto his hand, Jiyeon starts talking.

“I know…” Jiyeon shortly says.

“………………” Sehun doesn’t answer her, but he did lift up his head and look at Jiyeon.

“I know your real feeling. Don’t worry.” Jiyeon continues.

Sehun’s expression slightly changes. He looks straight into Jiyeon’s eyes with full anxiety, “You know… my real feeling?”

“Yeah. I know you don’t like Krystal like they all said.” Jiyeon answers, and Sehun’s expression is changing again, like the answer is not like what he expected.

“You’re right. My life is in a misery because of her. I don’t know what to do. It makes me wanna hate her, but I can’t because she’s still our friend.”

“Bear with it a little Sehun. I promise everything is gonna be okay as time goes.”

“I’m going crazy, seriously!”

“But you ARE crazy. Hahaha!” Jiyeon brighten the vibe again, and Sehun is laughing again.

“I need to apologize for yelling at Joonie hyung just now. Let’s go.”

They both walk towards their other three friends that are silently waiting. Sehun smiles at them, showing that he’s okay now. He approaches Joon to apologize, but before he can say anything, Joon suddenly hugs him tightly, making him turns speechless.

“I’m sorry for hurting you, our beloved Sehunnie!” Joon apologizes beforehand while hugging him.

“I’m sorry too hyung. I wasn’t supposed to shout at you like that.” Sehun apologizes too.

“You scared the hell out of me.” Krystal then says as Joon and Sehun broke the hug.

“Yeah I’m sorry. Who told you to be that annoying?” Sehun apologizes but then still insults her.

“Aren’t you going to hug me too?” Krystal suddenly asks.

“Group hug!” Sehun says and they then cutely doing their group hug, but it feels empty without one of their long-distance friend.

“It’s perfect if Chunji is here.” Myungsoo states.

“I know right. I might have to hear him complaining about me being a filthy playboy all day, but it feels exceptionally empty when he’s not here to keep nagging each seconds.”

“Don’t be sad. He’ll reunite with us someday. He promised us that.”

Jiyeon’s POV

“Good morning my baby Wang!”

I say as soon as I wake up from my sleep that morning. Wang is running around the room, so happy that I have woke up. I’m slightly laughing to see how hyper the dog is even though it’s still morning. I take a hairband and hastily tie her messy morning hair without even combing it first. I leave the bedroom together with Wang and walk downstairs together too. We both head to the kitchen. Wang is circling around my feet, begging for breakfast. I pour the dog’s food into Wang’ plate before making myself a toast for breakfast.

Dad must have gone to work so I’m all alone, again. I sit at the dining table while boringly spreading butter and strawberry jam onto my toast. While I’m eating the toast, I look around the empty house. My mom and Taehyung had left to Busan last two weeks, and my holiday is becoming boringly boring each day, unless my friends visited. I hate to admit it, but I some kind of missing my 4D brother Taehyung that will definitely tease me if he’s around. I hope he’s living a good life there and find great friends, as great as Jungkook. He must be missing Jungkook by now, I’m pretty sure.

After taking a bath and get fully dressed comfortably in my simple summer style, I take the tote bag Taehyung gave as my birthday present previously and put my stuffs in there. I have planned with Sehun to take Wang out for walk together and visit Joon oppa at his house. On my way walking down the stairs, someone suddenly rings the bell. I run down the stairs and rush to the front door, thinking that Sehun has arrived. I beam upon seeing Krystal is coming so she can join us, but the smile disappear within three seconds when I notice Krystal’s face is drown with tears.

“Omo! Krystal what’s happening? Come in.”

I then help her entering the house as if she can’t walk by herself. I lead Krystal into the living room and tell her to sit, but Krystal refuses. She harshly shrugs my hands off her body. Behind the tears, she’s staring at me with a wrathful gaze, making me blink uncomfortably. Having no idea what’s currently happening, I try to slow talk with Krystal.

“Krys, are you okay? Please sit down first.” I softly talk.

“Stop acting unnie!” Krystal suddenly exclaims with tears still running down her face.

“W—what? Calm down Krystal.” I take Krystal’s hands and try to comfort her, but Krystal suddenly tosses me away, making me fall onto the couch, fortunately.

“Krystal!” Finally, I raise my voice.

“I hate you! Why do you have to exist in my life? Why do you even have to exist in this world?!”

“Calm down Krystal! You don’t realize what you’re saying!”

“No! I’m completely sane, but your whole existence is making me feel insane!”

“W—why? Is it because of my bad fashion sense?” I confusedly ask. I don’t mean to joke, but that’s exactly what I’m thinking.

“Don’t act clueless unnie. You’re the most hateful person ever existed in my life.” Krystal answers.

“What have I done? I’ve known you for so long. You’re like my own sister. We’ve been living next to each other’s door for years. If there’s anything I did wrong, I might not realize what have I done, but I sincerely apologize. Just please, calm down.”

“Sister your ! What do you have but I don’t? What’s so special about you? What makes a plain girl like you manage to overshadow my existence? I’ve been holding myself for years. The boys obviously care for you more than me. They pay their full attention to you but act reckless about me! And why does Sehun cares for you that much when he treated me like trash all the time?!”

“You’ve mistaken the whole thing Krystal. It’s not like what you thought it was. We are all equal. It’s just you see it differently. We all love you. Sehun was just picking on your because you’re the youngest one.” I try to persuade her, but Krystal only shakes her head.

“I’m not stupid unnie. If you don’t exist, my life would have been better. Sehun wouldn’t treat me like some kind of s.” She rages again.

“What are you saying…? It’s not like that…” I can feel tears are forming in my eyes.

“I wish you disappear from my life. You’re the worst friend. Seeing you is making my heart aching.”

Krystal walks away after finishing her words. She slams the door hard and disappears outside the room. Right after she left, tears continuously fall down my eyes. I never see this kind of thing coming. I try my best to be a great friend, and a great sister for her. I guess I’m just lacking and she hates to have me around. Something must have happened that led her to act this way. I must have hurt her unknowingly. I don’t want things to end like this. I have to apologize to her now. I have to stop things from