If I Fell

Chapter 2

 

 

        “Well. . . truthfully. . . I’ve liked someone for a really long time and I think I just realized how much it really is and I’m scared that he’ll hate me if he finds out.” Hyeonji’s words rush out, and Chanwoo has to strain to make out her syllables.

 

        “Well, he better accept you. I mean, I noticed that you looked really worried lately, and I wondered if something was wrong. But really, if this is all over a guy. . .” He sighs. “Just tell me who it is so that I can either congratulate him or beat him up, okay?”

 

        Hyeonji feels her throat go dry. Congratulate him? So Chanwoo would be fine if she dated another boy? It shocks her how bad this makes her feel, and how much it actually hurts. Whenever she read books about love, she thought it was an over exaggeration, but no, she could actually feel the pain in her heart.

        “Well-”

        “It’s me.”

 

        Hyeonji snaps around to see Kwangmin standing behind her. She feels her mouth open but she can’t close it, and she instantly turns back around to see Chanwoo’s reaction. His eyes widen, and he looks back down at Hyeonji. Their eyes meet briefly.

 

        Remembering their previous conversation, she feels the pain again, and she turns to look at Kwangmin. He is standing there, emotionless, and she’s the most confused she’s been in a while. What is even going on anymore?

 

        “So he’s the one you like?” Chanwoo asks. Hyeonji is about to tell him the truth, but she’s beat to it by Kwangmin.

        “Yeah, and I accepted her.” He fibs again.

 

        Hyeonji is shocked by him. Not even five minutes ago he’d been glaring her down in the hallway, and here he was, acting like they were a new couple.

 

        She grabs Kwangmin’s arm and tugs him away from a wide eyed Chanwoo. As she pushes the taller boy into an empty classroom, she turns to bow in apology to Chanwoo. He looks so confused that she almost wants to run back to him, but Kwangmin’s arm in her grasp pulls her back towards the classroom.

 

        “What do you think you’re doing?” Hyeonji demands

 

        “Saving your pride,” Kwangmin says back automatically, as if he expected this question. “You can thank you me anytime.”

 

        “My pride? What does my pride have to do with you lying to Chanwoo’s face, because- let’s make this clear- I do not like you in that way,” she starts this sentence off in a whisper, but it progressively gets louder, and by the end of the sentence she’s practically back to her speaking voice. She coughs and chides herself to be quieter, because it sounds strange when her voice echoes in an empty classroom.

 

        “You like Chanwoo, and he doesn’t like you back, so I saved your pride. You would’ve been all flustered and cried or something.”