Trust Me

12. The bitterness ~

 "Is something troubling you, Joshie?" asks Yujin looking at his gloomy face. She decided to go home with him today.

"Nothing," he answers

"Are you sure?" 

"Hm... I'm just a bit tired," Joshua assures

If he wanted he could tell everything to her. But he knows she will get angry and take it out on the boys. Joshua is a clear-sighted person, he assumes they were not wrong about saying those things to him. It's Jeonghan. He manipulated them into believing his lies. They were just backing him up as his friends and to save their team. 

Anyways, what could Yujin possibly do? Ask him why he is doing this? And as if he will answer her honestly. There's no use telling her that.

It's his matter so he'll deal with it alone. He doesn't need any lies to prove himself wrong. He forbids himself to stress about this.

The next day when Jeonghan doesn't see Joshua during the entire interval time, he takes a sigh of relief. Plan succeeded. Now there's a mere chance I will get to see him again. I'm sorry, Shua. I had to do this. For you. For me. I know it's all my fault. I can't help myself getting closer to you. Yujin will take care of you better than me. He thinks now everything will get back to normal as it was before he met him. Joshua will stay in his medical faculty and Jeonghan in his engineering. No clashes. But he can't deny the fact that he wanted to see him so badly and was holding himself back. Maybe, he thinks he was doing some heroic deed, to save Joshua's relationship by sacrificing his love for him. But he doesn't know that neither of them is happy with it. He's hurting him more than before. Unknowingly.

As for Joshua, he has not given up yet, he is thinking about the ways to meet Jeonghan personally. Obviously, he's not welcomed in the engineering cafeteria from now on nor he can talk with him in the corridors. The basketball court. The sole answer comes to his mind. He knows that Jeonghan goes alone in the evening for game practice.

The sun was just getting ready to sink into the horizon, but still so radiant. Jeonghan's player jersey was wet from the immense sweating. Even his headband was damp because of the drops coming down his forehead. He has a unique passion for every sport since his childhood. 

The basketball court of their university was made outside the building. It was opened for every team to come anytime since the match was close. Jeonghan was tossing the ball with every technique he knows to test out his skills. And there was not a single chance of airball. For his final goal of the day, he jumps so high in the air and does a perfect slam dunk. Huffing heavily, he wipes the sweat drops from his chin. 

"Nice game," someone says clapping slowly.

Jeonghan quickly turns to spot the person who was watching him. "Shua?" A frown appears on his forehead. "What are you doing here?" 

"You're saying as if you don't know anything," says Joshua coming closer

Jeonghan knows but prefers to remain silent. There's no use arguing about it. He starts to pack up his stuff inside the bag to leave from there. Doesn't even bother to look at him.

"You can't go without answering me, Jeonghan," Joshua says in a stern voice.

"What do you want?" says Jeonghan carelessly, without meeting his eyes.