The Way It Is

twenty five

Chapter 25

"Wait, so you're telling me that you'll be watching the basketball game instead of the soccer game?" Yejin asked, and Yiyeon nodded. "That's the reason why you suddenly treated us takoyaki?"

Yiyeon angrily munched the remaining bits of takoyaki that were on her plate and nodded, "Why is our school paper adviser like this?! He knows that Jeno and I are over, so what's his deal?!" She rolled her eyes.

"Wait, if the soccer team has a practice match tomorrow as well..." Jeongmin started and looked at her friends' faces. "Then that means... Sungchan won't be with us?" She asked and frowned.

Sungchan nodded, "I guess that's how it would go?" He shrugged. "But I'll be okay. You guys should watch Daewon-hyung and Yangyang-hyung."

Yiyeon and Yejin looked at each other. "I have no choice but to go to the basketball match. I don't know with Yiyeon and Jeongmin, though..." Yiyeon shrugged.

"Before you guys decide, our game tomorrow would be at Busan," Yangyang said as he drank from his milkshake. "You guys won't be allowed to go out of school premises until dismissal. Unless you guys have an official business, like Yiyeon..."

"Wait, so are you saying that I'm not allowed to watch tomorrow's match?!" Yejin exclaimed. "What kind of a stupid rule is that?!" She frowned and crossed her arms.

Yiyeon patted her shoulder, "You can watch the soccer match tomorrow, though. It will start after class, am I right?" She asked Sungchan, who was seated in front of her. The younger boy nodded. "I'll just tell you what happens."

Her friend sighed, "Fine."

Yiyeon stood up and picked her bag up, "Let's go?"

The rest of them stood up and carried their bags as they parted ways. Yiyeon and Yangyang headed to the bus stop since they were heading in the same direction.

"It's been a while, huh?" Yangyang said, breaking the silence.

Yiyeon nodded, "Yeah, it has been quite a while..."

The walk was comforting. It wasn't like when they last talked when Yangyang confessed. Yiyeon sighed as she looked at the street lights that were starting to open one by one. They were quiet. But they both loved it.

"Hey, Yangyang," she called, getting Yangyang's attention. "Can I ask something?"

The boy shrugged, "Sure, I guess?"

Yiyeon took a deep breath. "On that day... when we were supposed to meet, but I didn't show up... was this how you felt?" She asked.

Yangyang stopped walking as he looked at her.

"I still haven't apologized for that day," she bitterly chuckled. "I'm sorry... for ditching you that night... I'm sorry..." she looked down. "I want to explain myself, but I guess these explanations on my mind would just come out as excuses, so I won't tell them."

Yiyeon looked at the sky and smiled sadly, "You know, I want to hate myself."

"Why?" He asked.

"Why can't it be you instead?" Yiyeon said, looking at Yangyang. "I've been such a horrible friend to you. I kept on looking at someone else, and I didn't even realize that you were hurting by yourself..." she looked at her shoes and sighed. "I'm a horrible person. I've hurt you. Maybe that's why the universe has decided to punish me, too." Yiyeon chuckled bitterly.