Got Her Back

Someone Who Might Be Able To Help?

—"What do you need?" Rona asked the two guests, but they couldn't answer. "Mom, I'll be right back," Rona said as she turned to face Yoonhee.

"Let's go," Rona said to the two boys before Yoonhee could even speak.

Confused, Yoonhee stared at the three as they left the house. 

"Are they really her friends, as they claim? They seemed to be about to fight just a few moments earlier," Yoonhee wondered out loud, confused.

***

The three fell silent as they descended the stairs. Minhyuk, who had been making fun of Seokhoon just moments ago, had fallen silent, while Seokhon gazed at Rona, who was already ahead of them. 

***

Rona kept going on her way, not even looking back to see whether the two were still following her. She only came to a halt when she found a spot where her mother wouldn't be able to see them in case she'd come out to look for her. Before speaking, she turned to face them and stared at them for a few seconds.

"Now, tell me what you guys want."

She did not receive a response.

Should I ask the question again, or should I just leave?

She was about to walk away when she thought no one was going to speak, but one of them eventually did.

"Alright, I'll ask you straight to the point. You remember everything too, right?" Minhyuk inquired, and she turned to face him.

She shifted her eyes to Seokhoon, and their eyes met. She looked at Minhyuk and then nodded. "Yes."

"Cool. So, are we back to being 15-year-olds?" he asked with a smile, shifting his gaze from Seokhoon to Rona and back to Seokhoon, but when neither of them responded, his smile faded.

"So, what's the plan?" Minhyuk asked, his tone more serious this time.

"Plan?" Seokhoon asked Minhyuk, and Rona saw Seokhoon's puzzled expression on his face.

"There isn't one," she said. "Now that you both know I remember everything, you should go. I have to get ready for school." She then took a few steps away from the two, attempting to walk away yet again, but Minhyuk asked a question.

"Aren't you curious about what's going on right now?" Minhyuk asked but she just ignored him and continued to walk away from them. "Are you sure you're not curious?"

"Who doesn't, Minhyuk?" Rona heard Seokhoon reply to Minhyuk.

She sighed as she came to a halt and turned around to face them. "I am, but I don’t have time to be curious about anything. There are more important things I need to focus on."

"You're right." Minhyuk smiled at her. "I'm happy for you Rona and I'm sure if Jeni remembers as well, she'll be happier than me. You know, she was worried sick about you when you were in the common room with Ms. Cheon."

She shifted her gaze to the ground, but in her peripheral vision, she caught sight of Seokhoon placing his hand on Minhyuk's shoulder.

"Don't worry. I'll look after her," Minhyuk reassured her.

Rona gave him a friendly nod as she raised her head.

"It won't be difficult because she's head over heels in love with me," he proudly said. 

When Rona heard Seokhoon scoff at Minhyuk, she smiled and laughed.

"You know that's a risky statement to Jeni," she laughed.

"Yes, I am aware. Jeni from the future will kill me if she hears me say that." 

The tension and awkwardness disappeared as they started laughing at Minhyuk words.

"So, I guess I'll see you around?" Minhyuk said as he adjusted the straps of his backpack. He sighed. "Now I'm going there by myself."

"Where are you going?" Rona asked.

"I know someone who might be able to help us," Minhyuk replied, looking at her.

"Who?" Rona and Seokhoon both asked at the same time, so she looked at him and their eyes met, she looked away, and then she caught a glimpse of Minhyuk grinning at them.

"You should come see," he said.

"Can't you just tell us what it is?" Seokhoon asked, his voice tinged with annoyance.

"Nope. You'll have to come see for yourself," Minhyuk insisted. 

"Now that's why we shouldn't go," Seokhoon stated firmly.

"Then don't come," Minhyuk countered. "Are you coming, Rona?"

"Right now?"

Minhyuk had a hopeful expression on his face as he looked at her. "Why? Are you coming?"

"You're going?" Seokhoon asked her and she simply nodded. 

"So Seokhoon, are you coming now?"

Minhyuk suddenly reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone after asking that, so Rona didn't hear a response from Seokhoon. "Jeez," Minhyuk said as he looked at the screen of his phone. He shifted his gaze to Rona and Seokhoon and said, "Wait a minute." He then started walking away from them, his phone pressed against his ear. "Mom. Yes, I'm on my way to school. I'm not lying. No, I don't..." 

"Are you sure you're going with him?" Seokhoon asked, and she glanced at him. 

"Mm," she replied, looking at Minhyuk, who had his back on them. "He said someone he knows might be able to help us," she added.

Rona saw Seokhoon nodding his head in her peripheral vision, and when she looked at him, she could tell he was examining Minhyuk because of the serious look on his face. She comes to the conclusion that he was skeptical of Minhyuk's actions as well.

"What about you? Are you coming?"

Seokhoon shifted his gaze to her and looked like he was about to respond, but Minhyuk suddenly appeared in front of them asking the same question. "Are you joining us, Seokhoon?" he asked, interrupting them. "Oh, right. I think there's no need to ask since Rona will come. Let's just meet there after school. I'll send you the address," he said, looking like he's in a hurry. "I have to go. Seokhoon, aren't you going to school yet?"

"You go first," Seokhoon answered and Minhyuk seemed to understand what Seokhoon meant as he playfully smiled at the two. 

“Alright. I'll go now," Minhyuk moved away from them and but then halted and quickly turned back to face them. “Oh, wait a minute. I came here to tell you something important,” he said.

“I-I saw Min Seola the other day,” he began, "and—"

He was cut off by Seokhoon. "So now you are a stalker."

I could say the same about you.

"Yah, I went there with Jeni," Minhyuk explained, "and I had no idea she's working there."

"All right, go on," Rona interrupted, urging him to finish what he was saying.

"I saw her with your mom, Rona."