Status: Awkward

Chapter 16

It was her last day for library duties, Byulyi respectfully informed Ms. Ok about her completion form and thanked her for the seven days she spent there. She somehow felt sad that it ended since they became close for a short period of time.

"I knew it was hard because of your boyfriend. He should've stayed subtle about your relationship. I never thought high school girls would be that petty." she turned to Byulyi to hand the form and saw the confusion on her face. "Is he not your boyfriend?"

He is not yet her boyfriend but they are getting to know each other. Byulyi, despite feeling things for Seokjin, asked to not rush things.

"I'll give you the answer after the science fair." Those were the words she said to Seokjin. If it's a yes or a no, it depends upon her decision. She still has three months to contemplate on her feelings.

Byulyi smiled at the thought that someone sees her as a great suit for Seokjin. If she is to summarize the attention she receives from the boys around her, most of them have mistaken her identity. That was never an issue, but the fact that she appeared to be intimidating pulled her self-esteem down when it comes to romantic attraction. Well, she never really intends to be liked by someone but somehow that might be a normal teenage emotion.

"I hope you take care of yourself. I heard about that boy's issues back in middle school."

Byulyi despite being reminded about the incident back in Seokjin's middle school years didn't bother to ask the details. Of course, Miss Ok is still a teacher and she needs to show respect by just agreeing despite her ignorance of the incident. Well, the black mail never happened again. There is no reason to look into these things.

If there is one thing she doesn't like doing, it is bringing back irrelevant events from the past, just like her past. Whatever happened to him before, is none of her business.

...

Byulyi walked at the silent corridor going to the middle school ground in her practice uniform and continued on rhythmically slapping the pass on her palm as she sings along with the music playing on her earphones.

Seokjin usually heads to the student council office before he proceeds to his tennis practice leaving her walking alone towards the middle school campus.

An unnerving feeling suddenly crawl her spine as she strides through the empty hall. She kept on glancing back to see nothing. Putting the music in silence, she started to listen to her own footsteps.

'Am I being paranoid?'

Taking slow steps to calculate someone else's movement from behind, she finally saw a person wearing a black hooded jacket following her, startling the person with her swift, sudden turn. She was about to call the person out when he sprints his way towards her revealing a baseball bat.

Byulyi cursed under her breath as she starts to run away. This part of the hallway is guarded with CCTV cameras, a perfect venue to do the unthinkable things and get caught. But the boldness of the person baffled her. If she is to analyze the situation, the baseball bat gave away his intention on causing her harm.

She ran straight and never looked back. Wanting to scream at the top of her lungs to gather attention, yet her fast pace and heavy breathing prevented her from doing so.

Turning into a corner she bumped into a familiar face.

He grunts as they both crash hard with each other, falling on the ground. She immediately look around, worried about the chasing person catching up to her when the person running after her suddenly went to a different direction and vanished within her sight.

"You saw that, didn't you?" still sitting on the ground darting her gaze to every direction.

He stayed silent before he answered. "What? Who?"

Byulyi insisted about the presence of the person who was about to hurt her, concealed in a hooded jacket, chasing after with a baseball bat.

Instead of receiving a confirmation, she felt his palms on her face as he press her cheeks, just like the way he did before.

Her eyes widen at his action as he brushed his thumb and smile. "There's dirt on your face."

Unable to discern the intentions of his action, Byulyi stood up to unnoticeably remove Junghoon's hand.

"I'm sorry." as he smile bitterly following her actions.

______

Junghoon's action is unintentional.

That was how things worked.

When Byulyi chose to ignore his feelings, he made sure she'll recognize his efforts one day.

He was always there...

...when she needed help with the books she borrowed from the library...

...when she tripped and fell on the ground during her football practices...

...when she asked for understanding despite the unknown troubles she had...

...during her wins and losses on the field...

...and in life...

...when she has no one to turn to...

...he was there...

...comforting her consistently, protecting her unconsciously...

The constant in every change.

It was Junghoon.

"Moon Byulyi!" a yell followed with stumping steps on the ground approached.

Junghoon saw the panic in Byulyi as they both noticed the furious look in Seokjin's face.

Kim Seokjin, the boy he did not expect Byulyi to turn her attention to. But what can he do? He is everything he can never be, in the sense that he seem to make her happy.

"I was just asking her if she's still up for the invitation. You can join us but you have to pay for your own." Junghoon said in a playful manner as soon as Seokjin reached them.

Seokjin tried hard to hide his annoyance by not speaking a single word. With the silent treatment, Junghoon bows down and bid goodbye. There was no other way to ease the awkward atmosphere but leave the pair behind.

Before the pair disappeared from his sight, Junghoon looks back at Byulyi.

Seeing her behave differently, made his heart ache. The glimpse of hope faded in an instant as he watched Seokjin's pinky finger pull hers, a subtle move to get her closer.

It must be painful to look at his first love, the person he devoted his middle school life, fall for someone else.

He could still clearly remember the first day she came to her.

The way she approached him that one rainy afternoon in front of a hospital.

"You were the one busking with the patients, right? I was there during the donation drive with my grandfather. I'm Moon Byulyi. Thank you for doing it."

The moment she lift her head after the cheerful bow made him unconsciously smile. Her pretty face was stucked in his brain, it lived there and never left. She has one of the sweetest smiles he ever saw his entire life, it could compete to even his mother whom he regarded as the most beautiful woman in the world.

'If I get to meet her again, then it must be fate.'

And destiny has it's peculiar way of telling you that people come and go. Just like how she came to lend him the umbrella in her hand, and runaway in the middle of that drizzle, creating rainbow around her running figure, taking his heart away with her.

"Byul-ah, you are doing great. Do whatever your heart wants to. I'll always be here for you."

Then he walked away half heartedly smiling at his foolish self.