Chapter 10

648 49 15
                                    

"But now probably isn't the right time." Chan slowly retreats himself but still caging the smaller boy in front of him; basically doing a kabedon.

Not gonna lie, Jisung is disappointed knowing they aren't gonna do some business there.

As if sensing what's inside the younger's mind, the senior utters, "I wasn't joking with what I said earlier though" which expectedly earns a somewhat excited reaction in return. "I'll take a quick shower, you can wait for me in here or outside. Do what makes you comfy."

🌸🌸🌸

They decide to go to a less crowded café to talk about what concerns the younger. The senior calmly retells what he knows, making sure that the latter shouldn't be worried about his friend since what happened between him and Minho - his tsundere friend - is all just a misunderstanding.

"Thank you for telling me, hyung."

"Promise me you won't tell that friend of yours though. Let him learn about the truth from Jennie directly; or better, from Minho himself."

Jisung nods as he's busy munching his favorite dessert - cheesecake. "I pwomise."

"Now, it's your turn to tell me the truth."

The younger gulps down the food rather forcefully as he can feel the seriousness dripping down Chan's voice. Heavy tensed air surrounds them almost instantly. "About what?"

"Did you really come to meet me just because you're worried about your friend?"

Frankly speaking? No.

Or at least, it isn't the sole reason why he meets his crush.

After all, as much as he cares about his best friend, he'll be lying if he denies the fact that he sorta takes advantage of the unfortunate event to meet the older, because apparently, he regrets his past action that rejects the latter's offer to explain what actually happened that day. He never thought such closure - that he believed as wise at that time - would consume his mind up to this day.

Jisung is never that one person who can easily word out what's in his mind or what he truly wants. So maybe, just maybe, through this meeting - where he uses his best friend as the excuse to meet Chan - can somehow lead him to the explanation he desires to know.

"Be honest with me."

Feeling too intimidated with the sudden serious and somewhat cold speaking tone, the younger decides to use body language instead; shakes his head to the side as a sign of saying no.

The older thankfully is good at reading the room and able to detect the slight uncomfortableness shown by the squirrel like boy. Loosening up his unknowingly tensed shoulder muscles, he stretches his hands so that they can reach Jisung's and squeezes them gently. "I'm not mad or anything. I'm genuinely curious."

The smaller boy hums, weakly nodding. He knows the senior deserves an explanation too. "Can you answer my question first?" And yet here he is, being selfish once again. "Please."

Chan nods. "As long as you tell me the real reason why."

"You will know. I promise."

"Okay." Another nod. His hands are still tenderly holding the younger's, thumbs caressing the soft skin repeatedly.

Gulping down his nervousness, Jisung states, "I want to hear your explanation about you and your... ex."

"Are you referring to the day you gave me my bottle back?"

"Mm."

The blonde male lets out an understanding hum. "Long story short, when we used to date, she said she wanted to go to this university. And that day, she told me she was accepted."

Reading Jisung isn't that hard. He can see the visible pout on his small lips, eyes look at the side but not really staring at the object meaning he's thinking or probably busy curses his past self whom jumped to conclusions so easily without bothering to hear his explanation.

"I'd probably do the same if I were you." He states, pulling the younger back to reality.

"Will you go having some dinner with someone you just met in a café too then?" He mentally scolds his loud mouth for uttering unnecessary shit that can worsen the mood, or even their relationship.

The look on Chan's face clearly shows he's unimpressed with the newfound information; that, along with another unreadable expression that he somehow cannot pinpoint which emotion it's belonged to. He swears he can also hear a vague growl escaping the latter's mouth.

"Did you?"

There's a guilty hint displayed on his pupils. His teeth pull his lower lip, biting it rather harsh - it's an unintentional gesture he does whenever he's nervous or anxious. "I did." He expects the older will retreat his hold on his hands after hearing that; surprisingly, he doesn't.

"Did you enjoy it?"

Jisung's mouth goes agape, pupils dilate as he's too shocked receiving such question instead. "No."

"And why was that?"

Glancing at their somewhat tangled fingers, he purses his lips then says "too busy thinking about you" in a small voice.

Chan immediately smiles at the honesty.  "Why did you go with him?"

The junior shrugs. "I thought you've already moved on. I mean... it's been two months since then; probably enough time for unexpected changes to happen, including you getting back with your ex. So I was like... why not?" He tries to say it casually, as if recalling memory of his crush smiling lovingly at his ex doesn't sting his poor heart.

Unfortunately, Chan can easily detect what the younger truly feels at the moment.

"I must say I was hurt. I was serious about you, about us, but you rejected me." Getting a defeated nod. "But to be blunt, being rejected doesn't enough to make me get back together with my ex."

The small sheepish smile. The 'visible' tail wagging. Chan cannot help but mirror the smaller boy's action, smiling unknowingly.

"So I assume that's the reason why you wanted to see me? To ask me about that?"

"Mm." He confirms. "I'm sorry for what I did. I shouldn't have asked you to leave when I knew you'd waited for me."

"It's okay." Chan wets his lips, hesitant if he should say what's in his mind or not. Part of him almost convinces him that he can ask it later, somewhere in the near future as he needs to focus on making Jisung feel comfortable and not to rushing things. But then again, he's scared the latter might suddenly avoid him, leaving him with another yet unanswered question he has been dying to know since the past two months.

So he chooses to ask.

"You still owe me another explanation though."

The junior blinks his eyes. Confused. "What explanation?"

After a solid 10 seconds of silence, which somewhat feels longer than a minute, Chan asks, "Can you tell me why you rejected me?"

Their Dirty Little Secrets [Banghan] ✓Where stories live. Discover now