A Player's Game? | Minho ff

| Chapter 33 |

PoV: 3rd Person

Two days passed and it's the day of the festival. Everyone is fairly excited, preparing their rooms, decorating or practicing their speeches. While all this is happening Liz and Chan walk through the hall, trying to find Minho and Ma-Ri.
"Maybe they just haven't arrived yet or they didn't come together?", The Australian boy tries to explain their absence.
Liz immediately shakes her head: "Ma-Ri is always late and Minho is proud. As soon as he has a girlfriend he will show her off proudly."
"But what if our plan didn't work?"
"I am pretty sure it did. I heard some kissing from her room that day. So I am pretty sure our plan worked", the pretty girl giggles, happily that it worked, though she still feels guilty for kicking out her best friend. Guess sometimes we have to make sacrifices to succeed.
Together they keep on walking, passing many rooms and students who walk around chaotically, wanting to make sure everything is perfect, u til they see Minho, who is standing beside his parents. Liz and Chan give each other a confused look but approach them anyways.
"Hello Mister and Misses Lee", Liz greets, getting greeted with a smile from them.
"Oh dear Liz. It has been ages. Let's me look at you!", Minhos mother looks the girl up and down, judging or rather trying to find something to judge, "You've gotten so much prettier than the last time I saw you."
"Thanks", knowing this is a backhanded compliment and knowing how his parents can be, she just lets it slide.
"Are you two also going to perform?", While his father speaks, Liz looks to Minho. He seems unusually quiet and upset.
"Well, we should go and rehears one last time. We were asked to get Minho", Chan explains shortly. All I do is nod in agreement, causing Minhos parents to let him go.
"We will be watching Minho."
"Yeah, I know..", he rolls his eyes while walking away with his two friends. When the pretty girl is sure his parents are far enough, she turns to Minho.
"What's wrong? You are never this quiet.."
Instead of answer he shrugs his shoulder and walks a bit fast. For Liz it's obvious he is trying to avoid talking about it, but she also know you can't talk to him when he is like that.
When they arrive backstage, Liz and Chan immediately walk to the others.
"Jiwoo, let's try to call Ma-Ri. I have the feeling something happened between her and Minho.."
A bit shocked Jiwoo looks at her friend: "You think so?"
"Definitely. Ma-Ri is still not here and Minho is upset. Like, more upset than he has ever been.."
Of course Ma-Ri doesn't pick up her phone, making them worry even more than they already do. It crosses their mind, that they should maybe just drive to her house and see what up, but the second Liz wants to bring it up, a teacher greets them.
"Hello Students, I hope you are ready to give it your all. We'll start with our first male soloist, then our girl band Itzy, who will be performing two songs. After that our first female soloist Liz, then our other male soloist, followed by straykids and finally Sora. To end the show we will have our secret artist perform. If the crowd is still hungry afterwards you might be able to perform another song. Everything's understood?"
Everyone nods, until they get another info.
"You do not leave until the show is done. Good luck", with that he leaves.
Liz sighs, turning to Jiwoo.
"I wanted to asks what about we look after Ma-Ri, as in driving to her.."
"And now we can't.... Let's try to call her again!"

"Hey Ma-Ri. This is Jiwoo and Liz. Where are you? We are really worried about you. Please call us back, we love you!"

Another voicemail. With blank eyes Ma-Ri stares at her phone, waits for Jiwoos voice to stop and looks back to her reflection. The girl didn't eat, nor leave her room since Minho broke her heart. She knew why she was so scared of saying yes and now she feels broken. Her aching heart will not stop. Like a wound that will forever be there, leaving the ugliest scar possible. And that after only two days..
Ma-Ri knows her parents went out, watching the show. The show Ma-Ri wants to forget about. Maybe it's a good thing after all that she'll move away after the show. Leaving everything that hurt her behind and start fresh. When her parents told her about the possibility to leave this school and move away, she was unsure whether she should be happy or sad, but now she is glad she told them that she wanted to decide later, if she actually wants to do it or not.
A third voicemail forces her out of her trance. Tired she looks at her phone.

"Hey it's Liz. We don't know what happened, but Minho seems upset. Did something happen between you two? We really want to be there for you Ma-Ri.."

Today is the day if the show and Ma-Ri knows it. Supporting her friends should be more important than staying in her room mourning a asshole.
Feeling weak she stand up, looks at herself. Noticing her puffy eyes and messy hair. Slowly she walks to her desk to get ready for the last time to see her two friends.