Sketched Love / Lee Juyeon

3. Frustration

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Three days flew by.

Those days were filled with Juyeon frequently asking his friends about the possible whereabouts of his sketchbook. He couldn't think straight most of the time and he's been losing focus during classes, but thankfully his professors didn't mind as he's one of those who care less about studies. "Any idea where I last settled it?"

"We really don't know, Juyeon. We had been to some areas to check, but there was nothing."

"Oh, is that so? Thanks..." There are times when he couldn't contain his frustration because his memory wouldn't cooperate. How come he forgot one of the most important things to him? Younghoon and Chanhee couldn't help but pity their friend everytime they see his exhausted face, and they knew they couldn't offer more than that.

Lunch time came and the students scattered inside the cafeteria to look for available seats where they could eat. Younghoon and Chanhee invited Juyeon over their table because they thought their friend would want some company. However, Juyeon declined the offer, but assured the two that he's just fine with just being all by himself like the usual. Seeing that Juyeon was firm with his words, they let him be and they could just breathe a sigh because of pity towards their friend.

Younghoon and Chanhee consider Juyeon's problem as their own as well, so they drown both of themselves with the thought of their friend, except that one of them have another thought mind he couldn't just share to anyone. "Imagine losing something something you cherish. Who wouldn't lose appetite over that? Sigh. That's it. Come on. Let's approach— Hey! Are you even listening to me? Your eyes are everywhere."

"Oh... S-Sorry. Were you saying something?"

"I said Juyeon doesn't seem to plan on eating anything. Look at him." Younghoon followed Chanhee's gaze and his eyes fell towards the sight of his friend who's sitting alone, head hung low almost touching the table. Younghoon sighed— firstly because he couldn't think of another place where Juyeon could've possibly set his sketchbook, and lastly because his eyes couldn't spot the girl he could only look at during lunch time since that's the only time he could confidently look at her from a distance, compared to their proximity inside the classroom where he's too shy approaching her whenever they share the same class schedule. "Shit. Wait..."

"What's the matter?" Younghoon immediately questioned as soon as he saw Chanhee abruptly stood from his seat as if he just recalled something so important. "Let me guess. You... thought of another area where we could find Juyeon's sketchbook. Am I right?"

"Not even a close guess. I just remembered that Mr. Ji instructed me to meet him at this hour. I guess I'll just have lunch later. Have fun with your bread. See you!" And just like that, Chanhee ran in a lightning speed going to the faculty, afraid of having one of his professors scold him for not being prompt. Younghoon shrugged, stuffing his mouth with another bread.

"How cool!" Kira would mumble these words from time to time whenever she's alone looking through the pages of someone else's sketchbook in her hands. She's just amazed with the details and the more she looked at those for too long, the more she couldn't hide her astonishment. Besides, what she knew was that no one's watching her.

Tirelessly, she continued admiring Juyeon's artworks when she suddenly felt some sort of guilt in her system as the image of exhausted Juyeon popped in her head out nowhere. She bit her lower lip, somehow worried about the sketchbook's owner because it looked like he's been dying to know where his belonging is. They share the same classes most of the time and seeing him more often makes the guilt in her double up. "It's not like I'm claiming this, right? I'm returning this soon. Sigh."

Kira's currently having her alone time under the tree for the lunch period, munching on her food while busying herself looking at Juyeon's drawings. The guy, meanwhile, was spacing out inside the classroom, waiting for his classmates for the next period. Till now, he couldn't bear the fact that he's one careless guy who didn't know how to take good care of his belongings. Although worn out, he kept on forcing his brain to cooperate with him for the sake of finding his beloved sketchbook.

"Juyeon himself has the potential to display his own artworks in an art gallery someday.. and sell them." She smiled proudly while continuously fascinating herself with the sketchbook's content. Kira was too immersed that she didn't notice a pair eyes glaring at her from a close distance.

As much as this person wanted to confront the culprit at that very moment, he thought that it would be much better for Juyeon to see everything in his own eyes. After all, he's just a friend trying to help and he didn't want anything to screw up.

"Just wait until Juyeon finds out..." He mumbled to himself, smirking as he made his way to return to the cafeteria in hopes that his friend was still there.

And just like that, the universe took advantage of Juyeon and Kira's carelessness.

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@neomuberry: Uh oh— Who was that 'friend'? 👀