The Reason? - Yoon Jeonghan

Chapter 51

Jeonghan didn't really know what to think about the kiss. Ophely had gone in like her family had done for a bise on the cheek. But then she kissed him on his mouth, and promptly turned red and went to bed. He was confused, but he didn't worry about it too much. Ophely was an adult, she would apologise, explain or whatever when she wanted to. On his part, it didn't bother him, but he knew that lip to lip kisses for her were more intimate.

So that night Jeonghan brushed his teeth and went to sleep on the sofa in the living room. Seungkwan watched him from the corner of his eyes but didn't question his place, he simply went his way with Hoshi to their bedrooms. Vernon was the same when he went to drink water later that morning. But Jeonghan gave Ophely space to go over her actions. So he slept one night on the couch.

And the next day. They didn't talk about it. They just ignored what she had done. Well, Jeonghan waited for her to talk about it, and Ophley chose not to comment on her actions. Shame? Regret? Fatigue? Unsureness? The more she thought about it, the less opinion she had. Except not talk about it. It was to be nicely kept in the unspoken box of things, to be ignored and never talked about.

They did not talk about it. Ophely did not utter a word, and Jeonghan didn't question. One day, Saturday. Two days, Sunday. Monday the 21st, nothing. They didn't talk much at all either, unless it was for the organisation of the boys' practice, interviews, preparations and all. Nothing regarding her.

Jeonghan observed the teenager as she moved around the place, as she worked more diligently now that she had no school to worry about. She talked with her friends, discussed that with some of the members, talked with her family, and their manager was very fond of the stories about France that she shared. But between them, Jeonghan knew that there was something. And Ophely too. She made sure not to touch that tension, feel it, look at it, acknowledge it. It was awkward. Not like when they first met. But talking was not easy. Not as easy as it had been.

Day four, Tuesday. The twenty-second of February. Twenty-nineteen. And Ophely was turning nineteen. Twenty-one in Korean age. Just to add to the confusion.

Jeonghan watched as she talked with Wonwoo in the kitchen, making Curry, which was the first thing she had ever cooked for any of the boys. It seemed like she didn't understand why everyone was going to be eating in their apartment that day. It was oftentimes random, who would come and at what time. But she still cooked with enthusiasm, accompanied by her two kitchen-mates. Wonwoo and Mingyu cutting things for her, stirring others, cleaning things up and setting the table altogether. Jeonghan observed from the living room as she did what she had done for the past few days. Ignore his presence.

It hurt. Because he didn't know how she felt.

For the past years (and a bit more) he had known how she felt, how she would react to things, it was always implied, he would just know. Now, that connection was stained. She was just another one of the agency's employees, just living with them and who had a great friendship with many of the boys. And he was an outsider.

Jeonghan sighed.

Maybe he should have had more guts and asked her. Today shouldn't be the day, it was her birthday. It was her day, a day of rest and happiness.

His phone went off. A notification, one he was waiting for. He stood up, signed for Seungcheol to follow him from somewhere over the couch.

"We'll be back in half an hour." His leader called out to the room full of people when they had put their shoes and coats on. They got two nods in response, and a 'bye-bye!'.