Once Upon a Time in South Korea

Left Behind

*
3RD PERSON's POV

Baekhyun ran his fingers through his hair and settled them on his nape. Huminga siya nang malalim at saka bahagyang ngumiti. "Uhm, Julie?"

Itinigil muna ni Julie ang pakikipag-usap kay Loi at hinarap siya. Loi, on the other hand, distanced herself from the two.

"Hey, Baek-oppa!" sabi nito sabay ngiti.

Her smile did distract him. Natigilan nga siya, eh, pero nakabawi rin agad. "U-uhm... A-aalis ka ba? I-I mean, k-kasama ka ba sa kanila?"

Lumaki ang ngiti ni Julie at enthusiastic na tumango. "Oo! Bakit?"

Baekhyun wouldn't deny that her answer made his heart ache. He actually had a plan para sa araw na ito na pinag-isipan niya talaga. Halos hindi siya nakatulog para lang maihanda yun at maging perfect para sa kanilang dalawa. But his efforts were wasted. Hindi pala free si Julie ngayong araw.

"I-I..."

He sighed. Would he tell her? Would it change a thing? Sapat na kaya yun para magpaiwan siya at sa kanya na lang sumama?

He jerked when he felt something warm on his forehead. Turned out that Julie was soothing the creases on it. Kanina pa yata nakakunot noo niya, eh. Nakakahiya.

"May problema ba?"

"H-ha? Ah, kasi..." Sasabihin ko na ba? Aish! Bahala na. "K-kasi I am planning to invite you out today. You know? S-something like a d-date k-kaso may lakad ka pala ngayon. Hahaha! Sayang. Di bale, next time na lang. Hahaha." Tumawa pa siya. Fake naman. Alam naman kasi niya sa sarili niya na nasaktan siya dun.

"Hindi nga?!" OA na sigaw ni Julie.

For a while, Baekhyun's eyes lit up. Kitang-kita niya kasi na nanghinayang ito. Pero nawala rin yun agad at napalitan ng apologetic na ngiti, na siyang lalong nagpa-down sa kanya.

Hinawakan ni Julie yung kamay niya at pinisil yun "I would love to go with you, oppa. Alam mo naman yan. Kaya lang, nauna na 'to, eh. Besides, we'll be meeting a friend. Matagal na namin yun hindi nakikita, eh. Sorry, babawi ako. Promise!"

Hindi maikakaila ni Baek na nasaktan siya sa sinabi ni Julie. He chose to be honest at yun ay para mag-stay ito at makasama siya. Akala niya kasi ay magi-guilty ito pero hindi. Sino ba kasing kaibigan yun? Bawal bang i-resched na lang yung pakikipagkita ng mga ito rito? This was supposed to be their super special first date!

"I'll hold onto that. Bukas, okay? No excuses."

She grinned widely and pinched his cheeks. "Sige. Sorry, hindi pwedeng hindi ako sumama, eh. Knowing Hyeonsu, magtatampo yun nang bongga. I kinda missed him, too, though."

He froze upon hearing that. Hyeonsu? Him? They'll be meeting a guy?!

"Julie, wait!" tawag niya rito pero nakita niyang nandun na ito kina Jrace at nakikipag-usap.

He pouted in jealousy. That couldn't be!

-

"Usa, tingin ka sa akin. Dali!" usal ni Xhelle kay Luhan, bagay na hindi naman niya sinunod. "Usaaaaaaa~" she sung in her falsetto voice.

Luhan bit his lip. Kung hindi naman kasi niya gagawin yun ay matatawa talaga siya nang wala sa oras. Well, Xhelle has been like that since last night. She was so loud and hyper. Considering that he prefers demure and quiet girls, he still liked her. He wasn't turned off. Not a bit. She was just being herself and that mattered to him.

Pero kung kagabi ay sinasabayan pa niya ito sa kakulitan, iba ngayon. Nagtatampo siya. Sobra. Today was the first day after their confession tapos aalis ito? Isa pa, hindi man lang ito nagpaalam. Here he was, getting excited and giddy of how they would spend the whole day with just the two of them. Then suddenly, she would just show up with her friends all dressed up headed to somewhere he didn't even have any idea where?!