That Stupid List (A Seventeen Fanfic)

Chapter 33: Nameema

Whenever her phone vibrated to indicate she received a text message, Jin almost always anticipated that it would be Vernon. But it wasn't; not this time at least.

Hey Jin!, wrote Mingyu, how about the Arab restaurant this Friday? You can bring your friend :D

Jin agreed. She had been promising him this for a long time now, and it felt only fair that she accept especially after what Mingyu did for Wonwoo with the modelling offer and all. She told Wonwoo about the plans and asked him to tag along.

He seemed reluctant at first. Jin knew it was because of the price. Going to a restaurant famous for authentic Arab cuisine is bound to be expensive. Jin told him that he did not have to worry about paying anything. After a little protest and a few pushes from Jin (the pushes being reminding him that Mingyu was super attractive), Wonwoo finally agreed. They agreed on a time and a place to meet, and all was set.

-

To say that Jin and Sena's friendship was restored to the way it was before would be an overstatement. But, it would not be an overstatement to say that things had gotten better. Sena told Jin more, and Jin told Sena more as well. But neither seemed to be telling the other everything.

Jin did not tell Sena about her feelings for Seokmin, of course. And she also didn't Sena about Vernon, mostly because she was over it and she didn't want to make him seem like a bad guy now. But Jin did tell Sena about Mingyu, and about why she rejected him.

Both Jin and Wonwoo agreed not to tell Sena that it was indeed her that spread the rumor. Sena was happy thinking that it was not her, and neither wanted to ruin that.

Jin wondered if Wonwoo harbored any resentment for Sena because of it. She asked him and he answered: "of course I don't." But Jin could tell that it wasn't really the case. He seemed to have unconsciously stopped talking with Sena. And when the four of them were together, he would not engage in the conversation if Sena were a part of it.

Sena noticed of course, and she told Jin that she thought Wonwoo hated her.

"He doesn't," Jin reassured, "he's just going through a hard time."

"He talks to you a lot about this hard time, doesn't he?" Sena asked Jin sadly.

Jin had started to recognize the basis on which Sena claimed to be jealous of her. Indeed, Wonwoo was so much closer to Jin than he was to Sena. She even felt it with Seokmin.

Ever since Seokmin had told Jin about Jiwoo, there was something there between that was not between him and Sena. Seokmin would smile comfortably at Jin. There was softness in his eyes when he talked to her. When Sena was around, Soekmin stiffened.

Jin wondered how this came to be. How is it that both Wonwoo and Seokmin were more comfortable around her and not the sociable and pretty Sena? It was outrageous to think that Jin had something that Sena did not. What was it? Reliability? That still did not seem enough to champion every good thing that Sena was...

-

The next day, Jin went to pick up Wonwoo to go to their class together like usual. It became a habit walking around hand in hand with him. Even though people stopped with their whispering, and the rumor was more or less silenced, they continued doing it. It was easy and convenient. Jin liked leaving with Wonwoo every morning, and Wonwoo seemed to enjoy it too. Jin was the only one he felt comfortable talking to about Mingyu after all.

This time as they walked, Wonwoo had a different story to tell.

"The modeling company called me," Wonwoo informed her, "I have an interview with them on Tuesday."