Searching For The Light: BTOB Changsub x APINK Chorong ✔

Chapter 18

He replied in a whisper with the same gritted teeth. "I haven't told her the truth about us."

"Well, save my pride, will you?" And then I tip-toed a little and kissed his cheek as quickly as the blood on my own rose up.

This time he smiled for real. "Get home safely."

"How will you get home later?"

"Bus?"

I rolled my eyes and squeezed his cheeks the same way he did with mine. "I hate you."

"Ah, so this is how it feels."

Naeun cleared her throat. "Are you going home?" she asked me. "I can give you a lift there, if it's alright."

#

Naeun is so pretty.
Maybe not the prettiest girl I've ever metㅡbut she has that vibe. The goddess vibe. One look at her and I could tell how different we are from each other; the elegant dress, high heels, pretty curls, makeup on point. With the way she treats me, I slowly learn to understand why Changsub couldn't ever hate her. She is this perfect girl.

The car was filled with an awkward silence that, at first, none of us dared to break until the GPS told us we're near my shop where I asked her to drop me off.

"Thank you for being there for Changsub oppa." she finally said, in which I just returned a smile. She continued, "He's... a great person. I only wish for him to be happy and I'mㅡglad that he seems like it."

"He seems like it?" I repeated.

She nodded with a pretty smile. "Yeah, even just when he looks at you, it's like his eyes are smiling."

I felt myself blush, wondering if this was true or Naeun's just saying it to be nice, thinking Changsub and I were a real couple.

She took a deep breath as if keeping herself stable. "I really regret it, you know. I mean, I really regret hurting himㅡbut no matter how cruel this sounds, I don't regret meeting my husband either. One thing I learned with this is that, when you love someone, you don't regret any inch of him."

I looked up at her after she said this and smiledㅡbecause that's one of the things I've realized too.

Once she had dropped me off, I waved her good bye and I came inside the karaoke shop only to find Bomi staring outside through the glass window.

"Hey! Are you alright? Seen a ghost?" I asked.

Her jaw clenched. "Worse. Why were you with that girl?"

I almost forgot that, of course, she knows Naeun. I took a deep breath. "I saw her at Bana's. She offered a ride here."

Her eyebrow shot up. Bomi has never seemed this angry before. She was always cute and cheerful. "What is she doing there?"

Softly and carefully, I saidㅡ"Hey, there's nothing to worry about. Your brother is fine. They just talked for a while, I guess."

Her anger turned to sadness, and then she looked down on her lap. "I just... don't want him to be hurt again. It was so hard to see him like thatㅡas if his life had no direction at all." Bomi looked up and met my eyes with hers. "That's why I am so thankful to you. Ever since he met you, it seemed like everything was possible again. Whether you dragged him or not out of darkness, I'll always be thankful to you."