Faded // Bang Chan

Chapter 25 - Medicine

He hadn't turned up to school since the incident in the cafeteria, marking today a week since Chan had last appeared at school, Na Ri however, had showed up every day with a fake smile and her best 'I don't care what you think' attitude. 

Truthfully, she did care but more for her seemingly deceased relationship with Chan than over what others thought of her motives with him. Na Ri couldn't deny that her past with Ji Yeon hadn't come to light like she thought it would but with Bo Ra seemingly snooping around her background it was only a matter of time till the whole truth came out to everyone. 

"Oi! Na Ri! Just listen to me." Jungsoo whispered from beside her. The entire week since the cafeteria stunt Bo Ra pulled, Jungsoo had been desperately attempting to talk to her and fix the trust he broke. 

Na Ri reacted the same way she'd done everyday and just acted oblivious to his existence. She knew that in a way she had no right to be angry at him. After all, he was essentially just using her to get to Chan for information but she was doing the same thing. They were in no way good people but were in fact equal and yet, the mere sight of him annoyed her, much like how it had before they formed an alliance. 

"Na Ri! Please?" Jungsoo pleaded with her but she had no interest in his apology. "I was going to eventually tell you the truth. I swear!" He exclaimed in desperation. Na Ri suddenly realised that if this was how she felt over Jungsoo's disloyalty, how did Chan feel about his misplaced trust in her?

She shot up from her seat, catching the attention of the other students studying in the quiet room and the teacher supervising. She bowed quickly, ignoring the teacher's displeased face at her action before she ran to the door and left. She knew she was bound to get into massive trouble for not only interrupting study but for leaving the classroom without permission but right now that was the least of her concerns. 

Na Ri dashed down the hallway, pushing past students who were roaming the halls. The only thing running through her mind was Chan. Why wasn't he present? Is he alright? How can she make this better? 

Not knowing his whereabouts was something that didn't strike her until she'd already escaped from the school grounds. Her running steps came to a sudden halt as she stood in thought at possible locations to find him. She knew where he worked and she knew one of his friends but other than that she was empty handed. 

She strolled down the streets at a slow pace as she racked her brain for ideas on where he was. She wasn't sure what she'd say if she did find him but she knew that no matter what she needed to fix what she'd damaged. 

As she made her way to the convenience store that she'd seen him work at before her guilty conscience began to awaken, reliving the past events since she'd moved to Seoul. 

"So stupid, Na Ri!" She scolded herself whilst thinking of her dumb decisions since moving here. Befriending Bo Ra was by far the worst. Not only had it dragged her into a world of secrets and sadness but it had caused her to hurt another undeserving person. 

On paper, Chan was bad. He was a misfit, a total reject in the society that is school but spending time with him Na Ri had seen a different side to him. Each and every day, a small speck of the real Chan would shine through his facade, overshadowing all that he'd done to earn the title of an 'outcast' or 'murderer'. Whether it was his rare but vibrant smile or his melodious laugh, it showed the real Chan, a lost and broken boy who just wanted to be found once again and she was determined to do just that. Na Ri made up her mind in that exact second. Her motive had changed and now had a completely different purpose. Na Ri was determined she'd be the one to save him.

Her feet began to move fast from under her, taking her down newly familiar streets. Na Ri took no notice of her surroundings but instead focused on getting to him as fast as she could, feeling the urge to apologise to him as soon as possible for her wrong doing. She finally understood the true meaning of 'alone or lonely' when she watched Chan turn and walk away from her that day on the rooftop.