𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝟐𝟒 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬

{Chapter 22: Chances}

"So you landed yourself a date?"

"It's not a date." I roll my eyes at Mom's non-existent face on the phone. "It's just dinner."

"And yet you're raiding your whole suitcase 'cause you don't have anything to wear?" Her voice, currently on loudspeaker, booms across the room. "Come on, this is your game. You should be good at this. Dress to impress, sweetie!"

"Bye, Mom." I press end call. 

Shaking my head slowly, I laugh from Mom's attempt at... whatever that's supposed to be. I don't know. Motivation? My eyes narrow in criticism as I set my outfit for tonight on the bed. Although, I still don't feel convinced that this is the perfect one. I throw the baby blue blouse back into my suitcase.

Finally, after hours of mixing and matching clothes, I manage to find just the right combo: a pink soft cotton pullover with a jewel neckline and a white linen skirt that really emphasizes my hips. My leaf-shaped necklace complements the outfit nicely too, but it's just not complete.

I pull out my wallet, and inside the coin compartment a small jewellery catches the light, reflecting back a glare. "A crown fit for a princess." His voice plays back. A small smile makes its way to my lips. But I break off from my daydream, hearing the doorbell chime from the main door. It must be Ms. Chae. She must be back from BigHit Ent. Doesn't she have a key card with her? 

I yell. "It's open!"

The doorbell rings again and I make a conclusion that whoever it might be is not Ms. Chae. Not even bothering to change clothes, I go to the door. I twist the knob open to see who is on the other side.

"Yu-cheol." I blurt out.

My eyes widen just slightly as she catches me off guard. I didn't expect her, out of all people, to come here. She displays a warm smile, probably noticing the surprise in my face. I ask. "What brings you here?"

"I just wanted to talk to you." She says, looking down. Now that I notice it, her small eyes are looking a bit puffy, as if she's been recently crying. I also detect the change in her scent. It's not her delicate rose perfume, but something strong. The different tone in her voice alarms me too.

"Sure. But..." I answer, then suddenly remembering my date— I mean, dinner with Soobin. I glance at the screen of my phone. Two more hours. "Now's not really the moment— I... I have something to attend to."

"Please." The prominent look in her eyes doesn't waver. She's not backing down any moment. She adds. "It's about Soobin." 

My ears instantly perk up at the mere mention of his name. Right, she promised me she would tell me. I open the door completely and motion her inside, while she follows behind me.

She settles onto the sofa and I awkwardly head for the kitchen. "You want something to drink? How about some snacks—"

"I won't take up much of your time." She shakes her head. I sit on the opposite side of the L-shaped sofa, intrigued and a bit curious about what she's going to tell me. "You seem like a good person and I hope we'll get along better in the future... but I wanted to be honest with you."

"I like Soobin." Wow, what a shocker.

I raise my eyebrow. "Yu-cheol. If you want me to help you with him, I'm sorry but there's nothing I can do to—"

"But he doesn't like me." She sighs, playing with the hem of her furry coat. Her gaze meets mine. "He doesn't and he never will."

I blink. Why is she telling me this? Yu-cheol sways a bit. Is she drunk? Come to think of it, she reeks of soju and beer. It's a surprise, really. Last night, she was the only person in control of her alcohol, like she knew her limits. But seeing her now, she seems like a whole different person.

"He likes— Oh, wait. That's not it. He loves another girl." She forces a sad smile, her eyes not leaving my face. Her eyelids droop. "And it's you."

"I don't see how this is relevant to the topic—"

"This is the topic." Her face straightens. She looks down on her lap. "I was introduced to TxT three years ago. I met five nice guys and we all became friends... Well, except for that one person."

Soobin. My eyebrows furrow, but I don't say anything. Yu-cheol continues with her story. She frowns, remembering the memories. "Before, he wouldn't talk to anyone. Not even to his friends. He would only say what he was supposed to say on camera, he would only smile when he's told to..."

"During break times, he would stay cooped up in a corner staring at his phone, like he was waiting for someone to reply. Your replies. Beomgyu told me all about you, too. I used to be so mad at you, but I couldn't help but think... Damn, that girl is so lucky."

She sniffles, fishing a pink cotton handkerchief from her pockets. "Just seeing him all alone made me so sad and I wanted to change that."

She produces a sad chuckle, wiping at the corners of her eyes. "I thought I could change that."

I bite my lower lip. I had done more damage than I expected. Surely it also affected Yeonjun, Taehyun, and innocent Hueningkai, especially Beomgyu. Soon enough, Yu-cheol's cries were flowing like a waterfall, while I stay quiet on my side of the sofa.

"He's been through so much and I know you did too." She sobs. "I don't have any rights to tell you this, but he deserves so much love—He deserves your love."

A tear slips out of my eye. Yu-cheol was once like me, hoping to be noticed by someone. I know the feeling of doubting yourself that you're not good enough for that person. All she ever wanted was to make Soobin happy, even if it's not with her. And I admire her for that. She's brave, she's strong. She's just like all of us, hoping to love and to be loved. So Yu-cheol's not the villain here. No one is.

"So I'm asking you, if he asks for a chance," She sighs, eyeing the ring on my finger. She smiles at me. "Please give him one."