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Jisoo watched them as they shared their food and he fed her as if she were a helpless baby. Joo Hyuk wiped the leftover food and saliva off of her chin. He and Joo Hyuk watched happily as she tried to chew it all and swallow. Joo Hyuk smiles widely and pinches her cheek. He knows that she hates it but he does it anyway.
It was times like this when he realized that he was a miserable third wheel. Or maybe it was always like that, he just couldn't stop staring at her to notice.
"It's good." She gave her nod of approval as she covered her mouth with her hand.
"My girlfriend is so cute," he squeezes her cheek again and this time she swats his hand away. Joo Hyuk pulls her into a back hug and whispers something in her ear, something that makes her giggle.
Her thick curly hair tickles his cheek as he kisses her by her ear. She pulls away smiling and reaches for her chopsticks to continue eating.
"Jisoo," she finally aknowledges him. "What's wrong? You haven't said anything this whole time."
"Yeah, what's going on, buddy?" Joo Hyuk finally takes his attention away from Lizzy to talk to his best friend who sat on the other side of the table quietly picking at his food.
He looks up at Lizzy who's brown eyes are big with concern. Today she finally decided to let her hair down because she wanted to do something different with it. Her brown skin turns to gold as the sunshine seeps through the windows and into her pores.
She's so beautiful that he doesn't even realize his best friend talking to him. "Jisoo!" Joo Hyuk repeated.
"Huh?" His eyes widened with realization. "Oh, nothing. Just tired, I guess."
"Are you sure?" She asks.
"Yes." He nodded and coughed into his arm.
"It's okay, you can tell us."
"No. Really," he shook his head. "I'm fine."
"Aww. Jisoo, something is obviously wrong. You're being so quiet. I'm usually the quiet one." Lizzy puts on a small smile to comfort him and it works.
After an early dinner, the three of them take a stroll in the park. Jisoo finds himself being further and further behind. He watches as the couple run and chase each other in the cool summer breeze.
The wind pulls the cherry blossom petals off of the trees and carelessly throw them wherever. Lizzy's hair is filled with them and Joo Hyuk compliments her appearance as he gently cups her face and kisses her.
Jisoo unintentionally dug up a feeling which he thought he had buried a long time ago.
The same feeling from high school. When he and Joo Hyuk had a crush on the same girl. When Joo Hyuk told him that he liked Lizzy and he was planning on asking her out for the school dance. When his best friend amd his crush actually began dating.
He felt left out. Left over and left unappreciated.
He wanted what Joo Hyuk had. But since he couldn't have her, he was upset.
A feeling that most would call jealousy.
Lizzy and Joo Hyuk plop down on the couch once they make it to Joo Hyuk's house.
"Wait, where's Jisoo?" She asks as she looks.
"Oh. That's why it feels like I was forgetting something." He hurries to the door. "I'll go get him." He opens the door and there's Jisoo who looks unamused. "Dude, I'm sorry." Joo Hyuk laughed. "Look, you stay here and I'll run to the store to buy snacks for the movie."
"What movie?"
"I don't know. Lizzy wanted to pick it out. Why don't you help her?" He walks out and closes the door behind himself.
"Jisoo!" She calls him over to the sofa that sat in front of the television. "Which movie do you think we should watch?" He sits beside her. "I was thinking a rom com, but I know that you don't like them--"
She's interrupted by his loud sigh. "What's the matter?"
"It doesn't matter what you choose. I don't care."
"Why are you acting so strange?"
"I'm not--" he raises his voice but stops himself as he sees the frightened look on her face. "Lizzy." He lowers his voice. "I have to tell you something that I've wanted to tell you since high school."
"What? What is it?"
"I like you."
The room was quiet.
"Oh," she replied as she moved a rebellious curl behind her ear. "That's nice and all but, I'm in love with Joo Hyuk. Sorry..."
"Damn it!" He exclaimed as he shot up from his seat. She looked up at him as he attempted to regain his composure. He knew that he shouldn't have been upset at her. She was being a loyal girlfriend and a good friend. "Lizzy... Would you go out with me if you weren't with Joo Hyuk?"
She frowned.
"Why would you ask that?"
"I still love you. I'll wait for you. If you and Joo Hyuk ever break up, I'll be there for you."
"No." She shook her head. "Don't say that."
He leans in towards her and places his hand on her cheek. He then moves in to grant her a kiss on her lips. She sits there, frozen with fear. Her heart racing.
"What the hell?!" Joo Hyuk yells as he pulls his best friend off of his girlfriend. Anger takes control of him as he grabs Jisoo by the collar and punches him right under his eye.
The punch causes him to fall back on the floor.
"Joo Hyuk, Stop!" Lizzy stands between him and Jisoo. "Don't do this."
"Are you defending him?!"
"I just don't want the two of you to fight. You're best friends after all."
"Former best friends!" He exclaimed. "That snake is no friend of mine!" He points to Jisoo who slowly stands up, his hand over the place where he was strike. "Just get out!"
"Joo Hyuk..." Jisoo trailed off.
"Get out. Please, I don't want to see your face right now."
Lizzy turns away as if she's too afraid to look either of them in the eye.
"Fine." He says as he walks out and slams the door behind himself.
