BEHIND THE SCENES

chapter 26: their sweet past

Hyejin nodded slowly, waiting for Chungha to continue.

"For three whole years, our relationship was smooth-sailing-" Chungha carried on. "We always had a best friend-like relationship - we'd joke with each other, tease each other, laugh and cry together, but ultimately, we really really cared for each other. I cared for him so much that I thought - hey, maybe he might even be the guy I was going to get married to in the future."

"Aw..."

"But then his final year came." Chungha bit her lower lip, struggling to continue. "I was in my second year back then, and we were happy. Slowly, as his workload got heavier and heavier, we began drifting apart. He began forgetting about the things I told him, the promises he made with me, eventually forgetting my birthday - because he was caught up with completing his final year project."

Hyejin pursed her lips. "Ah..."

"I didn't want to make a fuss, to be honest-" Chungha nodded slowly. "I tried to talk to him, communicate with him, try to understand why that he was busy and that his work was of top priority... but he was hard to talk to back then as well. He was snappy all the time and I was getting more and more tired of meeting up with him, because every date always ended up with a squabble. We took a break for a while... and one day, I saw him walking and laughing with one of his girl friends, and something in me just snapped. I broke down and the very next day, I broke up with him."

"Ah..." Hyejin frowned. "That wasn't right of him, was it?"

"He came looking for me a few days later, begging for my forgiveness," Chungha said softly. "He told me that the girl he was walking with was just one of his project work whom he had gotten close to. Apparently, he actually was just walking to the bus stop with her, asking her how he could possibly patch things up with me."

"But you didn't trust him?"

"No, I trusted him-" Chungha nodded slowly. "I know he only loved me, and I still loved him too - but I told him that that was only the trigger point. I had been way too tired of trying anymore. I just didn't want to get hurt anymore."

Hyejin nodded slowly.

"And right now, I still don't want to get hurt." Chungha bit her lower lip nervously. "But in the process of trying to protect myself... I hurt him."

-•-•-

"Thanks for the meal, bujang-" Hoseok got up from his seat abruptly after wolfing down his meal in five minutes. "I'm gonna head out first."

Everyone watched on in dismay as Hoseok hurried out of the door.

"You guys, enjoy-" Namjoon announced as he got to his feet and headed towards the door. "I'll be back in a bit."

Namjoon headed out of the restaurant and grabbed Hoseok by his arm.

Hoseok turned around and looked up at Namjoon with a defiant look on his face. "What?"

"Let's talk."

"There's nothing to talk about," Hoseok said bluntly. "Can I go now, bujang-nim?"

"Of course there's something for us to talk about," Namjoon said as he let go of Hoseok's arm. "Chungha-ssi and you, what's the deal?"

"It's none of your business-" Hoseok said curtly. "It's our own private life, bujang-nim."

"Not if it's affecting your work."

"It's not affecting my work-"

"Except it is," Namjoon interrupted. "Just doing your daily tasks normally is not good enough. When the two of you aren't on good terms, you're affecting the energy in the whole office, are you not aware of that? I heard that Hyejin-ssi has been the one being your messenger, and have you heard what your other colleagues have been saying about you? Chungha-ssi and you are partners, you need to get along to produce results. Your workplace does not just revolve around you and you alone, Jung Hoseok."