i g u e s s t h a t ' s w h a t
f r i e n d s a r e f o r
For the rest of the day Chaeyeon stayed silent and straight faced. Even if you knew just her name, you'd know that Chaeyeon was a smiley and bubbly person almost daily, so seeing her this way wasn't normal. Something bad would have clearly happen for her to be like this.
Her friends, even Jaebeom tried to ask her what was going on but she would just tell them that she'd explain later. They dropped it once they knew she wouldn't talk to them yet.
The final bell has rung, Chaeyeon was making her way down to Mr. Lim's office. Stopping once she reached the door.
"Hey." She turned around to see Sunghoon standing there. She gave him a weak smile. "I'm sorry about butting in on your personal problem, but I could see the way you acted when being accused of cheating. I could tell you didn't do it so I put myself in. Sorry if you're mad."
She shook her head, "I'm not mad at you. I'm upset that something like this would happen, I would never do that." Chaeyeon sighed. "I'm sorry that you got dragged in this with me."
Sunghoon shook his head, "I guess that's what friends are for. You take the blame for each other." Chaeyeon gave him a smile.
They turned their heads when they heard the door open, Mr. Lim gestured them to go in and sit down in the chair in front of his desk.
"I know you're a great student Chaeyeon. You've shown nothing but excellence and high achievements in school. I understand that you wouldn't do anything like this, but your name is still unfortunately printed on this."
He turned to Sunghoon, "and you, I could say the same things as I did to Chaeyeon. I don't understand why you'd put yourself in something that has nothing to do with you, but maybe there was a mistake. We don't know that."
"Because this is both of your guys first times being in a position like this, I will not be giving you guys any formal punishments. But if anything does occur again with either of you, then there will be. I don't want to see either of you in this position again, understood?" They both nodded.
"Good, you may leave my office now." They said their thank you's and left his office. Chaeyeon sighed once they shut the door behind them. Both of their friend groups were outside waiting for them.
"Can you please explain what happened. Why did you guys have to go to his office?" Sunoo exclaimed.
"Chaeyeon was accused of cheating."
"What!" Jaebeom turned his face to his sister. "Cheating, you'd never cheat in school. Maybe if I was accused that'd be more believeable, but you?"
"That's what I said too. But my name was printed on top of the answer key sheet, it's pretty hard to explain when there's evidence right in your face." Chaeyeon sighed.
"Well if it was about you, then why did Sunghoon get called into his office as well?" Niki asked.
"I took the blame and told him that there might've been a mistake when I was photocopying the sheet."
"Which you shouldn't have, what if we did get in trouble because of me. Both of our transcripts would be marked for cheating." Chaeyeon looked at Sunghoon.
"It's fine, we didn't get in trouble."
"That's good, does that mean you guys didn't get any punishments at all? Since there could have been a mistake with it." Heeseung asked.
"He let us off this time, but that doesn't mean it didn't happen. I didn't cheat, someone had to have put my name on that purposely." Chaeyeon was frustrated that someone could do that to her. Who didn't like her that much to do that.
"It's over now, don't think about it okay." Jaebeom patted her back.
"Oh ya, I forgot to give you this. You must've dropped it when putting your little gift away." Yena pulled out a letter from her bag, handing it to Chaeyeon.
"Why don't you read this one. Take your mind off of what happened." Mina encouraged her.
Chaeyeon sighed, handing the letter to the closest person to her which happens to be Sunghoon. "I don't feel like reading it. You open it, read it for me."
Sunghoon took the letter and opened it up, everyone leaning over to read it as well.
"I mean it's not as stalkerish as the last couple ones." Naeun said.
"Wait a second!" Jay stopped everyone from walking further. "I think I know who did it Chaeyeon."
Chaeyeon looked at him with excitement in her eyes. "Who wrote my name on the paper, the one who set me up!"
"No, the person who might be your secret admirer."
Chaeyeon dropped her head in defeat, "I thought you meant the person who set me up."
"Shouldn't you be happier. You might know who's been leaving these for you." Bomin laughed.
"Fine, who do you think it is."
"I noticed that the signature is n.h, which I knew that those initials looked familiar. It's Nam Hyunwoo." Jay explained.
They looked at him in confusion. "Uh who's Nam Hyunwoo? I've never met a person named that before." Jungwon asked.
"Maybe not Hyunwoo, but what about a Woohyun." Jay was leading somewhere. Chaeyeon stopped and widen her eyes.
"Woohyun. As in my project partner, Woohyun?" Jay nodded. Chaeyeon took the letter and looked at it. She couldn't imagine him doing that for her. They never met before that class, let alone for their projects being the first time they've ever introduced themselves to each other.
"Are you sure? Cause I've never met him before we started our project together."
"I'm not a hundred percent sure, but I'm at least ninety percent sure. Do you still have some worksheets from your project together, let's compare the handwriting from the letter."
Chaeyeon nodded and unzipped her bag, taking out her worksheet. Jay grabbed it and held it by the letter. "Yep, it's him." Jay laughed, handing her the papers back.
"Great now I gotta break it to him that I don't like him the same way." Chaeyeon groaned.
"Aren't you all in the same class with this Woohyun kid?" Jaebeom asked.
"Yea, it's gonna be pretty awkward once you tell him that you're not feeling the same." Jake cringed.
"I didn't even think about that." She whined. "Please can you guys come when I break the news, I don't want to be alone. You guys can just hide behind a wall or something." She begged them.
"Don't worry, we'll all come." Jungwon assures her. "Do you know where he'd be?"
"I usually see him walk to the library after final bell, let's go check there." Youngmin said.
They left the office area and made their way towards the library. Chaeyeon was hoping he wouldn't take it too hard, she was sure he wasn't. He was very sweet to her the whole time they did their project together, so it shouldn't go to bad.
"Isn't that him, the one that just walked out." Heeseung pointed ahead.
"Okay, you guys wait right here." She unzipped her bag and took out the box of neat cookies and started to walk towards him, turning back to make sure they were still there. They gave her reassuring thumbs ups.
Chaeyeon sighed deeply before calling out to him.
Woohyun turned around and smiled once he seen who it was. "Hey Chaeyeon!"
"I was wondering if you had a couple of minutes. I would like to talk to you."
"Oh, ya I do. Is everything alright?" Chaeyeon lead him to the bench, closest to where the others were hiding. She hopes they could hear the conversation because she didn't want to be the only one hearing what he'd have to say. Just in case, you know.
"Ya everything is fine." She sat down on the beach, Woohyun following her. "I wanted to say that I know it's you, the one sending me these letters and gifts anonymously," she gestured towards the box in her hands.
"I guess you caught me." He laughed.
"Ya," She breathlessly chuckled. "I really appreciate the gesture, it's very kind of you to do that for me." She paused for a second. "But, I...I don't feel the same towards you Woohyun." She looked toward him. He stared at her in silence.
"What...what do you mean."
"I don't like you Woohyun, not like this."
"But you do, you do like me." Chaeyeon gave him a confused expression. Not sure where he was getting that from considering she just said she doesn't.
"But I don't. I like you, but not more than friends. You're a very kind person Woohyun."
He stood up from the bench, standing in front of Chaeyeon with a expression she couldn't read too well.
"How could you not like me. You were flirting and was being extra close to me for the last week and a half."
Chaeyeon leaned back in, "woah, I never did that with you. I was acting the same way I do with everyone else. I was being kind, I was being a friend."
"A friend?" He raised his voice. Chaeyeon was starting to get worried. He was starting to get a little aggressive.
"Come on. You don't have to hide the fact you like me, like I like you. Is it that Sunghoon guy that you're always with. The one that's stealing you away from me." This time he was yelling.
"What? Woohyun you are starting to sound crazy." Chaeyeon stood up, trying to put spacing between them. "Nobody is stealing me away from you, because I'm not yours to begin with. I'm sorry that I don't feel the same."
"Are you joking me, do I have to do more for you to be mine. I tried to set you up with cheating to be the one to get you out of it but of course that Sunghoon had to get in between us again."
Chaeyeon's eyes widen once he had said that. The others who were still hidden behind the wall all had the same expressions when they heard what he just said.
- n i n e t e e n -