"Get your way out in an alley and push her to a wall or something. It's not like you've never done that to her before, and you know how effective that method is."
The words Hana spoke yesterday still lingers in his head, making it somewhat challenging to focus on classes. Her remarks contain truths he wished to be false only because that confidence was driven by their young and dumb phase.
Just as Hana said, Y/N's aggressive behaviour when confronting someone is not something new to the scene. Countless times Chaewon had done bratty and questionable acts, which pushed Y/N to face her himself. But on the side, that doesn't mean Y/N had never done anything alike. The two have always been troublemakers who helped each other from time to time.
The action of pushing her against the wall seemed trivial simply because of how often it happened in the past, but the second time he thought about it raced his heart. To him, it wouldn't make much sense to fall for Chaewon and no matter how much he has been thinking about it for years. He just couldn't find a reason for him to come down into a romantic relationship with her.
But Chaewon is still a woman in his eyes.
'Pushing her to the wall...'
He repeated in his head.
He took a sip of water from his bottle while wiping the thin sweat off his cheeks under the heat of the day. Sitting next to the broad glass panes was a mistake during one blazing summer day. He clicked his tongue at the last sip before closing the cap, swearing that he will choose a different spot tomorrow.
That is when two familiar faces walked by his class just as he was about to put his bottle back into his bag.
'Chaewon and... Eunbi?'
The face of the other girl, who was shadowed by Chaewon's face, was somewhat difficult to catch. He only assumed that it's Kwon Eunbi from the height. Also, considering that Chaewon never had any other girl to hang out with other than her beloved upperclasswoman. But when Chaewon's face turned dejected, his heart started to feel uneasy.
'5 more minutes...'
He stared at the clock nervously, waiting for the professor to get over with the class. The last glimpse of Chaewon's hair was enough to tell him where the couple is heading. He knows what he needs to do and say to her this time.
The two are far from his class by now, but still within the campus ground for sure. He thumped his feet on the ground while repeatedly checking his watch.
As soon as the bell rang, he raised from his seat and slammed the table, raising unwelcomed attention from the whole class.
"Do you need something, Mr Hwang?" The professor asked sardonically. He knew it's home time for the rest, but Y/N's unknown urgency was a disrespectful act. He wished he could let it slide.
"I need to go to the bathroom." Y/N urged.
Luckily, because of his uneasy and agitated gestures, the lecturer allowed him to pass through the door just this once.
'I need to find her.'
Along his way to find Chaewon and Eunbi, he noticed a familiar girl passed by with her head kept low, and it reminded him of the necklace that is now wrapped around his neck. Nonetheless, he had an urgency more significant than the necklace owner.
While he takes his time to rush to find the two girls, his target is already deep in a conversation with Eunbi.
"So, how are you doing with Y/N now?" Eunbi asked while observing her newly manicured nails.
Chaewon couldn't let go of her eyes from the floor as she tried to match Eunbi's walking pace. She hoped Eunbi would walk slower sometimes, but Eunbi is a busy lady. She has no time to waste, even for friends.
"He's not so nice these days," Chaewon whined, "he's been very annoying too. His words don't seem to show any care towards me."
"Mmmh," Eunbi hummed.
"What should I do, unnie?"
"Leave him." Eunbi cut her without giving a single glance at the depressed girl.
"But he's not a bad person. He just lacks that sense of caring towards other people." Chaewon defended.
This isn't the first time Eunbi heard something like this from Chaewon. If Chaewon is ever to consult anything to her, she will most likely say something she dislikes about Y/N and then defends him. But with the care of a mother, Eunbi is patient enough to listen and repeat the same advice for Chaewon.
But this time, Eunbi wanted to try something different.
"What do you think you should do to make him care more about you?" Eunbi asked.
For the first time, Eunbi asked Chaewon what to do instead. It surprised Chaewon at first, but she has no comment for why Eunbi did it.
"He has no friend, like you," Eunbi added, "what do you think is necessary for him to learn care?"
"To have someone he cares about?"
"Bingo girl." Eunbi flicked her nails on Chaewon's forehead, causing the pitied girl to groan.
"Can you not take and teach him instead?" Chaewon begged.
"No. It's already full." Eunbi pointed at Chaewon's face.
Chaewon sighed in defeat as she was clueless about what she should say and do to Y/N to make him a better person.
"Just tell him to get to know more people before coming back to you. How about that?" Eunbi suggested.
In a blink of the moment, creativity flourished Chaewon's head with ideas. She snapped her finger over and over again while biting her other hand's nail.
Eunbi, by her side, watched Chaewon's Eureka moment in thankfulness. Thankful that Chaewon found her way instead of by her help this time.
Chaewon had a brief moment of triumph before the sound of quick steps approached her with force, and before she could speak a word, a firm grip on her hand put her motionless.
"Y-Y/N?" Chaewon shrieked.
The said boy's eyes glared deep into her pitiful soul while he clenches his grasp over the pinned girl's wrist. He took a second to switch his vision towards Eunbi, scanning through her whole body with a hostile expression. Eunbi is not any weaker than him. She raised her chin to match his eyes and squinted her eyes in the hope of putting him back into his position, right below her.
He knew if he argued with Eunbi now without planning anything, it would only be death on him. So he took another round observing her body and noticed the flashy colours at the tip of her fingers.
"Nice nails you got there." Y/N complimented.
"Glad you liked them," Eunbi replied, "but any reason you're pinning my girl so hard like that?" She pointed at Chaewon, whose face is beginning to look weak.
"I need her."
"Oh, now you need her?" Eunbi mocked.
"I need to talk to her. Will you let me?"
Despite the absurd attitude of an underclassman towards his senior, Eunbi let this one time slide for the sake of Chaewon. So she nodded at Y/N, letting him devour the helpless girl. She also took the chance to wink at Chaewon briefly for a good luck charm, which left Chaewon to whine "unnie..." softly.
"See you later, Chae~" Eunbi playfully walked away.
While Chaewon's eyes are still fixated on Eunbi's back, Y/N noticed her attention is somewhat distracted from him, who he believes to be a greater danger for her. Even waiting for a few second to get Chaewon to realise her situation doesn't change the fact that Chaewon still hopes for Eunbi to pick her up.
With all his upper body strength, he pulled her hand over his waist and slammed her body against the wall while he covers the back of her head. Chaewon squealed, both in pain and shock, a high tone that would have caught attention from inside the classes around them if he did not shut her mouth. While she squirms violently, he hisses at her, hoping she will come to calm down.
"Shh- Be quiet for a bit." He whispered. "I need to say a few stuff to you."
His last words were enough to put Chaewon back in a tranquil state, but not in a better mood as she starts to frown. She bit the corner of his palm to get his hand off her face.
"Owh- why did you do that for?" He groaned.
"Get away from me." She shoved him off. "What is it that you need to say to me?"
Her attitude, her eyes, and her words turned harsh against him. Although he is not in a great position to turn aggression against her, he is glad she responded the way he expected her to do. He would not imagine what would her feminine side say to his domination.
He gulped before he voiced.
"Can we not live the way we were?"
"We were? Like what?"
"Like, when you still live in my house, and we would go to campus together. Do chores together, and do stuff we are not allowed to do, and get ourselves in trouble for it. Can we not?" He asked.
"And?"
"What do you mean 'and'?"
"AND?" She shouted, causing him to flinch.
"And we can go out together, talk about our daily problems. And I will buy you food, whatever it takes to make you happy. I will give it to you."
His lips trembled as he waits for another response from her.
"And why...?"
"I have no one." A quick yet sheer reply expressed from his quivering heart and tongue.
Silence filled the air around them as they stare into each other's eyes. Chaewon pursed her lips while she thought of a response, but also protecting herself.
It would be as easy as telling him to find someone else, but the heart of a fairy could not bear leaving him in the open where he knows no one other than her.
"Can I believe you?" She broke the silence.
"I promise. I promise to be a better person for you."
Even though she is the person who seeks assurance, his reply itself is not enough to convince her that he will be a person who would not treat her just like anyone. This was her chance to use the bizarre idea she thought of while she was talking with Eunbi just now.
"Can I make a request then?"
"Anything for you."
"I want you to make twelve girls fall for you to prove that you are someone caring and likeable."
"Are you for real...?"