Yeona's POV
"Hurry up or we'll lose him!" Seungmin shouted just as we went out of the cab.
I ran with my suitcase as fast as I can to keep up with him. "Stop yelling at me. You're the one who's late!"
"Come on!" He said. We passed by a couple of shops when he suddenly stopped. "Wait. Are we in the right place?" He studied the address he had on a piece of paper.
"I don't care. I didn't even agree to this. Let's just go straight to school. It's only a couple of minutes' walk from here."
"We're already here." He said, not even looking at me, and continued walking down the street, now slower than his earlier pace.
Seungmin secretly got Minjae's new address from Ms. Wang yesterday and he decided we will surprise him at his front door today before we go to school to leave for the trip. Students' addresses aren't supposed to be disclosed without a valid reason. Even though everybody knows Seungmin and Minjae are friends, our homeroom teacher still shouldn't give it so easily, especially when there is no consent. I wonder how Seungmin convinced her.
As we walk, he kept glancing all over the place as if he's lost. "I don't think this is right." He said when we turned a corner to a familiar large apartment building. I'd recognize the street anywhere. It's where I got caught in the rain on Eunchae's birthday last year.
"Maybe it's a different building," I suggested, also thinking what he's thinking. But that's almost impossible. None of the other structures around looks residential.
"But it's the same one." He said, looking at the piece of paper again as if it changes each time he does. "Is this where he moved? That's why he doesn't want to tell me?"
Seems like it. He's been pestering Minjae for weeks to invite him to his new home, but he always manages to make an excuse. "If you still wanna go, let's go. If not, let's just go back to school."
He looked fondly at the building. He'd been in there multiple times already to visit Huijun. "No, we're going in." He said after a while. "If this is where he lives now, I can't do anything about it."
So we did. The security guard recognized him so he let us pass without calling to check in on Minjae. In the elevator, Seungmin hesitated before he pressed the button. Once it moved, he studied the written address again with a frown.
"What now?" I asked.
He glanced at me, hesitating. "Do... Do you remember Huijun's apartment number?" He said his name softly as if it's a forbidden word.
I shook my head. "No." I've only been here twice so it's easy for me to forget.
When the elevator door opens, Seungmin became sure. "Ms. Wang gave me his address."
"It could be a different one. Why would she give you his?" I try to make sense of the situation even though I'm also already doubtful. I felt the familiarity of the hallway as Seungmin led the way to the far right. I remember now that it's the same position where Huijun's door is.
We stood in front of it. "This is Huijun's apartment." He said.
"Then Minjae's should be one of the others." I looked around at the only other three doors and began walking to the one nearest when Seungmin pulled at my bag.
"No, I mean this is the exact door written on the address." He said, pointing at it. I gave him a questioning look and he only took out a breath as a response.
I snatched the paper in his hand only to see the exact same number on Huijun's door. When I gave it back to him, he was looking intently at the door as if remembering all the good old times that had happened inside. I'm sure there are plenty. "Do you wanna say hi?" I asked as a joke.
He let out a sad, sarcastic laugh. "Are you crazy?"
"I knew you'd say that." I grinned, even though I'm pretty sure a part of him wanted to press the doorbell. After one final look, we started walking back to the elevator. That's when we heard a clicking sound. We both naturally turned around just in time to look at Huijun opening his door. When my eyes met his, we all froze for a moment and it took Minjae's voice shouting in the background before any of us move.
"Yah, Noh Huijun! Wait for me. Five minutes! Just five more minutes!"
Huijun hurriedly tried to close the door back shut but Seungmin got to the handle fast and started pulling. "Hey, open up! Let us in!"
"Who's there?" Minjae shouted.
"It's me, you idiot! You've got some explaining to do!" Seungmin was already struggling as the door is only an inch from closing. I didn't dare help and just watch them still frozen at the thought that Huijun's new roommate is actually Song Minjae. It doesn't make sense. There must be something wrong with my hearing. It might not be him. Of all people, why would they live together?
"Seungmin?" Minjae's voice came closer and my doubt went away as his figure appeared beside Huijun. He pushed the door open. "Just let him in. He already saw. Oh, Yeona's here too? Her, we're not letting in."
"Yah." I protested softly and he let out another of his playful laughs. When Seungmin and I went inside, I caught Huijun's eyes again. He immediately looked away as if it embarrasses him to be seen in his own home.
"I'm going first." He said to no one in particular and he started exiting the door.
"No, you aren't," Minjae said. He grabbed the duffel bag he was holding and tried to drag it further back inside.
Huijun budged but he immediately tightened his grip and pulled. "Your friends are over. I have no reason to be here."
Minjae didn't let go. "They're your friends too."
"No, I'm not." Seungmin interrupted. Our attention shifted to him and he blinked a few times in confusion. "What? I used to be, but now I'm not. I'm just being honest."
I could only shake my head. His timing always sucks.
"Now, can someone tell me what's happening here?" He continued to ask. "Because this isn't making any sense." He gestured at the two of them.
"I'll explain," Minjae said as he drops Huijun's bag and takes a step towards where Seungmin and I were.
"No, you won't," Huijun said, closing the door shut behind him. "We had an agreement. You aren't even supposed to tell anyone you live here."
"Yeah, let's start with that. Why do you live here?" Seungmin asked, ignoring Huijun's point. His voice started to rise impatiently. The two made awkward eye contact. When he noticed that, he started speaking with his hands. "Try to think of how confused I am over here because first, you hate each other. Everybody knows that. Then, you strangled him. So you got angry, and you got angry, and I got angry. We aren't on speaking terms with him for the past two months. And the next thing that happened is you moving into his apartment?" He paused looking at them like a teacher scolding two of his naughty students. "You must be crazy!"
"That's not it," Minjae started. He sneaked another tentative glance at Huijun who's phone started ringing at that very moment. He stared at the screen for a few seconds, hesitating. Then he gave Minjae a warning look before opening back the door and answering it as he went out.
Seungmin was still staring at Minjae, waiting for any kind of explanation. When it's obvious he wouldn't tell him everything, I find myself not curious anymore. Instead, I remembered there was something I wanted to ask Huijun after our call last night.
"Yah, I'm going ahead." I quickly said and went out the door. I didn't wait for them to say anything. I just took my suitcase and sprint down the hall towards the elevator where Huijun is still waiting. He looked at me with wide eyes, obviously not expecting me there. "Hey," I said as I slowly walked beside him.
"Hey." He hesitated moving one step away, but he stood his ground. Even though we have our nightly calls, it's still odd actually talking to each other in person. "Are they still talking?" He asked.
I nodded.
There are a couple of seconds of silence. "Don't you wanna know?" He nodded towards his door. "He might be telling him everything right now."
"He won't. Minjae's not like that." I sounded so sure.
"You two have gotten close." I didn't catch if it's a question, or he's simply saying what he'd observed.
But that somehow made me crack a smile, remembering my conversation with Minjae in painting class. "No. In fact, we don't even consider each other friends."
"I doubt that." He said. There was a hint of a smile on his face but it was very vague that I might've just imagined it.
The elevator door opens and revealed an empty space. Huijun motioned me to enter first like a gentleman and reached for my suitcase with his empty hand. "I can hold-"
"Let me." He said and gestured for me to enter once more. I obliged. Suddenly, I was overwhelmed with the feeling of being alone with Huijun in an elevator. It was a faint memory but I know it happened. I tried to think of something else. Question. Right, I have a question for him. It's about what he said last night. But what was it again? Huijun stood beside me, his duffel on his other side and my suitcase between us. I was thankful for that little barrier. But his hand remained rested on it like he intended to carry it for me our entire way to school. As the doors close, I took a deep breath to calm myself down. But before it completely encloses the both of us, it went back open at the last second and I found ourselves face to face with Song Minjae.
"I told you to wait for me." He said, slightly panting as he entered. Seungmin was on his tail, quiet, and looking like he's angrier but holding it in. I noticed Minjae's bag slightly opened with a bit of fabric sticking out. He saw me looking and quickly zipped it close. When the elevator stopped on the ground floor, he reached for my suitcase and pulled it close. "Are we walking or taking a cab?"
No one answered. Huijun immediately went out and I resisted the urge to follow him.
"I guess he's not coming with us," Minjae said.
We walked. I kept taking back my suitcase but Minjae insisted on holding it for me. Well, not the gentle way as everybody expected. He kept mocking to leave it behind and putting it beside a trash can whenever we passed by one. He laughs at my furious reaction and I tried to restrain when I realized he's just baiting me. Seungmin just watched us on the side.
We reached school and there are at least a dozen buses that will take every second year to our respective destination. We immediately saw ours, and it wasn't until I'd climbed the steps when I saw Eunchae waving at me from the bus beside ours. She was already sitting with Huijun who was just looking at me as Minjae pushed me forward to move faster. I gave them a small wave and found a seat near the back. I gestured for Seungmin to sit with me but he brushed me off.
"I'm not sitting with either of you." He said and proceeded to sit at the very back.
"Well then, that leaves me no choice," Minjae said as he sat on the empty seat beside me. I wanted to protest because I don't want to be stuck with him for the three-hour ride, but I realized he'd be a better seatmate than anyone else in the class so I just turned to the window and let him.
There I saw Huijun sitting with headphones on. That image of him somehow gave me a major flashback. I kept looking as he leaned in when Eunchae said something. He wasn't smiling like how he usually does when he's with her. I've already been noticing the changes between them ever since he told me. They don't look like the happy couple anymore. There's this distance and it's weird seeing them like that even though they are seated so closely together.
Suddenly, I remembered the question I had to ask earlier. "These days I somehow always feel scared for no reason." He'd said to me last night. He laughed nervously right after. I think it was too personal from the way he dithered before opening it up. I wanted a clarification of what he meant. I was feeling worried that it could be something serious. But he quickly changed the subject, leaving no chance for me to ask. By the time we said good night, I had already forgotten about it.
"I hate this," Minjae said softly beside me, making me jump at his voice. I was confused when I saw him looking out the window too. "I know you like him."
I opened my mouth to say something and closed it again when nothing came out. I just prepared myself to be eternally teased by Song Minjae about his newly found information, but he doesn't look like he's up for that. Instead, he stood up without another word, took his bag, and went to sit somewhere else.
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This Huijin kept popping in my mind while writing this chapter 😅🤔