Hyunjae finished researching. It seemed that she did still have connections into all the underground stuff. Not that she meant to keep it but whether she wanted to admit it or not they were still her friends. Well at least she considered them friends, who knew if they thought of her the same way since she left without a word. But it's not like she planned it that way, it just happened. After digging through various social media posts and a lot of comments she had found enough info to find the next meet. Now her next step was to actually find the courage to go back there, but why was she scared? Worst case scenario they just wouldn't remember her. Right?
She locked her phone and set in on her desk a few inches away. She'd figure out what to do in time. The knock on her door took her out of her thoughts.
"Jae there's food," Irene called, "Come eat with us."
She stood up with a smile grabbing a random jacket, she was sure this wasn't hers. It was a denim jacket with a small fur trip on the collar, it had tons of graffiti writing and drawings. It was probably Yuta's considering it was a bit too big for her, but it was warm and it was starting to get colder so she was gonna use it. "Coming!"
She walked into their kitchen to see all of their friends gathered once more.
"Taeyong cooked today! It's a win for us," Johnny cheered as Hyunjae laughed approaching the table, "what's on the menu?"
"Don't be too excited," Taeyong said, "It's just ham sandwiches."
Hyunjae smiled, "I'll take what I can get. Wait oh my god you're hair."
She blinked to make sure she wasn't hallucinating. Taeyong's hair was freaking green. Full on dark green!
"Oh yeah I had a spur of the moment type thing while I was drunk last night," He laughed, "Jaehyun helped me not bad huh."
Hyunjae stared at his hair in awe. Jaehyun must be a professional because he did better than all the times she helped him dye his hair.
"Amazing," She and Yeri said in unison.
"Ok can I please eat now?" Kunhang asked from the other side with a pout.
He had skipped breakfast because Taeyong said he'd make food for them. Taeyong made the best food out of all of them so he was looking forward to eating.
"Oh yeah dig in," He chuckled taking the Saran Wrap off the two platters of food.
Taeyong was meticulous when it came to preparing food and despite his 'mean' aura, he always added cute touches to the food. Today he put little heart picks on the sandwiches to keep them from falling apart. They all immediately reached for the sandwiches like a pack of hungry animals. Could you blame them? Taeyong's food was out of this world.
"Thank you yong!" Hyunjae grinned as she finished her first sandwich.
It's amazing how he could make a ham sandwich taste like a five star meal.
"I need to know what the sauce is," Irene spoke grabbing a napkin.
"It's a secret," Taeyong smiled proud of himself.
"Lameeee," Yeri chuckled sticking her tongue out at him.
To their surprise there was a knock on the door. They all locked eyes with one another since they weren't expecting anyone. However Taeyong's eyes widened. He knew he forgot something and it wasn't for the food.
"Shit I'm sorry I forgot to mention. Jaehyun's joining us if that's okay."
They all looked at each other it was a bit late to agree or disagree but they didn't mind. Kunhang looked over at Hyunjae who just shrugged. Irene and Yeri doing the same as Johnny answered for the group.
"It's all good."
Taeyong headed over to the door and opened it. Jaehyun's dimpled face appeared to all of them. Wow he really had some deep dimples.
"Hi sorry to interrupt," he chuckled entering, carrying a bag in his left hand.
"You're never interrupting," Irene chuckled.
Hyunjae forgot that they had all met on multiple occasions. She's only met him like once or twice. She wondered what he was like since she didn't know much about him. The most she knew about him was that he ghosts night night with Johnny, he's dating Taeyong and was born on Valentine's Day. She new that because Taeyong didn't shut up about it when he found it out himself. Jaehyun's eyes hovered over everyone but then stopped on Hyunjae for a few seconds longer than normal. Wait. Was there something on her face? Oh god that would be embarrassing.
"Hyunjae right? I like your hair," he smiled.
" Oh yeah! Thanks," she smiled not expecting a compliment from him.
"No problem. You really do have an eye for style," He said with a smile, "I uh hope you guys don't mind I bought some food too."
They watched like hawks as he brought out some Tupperware filled with what looked like a delicious salad. Hyunjae was sure there was more than ten vegetables in there.
"You know you don't have to bring food to bribe us," Irene chuckled patting his back gently.
"I know i just felt like I had to bring something," he chuckled ears turning red.
Yeri and Kunhang looked for some disposable plates so they could all try Jaehyun's salad. It looked really good. Jaehyun insisted her served it and they passed the plates around until everyone got one. As expected it was really good. Despite all the vegetables it didn't test overly healthy and it didn't taste like a typical salad. There was a nice balance of acid and sweetness along with a lot of crunch. Hyunjae liked that. She hated mushy plain salads they made her sick.
"Damn you might give Taeyong a run for his money on the best cook," Kunhang said as he finished his plate, "I didn't know you could make a salad taste this good."
Jaehyun chuckled turning slightly red again, "Nah Taeyong definitely has a leg up on me when it comes to cooking. I just recently started learning."
"No way," Johnny added.
"It's true!" Taeyong said, "He asked me for some advice after I made pasta on one of our dates."
Irene and Yeri cooed at the romantic gesture. It was a bit cliche but nonetheless romantic and cute. They all continued to talk amongst themselves as Hyunjae pulled out her phone.
Jae <3
Heyyy
Your friend makes a mean salad
Nayu <3
ARE U TALKING ABOUT JAEHYUN???
Jae <3
Yeah lol
Taeyong invited him over
And he brought salad
Best salad I've ever had
Nayu <3
☹️
Better than my food?
Jae <3
Bae...
You can't really compare a salad
and an omelette
They're not even in the same food category
Nayu <3
Fair point
But why did Jaehyun bring food?
Jae <3
No idea
He said he felt like he needed to
Maybe it's cause Taeyong made us food
It's kind of his thing lol
Nayu <3
Ok but like I'll make you food too
Whenever you want
That can be my thing
Jae <3
Nayu
Are you perhaps jelly~
Nayu <3
Nayu <3
Me jealous?
Whaaaaaat
My ego doesn't allow that 🤪
Jae <3
I'll ask Sicheng then
Nayu <3
NO
Ok maybe a little bit
Jae <3
:(
Ah sorry
I wasn't texting to make you jealous
Just needed a conversation starter :]
Nayu <3
Oh that's so sweet wtf
But for the record
you can literally text me anything
And I mean anything and I'll answer
Jae <3
Anything?
Nayu <3
Anything.
Jae <3
Cool
I'll remember that
Oh that reminds me
When's your next free day?
Nayu <3
Next Saturday
😔 exams got me stressed
Jae <3
I felt that
Okay keep that Saturday open
I've got a plan for us :]
Nayu <3
Sounds ominous
But okay!
Oh my hot pockets are done
I'll talk to you later pretty girl
Enjoy my friend's salad or whatever
Jae <3
Will do 😋
"You made that dress?" Jaehyun asked grabbing Hyunjae's attention.
She locked her phone and looked up, "I'm sorry I was looking at something. What are you talking about?"
She felt bad, she hoped she wasn't making a bad impression, but they all chuckled at her honest answer.
"This happens a lot," Irene spoke up, "He's asking about the dress you made for me."
"Oh yeah! I make tons of stuff, some better than others but yeah. Just the other day I had stayed up to finish one of my last pieces for a class. It took a long time but I was able to get it done," She smiled talking proudly of her work.
One thing that was for sure is that Hyunjae will always be proud of her work. Even if it didn't always come out the way she intended.
"That's awesome," Jaehyun smiled.
"She even made my Willy wonka costume," Johnny added, "As well as her slytherin costume. She even made Kunhang's costume. I'm pretty sure Hyunjae has made at least something for each of us at this point."
She nodded happily, "I like to make stuff so I jump at whatever opportunity I can."
"She has her own shop," Yeri boasted, "I know she's gonna make it to the big leagues one day."
And that statement made her heart melt and took away any of her doubts. That small sentence really meant the world to her. She didn't hear it often but she was thankful that her friends supported her.
"You have too much faith in me," she chuckled.
They continued to talk amongst each other getting to know more about each other. Hyunjae found out that Jaehyun was really into broadcasting, he hoped to be a newscaster or an mc in the future, he wouldn't mind going into acting either. It suited him, he had the perfect face and personality for tv. She also learned that despite popular belief he was in fact competitive, Taeyong vouched for him. Apparently a volleyball game got real intense one day, even though it was just for fun. The day went on and in an hour or so everyone soon left, leaving Hyunjae with her thoughts. She grabbed her phone and looked up an address before saving it. She'd have to face them sooner or later.
—————-
The first day of finals Hyunjae found herself in the library studying before the test. She had been studying since she woke up and it was almost noon, about three hours. She wasn't stressed for her English exam, but she wanted to ace it.
"You know overstudying is bad right?"
She didn't even have to look up at who it was. Yuta pulled the chair next to her out and sat down as he placed an unopened fruit bowl in front of her.
"I think you need a break," he said seriously.
And as usual he was right. She let out a sigh and laid her head on his shoulder, "How'd you find me?"
"Lucky guess. I studied for a bit too, but I don't know why you're on the third floor when the first floor was empty," he chuckled running a hand through her hair.
"I like the view," she commented taking the fruit bowl and propping it open.
She took the fork and stabbed a piece of melon before taking a bite. It's sweet and refreshing just as expected. It gave her a nice little boost. She grabbed another piece but this time held it up for Yuta to eat it. He laughed lightly enjoying the piece of melon as she fed it to him.
"So are we one of those couples?" He teased her.
"Maybe when no one's around," she shot back with a sly smile.
"Touché anyway. I know I promised to teach you Japanese for real but since final's are here I think it's better to wait till after."
"Yes please my brain can only handle so much at one time."
He chuckled patting her head gently, "good luck okay? I'll see you in class."
"You're not staying?" She asked pouting.
"I've been here for an hour on the fourth floor with Sicheng, my brain will forget everything if I don't stop studying," he chuckled, "But I can stay for moral support if you want."
She shook her head, "It's okay you should probably get something to eat before class."
Truth was she wanted him to stay but she was probably gonna leave soon anyway. He was right, over studying would get her nowhere. Plus she was already confident with the material.
"Ok. Text me if you need anything," He said stealing a kiss, "Later pretty girl."
She smiled waving gently. Maybe she should take a break too. She slid her book away and brought the plate of fruit closer to her. How did she get so lucky? Her eyes hovered over to the window, she could see the main area along with some of the classroom buildings. It was nice to see the sun as well as people going to their classes. She liked people watching, it amazed her that everyone had their own story.
Yuta headed back to his dorm to take a nap before the test, but he noticed it was getting a bit colder. He wondered where his jacket was. There was one particular jacket that kept him warm all throughout the cold months that's been with him for as long as he could remember. He went to look for it in his closet. Nothing, so he searched his whole room up and down to find it but again no such luck. Honestly, he couldn't remember the last time he wore it. What if he had left it with one of the guys?
Mr worldwides
Japan boy
Hey guys
Have any of you seen my denim jacket
Did I let any of you borrow it?
Sushi
Nah man
What does it look like?
Japan boy
Denim
Kinda frayed
It has writing and drawings all over it
I can't remember where I left it 😔
Win
are you sure you looked everywhere
Japan boy
Yeah :(
Cupid
Maybe it's at one of our dorms?
You might have left it
Japan boy
Yeah if you guys see it
Please let me know
It's my warmest jacket 💔
Cupid
Will do!
Sushi
What he said!
Oh you should also ask Wendy or Sakura
Since we hang out at their place from time to time
Japan boy
Thanks Xuxi!
I didn't even think about that!
Win
I found a picture of you wearing it LMAOO
Win
Japan boy
Omg this is from our first trip together
Jeju was so much fun!
Sushi
Dude your hair back then
is exactly like it is now
That's crazy
Cupid
Wait I swear I've seen that jacket recently
Japan boy
Nah dude I think you're mistaken
I haven't seen it in like a week or two :/
Maybe someone else has the same one 💔😔
Cupid
Huh that's weird
Sushi
You know what else is weird
You with black hair heheh
Cupid
I liked it :(
Sushi
Omg no it wasn't bad :(
It's just hard to see you with it
Since I'm so used to your brown hair
Win
Right?!
Cupid
Hmm that's true
I haven't dyed my hair in a while
should i?
japan boy
up to you!
Don't let us influence you
you look good in all hair colors tho
Win
trueeee
The second day of finals went a lot smoother for Hyunjae. All she had to do was present her powerpoint on past trends and try to predict the future clothing trends. She was thankful that it was a relatively easy day for her. Now she just had to conquer one more exam and she'd be free for winter break. Winter break was only two weeks long, but it was better than nothing. That was plenty of time to hang out with her friends and even catch up with Hyunjin since he isn't busy. Of course, Yuta time was inevitable and he still had to teach her Japanese, even just a little bit.
She walked out of her class with her phone in hand, unsure of what to do. Yuta was about to go to class to take his own exam and Kunhang was still taking his exam. What to do what to do? She decided to head to her dorm to find something to do, maybe Yeri and Irene would be free. It's been a while since they went shopping together. She entered the dorm surprised it was quiet. Did they go out already?
"Yeri! Rene!?" She called out but nothing.
Damn they must have gone out already. She texted the group chat but again no response. That must mean they were busy or also in an exam. Well there was one more person she could ask.
Hyunjae
Heyyyyy
Sicheng
Yuta's not with me
If that's what you're wondering
Hyunjae
I know he's in an exam right now
I actually wanted to talk to you ☹️
Sicheng
Oh that's a surprise
Hyunjae
Bruh 😭
Why are you acting like we're not friends
I talk to you just as much as I talk to Yuta
Sicheng
Fair point
So what do you want
Hyunjae
Straight to the point I see
I'm bored
Wanna get coffee
Sicheng
I'm telling Yuta you're asking me out
Hyunjae
PLEASE
I said Wanna get coffee 😭😭
Not wanna go on a date to get coffee
Sicheng
True
Yeah I'm down
But I'm choosing the place
Hyunjae
😵💫
Yuta was right
You do wear the pants in the relationship
Sicheng
☺️
Ok meet me outside my dorm
in ten minutes
Hyunjae
You got it
For those ten minutes Hyunjae scrolled through her phone and sent a few memes to Kunhang, hoping they'd make him laugh once he was done with his exam. Ten minutes went by tediously slow when you looked forward to something, but it also gave Hyunjae time to think. She had never technically been alone with Sicheng. She's hung out with him of course but there was always someone else. what was Sicheng actually like? What did they even have in common aside from friends? Wait. What did she even know about him? All she really knew was that he played games with Kunhang, he kinda likes painting, and....well that's all she got. Hyunjae bit the inside of her cheek before letting out a sigh. Now it was her mission to make sure she found out more about Sicheng. He is her boyfriend's best friend for fucks sake, youd think she'd know more about him. Ten minutes were up so Hyunjae promptly made her way a few doors down to find Sicheng already outside.
"Dude you're super punctual," Hyunjae pointed out as she approached him.
"I mean I live here so I just had to take a few steps," He chuckled.
"God I see how you and Yuta are friends," She replied with a playful eye roll.
"The place I'm thinking of is off campus so I hope you're okay with it," He asked.
Hyunjae nodded following him out of the building. On their way there she's just kept thinking about what kind of place would Sicheng be taking her to. Was it gonna be a cool lowkey place, a mainstream place with tons of neon signs, she was interested to find out. So she followed him and made small talk, mostly about finals. Sicheng had one more final for his Chinese class, which he knew he was gonna ace. Hyunjae wished she had that confidence. That was one thing she just noticed, he was often confident. Was he always this confident since he was young?
"And we're here," He said stopping in front of a two-story cafe.
The outside read 'Club' in pastel pink against the black background.
It made it look almost ominous, but the large windows brought lots of light inside which took away the ominous feeling from the name.
"I know it doesn't look like much, but trust me, you can't beat coffee and photo ops," He reassured her holding the door open for her.
"I'll take your word for it," She nodded, "Thanks."
She entered to be met with bright lights, neon signs, music, and loud chatter. That was just on the first floor. The menu was handwritten in pastel colors with lots of cute drawings on the chalkboards. The names of the drinks were just as cute and intriguing, aside from coffees there were teas, shakes, and of course pastries.
"So what do you usually get?" She asked as they made their way up to the counter.
"I get the caramel macchiato and sometimes a bagel," He smiled repeating his order to the cashier.
Hyunjae looked over the menu once more, not wanting to take long.
"Um, Can I get an iced matcha latte please," She asked grabbing her wallet.
"Dude I've got this," Sicheng said beating her to it.
"Thanks," She smiled as the cashier handed him one of those buzzers that would tell them when their order is ready.
As she looked for an empty table she noticed plenty of teens and couples here. A lot of them were taking pictures with the various neon signs or displays with cute quotes and stuff. It was a great place for those who were photogenic.
"How'd you find this place?" She asked him as they walked to a table towards the window.
"Yuta showed it to me," He said honestly as they sat down, "I wish I could have taken credit. This place is so cool. Later we have to go to the second floor, they have a ball pit."
He sounded like a kid in a candy store, it was kinda cute. She had never seen this side of Sicheng. The closest thing to him being cute was when she saw him in a beret for the first time. It felt like so long ago.
"I knew he had good taste," She joked as they sat down.
"You haven't even tried the coffee yet," Sicheng intervened.
"I can just tell," She added matter-of-factly, "But in all honesty, I really do like the vibe of this place. I'm definitely gonna have to take some pictures here."
There were so many things Hyunjae wanted to ask Sicheng and she would, as soon as they got their coffee. The last thing she wanted was for their conversations to be interrupted by their order being ready. All the best conversations were uninterrupted in her opinion. It's hard to keep a topic going after being interrupted, at least to her it was. For a few minutes, they just stayed quiet scrolling on their phones ignoring each other's presence. The buzzer vibrating on the table made them put their phones down to go get their drinks.
"I'll get them," Sicheng said stretching as he's got up.
Hyunjae swore she saw a couple people eye Sicheng as he stood up. Though she can't blame them, he's tall, handsome and the blonde hair made him stand out. It was the first thing she noticed about him too. He returned with a smile and their drinks.
"If you don't like it, blame Yuta," he joked sliding over her drink.
"I'll make a note of that," Hyunjae smiled nodding.
She took a small sip to see if it was food or at least matched up to the other ones she's had before.
"Okay let's cut to the chase, what do you want to know about Yuta?" He asked.
She almost spit out her drink at his words. Wow he wasn't one to hold back. But he wasn't right this time, well he was half right. Of course she wanted to see Yuta through his eyes but what she really wanted was to get to know him.
"Ok as much as I would love for you to give me blackmail on him, I actually wanna talk about you. I've known you just as long as I've known him but I don't know much about you."
He raised a brow. That wasn't at all what he was expecting. He wondered why she was interested in his life.
"I know what you're thinking," She chuckled stirring her drink, "Why do I wanna know about you?"
He nodded slightly spooked, almost as if she read his mind.
"Well because not only are you Yuta's best friend but because you're also my friend now whether you like it or not," she chuckled, "Like the only thing I know about you is that you're a gamer like Kunhang, were roommates with Yuta in highschool, and you came from China right?"
"Okay well. What do you wanna know?" He asked happily.
He'd take the opportunity to brag about himself any day. But honestly he was touched that Hyunjae wanted to know about him as a friend and not just because he was Yuta's best friend.
"Hobbies?" She asked with a smile
"I can play guitar and piano, I like to act and I like to dance. I think I'm pretty good at it too," He said proud of himself.
"No way," she said amazed, "What kind of dance?"
He took a bite of his bagel before answering her, "I do a little bit of everything but my speciality is traditional Chinese dance, been learning it since I was little."
She admired how happy he looked talking about his hobbies. He was basically gleaming as he talked about the various competitions he entered and the ones he had won. He told her about how he was in plays when he was in elementary school but he unfortunately never got a lead part. Not that he was pursuing acting still.
"So are you pursuing dance then?" She asked as she finished her drink.
"Yeah I think I want to. But I also maybe wanna open a label or something you know. Like a business man."
It suited him. She could definitely see him as a ceo of his own company. By this time they had finished their drinks and the one bagel. Now they were going around the cafe to take pictures and talk more.
"So how did you and Kunhang become friends," He asked intrigued.
"Oh my god now that's a story," she smiled thinking about it.
So she told him the story about how she and Kunhang met and became friends. She told him a bit more than she should have but it's because she can't stop talking once she gets started. He probably learned a lot more than he asked for, but he didn't mind.
"You know when I first saw you, you seemed familiar," Sicheng spoke up.
She paused. Oh no. He wouldn't be able to put piece and piece together? Was it possible that he already knew?
"Really? In what way?" She asked.
"Honestly I'm not too sure," he chuckled, "You just do. In a good way."
"Ah. Thanks I think," she laughed lightly unsure on how to take that.
"Don't worry about it, it's a good thing. Anything else you wanna know?" He asked.
There was one thing that she wanted to know, it stuck with her ever since Yuta told her about it, but she didn't want to cross a line.
"Actually yeah. Don't answer if you feel like I'm crossing a line but what kind of girls did Yuta date? I remember that he told me he doesn't have a type but his friends would beg to differ."
Sicheng pursed his lips. He wasn't sure if he should answer her or not. On one hand she could get insecure but on the other hand this was Hyunjae. He knew she wouldn't be comparing herself to other girls. Right?
"Well Yuta's only had two ex girlfriends. Might I say personality wise they were kind of like you. Yuta was a chick magnet, maybe he still is, but in highschool it was bad." He chuckled thinking back to it, "The first one started dating Yuta a few weeks after he had just gotten here. She was pretty but she was definitely a bad influence on him. Since he was new she showed him a couple places. Some sketchier than others, but nothing terrible happened. The break up was rocky but that's when I came into the picture."
Sicheng smiled proud of himself. Maybe he felt like the hero in the story. Or just like a good friend.
"His recent ex and him dated longer than his first ex. She was definitely a better influence on him. Pretty, smart, and ironically very blunt. She was top of the class every year. She and Yuta dated for a year and a half, he even met her parents. We all thought they were gonna be endgame. Unfortunately, senior year they both decided to end it because she would be studying abroad. Well," he paused, "Yuta decided to break it off he didn't wanna do long distance, but she agreed. So they went their separate ways."
She nodded intrigued to hear about his past relationships, "Ah I see. Thanks."
This was interesting, so Yuta also wasn't a fan of long distance. It also showed that he had a Rocky relationship as well. It was an eye opener, she saw him as the perfect guy with no faults, unlike her, but she felt a bit better to know that he was like everyone else.
"You're welcome, but don't feel weird or anything! He's one hundred percent over his ex," he reassured her.
She shook her head, "Don't worry I wasn't thinking about anything like that. It's nice to know he's also dated shitty people."
"You dated shitty people?" Sicheng asked not believing it.
When he looked at Hyunjae he saw a girl that knew her worth, a girl that wouldn't let a guy control her, how on earth did she date shitty guys?
"Well since you told me about nayu's exes I might as well tell you about mine. Oh where to start. My first boyfriend was a red headed bad boy, if you will. He wasn't a dick but he cheated on me twice. Guess I didn't learn my lesson the first time, Of course, this was also in like middle school," She chuckled wondering why she even dated so young, "then in highschool I dated another guy who was no good for me. He easily made me the most jealous person in the world. I made some dumb mistakes trying to keep him, but he was never really interested, just interested in messing around but I didn't give in, so he got bored. Unfortunately for me I liked the attention."
The more she thought about it, the more pathetic she felt.
"And my last ex well i-" she paused Not wanting to admit it, "I dated him to make my previous ex jealous." She let out a loud groan. That was humiliating to admit.
"Oh my god are you serious?" Sicheng asked her in shock.
"Look I was in a really bad place and I admit it was really fucked up, but I was like a lovesick puppy. I just really craved attention, his attention. I'm not like that anymore. I promise it was a one time thing, a messed up one time thing," She sighed.
Thankfully, she has gotten closure by apologizing to said ex. She vouched that she wouldn't turn into one of those people, she felt like a bitch after doing that. Her mind was clouded at the time, but she couldn't excuse her actions. Often times she thought that she was a magnet for assholes but the one good guy she did have, she pushed away. That was on her, she had to stop making excuses for the type of guys she dated.
"Well that's a lot to deal with," Sicheng spoke up, "But it's in the past," he smiled reassuring her.
"Thanks. What about you? Have you dated before? You know aside from Kunhang?"
He laughed thinking about their short time together. It was fun and he's glad they're still friends but it was clear they weren't right for each other.
"Kunhang was actually the first person I dated," He admitted to her.
She nodded intrigued and wondered why he ended up choosing Kunhang as the first person he dated.
"I was never really one to date in school, mostly focused on dance and my grades," he laughs, "I was a nerd but it wasn't bad. I enjoyed it."
"So why Kunhang?" She asked him letting the curiosity get to her.
Sicheng smiled, "We had lots in common, he's actually pretty funny and he's not a bad face to look at. I'm surprised you guys didn't actually date."
"Sorry we only fake dated," she chuckled, "But I'm glad you guys did. Even if it was only for a few weeks."
"Me too," he laughed. "Anyway. Ready to go?"
She nodded. It was a great day and she got to learn a lot about Sicheng and he learned about her too. Even if she might have scared him a bit. She hoped he wouldn't see here in a different light.
"We should do this again but to talk about Yuta," She teased jokingly.
"Oh I'm so down. I'll embarrass the shit out of him," he said a bit too happy.
"Wait we need to post to make him jealous!" Sicheng laughed looking at the time on his phone, "I'm sure he's almost done with his final."
"Deal," Hyunjae chuckled taking out her own phone.
Loselose
Liked by nayutas notkunhang and 773 others
Loselose I was her last resort but a day well spent I think.
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Notkunhang JAE?
Huangxuxi bruh I know he's screaming, crying, and throwing up as we speak
Nayutas PAUSE ????
Hyunjaes you really were my last resort 😔 but thanks for spending the day with me <333
Hyunjaes
Liked by notkunhang txyong and 733 others
Hyunjaes he smiled?!??!?
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Txyong he has a surprisingly cute smile omg also sorry for not responding 💔 Johnny and I went to go watch a movie
Hyunjaes all good ! :D
Notkunhang Sicheng you should smile more often
Nayutas so you're the alleged best friend stealer??
Hyunjaes 😮💨 guilty
Loselose I do smile often, you guys just never notice 😔💔
Notkunhang just for the record Hyunjae is MY best friend 😋
Nayutas and Sicheng is mine 🤩❤️
Iamyeri actually Jae is my best friend
Txyong I beg to differ
Hyunjaes here we go again...
Hyunjae looked at her phone surprised that Yuta commented on her picture.
"He actually commented?" Sicheng laughed.
"He must be territorial about you," she teased him as they arrived on campus.
"Very much," He agreed with her, "Also just an fyi, I don't see you any different because of your past mistakes."
That was very reassuring for her. She's used to people, mostly her mother, judging her for mistakes she made in the past. No matter how many times she expresses that she's changed and has grown, many don't believe her. Another reason she's so scared to tell anyone what happened to her on the show or even her real name. She wasn't the only hwang Yeojin in the world but she was always afraid they would put the pieces together. It was easier to just change her name.
"That actually really means a lot. So thank you," she genuinely smiled at him, "Can I give you a hug?"
Sicheng laughed at the girl's request and the fact that she even asked him.
"I know you're not a big skinship guy or at least Yuta said."
"He's right but what the heck," he smiled giving Hyunjae a short hug.
Hey, she'd take what she could get. Although now she understood why Yuta liked hugging him so much, he was warm and since he was tall it was easy to feel protected.
"Nice," she smiled pulling away.
They went their separate ways to their dorms. To Hyunjae's surprise Yeri was home with a stranger she had never seen.
"Oh hey Jae! This is my friend Suhyun, we're working on our final project!" She said enthusiastically which was odd for Yeri, she really despised anything to do with school.
"Oh hi, nice to meet you," Hyunjae waved to the girl.
The smaller girl looked like the opposite of Yeri. She had short brown curly hair and wore framed glasses. She also dressed more comfortable and casual versus yeri's bold pink clothing and blonde hair. Opposites attract right?
The guest waved back without a word. Was she shy? Was Hyunjae intimidating?
"She's shy," Yeri said with a chuckle, "It took me forever to get her to talk to me."
The phrase caused them both to laugh. It seemed Yeri was able to get through the girl's walls and make her her friend. That was yeri's speciality, being the social butterfly. She could get the quietest of people to talk to her and even become friends. She remembered how she charmed her way to become friends with Irene. Who she then brought into the group, those were the days.
"Alright then. I'll be in my room if you need anything," she waved.
As soon as she shut the door behind her Hyunjae plopped down onto her bed. After an exam and a long kinda emotional day she needed this. She'd get food delivered in a little bit and then call it a night. If she didn't get distracted. As if on cue her phone vibrated. She expected Kunhang and another genius idea of his to go out and get drunk, but it wasn't.
Nayu <3
Pretty girl ☹️
I cant believe you went on a date
With my best friend 😔
Jae
PLS 😭
It wasn't a date and you know that
Plus you were taking your exam
He was my last resort 😭
Nayu <3
Wait was he really?
Jae
Yeah
But it was fun
I'm glad I got to know you're bestie a bit more
I didn't know he dances
And it's really good at it
Nayu <3
Omg wait did he show you??
Jae <3
Yeah !
It was when he was little
But he's really good even at such a young age
Nayu <3
He must really like you
It took him ages to even invite me 😭
He doesn't like showing his performances
Unless you're like really close
Jae <3
Wait for real?? 🥺
I'm gonna cryyyyy
Nayu <3
Yeah but don't cry pls
I'll feel bad
Jae <3
Ok noted
Also don't make plans for Friday
Or Saturday 🤩
Cause I made some for us already
Nayu <3
I love it when you take charge 😮💨
Jae <3
Pls I just planned some dates 😭😭
Nayu <3
I know but still
It's nice when you know what you wanna do
Instead of like having me pick everything
Jae <3
Fair point
But sometimes I am indecisive
Nayu <3
And that's okay !
I like to choose every once in a while
Jae <3
Noted
Also by any chance is this your jacket?
[image attachment]
I was gonna do laundry but
It's not mine and I don't wanna fuck it up
Nayu <3
It is mine
Oh my god I've been looking for it
It's my favorite jacket
I've been so cold without it 💔
Jae <3
Ok mister dramatic
How do you wash it?
Hand wash?
Cold water? Hot water?
Nayu <3
...
I just toss it in and
Use whatever setting the washer was on
Jae <3
😵💫
Ok I hope I don't mess it up lol
I can give it to you tomorrow
Nayu <3
That'd be great
I have one exam though
But I'm free in the after noon
Jae <3
Cool Same here!
Where do you wanna meet?
Nayu <3
How bout the tables
Outside the library
Jae <3
See you then 🤩
And so the next day, she carried the jacket around with her throughout her exam period. Her exam went by fast thank god. It was a bit harder than she expected but she was still confident that she at least got a B. She made her way to where she promised to meet Yuta, it wasn't a far walk plus she liked walking past the business buildings because they looked futuristic. She found an empty table, which is hard to come by in a college campus, and sat down to wait. Time went by slowly, though she didn't blame Yuta, he was probably trying his best on that exam. It made sense that it would take a while. Hyunjae watched as plenty of students and professors walked by, the students looking stressed and sleep deprived, the professors just looking bored and done with life. It was interesting to observe them all as they walked by. Though there was one particular person who caught her attention, mostly because he was approaching her direction at a fast pace.
Yuta made his way out of class, that exam did a number on him, but his confidence was at an all time high. He knew he passed there was no doubt in his mind, but the last question was more challenging than he expected, hence why it did a number on him. He made his way towards the tables to see Hyunjae talking to some guy. He wasn't sitting so Yuta could see that he was pretty tall, taller than him at least. He had black hair with a few blue highlights. Somehow they didn't look tacky on him. Should he be jealous? No, he trusted Hyunjae of course, but he wasn't sure he could trust other people. Thankfully, Hyunjae didn't look uncomfortable, in fact they were chatting up a storm as he approached them, at least he wasn't some weirdo.
"Oh hey yu," Hyunjae said as her smile brightened.
"Hey what's up?" He asked looking between the two.
"Oh! This is Doyoung, Doyoung this is Yuta. Doyoung is President of the drama club," She said introducing the two.
He wasn't sure how this was relevant. Like was he recruiting her to join the drama department? Cause if he needed an actor Jaehyun would be a great choice. He's been wanting to try it out but has been holding himself back.
"Yeah. I really loved her set design for the last play so I was hoping I could recruit her again but this time to design our outfits. One of the guys on the last production, Minghao, is in your class and said your work was sick. In a good way of course," He said hopeful that she would at least think about it, "Minghao was the main designer but he's gonna study abroad next year so the position is open."
Hyunjae's eyes widened. Minghao? As in Xu Minghao? He complimented her work? He was the star student in her design class, he always got the highest grades and the most praise from their teacher. He always came to class dressed to the nines and drew up the prettiest sketches. Compliments from him are not taken lightly.
"Well then you've come to the right person," Yuta encouraged, "She's a god with a sewing machine."
The comment caused them all to chuckle, but he was being honest of course. Hyunjae was a wizard in his eyes, the things she could do with some fabric was truly amazing.
"So I've heard," Doyoung chuckled, "I won't take anymore of your guys time. Just let me know if you're interested and I can give you the full details."
"Thanks I'll keep in touch," She smiled nodding.
"Sorry for interrupting your date. I'll see you around," he waved as he left the two alone.
"So are you gonna do it?" Yuta asked excitedly As he sat down.
He knew this would be a great opportunity for her but ultimately it was her decision.
"I don't know. Maybe I will if I can just design them. If I have to design and create them it might be too much for me to handle."
"Did he say how many costumes?"
She shook her head, "Nah that's why he gave me his number. They're not sure what play they're even gonna put on yet. Apparently it's tied."
"Interesting. You should ask him for all the details later. I'm sure you'll be a great fit, for real," he smiled giving her two thumbs up.
She couldn't help but smile at the gesture, it was cute. The offer was tempting, she'd have to sleep on it and see where her mind was tomorrow.
"Oh! Here's your jacket," She smiled taking the piece of fabric off her lap to put it on the table, "Good as new and smells like spring rain, whatever that means."
Yuta laughed,"I quite like the smell of spring rain, thank you! Now I won't freeze my ass off."
"I'm glad you like it then. You know I was tempted to draw on it but I didn't wanna fuck it up," she admitted to him.
The only thing that stopped her from drawing on it was that it was his favorite jacket and of course she didn't ask him, so she didn't wanna just change it without his permission.
"Aw you should have," he chuckled.
"Next time. I'll make you something special," she smiled patting his head, "Since you wanna be me so bad."
"Jesus fuck," he sighed, "Anyway what's your plans for later?"
She paused to think, did she make any promises today? Not that she knew of. But she did have to go over a few sketches with Taeyong for a certain jacket he wanted.
"No but there's something I have to finish," she pouted, "I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry," he responded gently, "We're still hanging out tomorrow and Saturday. Im starting to think you can't get enough of me," he teased her.
"I think it's the other way around," she pointed out.
"Maybe so," he shrugged acting nonchalant about it while shooting her his infamous smile, "Wait what did you and winwin talk about yesterday? Did he reveal all my secrets?"
"Yuta not everything revolves around you," she teased patting his cheek gently, "But if you really want to know I did ask about you, er well your exes."
Yuta's eyes widened in surprise. He wasn't expecting that at all. Hyunjae was a confident girl most of the time, why would she want to know about his exes?
"But why?" He asked confused.
"Curiosity, honestly. I wanted to know what type of girls you liked," she admitted.
But now that she said it out loud she felt embarrassed. It sounded like she wanted to change herself to fit into whatever his exes were like. That wasn't the case at all.
"Oh. I see. Did you get any answer?"
The conversation had taken a serious turn. Was he mad? He seemed mad.
"Not really. Ok well kinda? I just- nevermind it was a stupid thing to ask. I was just curious," she purposely leaves out the part where she wanted to compare herself to his exes, that would just make her feel like an even bigger loser.
Oh god she made things awkward didn't she? Why wasn't he responding? She crossed a line, she could tell. Fuck. And instead of being rational and apologizing she just cut the conversation short.
"Shit, I gotta go. I'll see you," she says getting up with a sigh.
Why did she have to bring it up? She just made everything ten times worse didn't she? Awkward but thankfully she was saved by a phone call.
"Hey not trying to rush you but you said you had the rough sketches today and I'm dying of excitement," Taeyong's laugh echoed over the line.
"You're in luck I have a few. Are you free right now?" She asked checking to see if her sketchbook was in her bag. As usual it was.
"Yes! I'm so excited. Wanna meet in my dorm or yours?" He asked. She could tell he was trying to clean up by the sounds of him going back and fourth.
"Is your dorm room empty?" She asked, "I think Irene and Yeri might be home."
"Mine Is full too," he sighed, "But I don't mind Yeri and Irene so that should be fine. I'll be there in ten, cool?"
"Cool," she agreed before hanging up.
This would distract her from the problem at hand. At least for the time being.
Yuta on the other hand sat at his couch unsure of what to do, but he knew who would have answers.
Nayu
Hey
Win
Hey
What's up
Nayu
Did you tell Jae about my exes?
Win
Yeah she asked
Why?
Nayu
I wished you would have asked first
Win
Listen I only told her cause it's in the past
You said so yourself what's done is done
Plus it's not like she begged me
She literally said you don't have to answer if you think I'm crossing a line
Or something like that
Wait pause
How do you know?
Nayu
She told me
Win
Jesus Christ Yuta
Did you freeze up again?
Nayu
Well yeah
I didn't know what to do or say
She left before I could respond
Win
Yuta
If I could punch you I would but
You probably also deserve to punch me
Look I told Hyunjae because I thought
You were above your past relationships
It's not like they ended terribly
Nayu
And I know that
But I still hate talking about it
Did you tell her the reasons we broke up?
Win
Well duh
Nayu
So she knows about her
And how we only broke up because she moved away
Don't you think Jae would think that I'm still in love with My ex???
Win
she took it lightly
I don't think she thinks
you're still hung up on her
She didn't even question it
Nayu
What if she's judging me because of them
Win
Wait she didn't tell you about her exes?
Nayu
No
Win
Trust me when I tell you this
She's not judging you at all
You and your exes broke up on good terms
For the most part
But I cant say the same for her
Also don't be mad at her
I'm the one who told her so
You should be mad at me
Nayu
I'm not mad at anyone tho
Just confused on why she'd care
Win
Alright I'm heading to your place
I will explain in detail
Do you have snacks?
I'm hungry
"So this one?" Hyunjae asked Taeyong as they sat in the living room.
Yeri and Irene were also paying close attention to the topic at hand. Hyunjae had sketched out three different jacket options for him, right now he was choosing which one he liked the best.
"Wait maybe this one," Taeyong said holding up another sketch.
"Ohhh," Yeri agreed nodding, "I think that one would suit you better."
"But the color in this one compliments you better," Irene spoke pointing to the sketch Hyunjae was holding.
"You guys aren't making this easy," Taeyong chuckled looking at all three sketches again.
"No rush. I got all day," Hyunjae chuckled grabbing her sketchbook, "I can even sketch something else."
Taeyong shook his head, he didn't want her to do more work than she had to.
"I'm serious. It's not a problem," she reassured him.
"No, it's all good, it's definitely one of these three. I'm just indecisive," He spoke up.
That was the truth. Taeyong had a habit of being indecisive. Most of the time he would usually come to a decision after a few minutes, unless it was some big decision. Like I'm highschool when somebody asked him to prom and he wasn't sure if he wanted to go or not. Or when they asked him if he wanted to run for class President. It was an interesting year to say the least.
"Okay, I think I like this one," Taeyong said satisfied with his choice.
Hyunjae took the sketch, she has a feeling he would choose this one. It was the most creative one with various patterns and colors. It also had plenty of space for him to add his own customizations.
"Are you one hundred percent positive," She chuckled teasing him.
"Yeah yong are you sure?" Yeri joined in as she poked his shoulder gently.
They all chuckled dispersing into another conversation when Hyunjae's phone vibrated. She raised a confused brow as she unlocked it.
Hyunjin
Hey we're still on for this week right
Hyunjae
WAIT THATS THIS WEEKEND?
Hyunjin
Yeah ☹️
Did you forget?
Hyunjae
Not gonna lie
I did but it's fine
Yes we're still on :D
I just gotta make a few schedule changes
All good tho
Hyunjin
Good!
I miss you 😪💔
Hyunjae
You literally never text me 💀
Hyunjin
.... That's fair
But we're both busy
At least I assume you're busy
Hyunjae
I am 😪
But it's fine
I can make time for my other half 🤩
Hyunjin
I would hope so
Ok I'll see you tomorrow then
Hyunjae
See you!
"You really don't think she thinks I'm still hung up on my ex?" Yuta asked Sicheng.
They were still on the whole ex topic, Sicheng explained that Hyunjae probably wanted to know just to compare herself, since his friends often teased that he has a type.
"I really think that's all. I'm sure she's not gonna stalk them online or something especially cause I didn't give her any names or anything," Sicheng pointed out as he stood up to stretch.
They had been at this for a good hour at this point.
"Why do you think she just left then?"
"Yuta I already told you! You froze She probably thinks you're mad at her for asking about it. Now my question is are you?"
"No, I already told you, I was just shocked. I didn't think she'd care about that."
"Well contrary to popular belief Hyunjae is still a normal person, she has her moments just like everyone else. It was probably just a moment of insecurity that made her ask," he said, "But you'll have to ask her."
Yuta nodded, Sicheng was right. Hyunjae was allowed to have her moments just like anyone else. Just like him when he saw her with that Doyoung person earlier. That was his own moment of insecurity. His phone vibrated causing himself to get out of his trance. It was Hyunjae.
Jae <3
Hey
Sorry about this but
I forgot I made plans for tomorrow
And Sunday
If you're still down can we reschedule to next week
Sorry :/
"This isn't looking good Sicheng!" Yuta groaned holding his phone out, "we had plans tomorrow but look!"
Sicheng moved over to the other couch to look at the text.
"I think you're overthinking it. She just made plans and forgot. The amount of times you have done this to me is uncanny."
"Well here goes nothing," he sighed.
The last thing Yuta wanted was for her to cancel a date because things got awkward. He was excited for this date for a while now so he was just gonna lay it all out.
Nayu <3
Hey if this is about earlier
I'm sorry
I didn't mean to just freeze up on you
It's just I hate thinking about the past sometimes and I really don't want you to get the wrong impression
I'm one hundred percent over all my exes
Even if we ended on good terms
I don't talk to any of them or follow them on social media
Please don't cancel because of the awkwardness
I'd like to talk it out if that's okay with you
Please 👉🏼👈🏼
Jae <3
Oh.
That's actually really wholesome and sweet
And we can definitely talk about it
But that's not why I cancelled on you 😵💫
I forgot I made plans with my brother this weekend
He's going abroad for a few weeks so he wanted to hang out before he left
Nayu <3
Ah.
Well I feel kinda dumb
Jae <3
Nooo
Don't
We really do need to talk tho
Also don't be sorry it wasn't your fault
I shouldn't have asked win about it
I should have asked you but yeah
We can talk about it when i comeback :D
Wait
Are you going home for winter break?
Nayu <3
Nah :/
I usually go over summer
Jae <3
Ok cool
So next week then? :]
Nayu <3
It's a date (*'꒳'*)
Jae <3
And we can talk Before that
sound good?
Nayu <3
Sounds great :D
"So?" Sicheng asked returning from the kitchen with a bowl of cereal.
"I think We'll be okay," He smiled as Sicheng gave him a thumbs up.
"Told you."
AN //
Haha so thoughts on the chapter?? I really wanted to show a moment of weakness from both characters because duh they're human too lol. Do you guys think Hyunjae was in the wrong? Was Yuta in the wrong? Maybe Sicheng hehehe. Thanks for reading :D