we're walking away from the bathrooms—with su-ae and dohwa in front and me trailing behind them—after waiting for su-ae to do her business.
"woah...i really didn't think i'd be able to go home today. thank goodness." she sighed a sigh of relief.
"let's go quickly. it's already late." she said to dohwa, only.
"yeah...it's really spooky here." he replied but then slowed down and started limping. "ouch."
——
us three were now outside on the field. su-ae was carrying dohwa, because he said his ankle hurt, with me still trailing behind them. not wanting to third wheel anymore i turned around and went the opposite way, they wouldn't notice if i was gone anyways...
i'm at the entrance/exit that leads to the school grounds when i turn back to make sure they're okay. turns out they're more than okay. su-ae's chasing dohwa around on the field while he's giggling, but then she stops and rests her hands on her knees, starting to laugh too.
did i ever have a chance with dohwa? i could never be better than the female lead herself. i was stupid for thinking we could be something more.
it's best that i give dohwa space, seeing as he doesn't like me and i was probably just being a nuisance this whole time...
——
i wake up to a few texts from dohwa and su-ae.
dohwa >
9:00pm - y/n where'd you go?
did u get kidnapped LOL
9:05pm - are you okay?
read
shocker that he must've spent some time looking through his contacts to find my number when he couldn't even find the time to look at me yesterday. also, i think i checked my phone—since we got them back from the teachers' office—a bit after i left and the time read 8:55pm. it might not seem like a lot of time but shouldn't a real friend realize you left a few seconds after you did? do they even consider me as a real friend? or am i just the second choice?
i opened su-ae's texts.
————————————————————-
su-ae (soon to be bff) >
9:01 - y/n where'd you go?
9:06 - please answer, we're worried.
read
—————————————————————
wow that's a first. didn't seem like they were too worried when i was obviously upset. whatever, it's fine, it's not like it's that big of a deal anyways.
i decided to walk with ra-im to school. i don't know why im avoiding su-ae too. she didn't really do anything wrong...except for ignoring me- but i can't blame her, i'm just a side character, after all. it's not like it's any of their faults, dohwa can't help but fall in love with su-ae since that's how the webtoon goes. i'm so stupid for thinking i could change that.
i get to class and put my earphones in, not really wanting to talk to anyone right now. but of course i feel a tap on my shoulder, disturbing my peace. i look up to see a su-ae slightly bending over to be closer to my face.
"hey y/n. what happened last night? are you okay?" she asked worried.
"yeah." i tried to smile before putting my earphones back in. i could feel her staring at me even when she walked back to her seat. i could feel her confused gaze, but it's not like i matter that much in her life, 'i' (the previous y/n) was obsessed with her boyfriend after all.
some time goes by and the teacher starts teaching but that's when i see a dohwa out of the corner of my eye, looking into our classroom. oh he's probably here to see su-ae. must've gotten in late and couldn't wait to see his crush's face. i incline my head a little to left so that i wouldn't have to see his lovey expression directed towards su-ae out of the corner of my eye. but that's when i feel a buzz in my pocket. it's from my phone that i hid from the teacher. i sneak a peak at it to see what the notification says and it's a text from dohwa.
"if you read my texts then why didn't you respond???" it read.
"i forgot." i typed back and then silently slipped my phone back into my pocket. when i looked back to the window that looked into the halls i didn't see him anywhere so i guess he gave up and that's that.
——
it was now lunch so me, nabi, ha-yun, and eunji were sitting outside watching the guys play soccer. i wanted to play but they all insisted that i don't. one day i'll find a way though.
"so you know those girls from class 4?" nabi gossiped, she was the designated gossiper of the group.
"the ones who start drama all the time?" eunji yawned, she was the designated mom of the group.
"yes! so i was going to the bathroom because i drank too much water and i heard them saying...." nabi continued but i tuned her and all of them out. wanting to just sleep i laid down on the step i was sitting on, stomach facing up. it was pretty uncomfortable seeing as i was on a step and the sun was shining so bright that i couldn't focus on sleeping. but then everything went dark and i figured the clouds covered the sun, thankfully. until i heard ha-yun speak up, "y/n you have an unexpected visitor!?"
"y/n and dohwa?? i would've never expected that. i thought you would get with minu first." nabi giggled. and with that my eyes sprung open, getting out of my so called 'slumber' to see dohwa sitting next to me putting his hands up in front of my eyes to block the sun.
i rub my eyes before saying, "dohwa...?"
"hey y/n." he grinned his usual grin.
"why are you here?" i ask, still laying down but lifting my knees up and placing my feet flat on the surface.
"i wanted to see you."
"uh huh. and why are you actually here?" i glare at him.
"i thought something was off with your dry response, earlier."
"that's the first time you texted me how do you know i'm not just a dry texter?"
"you also just left me and su-ae yesterday without saying a word...?"
"didn't think you'd notice." i muttered before turning on my side so that i wouldn't have to look at him anymore. his eyes and his smile make me weak.
"what? of course i would notice." he hovered his head above mine and tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. okay this is NOT supposed to be happening. ESPECIALLY NOT AFTER YESTERDAY??? suddenly i'm wide awake and ready to do laps around the field. i spring my body up, dohwa just barely managing to get his head out of the way on time.
"well that was fun. i need to go. um to the bathroom."
"i'll walk with you." dohwa responds, starting to get up but i lightly push him back onto the step.
"no need." i smiled, "bye guys." i turned my attention towards my friends before walking off in the opposite direction of the bathrooms.
once i finally turn the corner i slide down the wall. i feel my face heat up so i cover my face with my hands. why was he being so gentle when yesterday he wouldn't even look at me?
"hey, y/n...you okay?" eunhyuk shows up out of nowhere making me jump.
"oh uh yeah." i sigh.
he slides down the wall next to me "are you sure? you don't sound okay."
"why do you care... you don't even like me all that much." i blurt out, widening my eyes after realizing how rude it was to say that.
"huh? i don't dislike you...why would you think that?"
"i don't know...it's just before you used to look at me with annoyance in your eyes." i reply honestly.
"oh...yeah."
a silence fills the air around us. I assume he's gonna leave it at that so i prepare myself to get ready to stand up. but then i hear his voice again, making me plant my ass on the ground; ears perked up, ready to hear what he has to say.
"if i'm being honest i hated how you kept on trying to break up su-ae's and minu's relationship. as toxic as they were, you were doing it for the wrong reasons." he looked over at me with a weird expression, "but after actually talking to you i realized that youre not so bad." i cut him off by lightly punching him in the shoulder "not so bad huh? you couldn't say beautiful or amazing or kind or any of that?" i joked.
he grinned, "anyways, i consider you a friend now... u..unless you don't consider me one then i-" he rambles on and on.
i laugh, "of course i consider you my friend."
he lets out a breath of relief before remembering something. "so why did you look so upset a few minutes ago?"
i sigh. i open my mouth but almost immediately close it not knowing what to tell him.
"you don't have to tell me if you-"
"can i ask you a hypothetical question." he nods giving me the signal to continue.
"say you have this friend who...has main character energy and you have side character energy. and you have a crush on this guy but you're almost certain he's gonna fall in love with your friend that has main character energy, but she's already in love with someone else. what should i- you do?"
he raises his eyebrows before looking away trying to think of what to say.
"how do you know he's gonna fall in love with your friend?"
"um... a gut feeling..."
he furrows his eyebrows and looks at me like i'm an idiot.
"i'd say go win him over, it's not like your friend is gonna get with him, right?
"i guess thats true...but yesterday, when i was alone with both of them, he wouldn't even look at me. his eyes were shining like stars when he looked at her." i leaned my head back on the wall trying not to look upset in front of eunhyuk, completely forgetting that it was supposed to be a hypothetical question.
"so this is about you?"
"yeah..." i sighed not even caring that i gave myself away.
"and you're talking about su-ae and dohwa?"
"it's possible..."
"wait you think he likes su-ae???" he asked confused. "i definitely thought he liked you. it's like he can't take his eyes off of you when you're in the room."
i widened my eyes. but then remembered yesterday. "then why is it that he couldnt take his eyes off of su-ae yesterday...?"
"i don't know...but you should talk to him. this seems like a misunderstanding." he looked into my eyes with understanding.
"thanks eunhyuk. you know you're really good at giving advice."
"i didn't even give you advice...i just told you the truth." he rolled his eyes.
"whatever. same thing." i paused realizing we were still at school. "oh shit we should head back to class now."
i stand up and lend him my hand to help him get up. he gladly takes it and i pull him up.
"wow you're heavy."
"thanks." he rolls his eyes. "you are pretty strong though."
"i know."
-
we got back to the class a while ago, almost being late, but now it's break time since school is almost over. anyways, i've been thinking about what eunhyuk said to me earlier and he's right...maybe it's all just a miscommunication between me and dohwa, i hope. i'll talk to him after school today since i hate the miscommunication troupe. although, i do love angst (a/n: 🤭😉).
"eunhyuk, do you want me to introduce you to a girl?" the boy beside me, joo kwangmin, speaks up while turning around to face eunhyuk on his chair.
"nope." eunhyuk replies immediately. i dont even have to look at su-ae to know that relief is written all over her face.
"why?!? just meet her once!! she's totally your type. tall, long hair, and mature style!"
"who said that's my ideal type?"
"you like yu ra-im, no?"
"what...?" eunhyuk tries to clear the misunderstanding but gets cut off.
"anyways look here. she's really pretty, you punk. she's making a fuss asking me to introduce her to you."
"let's have a double blind date. please! this is your friend's wish!" kwangmin adds.
"yeah still no." eunhyuk shuts him down.
"hey kwangmin leave him alone." i speak up nudging him.
"but y/nnnn i just wanna experience dating!!" he whines.
"yeah yeah, you big baby. get back to work, your grades need the extra help." i laugh.
"you can't be talking, you're lower than me on the list!" he pouts, crossing his arms.
"hey! let's not discuss my grades out loud. it wasn't my proudest moment..." i whisper to him.
the bell goes off and i hear the classroom doors slide open. wondering who would enter the class at this time, i look over to see...dohwa? what's he doing here? oh! now's the perfect time to ask him if we can talk after school!
"do-!" i yell but he makes his way over to su-ae which makes me stop mid-name. he looks over at me and smiles—but his expression is weird and unreadable, so i don't smile back—before turning his attention back to su-ae.
"hey su-ae. you ready to go home?" su-ae looks just as confused as i am...but she complies and stands up. they walk out of the room together leaving me, eunhyuk, and basically the rest of the class confused. not to mention that this part wasn't in the webtoon??? i shot eunhyuk a look which he returned.
.
"why did he come pick her up? i could've sworn he liked you." eunhyuk says kicking a pebble.
"i guess you were wrong."
"it doesn't look like su-ae likes him..." he looks at me waiting for me to say if it was true or not.
"she doesn't. at least i dont think she does...i hope she doesn't" i ramble.
"you need to talk to him."
"me?? why should i talk to him? it's not his fault he can't help who he loves." i frown.
"yeah but you can't either...communication is key, you know."
"hey why don't you take your own advice, lover boy."
he rolls his eyes. "anyways, this is my stop." i point to my apartment complex.
i'm about to turn around but then i remember something. "hey, thanks for being an amazing friend and advice giver today."
there's a moment of silence. us just looking at each other. me because i'm waiting for him to say something and him because he's thinking of what to say.
"haha what are you saying." he laughs it off. classic eunhyuk, always getting flustered.
i wave goodbye and make my way over to the building.