After that night we shared in his dormroom, Yujin had fallen back to his old ways of hating me. I was hoping it would began a new chapter for us. After all, sleeping next to him like that was as intimate as I've ever been with someone of the opposite sex.
He also saved me from Bongcha and offered me a safe haven to spend the night in. I would not forget that side of him, despite what he was trying to show me now.
As the maknaes, we had been assigned the clean-up of the auditorium after our last training before the second performance. The trainees had left a mess, and it was about the last thing I was looking forward to, but I guess we were this week's victims.
Yujin had been broody and moody all day, despite his roommate Hao talking to me earlier and thanking me for finally giving the boy a good night's rest. Apparently, that time I had seen him in the middle of the night at the lounge area hadn't been the only time. Yujin hadn't slept since he got here and had perhaps gotten a few hours every other night. Hao and the other roommates had been at their wits ends, because they too had been woken up several times when Yujin had returned to their dorm at odd hours off the night.
Cleaning up with Yujin was about the last thing I was looking forward to. But here we were. Both of us were ready to gather up all trash left behind by those rowdy fellow trainees of ours. We were both carrying large trash bags as we were walking through the room together. He gave me a look as if it was all my fault, and I gave him the same look back.
"You have to drop down on those knees, jjingi." He said from underneath two white chairs, as I was gathering all junk laying on top. 'You're probably really good at it.'
I dropped the trash bag with a loud clang, all canisters made noise together. "Stop insinuating I'm some kind of slut!" I yelled. What was this all about anyway?
"Keep your voice down." Yujin hissed and rose up. Enclosing me against the other chairs with his arms. He smelled like clover and sunshine and I hated to admit that he smelled nice. His eyes flashed to my lips for a quick second, betraying his feelings for me. Eyes assessing mine in heated silence.
"Ricky told me you two are going on a date tomorrow after the evaluations?"
Date? What the fuck? He asked me for coffee, and I said sure because I wanted to be friendly.
Was he jealous right now?
"Ricky doesn't know what he's saying," I sighed. "It's not a date!"
"Right," Yujin said.
"What? Like it matters to you if it was?"
He didn't reply. He just gave me another judgmental stare.
"You don't know me." My lip quivered as I had to break this silence. He had judged me from the very first day he met me.
"I can tell you exactly who you are, Song Choonhae." He whispered, lips so close to mine they were almost touching me. Somehow we had stepped closer to each other. His body was now aligned with mine. The heat of his stomach pressed into me. I had to crane my neck upward to stare into his brown eyes.
"Then tell me, Yujin. Who am I?" I defiantly asked, sticking my chin out.
"You are that girl. The girl who always gets her way. Entitled, rich, and naive." He stepped closer. "Life has always been an easy breezy road with your loving family. Good grades. You know nothing about adversity." His voice dipped even lower. "Many guys have come and gone. And you don't give a shit. This innocent act is just a hoax." He whispered those last bits in my ear. My skin pebbled all over, and I couldn't suppress my tears. Thick drops of them slid over my cheeks at being judged like that, at someone having the audacity to assume things about my life.
He had no right. No right to know about me either. I softly placed both palms on his chest to keep him from advancing further. As his eyes found mine, I saw something flash through them as he noticed my tears. His voice didn't align because he asked. "Am I close?"
"Spot on." I gritted through my tears without missing a beat. Trying to keep my voice even but failed a little.
"Choonhae? Are you ready?" Chanbin stood in the doorway. I had no idea how much he had heard. He was coming to pick me up, and we would be going out to eat together.
I hurried to him, grateful for my savior.
"Wait in the lobby." He said. Eyes a deadly menace. How much did he hear?
"But-" I protested.
"Wait in the car." He said again, and I could tell it was useless arguing. So I left. But not before listening in behind the corner.
I heard footsteps and then Chanbin's deep voice.
"If I ever find you near my sister again, I'm crushing your skull on the pavement." He was mad angry. His serial killer voice was out.
"Don't ever assume you know anything about her."
"She confirmed it." I heard Yujin say, but his voice wasn't as confident as earlier.
"No, she didn't." Chanbin almost yelled. Almost.
"What she should have said was the following, not that it is any of your business, but I'm not letting you walk out of here believing that shit you think you know. Choonhae is the kindest soul you will ever meet. She takes upon all burdens of everybody, including our little brother. We lost our mom last year, we have a father, but we really don't. To him, we are a bunch of bricks attached to his leg. Grades are all that matter. He doesn't even know us. Choonhae volunteered every weekend at the homeless shelters and has worked for every bit of money she uses now, she hasn't accepted our father's allowance, and we certainly aren't rich. The furthest thing from it. There has never been a boyfriend, not ever. She doesn't sleep around, and she doesn't want that. She is not perfect, but Choonhae is pretty damn close to being perfect. She doesn't need an asshat like you to tell her who she is. She is pure and good and much more than you will ever be.'
I heard him walking out, and I ran for the lobby. Making it just in time to see my brother exit the building, red faced.