A week later...
A week passed.
A week has passed ever since Seolhyun's arrest.
So much happened during this week.
Jeonghan and I became friends once again in the most unexpected way while Joshua and I, we are still friends, I guess.
I don't know why he is ignoring me ever since that day. Well, it'll be wrong to say ignore, it will be more precise if I say that he has been talking less with me.
He still does come to the café, except for mornings and even when he comes he just simply orders his usual and sits at a table scrolling through his phone, without showing the slightest interest to indulge in a small talk with anyone.
And even his visits have become irregular.
His replies turned colder, the other day when Jeonghan asked me to join them for lunch before I could say anything, Joshua gave the reply on behalf of me, "We can't sit with girls. And if you guys insist on her, I'm out."
I did not expect this from him. The others present there were shocked as well. Someone was about to say something else but I deliberately agreed to Joshua's decision with the excuse that I had stuffs to do so I won't be able to join them.
I had approached him a number of times asking the reason behind the sudden change in his behaviour yet he would turn me away with weird-ish replies like, "busy", "studying", "phone was silent." etc.
Today is the day we have to turn in our projects. I skipped the morning shift today only to arrive at school on time.
My mind stopped wandering about the various things I was thinking of when suddenly I heard footsteps stop in front of me.
Realising it was him, my lip corners unknowingly curved up.
I patted his shoulder gently. He turned around giving me a raised-eyebrow look.
"Hey um...I got this for you. I realized you're missing your morning shots of caffeine. Here, take it."
He stared at the coffee milk I bought for him for a second or two.
"Thanks but no. I'm doing good without caffeine."
"But-"
"Alright since you love to nag so much I'll take it." He took the carton and kept it on his table.
I was hurt by his tone of reply but kept it to myself. Instead I smiled trying to think that finally he accepted it.
I was about to ask him or the least, try to talk to him but stopped when I saw Jeonghan hopping his way up to his seat beside me like a chicken.
"Hoi! You're ready for the presentation? I heard it's gonna be in the second half." Jeonghan asked as he dropped his ass next to my seat.
"Yeah but I'm nervous.." I said fidgeting with my fingers.
"Hey man, you're gonna ace it. I know."
"What if I can't?"
"Not a biggie. We'll just scratch up something else then."
I smiled. He has been supportive to me ever since then.
It's like, Joshua and Jeonghan have had a personality swap, if it were to say.
"Haeyoon-ah, I was wondering if you would continue to sit here after this..."
I thought for a while.
Sitting with him isn't a bad idea.
But if I choose to sit here where will Vernon sit if his partner makes him leave? I don't want him to sit alone.
My attention suddenly diverted when I heard Joshua talking to Yerin.
"Yerin do you mind if I sit here after the project submission?"
"Absolutely not! I would love it!" She said in a dramatic tone.
It felt like Joshua purposely said it loudly so that it was clearly audible to me, or so I thought.
Turning to Jeonghan, I said, "I'd appreciate it. But I enjoy sitting alone so no, I won't sit here anymore."
"Are you sure? If it's because of Vernon then I can ask him to-"
"No no it's alright! You don't have to ask him anything."
"Alright, if you say so."
I gave him my best smile even though I don't know why I felt a weird pain in the inside.
...
Mrs Hwang collected our projects and right now I was sitting in my original seat. Alone.
As much as I wanted to ignore, I just couldn't do so when I found Joshua and Yerin smiling and talking to each other.
He was laughing.
He was talking like the Joshua I know.
But with Yerin.
I tried to feel happy seeing him smiling but for some reason, I couldn't.
I mean, I already knew that he would choose someone over me someday or the other but why am I still not accustomed to it?
Even after knowing the consequences why did I still have crush on him? Why did I still develop feelings for him?
For his handsome face? For his gentle voice?
Nope.
It was the friendship and trust that made me attracted to him. It was him with whom I felt protected and comfortable while talking.
But now it seems like, the protective shield of trust and friendship had vanished into thin air.
Even though I do have Jeonghan by my side now, I still can't get over the trauma he gave when he defamed me. No one but Joshua knows about it.
It was like the hunch that I had been having visions of, was turning to reality.
I put my head down and shut my eyes close as I tried to cool off my mind.
...
The bell rang indicating all the students to rush to the canteen.
I was still in my sleeping posture as I heard the voices fade out.
All of a sudden my table vibrated.
I woke up to see Yerin sitting on it as she sipped on her coffee milk.
"Feeling sad bestie?" She proceeded to caress my face which I dodged away.
"What do you want?" I replied nonchalantly.
She smiled innocently although intelligent ones could see the smirk behind her not so innocent smile.
"Nothing. I just wanted to check up on my boyfriend's friend."
I wasn't even gonna ask her about her boyfriend but she decided to spill it herself.
"Anyways, this coffee milk tastes trash just like you."
"How can it taste trash like me when you've bought it?" I was about to chuckle until she spoke her next words.
"Oh who said I bought it? My boyfriend gave it to me saying that you gave him. He didn't want to take it either but only to shut your ass up he accepted it and passed it to me. I actually wanted to throw it into the trash but then thought to give you a review first." She tossed the empty carton towards me.
Joshua gave it to her?
"J-joshua is your b-boyfriend?" I asked surprisingly yet hopelessly.
"Yes. Didn't he tell you? Oops, my bad." She faked a hurt expression.
I didn't say anything.
So that explains everything.
She said something out aloud but I didn't care to pay heed to it as the only thought in my mind was to talk to him.
I reached the canteen and spotted him at the boys table from a distance. He was chatting and laughing with them.
"Haeyoon you finally-"
"Joshua can I talk to you for a minute?" I asked emotionlessly cutting Jeonghan off.
He looked surprised by my presence but went back to his normal self and said, "Not now, I'm busy-"
"I won't talk to you after this. I promise."
The whole table felt silent as they sensed the seriousness of the situation.
After about five minutes, he heaved out a deep sigh and finally said, "Alright, stay true to your promise." He got up and followed me to a quieter part of the canteen.
"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked once I realized there weren't many people around.
"Tell you what?" He asked with his hands folded over his chest, his eyes showing no emotion.
"That you had a g-girlfriend?" I noticed his eyes rounden up but instantly he got back to his cool.
"Why does that bother you?"
"I never said it bothered me but you could've told me earlier directly that I was bothering you instead of ignoring and giving me indirect replies."
"You weren't bothering me tho-"
"Of course I was! That's what you tried to tell me during these last few days! You won't talk to me, you won't tell me where I went wrong, you would give away things that I gave you! Yes Joshua, you did say 'you're bothering me' in morse code!" I paused for a while as I tried to catch my breath from shouting, "If the coffee milk was such a disgusting thing that why did you even accept it in the first place?! I wouldn't have minded if you spat that disgusting coffee but why did you give it to Yerin!? Answer me, Joshua!" I panted rapidly.
He stared into my eyes before speaking nonchalantly yet I felt a tone of sarcasm in his voice, "My gentle way of rejecting won't shut you up so I had to choose this. Hope that satisfies your doubts. Now if you excuse me." He purposely bumped his shoulder against mine and walked past me.
I stood like a statue trying to comprehend the words he just said to me.
Letting out a hopeless chuckle I said loudly, audible enough for him as I turned to watch his back disappear.
"I thought you said you would stay by my side forever, Joshua Hong."
I saw him stop in his tracks but he didn't turn around.
"I guess, some promises are just meant to be broken." I said walking up to him.
Placing a hand on his shoulder I uttered my final words to him, "Anyways, I'll keep my promise even if you can't keep yours. Just watch out for your girlfriend and... good luck on your relationship, I guess." Patting the shoulder for the last time, I finally let go and walked out of the scene without being called back for once.
It's not that I expected for one even.
I mindlessly walked towards the washroom.
So all through these days my excitement was a nag to him.
My weakness was just a drama to him.
My gifts were trash to him.
He was actually pitying me when he found me lonely.
My mind was so engrossed in those thoughts that I didn't realize someone was approaching me.
BUMP!
"Ouch! Oos sorry!" Chaewon screamed as she saw my shirt getting drenched with her milkshake that accidentally fell on me.
I excused her and hurriedly rushed to the washroom.
Half an hour left for the presentation. I need to hurry up.
I cleaned my hair and quickly changed my clothes. I always kept an extra uniform in my locker for situations like these.
I don't know why but all of a sudden I felt the urge to cry.
The reason? Joshua and his betrayal.
I still couldn't believe that this is the guy who knew my weakness and to whom I bawled my eyes out.
I let the barrier in my eyes break down as more thoughts of him flushed in my mind.
Human beings are formidable.
After calming down myself from the rollercoaster of emotions, I wiped my tears.
I took one last look at myself in the large mirror before stepping out.
Wait.
Wait WHAT!?
WHY ISN'T THE DOOR OPENING!!?
WHAT THE FUCK NOW!!?
It was perfectly fine when I opened it. It can't get jammed so fast!
After a while it dawned on me that someone locked it from outside.
Presentation is gonna start in a few minutes.
I panicked as I took my phone out trying to call someone.
FUCK!
My phone died already!!!
"HELP!!!! SOMEBODY HELP!!!" I screamed my lungs out and kicked the door trying to grab someone's attention but damn, the door just wouldn't open.
Until I heard a demonic laughter outside.
"Serves you right slut for talking to my man. You had been warned to stay away from him but alas! your brave self doesn't like to listen huh?? Now figure out how to escape from here yourself. Even if your vocal cords rip apart, no one will ever hear you. Enjoy being alone bwahahaha!"
"Yerin! Yerin! Why are you doing this! You know that I have the presentation and I have to-"
"Exactly. That's one more reason why I trapped you. I honestly want to kick you out of this school, or worse, out of the earth but since none of that is possible, I will make sure to turn your days a living hell until you kill yourself!" She hissed out the last words.
I was a crying mess right now.
"Y-yerin I-I'll do everything you'll say. Just let me out this one time..."
"You thought I'll go easy on you? Huh. After so many days, I finally got your Joshua. Now enjoy your stay here. Goodbye." I heard her hysteric laughter fade away as I frantically called out her name for help.
The presentation might have started.
My back hit against the wall as I slid down crying.
Why is it always me?
Why the fuck am I always the victim?
Why do I always end up in such hostile situations?
Why does everyone hate me?
My throat hurt from the screaming.
I buried my face between my knees as I tried to mentally prepare myself for another round of insult.
From Jeonghan.
He said earlier that he wouldn't mind if I wasn't perfect but now, the case was different.
The question of ace-ing is useless now.
I am not even present and I can't imagine him staying calm over this.
Joshua would tell them everything I said to him and they would cook up some story or worse, they would understand that I had feelings for him and on being rejected I hid myself in a corner crying out like a typical cheesy cliché movie girl.
My eyes gushed out the more I thought of it.
Should I really just go on with Yerin's plan?