School had finally ended and Jungwon was quick to rush out of the classroom. Instead of making his way to the changing rooms or the rugby field, he ended up exiting the school gates - deciding to skip rugby practice. With an unpleasant expression painted on his features, he trudged his way to a nearby convenience shop.
It wasn't that he had a bad day at school, it just wasn't the best and he wasn't in the mood to run around and tackle others for a ball to only reek of sweat.
But he was in the mood to visit Han Iseul. Again.
It had been a week and Iseul was still sick in bed. Although her temperature did drop a few degrees, the girl did not show any other signs of getting better. This meant Jungwon had to walk to school alone and sit alone during class.
Of course, he had other friends apart from her but he rather much prefers the company of Han Iseul over Nishimura Riki and Sim Jaeyun's - only because they would tease him nonstop and couldn't ever quiet down considering how chaotic they were.
Not that he didn't like them, they were quite fun and exciting to be around. It's just he had been used to spending his lunchtime outdoors sitting peacefully under a tree or on the benches with Iseul. Riki and Jaeyun could be annoying sometimes but that's what made up their brotherly relationship. Throughout the years he had gotten an opportunity to grow closer to the two and so far, he hasn't seemed to regret it.
But knowing he was going to see his best friend soon, he lightened up as he couldn't contain his excitement.
He had planned to spoil her with some snacks to make her happy as her sickness has left her with some emotional mood swings and Jungwon just wanted to see her precious smile.
Nearing the shop, he hiked up his bag before entering the small building. Greeting the blunt cashier, he made his way to an isle filled with fresh goods.
Grinning to himself as he imagined her pure reaction, he picked up a near shopping basket and continued to fill it up endlessly with snacks favoured by no other than Iseul.
★
Iseul blew her stuffy nose on another tissue before tossing the crumpled paper-cloth into the nearby trash basket - surprisingly, it made it inside, only collecting to the heaped pile.
She let out a distressed groan, rubbing her slightly crimson nose as she let out another muffled sneeze.
So much for being sick.
Tremendously horrible wasn't even close to what she was feeling and going through. Her head continued to pound it's merciless beating, her nose was literally blocked, her eyes burnt like hell and her throat was dryer than the Safari desert which caused it to rasp and ache. Her whole body felt like jelly; as if it had given up on her and she was still freezing despite her uncoordinated body temperature.
And on top of that, the finishing touch: her hormones were running wild. Her unexpected mood swings came back and forth wether it was her sobbing for absolute no reason or her refusing to speak to anybody because she was mad at a book character. Wether it was her laughing to some goofy cartoons or sulking because she didn't want to eat.
It was weird really, she just couldn't eat. Not because she didn't want too though, she just couldn't make up her mind.
Iseul didn't want to be seen as picky or bratty, she just couldn't decide what appetizer she wanted most because she was craving everything at the moment.
Once, it was macaroni and cheese with slices of ham along with red velvet cake pops. Then it was oreo cereal paired with icy chocolate milk. The thought of crackers and chocolate frosting even popped up for a second - heck, she almost convinced herself to try Jungwon's favourite (but weird) go to snack: Sliced mangoes sprinkled in sugar and dipped into jam.
Ew. Nevermind that.
Rolling over, she let herself roll off the bed in the blanket she had wrapped herself in to cozily. To free herself from boredom, she mingled around the floor, pretending to be a burrito. Right when she was about to get up and start over, her throat started to itch.
I want strawberry milk.
And that's when the mood swings and cravings decided to take their cue - leaving the hopeless girl on the floor tearing up in her blanket for the need of some refreshment.
Her mom went along for work and Grandma out to shop for gardening supplies, meaning she was alone.
All by herself with no one to buy her strawberry milk.
Iseul let out a frustrated huff, trying to heave herself up. Keyword, trying. She could barely even move a muscle before so what made her think she could now?
"The craziness is getting to me..." She mumbled to herself as her eyes glazed of fresh tears, "If I don't get some strawberry milk right now I'll go insane..."
As if I hadn't already.
So there she laid, on her bedroom floor wrapped in a teddy bear blanket, talking to her self with a chorus of incoherent words and sentences - most of them related to her desperate need of strawberry milk.
In her opposing, she had expected to be framed there until her mom or grandma were to return, but she was wrong.
As if her so called prayers had been answered, a sudden bolt of surprise jolted through her upon hearing a knock on her door.
"Oh no," She silently panicked, "They've come to get me."
"Iseul?"
Her head whipped around to meet the bewildered stare of Jungwon as he rushed up to her. Fresh in his school uniform and slightly messed up hair.
"What happened?" He asked gently, "Why are you on the floor?" He tucked away a loose strand of hair as he set down the plastic bag he bought along.
Within a swift moment, he carried her up and placed her in bed, mistaking the redness of her cheeks as something to do with her heated body temperature.
Sitting down on the edge, he fixed her blanket before averting all his divine attention back to the ill girl. "Is there anything wrong?" He worriedly asked, reminiscing back to the tears that ran along her eyelids.
Iseul nodded dramatically, pouting slightly before murmuring something he couldn't catch. He immediately sat up, ready to fix whatever problem she was facing.
"Speak up Iseul." He urged.
"...I want strawberry milk."
Hearing this, a wholehearted chuckled ran past his lips, shaking his head at the innocent girl. Jungwon reached down to pick up a fairly large plastic bag before handing it to her. It was filled with all of her interests, obviously.
Iseul eyed the bag suspiciously, wondering what could be inside. Sucking in a break she untied the plastic only to be struck with disbelief at the varieties inside.
"Jungwon..." She unexpectedly said in surprise as she couldn't believe her eyes. He bought all of this? For her? As if she couldn't love him more. These were the type of friendly gestures he admitted - clueless to how fluttery her heart would patter whenever he did.
Forget about the butterflies, she had a whole damn zoo in there caused just by him.
"Oh my goodness," She giggled enchantingly before sitting up and wrapping her arms around him, "You're the best Wonie, thank you so, so, so, so, so much."
Jungwon mirrored her, cooing at her wholesome reaction. He was relieved to see the girl this happy, due to her feeling down. He watched as she soon let go before reaching into the bag as she brought up a small carton of milk. Poking in her straw she happily sipped her drink, bopping her head childishly.
"How was school?" She tended after satisfying herself.
Jungwon just shrugged, a bored look on his face,"Fine I guess." He simply stated. Iseul noticed the way he wore an almost invisible frown on his face. The way his smile faltered and how his movements froze.
Tilting her head, she furrowed her brows while keeping her eyes on him, wanting to know what had happened for him to be like this. Her pupils shimmered with genuine worry and confusion for her friend.
"Just fine?" She quietly restated, wait for an explanation.
All Jungwon could do was pull her closer to him, surprising her. Sulking, he buried his head in her shoulder as his hands sneakily made their way up to lay faintly on her waist.
My temperature is supposed to be going down, not up.
"School was so...dull," He admitted with a pout as Iseul comforted him by running her hands through his fluffy hair, "There was nothing to be excited about. No more rushing to find a spot under a tree or waiting for you while you pick up books from the library. No more help with Math homework or childhood talks."
"Didn't you have fun with Jake and Riki?" She pondered as her mind went back to when he had informed her who he was having lunch with through a text.
"I did," He hummed,"But nothing compares to the happiness I feel when I'm with you... it's unexplainable."
Iseul's breath hitched in her throat as she halted - loss of words to reply to Jungwon as her whole vocabulary crumpled to pieces. Part of her wanted to triumph in joy but then the other half was quick to hold her down.
He missed your company as a friend - and a friend only.
So she gradually wrapped him up in a hug one again, trying to avoid the fact that it wasn't her illness or head hurting anymore. It wasn't her dry throat or burning eyes that had her constantly yearning for the pain to go away. It was like all the weight of her sickness had vanished - only to be replaced by something heavier.
And that was her heart. Her fragile, full of hope heart, pullings her down. Within every word Jungwon had stumbled upon, it could only ache, making her chest heave out a struggled sigh. How could he say such things?
How could he make her stomach to do flips and fuzz up but at the same time, unintentionally, make her heart sink down as she know that his words had a whole different meaning than she had hoped for?
Don't do this to me.
With a shattered smile forcing it's way onto her features, she pulled them apart, looking into his eyes while ignoring the stabs of reality that dawned onto her. She gave him an adoring smile to hide the aching he had unintentionally caused.
"Hey, I'll be better soon." Iseul inquired to brighten the mood.
Jungwon nodded with a faint pout. Right now he felt like a child that had lost his favourite toy. The near absence of Han Iseul took a unexpected toll on him, especially since they were usually attached by the hip.
Like a buy one get one free sale. You choose this one and you have to get the other. They're a sealed package deal; it's impossible to get one without the other.
"I just miss my best friend." He whispered while he placed his palm onto his lap, verbally telling her to play with his fingers - something he grew to enjoy.
Ouch.
Pretending like she wasn't on the verge of dying inside, her feathery touch met his hands, fiddling with them as they tickled. Jungwon peacefully watched Iseul occupy herself with an unknown smile of pleasantness complimenting him.
Little did he know her thoughts were eating her up inside. Picking and pinching her with no mercy as they tortured her and her hopeless romantic self.
I miss my best friend too she thought.
She missed when they would walk hand in hand to school together without her cheeks burning crimson. She missed the days when she could stare at him shamelessly without her heart doing weird tricks on her. She missed the days where they could compliment each other without her tumbling over her words. Where they could play around and she didn't have to worry about being too obvious.
Han Iseul missed the days when she way confused and oblivious about the emotion called love. When she was too young to fall in love.
When she looked forward to seeing Jungwon and spending time with him as a friend. A best friend. Nothing more and nothing less.
The days were she still had control over her fleeing emotions as they were to small to and naive to mean something.
But unfortunately, they were flying around the place now and she hated the fact that she couldn't do anything to stop them. How she couldn't distract herself from the crush she had grown on Yang Jungwon.
Because now, all she could do was bare the heartbreaking burden.
author's corner ୨୧
oof.
- caitlynn