"Oh! Han Jihyo!" The watchman greeted the girl, which earned him a bow and a smile. "You're late" HanByeol didn't want to attend school but had come running when Yichan had informed her that they had found Ha Eungyeol who was apparently enrolled in Seowon High.
"I had gotten hurt" Removing her black baseball cap, she showed the older male her bandaged crown. "Oh my!" the man gasped, "Are you okay now?" Chuckling at his worry, HanByeol bopped her head.
"Can I go?" The guard opened the gate for her as the female strided inside, eager to find Eungyeol and kick his ass for disappearing. Pulling on the cap and the hood of her black jacket, HanByeol entered the school campus.
The teen was about to head to her class and enquire with Sekyung or CheongAh about Eungyeol's whereabouts but came to a screeching halt when she heard a familiar voice boom from the vicinity.
Immediately rushing towards the source of the sound, HanByeol noticed the huge crowd gathering around in the school playground. In the midst of all it, stood tall and dashing in the sunlight : THE FIRST LOVE MEMORY MANIPULATORS.
Biting her lips to hold in her roar of laughter, the girl tried squeezing in between the crowd. HanByeol succeeded as she positioned herself right infront of the crowd, cheering for her friends. To her right she noticed, Yoon CheongAh completely being under a spell as Yichan sang.
Ha Yichan met HanByeol's gaze as she smiled widely at him, throwing him a big thumbs up and cheers. She might've looked crazy as she was the only one cheering but soon enough all the other students began cheering with her.
Yoon CheongAh looked at her, looking for any signs as to what was happening but HanByeol only took hold of her arms and flailed it in the air. CheongAh glanced at her in surprise but joined in nevertheless. HanByeol watched as the other female, smiled and enjoyed the song.
She could see bits and pieces of both Eunho and Eungyeol in her and Yichan, when her gaze leapt between the two. Her aunt CheongAh was still the same in the future but more vibrant and bright. HanByeol loved her just like her mother, sometimes even more.
During the song, HanByeol's eyes suddenly settled on a person standing on the opposite of her. Time seemed to slow down as they made eye contact. The female had thought that she would have been fuming in anger as she came across him but all of it subsided when she noticed the soft look on his face.
'Choi Sekyung might've informed him' HanByeol thought to herself. Eungyeol tried passing the crowd and getting to her but paused when Sekyung jerked him behind. His whole attention suddenly turned towards her and this caused a pit to form in her stomach, one she was unfamiliar with.
"You are my world~" Yichan sang, his finger pointing towards where HanByeol and CheongAh were situated. HanByeol tried passing him a smile but it came out way more forced than she could imagine.
Yichan scourged the crowd for a familiar face and when he found one, he placed his guitar down and jumped off the truck, striding towards where Ha Eungyeol and Choi Sekyung were standing.
She could feel CheongAh tense up and she also knew that the girl liked Yichan, it wouldn't take a genius to decipher it. Intertwining her hands with CheongAh', HanByeol gave her a small smile.
"Welcome back, Ha Eungyeol" Ha Yichan started off. "I'll try my best so please come back. You're the only guitarist in FIRST LOVE MEMORY MANIPULATORS." Yichan was on cloud nine when Eungyeol agreed but his smile faltered a bit, "But I have a condition"
HanByeol could feel her breath hitch when Eungyeol's gaze averted towards CheongAh and herself. "I'll do anything, just say the word" The female had guessed what Eungyeol would ask for, a perk or a consequence of knowing him inside out but the sentence that followed his condition, she couldn't brace herself for that.
"Stop seeing Choi Sekyung" He glanced at HanByeol once again, "Because I like Choi Sekyung"
Seo HanByeol felt a stab in her heart, she didn't know how she could comprehend what she was feeling but she could name it ; pain and sorrow. Without waiting another second, HanByeol turned on her heel and strided outside the playground.
She wished that Eungyeol would follow her, atleast if he cared for her. She hoped that her heavy steps would be halted if Eungyeol stopped her. She wished that she was the one he liked and not Choi Sekyung.
HanByeol could feel the heavy and rotten feeling return in her heart. Insecurity and realisation that she would never be enough or good for anyone.