Third Person's POV
After having fun in Coex Mall with Jeonghan and Chae Min's father, Seventeen went back to their dorm.
"Mingyu, did you have a conversation with Chae Min earlier? How was it?" Jun sat beside Mingyu.
"The last time we walked home together, she said that she's going to be worried about me if ever I'll get hurt." The others sense that there was something wrong with Mingyu's voice so they gathered around him.
"But she can't see that I'm in pain because of her." Mingyu combed his hair using his hand.
"I wanted to know if she feels the same way too but I was wrong. She said she doesn't even like me. I guess I'm not good enough." He leaned back on the sofa and let out a heavy sigh.
The other members looked at him worriedly.
"She rejected you?!" S.coups shouted because he just can't believe that Chae Min will do that after what they have seen between them.
"She apologized to me for being cold and for not talking to me, to us in school earlier so I teased her and said that she was just jealous the reason why she walked out yesterday. I told her that maybe she likes me that's why she got jealous but when I said that, she looked at me directly in my eyes and said that she don't." Mingyu's voice became a little deeper than normal. In his mind, he was blaming himself for taking the risk at the wrong time.
"Aw, I thought you are okay for noona." - Dino
"Maybe for all of the things that you two did together mean something to her but she can only see you as a friend for now." - Joshua
"Maybe it was just a joke?" - DK
"But her voice.. and eyes.. it says the truth." He seemed almost on the verge of tears so he covered his eyes using his arm.
"I'm going to talk to her." Wonwoo was about to go out when S.coups stopped him.
Meanwhile..
When the Yoon family arrived at their house, Chae Min immediately went to her room. She changed her clothes and she sat on her bed.
She started to ponder if she will explain what she said to Mingyu or not.
While looking on her phone, she received a message from Joshua.
Text Message:
From: Joshua Hong
"I know you didn't mean it, but why did you say that?"
At first, Chae Min didn't know what Joshua was talking about but she realized that it was about of what she said to him.
"I'm sorry.." That was all she could tell him.
She turned off her cellphone and decided to go to the master's bedroom. She knocked and her Dad let her in.
"What brings you here little princess?" Her Dad put down the book he was reading and looked at her.
"Dad, I'm not a kid anymore." She whinned that made her Dad chuckle.
"I need to talk to you about something." She said and she sat beside him on the bed.
Her Dad took off his reading glass and lent her his ear.
"Sure, what is it?"
She told him what the real deal was earlier and she also told him about her current problem. She told him something he didn't expect so he just hugged her.
"If that's what you want then go. I know everything will be fine." He said as he caressed her face.
2 days before the battle and Seventeen was busy practicing for their performance on Friday.
Chae Min was absent for 2 days straight so their teacher, Mrs. Jung was worried and she started to look for her. She asked Jeonghan personally and Jeonghan said that Chae Min was not feeling well so he let her stay in their house with their Dad until she finally recovered.
Hoshi already completed the whole choreography but Mingyu was still on the second verse part of the song.
Mingyu tried to focus but he didn't seem to cope up well. His body was in the practice room but his mind was on somewhere else.
S.coups couldn't blame him because he knew that he wasn't fine emotionally.
"Let's take a break." S.coups said so the others stopped dancing.
Jinhong suddenly barged in the practice room where they were practicing.
"Excuse me Jeonghan hyung, can I talk to you?" He asked.
"Come in." S.coups let him in.
"Where is Chae Min?" - Jinhong
"She's not feeling well." - Jeonghan
"Why can't I call her?" - Jinhong
"Maybe she doesn't want to talk to you." Hoshi joined their conversation.
Jinhong looked at Mingyu.
"Mingyu, tell me what happened yesterday." He glared at him.
"Look, Mingyu is not in the mood right now so just talk to any of us except him." Wonwoo stood up and he went in front of Jinhong blocking his view of Mingyu.
"I know something happened between them because I know Chae Min, she won't turn off her phone unless there's a problem." Jinhong tried to go to Mingyu but Wonwoo wouldn't let him.
"Mind your own business." Mingyu's deep and cold voice sent a chill down on his spine.
Jinhong left the practice room because Mingyu's words gave him an answer.
He went to the bicycle area and rode one of it. He was lucky that the guard didn't notice him and he went straight to Chae Min's house.
Chae Min's POV
I wasn't able to go to school yesterday because I had a cold and I didn't go to school earlier because my body felt so heavy.
I went downstairs to eat my lunch, brunch (breakfast & lunch to be exact). I started to eat alone because Dad went somewhere then suddenly the doorbell rang. I asked the maid went outside to check who it was.
"Ma'am, Sir Jinhong is outside but your Mr. Yoon said not to let him in." She said.
"Let him in, Dad is not here so it's fine." I told her so she let Jinhong in.
"I'm fine if that's the reason why you're here." The look on his face showed why he went here.
"My body feels heavy the reason I didn't go to school." I added.
I was still wearing my pajamas and was too lazy to take a bath. I just want to lay in my bed all day.
"You really knew me. Well, anyway I have a plan for our performance on Friday." He sat beside me.
"Oh yeah, I almost forgot that the battle is on Friday already but why 'us'?" I asked and looked at him.
"I mean you're going to perform twice, your solo and our duet. Seventeen will also perform twice on Friday." He explained.
"So what do you want to do?" He asked me.
"I don't know. I still have to think about it."
"Anyway, how were you able to skip the class huh?" I raised my eyebrow.
"Because I'm a ninja in my past life haha." I rolled my eyes.
"Hey, how about we start practicing here? You will practice your solo song first then our duet, what do you say?" Not a bad idea.
"Sure but I will take a bath first." After I ate, I told Jinhong to stay in the living room then I went to my room to take a bath.
Jinhong's POV
Their house didn't change, it's still what it was back then. It looks like Chae Min is alright but what happened to Mingyu?
Maybe he was really not in the mood or he had a fight with one of his friends.
I was getting bored of looking around so I posted a selca on my IG. After a few seconds, lots of my fans commented on it. While I was reading their comments, I heard the sound of a car parking at the backyard then the maid hurriedly walked towards me and said,
"Sir, Mr. Yoon is here. You better hide yourself." She said so I started to panick.
I get my shoes outside and hurriedly ran upstairs.
Damn, where should I hide?! There are too many rooms here.
"Where's my Princess?" I heard Mr. Yoon asked the maid.
I panicked so I went inside the room nearest to me. I was lucky that it's not locked. Then I heard someone using the shower so I looked around, I noticed that I was in Chae Min's room.
Suddenly, the door in the bathroom opened and I saw Chae Min wearing a towel only.
"What the f*ck are you doing here?! You scared me!" Her voice became loud because she was really surprised when she saw me here.
"Honey, what's wrong?" We heard her Dad knocked outside.
"Sh*t." She hurriedly locked the door.
"Hide somewhere!" She whispered but I didn't know where I should hide. My mind went black at that time.
"Honey, open the door." Her Dad was holding the doorknob.
"Wait Dad, I'm changing my clothes here." She said.
She told me to lie face down on the floor on the other side of her bed and closed my eyes because she's going to wear her clothes. After she wore her clothes, I stood up. She pulled me by my collar and she put me behind the door. She signalled me that I shouldn't make any noise before she opened the door.
"Hey Dad, you're early." She said while still holding the door.
"Why did you scream? Is there someone with you?" I heard him asked.
"No, I'm alone here. I just stepped on my phone that's why I screamed." Nice excuse Baby Min.
"How was it? Is it damaged? I'll buy you a new one."
"It's still fine though I was surprised it survived my weight." She awkwardly laughed.
"You need to eat lunch Dad because I helped the maid cook then after that you need to rest because I know you still have an appointment in the evening. I'm going to write a song now, you know for the competition on Friday. Eat well Dad." I heard her kissed him before she closed and locked the door.
"Pervert." She looked at me with disappointed eyes.
"Hey it was just a coincidence. I didn't know that I was going to enter your room, I swear. I panicked so I entered the room near the stairs so here I am." I defended myself.
"Yeah right. Now tell me what we are going to do." She just rolled her eyes so I started to explain my plan.
Jeonghan's POV
It's really tiring to practice the whole day. I just want to sleep all day tomorrow but I can't *sigh*.
DK, Hoshi and Seungkwan decided to go with me to visit Chae Min. They bought her apples and strawberries, her favorite fruits.
We went inside and saw her playing with her phone in the living room.
"Hi noona, are you feeling well now? We bought you apples." Seungkwan said happily.
"And strawberries." DK added.
"Hello, thank you. My body still feels a bit heavy but I think I can now manage to go to school tomorrow." She smiled at them.
"Where's dad?" I asked.
"In his room doing paper works."
"May I go to Han River with them? I need to talk to them about something and I know you're tired so you stay home." She put the fruits on the table.
"Even if you want me to tag along with you, I won't." I heard their soft laughters as I went upstairs.
Chae Min's POV
We arrived at Han River using our car. I know they were tired because they practiced the whole day but I need to thank them personally.
I looked for a nice spot with fewer people and when I found one, we sat on the grass facing the sun waiting for the sunset.
"Sorry for dragging you here all of a sudden." I apologized.
"I know you are tired and want to rest now but I really need to talk to you." I added.
"We're still fine, just sleepy haha. Why thank us? What about the others?" - DK
"Nah, I'll talk to them next time. You're all hungry right? Do you want anything to eat? My treat." I suggested but they said that they were not hungry.
"Dokyeom, Hoshi and Seungkwan. What will you feel if I'm gone?"
"Gone? Like dead? Or just went to another place?" Hoshi asked.
"Both haha." I tried to laugh.
"Ah, Chae Min. Don't make the atmosphere so cold." DK complained.
"Oh, I'm sorry. It's just that I want to say thank you. Thank you for all the things you've done for me. For doing stupid things, funny faces, jokes just to make me laugh. Seokmin, thank you for lightening up my mood every time inside the classroom. Soonyoung, thank you for making me feel that I'm not alone. And Seungkwan, thank you for making me feel that I'm special. I'm sorry for being cold to all of you before, I just can't help it because I believed that I can't trust anyone aside from myself until that day came. All of you made me realize that I should trust someone, I should trust you, that I'm not alone, there is ah no, there are shoulders that I can lean on. Thank you for being there when I have a problem. For staying at my side for a short time." Seungkwan interrupted my momentum. Haist, really.
"Short time? Don't count the days and weeks noona. We will be together, forever." He said. I smiled but a sad one.
"Why are you telling us that? Are you.. sick?!"
Hoshi..
"Are you going to die?!"
Seungkwan -____-
"What?! How?!"
Yeah right DK. >____<
"Let me finish first okay? I'm not going to die nor sick, I just wanted to thank you."
After a few minutes of silence, Hoshi broke it.
"What would I feel if you're gone hmm.."
"I'm going to be sad and I will going to miss you noona." Seungkwan held my hand.
"I will not let you leave your house. I'm going to be awake 24 hours in front of your house to make sure that you won't be able to go somewhere else." DK said that made me laugh.
"I'm going to cry." Hoshi said emotionally.
"I think my life won't be complete if you're gone. You are special to me Chae Min, to us. Even you were cold and mean before, you're still kind and caring. You are like a younger sister to me, my little princess. I will get hurt if you're gone." I felt sadness in Hoshi's voice so I hugged him tightly. We had a group hug.
"Don't take it seriously, I'm just asking hahaha. Oh look, the sunset." I said and I pointed at the sun.
How pretty..
I took my phone and we took a picture with the sunset.
"You know what? Sunrise is the hello, the sun rises to give us light for 12 hours then after that here comes the sunset. The sunset is the goodbye, the sun is going down to leave you in the dark. Just like a person, he will stay with you for a short time and when the time comes, he will leave you." I said as I was looking at the sun.
"The moon is still there to give us light in the dark." - DK
"But not brighter than the sun." I smiled.
"How about Mingyu hyung noona? You need to talk to him and fix the misunderstanding." I was surprised when Seungkwan brought it up.
"I know but, not now."
"It's 5:40 pm already. Let's go home, the hyungs might be looking for us now." DK said so we went to the car.
They went out of the car when we reached their dorm. I was about to close the window when Hoshi asked me,
"Are you.. going to leave?"
I gave him a bitter smile and answered,
"I can't say that." Then I went home.
Seventeen's POV
"Where have you been?!" - S.coups
"Han--" - Hoshi
"Noona's house. We bought her apples and strawberries and she likes it." - Seungkwan
"We went to Han River." - DK
"/glares at DK/ Ah yeah. Noona wanted to watch the sunset but Jeonghan hyung was tired so we accompany her." - Seungkwan
"So, did you talk to her about what happened yesterday?" - S.coups
"We didn't want to ruin her mood so we didn't ask." - DK
"She said she can go back to school tomorrow so we can still ask her that." - Hoshi
"Okay, go to your room now and change your clothes." - S.coups
While changing his clothes, Hoshi was recalling what Chae Min said earlier.
'Just like the sunrise and the sunset, sunrise is the hello and sunset is the goodbye.'
'Are you going to leave?'
'I can't say that.'
He started to feel uneasy about it but he couldn't tell why.