Ji Eun looked at the sky. Its color was slowly welcoming the night. Ever since she heard the surprising news from Suzy, everything inside her felt uneasy...including her heart.
The atmosphere at the terrace was crisp and cool and it made Ji Eun embrace comfort. With a sigh, she decided to march back to her room and grabbed her towel hanging on her closet.
"I'll just take a shower." She mumbled at Suzy who's busy doing her Math homework.
"Yeah sure." Suzy responded without even removing her gaze from her notebook. Her tongue sticking out at the corner of her lips because of too much concentration.
Just as Ji Eun was about to twist the door's knob of the bathroom, it already opened, revealing Chanyeol whose face was wet while Ji Eun quietly gasped because of astonishment.
The boy just walked pass her as if she was invisible, making Ji Eun wonder. Chanyeol will usually tease her or give her an irritating smirk so she was exactly expecting it but he didn't do anything. So just as he was about to enter his room, he heard his name from her, causing him to turn his head and give the girl a questioning look.
"Are you alright?" Ji Eun asked with a worried tone.
Chanyeol shrugged. "Why'd you ask?"
Ji Eun pursed her lips before making a response. "I don't know...It's just...you've been quiet ever since we got home from school."
Chanyeol was wiping his face with the towel that was draped around his neck as he listened. After that, he gave her a blank stare.
*No. I'm completely crestfallen. My heart's broken and it hurts.*
"I'm alright. Thanks for asking though."
And with that statement of his, he went inside his room just like a leaf being driven by a vicious wind.
Ji Eun pursed her lips as she tried to process the boy's response. And somehow, she noticed that his words didn't match the tone of his voice especially the expression of his eyes.
~:~
"So where's the music room?" Ji Eun hastily asked as she and Myungsoo walked through the hallway. It was their thirty minute lunch break and the two of them decided to spend it in the music room by having a discussion about Ji Eun's plan for the foundation day.
The creaking sound of the opening door was heard throughout the empty room while Ji Eun gaped in awe.
"Tada," Myungsoo mumbled and walked towards the piano that's shimmering because of the sun's light through the window beside it.
"This is absolutely amazing." The girl said, feeling the presence of music albeit there was silence. Maybe it's just that every where she looked, there were different musical instruments.
Myungsoo patted the empty space beside him, beckoning Ji Eun who's currently marvelling at where they were.
"So where's the lyrics?" Myungsoo questioned as the two of them dwarfed the chair. His heart was beating fast as he got near to her presence.
"Here," Ji Eun handed him a notebook with words that were written legibly.
Myungsoo excused a minute to read what she had done while Ji Eun, on the other hand, was cluelessly pressing a random key, creating a thin melodic sound.
"Wow this is good." Myungsoo huffed while nodding, completely impressed at the girl's work.
Ji Eun averted her attention to him and a grin automatically painted her face.
"You did this all by yourself?"
Ji Eun nodded in response.
"It's awesome, Ji Eun. It has a wonderful meaning." He said before giving her a wink while Ji Eun blushed at the bustling of his compliments.
"I wrote it with my heart." Ji Eun said while the boy smirked with a hint of disappointment.
"Oh...because of Luhan huh?"
Hearing his statement, Ji Eun shrugged. "Nah, my inspiration when I wrote that were the things that I learned recently from other people."
"Huh?"
"Aaah...it's too complicated." Ji Eun said, scratching her head.
Myungsoo chuckled and started to make a tune while Ji Eun studied his movements in awe. His fingers were gently moving as he changed keys every second, producing a sound that serenaded the both of them. Myungsoo would stop at a certain minute and will cock his head as he perk his ears whenever he will find a right key that will fit for the lyrics.
Ji Eun just sat there and marveled at how Myungsoo could make a tune in a matter of minutes.
Her lips were already parted when Myungsoo stopped, breaking her from the spell that he made through the sound of piano.
"Well I think we finally have a tune for the first verse." Myungsoo informed and locked the pencil between his lips as he handed Ji Eun her notebook.
When she took it, the girl noticed that her notebook already had unrecognizable scribbles made by Myungsoo and those were probably the notes and chords.
"Here, let me teach you." Myungsoo said after transferring the pencil at the back of his ears.
After that statement of his, the both of them started to sing. Myungsoo lead her to the right tune and within a few minutes, the girl already masterized the very first stanza.
"Ji Eun...can I ask you something?" Myungsoo questioned when the two of them ended. Myungsoo was still settled on the chair in front of the piano while Ji Eun decided to sit on the chair at the left side of the window.
"Go on." Ji Eun said, not even averting her gaze to him. She was busily humming, having a last song syndrome to what Myungsoo just taught her.
The boy bit his lower lip and tapped his fingers on his knees. "
"What if...what if you'll realize that...I like you?" He suddenly choke out. Too blatant to bring that out from his mouth and he suddenly found awkwardness in the atmosphere. He didn't know if it was the perfect moment or whatever. It was a dumb and lame movement of his and Myungsoo just want to hide inside a shell and never come back.
He was wondering if it's the perfect moment to bring this out but Myungsoo shrugged it away when a thought hit his mind. What he needs to do is to take that random moment and make it perfect.
Ji Eun looked at him with a grin. "Well that's an exciting question. Let's see..."
So Myungsoo just confessed face to face.
But this girl was clueless.
He took it seriously and she took it as a funny question.
"That's kind of funny, Myungsoo. It's impossible." Ji eun replied and fixed her attention again on her notebook.
Myungsoo nearly huffed at her response. "Impossible? Why?"
Ji Eun placed the notebook on her lap and settled her gaze on him. "C'mon Myungsoo, we are friends. Of course we're together but not like a prince and a princess. Like for example...let's see...oh like Little Mermaid. I'm Ariel and you're Flaunder."
Myungsoo almost choked himself. *Awww...friendzoned.*
"Who's the prince then?"The boy asked while Ji Eun blushed at his question and he knew that he shouldn't ask because the answer will always be Luhan.
Luhan. The one who has a room in her heart.
Luhan. The one who completes her.
Luhan. The answer to her everything.
So that was it. Myungsoo finally knew how it felt like to be struck by a lightning right in the middle of his chest.
He tried to plaster a smile. "Won't you give me--I mean, Flaunder...a chance?"
"You mean like changing the story?"
Instead of nodding his head, he just shrugged and Ji Eun took it as a yes.
"I don't know but we can't do anything about that. The prince was destined to be her lover while Flaunder was made to be Ariel's friend."
Right.
How can Ariel fall in love with a fish anyway...
"But what will happen to Flaunder? He'll just...stay like that? The protagonist's friend? And...he'll have no lover?" Myungsoo asked, trying to find a hole on the wall. Trying to find hope in this hopeless situation.
"Of course not. There will surely be a fish out there that'll complete him."
He let those words sink in to him for a minute.
And just before he could react, the bell finally rang, telling him that it's over...telling him that he doesn't have a chance.
"When will you make a tune for the chorus?" Ji Eun asked while the both of them were walking through the hallway that was already being filled with students that were getting back to their respective classrooms.
"Tomorrow I guess. I'm not free today."
The girl pouted. "Eh? Why?"
"I'll be dismissed two hours earlier than the original dismissal time." Myungsoo replied, earning a shocked face from Ji Eun.
"Why is that?"
"Well...I already gave an excuse letter. Dad will be out of the hospital today and mom wants me to go home early to help her prepare for the welcome home party." Myungsoo explained and the girl nodded in understanding just before they could take their step in their classroom.
~:~
"There will surely be a fish out there that'll complete him..."
"Who will that be then..." Myungsoo muttered just as he walked out from the school's gate after showing his excuse letter to the guard that had been signed by his adviser.
Since there'll be no one to pick him up, he decided to commute instead.
He aimlessly kicked a pebble on the ground as he walked pass the park where Ji Eun comforted him a few days ago. He was incoherently mumbling some words when a whining sound broke him free from oblivion.
Furrowing his brow, he turned his head to the right and much to his surprise, a girl that has a uniform that has the same color of his was sitting on a lonely swing set while her head was ducked so Myungsoo didn't have an idea who it was and when he was about to walk away, something hit his mind.
*Hey wait a minute. It's not yet dismissal time.*
With a hint of curiosity, he walked towards her as he squint his eyes because of the sun. Hearing his footsteps on the ground where there were a lot of dried leaves, the girl looked up and Myungsoo widened his eyes.
Her eyes were red and there were traces of tears on her cheeks and Myungsoo had enough sense that she was crying.
The girl also widened her eyes, making her brown eyes become more noticeable.
"My--Myungsso sshi..."
"Suzy? Suzy right? Ji Eun's friend...sister whatever?"
The girl, which was Suzy, nodded her head, completely bewildered at his existence.
"Why are you here? It's not yet dismissal time."
Suzy bit her lower lip. "I should be asking you the same question."
Myungsoo sighed at her witty response. "I was dismissed earlier because I have an excuse letter made by my mom. How about you? Do you have an excuse letter?"
The girl fixed her gaze on the ground and slowly shook her head, earning a huff from Myungsoo.
"Oh so you cut class huh?"
Suzy shrugged.
"You're good in sneaking from the guard I guess." Myungsoo said when he suddenly wondered why she had a dejected face.
Instead of asking, he decided to shrug it away but when he was about to walk out, Suzy suddenly burst into tears while whimpering.
Myungsoo turned to her again and widened his eyes. "H-hey why are you crying?"
Since Myungsoo has a soft spot when it comes to comforting someone who's crying, he stared at her with a worried expression although he knew that he needs to go. He knew that he'll have a guilt if he leave this girl without giving any concerns or comfort.
The girl sniffed and wiped her tears using the back of her hands. "Kikwang broke up with me."
Myungsoo somehow twitched at her response because he was kind of surprise that this girl gave too much information even though he barely knew her. She's too blatant to tell what she's exactly feeling.
"It was all a bet." Suzy said between her cries. "Everything was just a bet."
Not knowing what to do, Myungsoo awkwardly sat at the empty swing beside her. "A...bet?"
The girl's whining sound became louder, making Myungsoo uncomfortable. "He didn't love me. He..hick--said it was--hick--all a b--hick--bet."
Trying to process her stuttering response, Myungsoo pursed his lips, thinking if he should pat her back or whatever but he didn't. "Ohh...it's okay."
"No! It's not okay! He's my very first boyfriend but he just tricked me." Suzy protested while her cheeks were getting damp.
He looked at her whose face was hung low as pity ran inside him.
"Don't cry. That boy doesn't deserve your tears." Myungsoo said, making Suzy stopped and looked at him. The boy felt sad when he saw how red her face was and all he could do was to smile slightly.
"But it hurts."
"Of course it hurts but there's surely someone out there that'll love you the way you want him to." Myungsoo said, remembering what Ji Eun told him albeit the fact that he's having a hard time to accept it.
Suzy didn't reply and Myungsoo nonchalantly tapped her shoulder. "Don't worry. You'll be able to forget that stupid guy."
Hearing his words, Suzy tried to chuckle and Myungsoo knew that he somehow succeeded in making her alright although not completely.
"Well I need to go. Don't cut class anymore or else I'll tell it to Ji Eun." He said and stood up while Suzy just stared at him and gave him a final wave.
She watched him as he became smaller and smaller until he was nowhere to be seen.
Suzy sighed and decided to go home early.
She sent a message to Chanyeol to inform him before making her way on the sidewalk.
"Stupid Kikwang. Stupid Kikwang." Suzy repeated while waiting for a bus. She was picturing herself infront of Kikwang as she punched him straight on the face.
Oh how she wished it was real.
"Good thing Myungsoo sshi was there to make me smile a littl--wait what. M--Myungsoo?" Suzy widened her eyes when she finally took a hold of herself. She shook her head and rested her hands on her head as she recalled what just happened.
"That. was. actually. him."
The girl huffed in disbelief at her realization. "So he finally noticed me."
~:~
The Section A were waiting for their teacher's arrival so to kill time, they did random conversations as usual.
Chanyeol joined the other boys and his laughter was dominant when someone made a joke. When he laughed for the second time, Ji Eun looked at him and a small chuckle escaped her lips. Chanyeol surely was a mystery.
For a second, he would laugh.
And then he'll be serious.
And then he'll cry.
And then he'll smile.
And then he'll tease her.
And then he'll annoy her.
And then he'll be jumpy out of nowhere.
He surely was unreadable. To Ji Eun, his personality was just like the changing of seasons. She marvelled at how he can stay calm despite the odd circumstances he's facing every day. He sure has the ability to hide everything behind his facade.
Since Ji Eun already saw a lot of different sides of his, she's beginning to wonder who Chanyeol really was. But maybe that is Park Chanyeol--a boy whose personality is just like the changing of seasons.
Shrugging the thought away, Ji Eun averted her attention to Luhan's empty seat. That boy decided to go out a while ago so Ji Eun was sitting between two empty seats. Out of nowhere, Ji Eun's gaze landed on his phone beside a random notebook. Since she though that it's okay for her to check it out, she reached for it and a smile crept up on her face when she unlocked it. His phone's wallpaper was their very first picture together which was taken at Lotte World. Her smile was still visible since she remembered that fun day. So she busied herself by fiddling with his phone and after a few seconds, she stumbled upon his gallery. (A/N: So Luhan already changed his wallpaper.)
The latest picture was their photo together and before it, was Ji Eun's stolen shot which was taken by Luhan. It was when she was watching a parade at Lotte World and somehow, her heart warmed up when she realized that Luhan took a picture of her.
Most of the pictures were landscapes but suddenly, her smile faded when she finally reached the top of his photos.
There were three pictures of him and a girl.
And when she clicked it to take a good look, she widened her eyes.
It was him and Minah.
Luhan kind of look young in that picture but what made her heart twitch was when she realized that their smiles were completely indescribable.
She has never seen him like that. His eyes were like two perfect crescent moons and visible wrinkles appeared because of his wide smile.
Ji Eun shook her head and hastily placed the phone back on his desk.
The latter kept on telling herself that she didn't need to worry because Luhan said that it was all in the past so there's no need for her to doubt at all but still...uneasiness flooded her and it became dominant when she recalled what Suzy told her.
*You're just getting sick, Ji Eun.* She thought to herself and tried to focus her attention on something else but she's definitely having a hard time until she found herself getting curious at how intimate was the relationship of Luhan and Minah.
When she realized that Luhan just stepped in the classroom, she quickly buried her face on her arms and pretended to sleep.
"Hey man!" Sehun greeted right after he slung his arm around Luhan's neck. It was finally their dismissal time and the two of them were already walking through the hallway including Ji Eun who's quiet beside them.
"Did you finally make a draft?" Sehun questioned and Luhan shook his head as a response. So the both of them started to talk about random boy stuffs and when they finally reached the outside of the Senior's building, Ji Eun cleared her throat.
"Hey Luhan, can I...ask you something?"
The boys stopped talking and looked at her with questioning looks.
Ji Eun bit her lower lip but in the end, she managed to gather a cup of courage. "How're...you and...Minah?"
Luhan's face suddenly became unreadable while Sehun started to have a poker face again and it made Ji Eun realized that a tension just build itself up around them.
Just before Luhan could react, Sehun loudly cleared his throat, he excused himself and just before he could go, he patted Luhan's back and gave him a knowing look.
Besides, Sehun knew what's going on.
"Ji Eun, what kind of question is that." Luhan muttered and settled his eyes on the ground when the both of them started to walk again.
"It's just that...I saw something in your phone and I th--"
Hearing her words, Luhan suddenly looked at her with a shocked face. "My phone? What's with my phone? What did you do?"
Since she trusts him, she told him what she was feeling because that's what relationship is anyway, to solve any problem together.
"I...saw...a picture of you and...Minah." She quietly mumbled.
Luhan furrowed his brow. "What?! H-how could you? Why didn't you ask for my permission?"
Ji Eun somehow flinched at his sudden outburst and Ji Eun suddenly felt afraid of him for the first time. "I-I'm s-sorry I thought...please don't be mad."
"I told you that I don't want to hear that topic again. Remember?" Luhan said while Ji Eun just bit her lower lip, unable to look at him straight in the eye.
"I'm angry, Ji Eun." Luhan sternly said which quieted Ji Eun. He suddenly quickened his walk, leaving Ji Eun behind. The girl had to admit that his response was not what she was expecting and what he just did just made her disappointed.
Luhan stayed in silence when he opened the door for her and that time, he sat on the passenger's seat again and Ji Eun knew that Luhan wasn't joking when he said his last statement.
But what she didn't get though was his reaction. How could he react like that towards her if it's all in the past now?
Thinking of what just happened these past few days, Ji Eun started to have unexplainable questions and she was afraid to find the answers to those questions.
Luhan's driver became uncomfortable too because inside that car, awkwardness filled the air and he knew that it's between those teens so he just fixed his eyes on the road, hoping that they can resolve whatever issue it was.
The ride back home was dead awkward and quiet.
Luhan opened the door for her when they finally reached the girl's house. And before Ji Eun enter the gate, she looked back and called his name while Luhan just stopped but didn't look at her.
"Bye..." The girl mumbled and bit her lower lip but much to her disappointment, he just gave her a nod and went back inside the car.
A sigh escaped her lips when the car was finally nowhere to be seen while Luhan, on the other hand, looked ahead and placed his hands at the back of his head while looking at the houses they passed by.
Well maybe complications are starting to occur between the both of them.