The cables were everywhere across the white room, making it seem as if they were ripping apart the floor, something, that could make a picture of some kind of stripes on a zebra on one's mind. Surprisingly, it was the thing that was making Donghun's head hurt a bit, the difference this kind of minimalism had had.
A black synthesizer, two black electronic guitars and the black drums with the logo on made and his eyes wide open in amazement. It was of the latest technology and probably the best, the details on them were amazing. He remembered looking up the exact same guitar, it was worthy of three hundred dollars and if it was someone that deserve it, it was definitely the college's No.1 band, BB or else more known as, Blood Bit.
It became easily the best band in campus, having performed on stage many times and even in the college's amphitheatre, people loved them and with a good reason.
By the time they had two digital albums, Blood Bit: The Prejudice, their debut album with the huge success 'Mess With Water Memories' or 'M2WM' that got downloaded and bought even by people not attending college and from other countries, something that proved they were worthy and that their style was on point.
And their latest album, One KiLLS, with the amazing number of sixteen tracks, the crowd's favorite being, 'Altruism & Poetry Blue', because even for a 2:12 song it was a huge hit.
Four girls, Jackie was in charge of the synthesizer and was producing most of their tracks, also a song writer. Heather, the first half of the electric guitars duo with spicy vocals and in charge of management. Stephanie, the second half of the electric guitars duo and in charge of producing alongside Jackie, even writing lyrics from times to times, deep voice -an actual diamond-. Last but not least Blood Bit's heart, soul and mind, Xiao, the drummer, current vocalist with soothing voice that could work at a pub but preferred the rock style better, a song writer and when it came to it, kazoo legend.
Donghun figured by the many aspects and factors they were an awesome band and he was more than glad to know the members to such extent he would probably get an mvp seat at their concerts.
He felt they were destined for greatness.
The girls felt Donghun was probably like a protective younger brother which was often annoying but nonetheless, family. They go back at the very beginning of Donghun's first days at college. Thinking back to it, his heart skipped some beats.
It all started when Donghun bumped into this girl, she was beautiful and Donghun firstly noticed her eyes, the way they were showing full emotion. He was completely taken aback by that, whatever else about her was common, brown short hair, dark eyes and a captivating tan.
The fact that her eyes where saying everything needed before her voice had the chance to come out, it was a unique trait that showed the truthiness within and won over his heart.
Maybe it wasn't just that, maybe it was also her smile, radiant and contagious, her sense of humor, old dad jokes that somehow where funny when she said them.
Later on, after their first meeting they kept in touch and started talking, more than a lot, learning past beyond just the basic, becoming one another's person of trust.
She knew about the 99' mark, the mark Donghun had after stepping on a nail.
She knew about Naomi, not everything but enough to think about how much she actually meant to Donghun, the way he talked about her and all those memories they shared. Learning about the midnights at the rooftop and the times they spent at the tree she felt a bit jealous.
She didn't like the way his eyes lit up whenever her name was heard or the countless of smiles she's seen him give her.
But she didn't know that he talked about her to Naomi with the same way, maybe not the exact same number of smiles but with full of always late-to-class-because-of-you stories Naomi too, was jealous to hear.
The two, Naomi and Bishop did eventually meet one another after Bishop's curiosity but not before she met the band, four Sophomore year girls with a rock punk kind of style, fearsome but awesome.
They were eager to know she was good at singing, which she was. Her voice was sweet like honey and even powerful like thorns when it came to the punk rock style of the songs of the band. They needed her and they had her.
With that Donghun got to know Blood Bit from both, the good and the bad side, which made them more like a family in such a sort amount of time. They were hanging out most of the time too, campus, practice room, the dorms and of course his house.
Naomi was also there most of the times, she adored the band and especially Xiao, the drummer and after Bishop, sub vocalist. She lerned a lot from her, along with photography tips and tricks since both were invested in that. It was in no time they got along, as expected by him, well.
Naomi also tried and later liked Bishop, the soon-to-be Donghun's girlfriend. She figured, if she's going to make her best friend happy there was nothing more to wish for.
But Bishop, didn't quite like the way Naomi was best friends with him or that she befriended the other band members well. She was envious of the fact that she was so open minded and out going and everything about her, in reality, she felt threatened as if she always had to be compared with Naomi all or most of the time, her inferiority complex taking over her.
As more weeks went by and Freshman year was almost over with exams gone and the typical parties Naomi noticed, Bishop became weird and was always out of sight. She also became anxious about her singing abilities and was very distant. She didn't practice with all she had, she didn't fight Naomi anymore.
Of course Donghun believed Naomi's suspicions were right even though he hadn't noticed anything weird but he knew one thing. If there was someone who knew how to observe things better than him it was Naomi.
One night, when rain was pouring like there was no tomorrow and the stars were lost among the many foggy clouds he sneaked inside her dorm before she had the chance to return. It was last night at the dorm. Freshman year was over and she, with succession, was ready for Sophomore year. He had to wait for half an hour for her to show up after the goodbye party the college had planned for the Seniors.
As they got in Donghun froze, it was a they, Bishop and a man Donghun later recognised as Chris, the football captain and peer from High school. He wondered what the two might be doing together but soon enough he got his answers. Chris started slowly stroking her arm and she kissed him sloppily.
Donghun was hurt and felt somewhat betrayed, feeling he saw too much. It was the same day Bishop told him she wanted to keep in touch even if they were apart. He was in such shock he even know what to think.
Before he revealed himself he heard a sob, it was her and she was non-stop crying, he stood still trying to see as much as possible behind the curtain. So much went down in just ten minutes.
Suddenly he heard a sniffing sound.
Looking through a hole he noticed she was a white mess, morphine, heroine or cocaine, he didn't care, her hands were shaking and her face was puffy red as if she was given an extra life, he felt his heart cracking and a disgust creeping in the corner of his eyes.
Deciding to leave he heard the man say something along the lines of 'Boss doesn't want our baby girl unable to serve.', something that angered him.
She cried louder and then she looked at him, as if she could see the disappointment across his face right through the opaque curtain but no words came out of her mouth, her eyes blank.
Bishop was sobbing now, not being able to do what he told her. She wanted to run to Donghun and start hugging him dearly, tell him it wasn't what he believed and scream for help, but the drugs started to kick in and she lost herself in them.
Chris took a chair, hitting Bishop on the head with it, muttering 'Useless' and other stuff, which angered Donghun more.
Her head in the white mountain of what he would like to describe as ashes before her, almost lifeless.
He should go out, leave and call the police but there was no chance of him being invisible. Looking around the closest space he found some pillows, where they enough to keep the man unconscious? No. Where they going to distract him? Absolutely yes.
Building up courage was one thing, particularly, easy.
Finally he threw the pillows from another direction so when Chris saw them he would head to the bathroom. Thank God his plan work and so he, Chris, actually did.
Donghun had the time to hit him in-between his legs when he wasn't able to notice someone was inside and then a back kick at the head, finally three times black belt Taekwondo seemed useful. When he was about to punch him Chris managed to get down, Donghun's bare hands one with the wall.
A number of curses and a kick in his stomach.
Unluckily enough, the man didn't stay unconscious like Donghun hoped, he stood up and gave a punch aimed at Donghun, obviously missing the nose he hoped for, lip bleeding now.
'Oh no you didn't.' Donghun told him playfully. No pain, just the adrenaline rushing through his whole body.
He whipped the blood away with his bruised and bleeding knuckles. Another kick with much greater force in the shin. Eventually he was out long enough so Donghun could call the cops on him and unfortunately on Bishop too.
He found out later Chris was addicted to drugs and was transferring many of them to other students. Bishop one of his victims. He was proved to be working in La Principessa Zo, one of notorious reputation club which was after the incident closed with everyone knowing about the drugs behind the bars.
The cops decided to help with the college's Pritain contribution, well if you consider closing a dozen of students in an addiction center being helpful.
Bishop is there, still, as well as the other kids and the whole campus still hasn't heard of them again.
Donghun didn't let things be like that, he begged his uncle to convince the college to have Bishop back after she got treated so she could pick everything up right where she left them of.
Scholarship and classes, all.
But there was this agreement with his uncle, he would help Bishop with college but Donghun had to agree not to do anything against his uncle any more, no protests, not helping Naomi with whatever plan and generally not talking back, so Donghun told him to do the same about all twelve kids suffering.
It was like selling your soul to Satan. Basically an agreement out of Hell.
No protests was the reason why Donghun had to stop Naomi from the tree, why it got cut. It was either the tree or a dozen of kids lives.
Donghun wanted to save the tree more, he did and he wanted to fight alongside Naomi to keep it alive, all those memories couldn't go away and half the way there he was convinced to break the agreement but it was shellfish.
Thinking back to it he wouldn't have changed a thing. He was, dead inside after what had happened but it was for the future of a dozen of still young adults.
Bishop or not he would do the same, it was no diffrent because of her, it might have started because of her but it was because of the large number of twelve kids. He just couldn't do this to them, it was, too much pain he couldn't handle having every time he thought about what he chose to do.
Naomi would never know about the deal and would think Donghun was just an actual prick and disgrace of a human, something he convinced himself he was anyway. It was a risk he wasn't willing to take but did.
The band knew about this and supported his very decision, helping him go through everything emotionally, knowing it was difficult but the right thing to do. They were thankful because as fellow humans and activists they believed he did the right thing.
The friendship continued, between the band and him and the bond became even stronger. They had gone through much with one another and they decided to support one another forever because it all was about mutual support and understatement.
The five tried to see Bishop, Donghun tried more, leaving roses, dahlias, tulips and every flower he could for her.
Unfortunately they wouldn't let him or them see her, either that or she didn't want to see them, both understandable.
But Donghun knew they weren't going to say no forever, so he kept going there day after day and he wasn't going to stop going until he saw her. It had been six months already.
He needed to know whether she was okay or not, he needed the conformation she didn't hate him.
It was Tuesday and he had this feeling, absolutely sure he would see her that time.
Faded blue trousers and a white t-shirt that showed his broad shoulders perfectly, a plain id necklace hanging around his neck.
When he saw her she was very diffrent, her short hair now long, they didn't suit her but he didn't care about her hair anyway.
They talked, he told her he had taken care of everything, even made sure her parents knew she was misguided and had a second chance in life as he did with all the other students' parents.
After such a long time, she was truly happy. Thanking him with all she had, commenting how he was actually an angel sent from heaven to take care of her, her very own guardian angel and how she would sleep at night without having nightmares about the future.
He was happy that she viewed him that way and was even happier to learn all dozen of students did so, thanking him and praising him for such responsibility, attitude and personality.
It was at that time he knew he wouldn't break that deal even if it costed his life. He couldn't take them back. He couldn't live knowing he didn't keep the promise he made to twelve students. Saying they had a second chance.
All those memories made him sad until Stephanie snapped him out of it. "You only love me when it's, early summer, never on any of my late winter drama. Guess now I know what your head is filled with. And then the bass gets boosted and the electric guitar solo? How does that sound Dong Man?"
He looked at her kind of lost but completely focused, catching up to what she had told him, "Good but try to pitch it down a bit, like the you only love me when part, show the difference in early summer and hmm, maybe cut the highnote out and add more of a rhythm like the 'oh ooh oh' loop from the previous recording after the filled with part. Bass boosted as you said, right after that guitar solo and you're good to go."
She wrote everything down on her notebook, her notes were messy but if it was working for her it was definitely working for him too.
"Genius! This is going to be sick and we're also going to add some... ooh yes!" she muttered to herself with excitement and Donghun patted her on the head.
After the practice and him having heard the new masterpieces they were working on and of course after clapping he took out a notes pad, a pen and a recording thingy someone of the newspaper gave him.
He was filling in after two of the newspaper staff that were of course students got sick.
He was possitive this interview was going to be a hit. More college students, especially Freshmen would get to know about how awesome their music is, plus, there was no other person more able to take an interview from them like him.
"So, I am ready for the interview." Donghun made his presence known once again.
Jackie drank some of her iced machiato, it might've been noon but she always loved her some good cup of coffee, "Don't you like, live off campus? How did you get here so fast?"
Donghun gave her his signature smile, "Bike privilege."
She nodded and made a grimace of understatement when just a few centimetres away Stephanie thought about the bike privilege, commenting "Sick."
"Sounds legit." Heather sat beside him ready to please the crowd with her always perfect answers, "Let's start."
Donghun started counting, Heather, check. Jackie, check. Stephanie, check. Xiao... "Where's Xiao?"
"Right here." A sound coming out of the drums, and then a girl, full punk clothing on. Ripped jeans with many holes, fishhook ending where the black top started, a middle finger kind of hologram on it with capital letters saying 'OINK OINK OINK OINK.' and later right under 'Translation: FUCK OFF CAPITALISTIC PIGS.', platinum hair and pierced ears. None other than Xiao.
The four surrounding him while awaiting for his questions.
It was their second time at the newspaper and the first article turned out to be good, they also had faith on Donghun, thinking this one would absolutely succeed and give them the opportunity for more.
"First they want to know about your upcoming album"
"Oh! Oh! I have this one." Staphanie was eager to announce, "Our upcoming album is called Masks Under Our Skins and is shelf loving centric while showing diffrent struggles teens and young adults go through feeling depressed while getting oppressed by outsiders. It will be out in about three months and will consist of eleven tracks."
The girls applauded, her way of presenting was totally professional and Donghun knew that somewhere along her lines he even found the headline.
He looked down at his notes, now excited about the questions and the girls' responses.
His face changing colors after seeing the second one, green blue red and mostly white, "We can skip number two."
"As if Dong Man," Stephanie said at him "Bishop?"
She looked at him for a negative response she never got, he just kept looking down. Unable to form a sentence.
Her lips formed an 'o' and she looked down too, something familiar about the floor now that had the two focused there.
He opened his mouth, still facing the floor "If you are going to release the recordings with her and take her back after the treatment."
A rather small shock. They were waiting those kind of questions but still somehow hoped they would be proven wrong and that there wouldn't be any.
Jackie was confused and lost, Heather seemed troubled with the question, wondering what Donghun had questioned herself, Stephanie couldn't make the words inside her mind make a sense.
Xiao took the lead on this one, relaxed and having everything completely under control "She'll still be a Sophomore and we're already in mid Junior year, supposedly she comes back now or even when we're Seniors, i's complicated and will keep being but we shall see and are absolutely going to consider it. We are positive in her joining us once again as long as she wishes to do so. As of the recordings it depends on her own will and what she wants us to fo with them."
Donghun sighed a bit in relief, the was no right or wrong answer on this one but the one she chose to say was for the best or the worst the most suitable one. It wasn't controversial and it was definitely not insulting. Showing respect thus also thinking about the future with some realistic way.
He started writing on his note pad as he pressed pause on the recorder right after she stopped. He wouldn't change what she said, this was going in raw.
Some final touches and he was ready for the other questions to come.
That was, until Stephanie distracted him, "What about you Dong Man?"
"What about me?"
Confusion and tension in the air, what Stephanie had in mind, Donghun didn't understand quiet well.
"How will things be between you two when she, umm, returns?" added Heather with a bit of curiosity in her voice.
His eyes wide, words coming out of his mouth without too much thought "Everything between us is on pause. There's nothing to talk about."
That's what he felt like so probably it was true. Nothing major had happened and especially not between them.
How could he say something for sure when he didn't know that himself? Easy as it was, he simply didn't.
To be fair and honest he didn't know anymore.
"Do you still feel-"
"Yes. I think. I mean, maybe? I am supposed to, aren't I?"
Xiao laughed a bit, "You aren't supposed to do anything. It's just that she obviously still will feel the same about you maybe even more, imagine not liking the man that saved you and your whole future."
The three nodded in agreement, something that made him anxious. She couldn't like him only because of that. There should've been mutual feelings and all.
Jackie rubbed her chin, her iced machiato long gone and her electric blue eyes focused on him, "You two would get -back- together real quick, plus the chemisty is no joke, except maybe if there is a third person? Maybe this whole time you like someone else we don't know about?"
Faces turning to notice him, wondering if there could be a possibility of someone inside his heart, desperate to know.
"For the millionth time, I am absolutely not in love with Naomi. Never have I ever been and never will I ever be." A pile of lies. "I don't care about her in such way." All men do is lie. "I do not have any romantic feelings for her whatsoever" Again "She is just a friend" And again "Plus I've never thought about it even." And again. "She is completely unattractive and uninteresting to me" Unconditionally and all the time. A lie followed by many others. "You guys are just delusional. She's practically my sister." And then, all over again.
The girls all looked at each other and laughed as if he said something hysterical. They all knew what was funny and seeing his tiny blush made it funnier.
"We didnt even mention her name," said Heather, whipping tears of laughter away. "And don't say it's because we always imply something because this time, we have you."
He didn't know what they were laughing about because he didn't lie to them. He thought they were implying something. That's why he said that and why he spoke of her name.
He was telling the truth and he had no clue because he didn't actually feel that way.
She was those jazzy tunes and soft touches he didn't like. She wasn't the dry land and withered flowers he seaked for. She was fire where he was ice, not even water. She was red when he was navy blue.
He didn't know why. He didn't know how. She just was on his mind that time. It wasn't that he wanted them to talk or imply something about her.
Lying to yourself makes it easier to lie to others.
"So anyways, since you mentioned Naomi, what's up with her lately?" Xiao told him, eyeing him up and down suspiciously.
He didn't look quiet interested in the question, he didn't want to seem as if he actually cared, which he absolutely did, "Oh, she goes on plenty of dates but I highly doubt she could find someone who really cares for her, you know? Tinder, some guys you knew and even going on bars. There's got to be the mutual thing, get me?"
He lived up to what he had said, as a fellow -probably- demiromantic, Donghun believed that it was pointless, going on dates without already knowing the other person well.
He had already told Naomi but she didn't seem to understand his way of thinking, foolish, he thought.
"All those flavors and you chose to be bitter." Xiao laughed once again and so did the girls, assuring her she had said one of the good ones.
Donghun mimicked their laugh and mocked them, pushing Xiao away while trying to hide a blush.
The girls bursted out laughing again.
Truth being told Heather always knew Donghun could be shady and salty, having some pretty good comebacks too if he wanted.
She just thought, because of his awkward situation, he couldn't think if any, something that showed how he might actually have been in love with Naomi.
"So, why don't you ask her out? She's already going out so she might as well go out with you," Stephanie chose to suggest. It was true and having in mind what Donghun had already said it made perfect sense.
Donghun gave her a look, "Are you out of you mind? Things aren't the best between us, like sure most stuff are as before but actually not and you know that. It's mixed signs."
"What kind of signs?"
"Well, she almost kissed me before I told her what she was doing some weeks ago and then she just tells me it was the moment and she would regret this and all."
Thinking about that night he thought what Owen had told him about the situation and he couldn't stop overthinking, trying to find some logical explanation.
'There isn't one.' Owen's voice in his mind.
He shook his head only to hear Xiao's voice with a tone of disbelief "Cockblocking your own kiss? Damn, you're on a whole diffrent level."
He just glared at her, his eyes sending threats towards her ignorant ones.
"- It is after the tree incident that we are kind of apart."
Stephanie thought about what he said, it was not the tree, it couldn't have been. Naomi couldn't stay mad at him for the tree forever even if she wanted to.
Bishop? It couldn't have been. He was interested in her but he wasn't in love with her and even if he was, not in such extent to push Naomi away.
It was never about the tree or Naomi, it was about him and what had happened that night in the pub Donghun had talked about with that necklace he had struggle mentioning.
She knew that must've been it.
Donghun always thought it was about the tree, basically lying to himself once again, when indeed it was about that necklace and that nickname.
She smiled cockily. "All you're good at is lying Dong Man. For once just say the truth. It was never about the tree, at least from your point of view. It wasn't about Bishop either, it was about the necklace."
"Invalid," he tried to convince her, his voice coming out as quick as a lighting could struck.
Jackie gave some thought to it too, "Actually pretty valid. You've been bottling up your feelings ever since then. You should talk about it."
"There's nothing to talk about." Low voice and old memories.
"Yes there is," Heather protested.
She, Heather, was always the quiet one, not interfering with anyone's business if it wasn't needed but this time it was needed.
In her eyes it was like a kitten not wanting to drink some milk. Wrong and unbelievable.
Donghun had helped her out a lot with her problems and also helped her come clean from bulimia, she couldn't see him like this.
Even if it was needed she would bring Naomi right then and there for him, to clear things up but it wasn't needed since she opened the door to see her standing there, bags on her hands and unable to ring the bell.
"Hey, guys." She gave them a smile.
Xiao thought Heather probably casted a ritual or something like that because coincidences don't work like that, at all.
Jackie and Stephanie looked at each other and putched one another's arms as to be sure they weren't day dreaming or something.
"Yeah." Donghun stood up and getting his stuff ready, showing the door "I'm out."
"What about the interview." Heather questioned.
Naomi smiled confused and she let her jacket behind the door, "What interview?"
"Ding Dong Dong was made a replacement at the college's newspaper and must take an interview from us. Blood Bit really is back at it." Jackie chilled now, opening a soda.
"Okay shoot guys, can I stay too?" she pleaded and took her shopping bags inside.
All four girls turned to look at Donghun with evil looks on their ages ago angelic faces.
"I don't know, whatever Donghun decides," Xiao tried telling as innocently as possible.
"Yeah," Heather added, "What do you say Donghun?"
"What?" both Naomi and Donghun said in unison, confused.
"Un par el por siempre al unísono..." Stephanie said in her mother language, a tone of obvillion, "Need me that."
Heather high fived her since she was the only one who could understand Spanish.
To keep the whole undercover thing she translated it later to Xiao through Mandarin and then Xiao translated it to Jackie through French, all four girls now wiggling their eyebrows at one another, trying not to laugh. A group of intellectual band nerds.
Donghun gasped, "First of all, what the fuck and second of all she's been hanging out here for a year guys what has gotten into you?"
Naomi couldn't do anything but agree with gestures, trying to work out what the girls said in the diffrent languages, she didn't know Spanish for the love of her. She didn't even know how to say hello in Mandarin. The closest thing she had in mind when hearing anything French was french fries.
To conclude, she understood nothing, but just decided to verbally agree with Donghun, "Dong Dong is right."
Xiao smiled a bit, she still called him Dong Dong. After all that happened and after what Donghun had told. It truly didn't have to do with her like Heather figured, it was about him "So, what are you up to lately?"
"Dating every hotie I find in my path." She winked with a sly smile, falling in the couch.
"Spill!" Heather demanded.
She smiled proudly, already knew Heather would be the one to help her "I have a date and came for tips. The lucky guy is none other than Sehyoon."
"Civil engineer wannabe heartthrob Sehyoon?" Jackie choked one her soda, coughing.
Donghun glared at her and she sent back an apologetic look. Heartthrob? Pft, as if! Just because he had a handsome face and a bad boy style girls and guys swooned all over him. Not that Donghun was jealous, he really wasn't, he found him overrated.
As the five now girls started talking about him Donghun couldn't help but tsk. Unintentionally he spaced out, starting to doodle a sea full of waves surfers wish they would witness in his notes, small details essential.
He opened his backpack to bring out watercolors. Just the aqua green and white colors and of course his professional watercolor pencil, making the waves surreal enough as he felt calmer, proud for what he could claim he drew.
He blew gently, hoping the drawing was dry now so he could close the notebook without it becoming an absolute mess.
"Yeah, I'd suggest adding another cutie to your list. Donghun." A voice that Donghun recognised as Stephanie's.
He looked over at them full of suspicion, "What are you talking about?"
Xiao just winked, leaving him utterly shocked. The conversation continued with Donghun bickering every now and then and Naomi agreeing on what he was saying.
"You two deserve a date, end of conversation!" Xiao argued.
"We are best friends! There are no romantic feelings involved!" Sometimes women lie too "He isn't even my type." Bigger lies "I don't want to." Or smaller ones, doesn't matter, they are still lies. "He's more of a brother than my actual brother to me." Women can lie better than men "I could never have feelings for him." Practice does make perfect, after all.
She knew she was true to herself, maybe. All she wanted was not for the girls but for Donghun to hear what she said, get it in his head, her statement, and never neglect it.
She didn't want him in her love life, he was her best friend and regardless of what happened she believed things would be better if they stayed like that, if she made others believe like she did too.
Being able to fool others you fool yourself in the process, too.
She sighed. All roads have an end but not friendship, if it was a road, that is. Friendship is never ending but most relationships are and she wouldn't risk losing him, the most important person in her life, for anything.
She wouldn't risk losing him because of all the stupid reasons people break up like bad sex, cheating or getting bored, she simply didn't want to be in the situation to do so in the first place.
Because some people view friendzone as a way of keeping someone in your life for as long as possible and so did Naomi.
Unsure relationships don't mean more than the friendzoned best friend you spent most of your time with, saying your problems to and dream of never losing.
That was the truth. Even when she was nine and four months and he was ten, she knew her crush was too far away of reach. She lived and got used to grow with it and it either faded or got bigger day by day but she couldn't have noticed, mainly because of all the lies.
She liked the soft touches he gave her from times to times, a hug, arm in arm, accidental touches, holding hands, she always liked them more when they were from him.
He hated them because of that, all those soft touches he gave her just to get her soft smiles didn't feel the same anymore and he hated it.
Because just like her, he got lost in the path of lies he created, drowning in the wrong decisions and burning up in the thought of them.
He believed those jazzy tunes would be enough for an eternity and because he knew they wouldn't last he hated them for that.
He grew up with the same feeling she did, exactly the same as her, not being aware if the feelings developed or burned down.
If only he could stop getting blinded by all the lies he, himself had said, he would see what his consciousness actually knew, long ago.
Even if both felt something, they wouldn't risk it for the sake of lasting and if there wasn't anything that was mutual then they'd probably try having a relationship years ago, a failed one but nonetheless, of existence.
When you are sure of something, you never do it.
Deep down, they knew they would try to work something out, push the lies aside because in what kind of love tragedy don't the two main characters at least try to feel something?
They would try, knowing it was the end of a road makes it more tempting after all.
But the love of one's life isn't always their soulmate, soulmates don't always end up together too. It's all a game of the Fates.
At the end of the day we are only put in this world to live, achieve, face and rise or hide. For what it's worth you shouldn't live life in default mode.
It seemed like both couldn't live up to what they where constantly others to do.
Thinking about it just made it more of a complex so things and hours passed by.
"Tomorrow at noon, for lunch, with both of them!" Naomi stood up frustrated.
Heather scoffed, "What's the point in that?!"
Xiao shook her head simply. "True, it's no longer a date then."
Jackie defended Naomi on this one, "Who said it was going to be in the first place."
"Naomi did," Stephanie snapped "scroll up the chapter if you don't believe."
"Scroll up the what? What are you talking about."
"Self realisation, gotta blast." Stephanie stood up and ran to the toilet.
All the girls started sighing, tired of all the thinking and the almost endless conversation. Donghun was taking a nap in the couch, tired of all the voices protesting then being calm.
He just wanted to take an interview but managed to ask only two questions. Soon enough the newspaper would come searching for their missing reporter.
Intense fighting between them and sounds, Donghun finally waking up, the girls all standing up now and flames coming out of their eyes.
He shook his head hard, trying to actually wake up or go back to his kind of universe.
He heard Naomi scoff, eyes rolling and sly smile up, she turned at him.
"Do it." The girls towards their instruments.
The guitars started playing, loud and clear the drums joined, the synthesizer after a while.
Donghun was panicked, looking around shocked. He couldn't process the information in his head after just waking up from a nap. "What is happening."
"Dong Dong, go out with me." Her voice steady and firm.
Ha was startled by the tone but he was still half asleep, Blood Bit failing in waking him up completely.
He grabbed the nearest pillow. "Sure, we can hang out but in five seconds."
The girls laughed and stopped, seeing their rock style had nothing on his will of sleeping.
Naomi laughed a bit too, "Will you go out with me on a date."
"I mean the date calls for the eighteenth so, sure, let's hang out in five." He couldn't understand quiet well once again.
Naomi mentally kicked herself. It was awkward. Imagine asking a boy out and he didn't even understand what you were saying.
She walked closer, jumping in the couch he was half asleep in, she grabbed the collar of his shirt, pulling him close enough to startle when completely awake. "Dammit Lee, will you go to those sloppy and cringey first dates with me or not."
Panicked he didn't know what to do, she was too close and he just woke up. "I guess."
He was all fucked up after the bad nap and the next thing he knew she was grabbing his collar. Could he possibly give a diffrent answer?
The girls applauded, laughed and tsked telepathically, giving those looks.
It has began.