Danoh went crazy.
I swear the short-haired girl has lost it.
CRASH
I jump on my seat when I heard something crashed in front of me. I look up and saw Danoh once again, who is standing in front of a now broken vase. I sighed and shook my head at her actions. Then everyone looks at her and for a split second their attention moves away from Namju and Juda.
"Danoh, what's wrong?" Saemi calls out in worry.
Danoh opens her mouth, ready to answer her best friend, but then the vase disappears and went back to where it was before Danoh threw it, our classmates are back to gawking at Namju's work and Danoh is back on the chair in the middle of the classroom.
"You've gotta be kidding me!" Danoh exclaims in total annoyance.
I frowned at my short friend and spoke up, "Danoh, just let the stage end."
Then she looks at me and pouts. "B-but... Ugh! This is so unfair!"
I sighed and muttered under my breath, "Life is unfair."
Class ended and it looked like there won't be any more stages for the day. So, I snuck away from Namju, who I know would want to talk to me about Juda as always, and Danoh, who would drag me back into the kitchen to talk to Jinmi about the manhwa world. I need a change of the usual schedule and Kyung is that change.
"Why were you tip-toeing out of the classroom?" Kyung asked when I ran to his side.
I smiled at him innocently and said, "I just felt like someone would talk to me about some stuff that I don't wanna talk about at the moment."
Kyung shakes his head at me and chuckles, making me feel nervous so suddenly. I faked a cough and looked back at the door of the art classroom. Then I see Namju walking out and my eyes went wide.
"You look like you've seen a ghost- Oh... Did you do something to Namju earlier?" Kyung's voice asked, pulling me back to my senses.
Then I looked away from my cousin and glared at the tall boy. "No. I didn't do anything. As I said, I don't wanna talk about some stuff," I answered as quietly as I can since Namju is an ear-shot away from me and Kyung.
My cousin stops in front of us and looked at me in confusion. "You were here this whole time? I thought you were back inside the art room," He asked me while putting his hands in his pockets.
"Um... I was-"
"I dragged her with me," Kyung said, cutting me off.
Namju softly laughs and exclaimed, "Just don't make her run around, Kyung. Remember, Ara had asthma."
I bit the insides of my mouth and looked at Kyung, who suddenly went tense. I furrowed my eyebrows at his reaction and wondered if he's close to being aware.
Then Kyung rolls his eyes and said, "Don't worry, Namju. I won't be the death of her. I'll keep her from harm's way."
I blushed at his words and looked away. Jeez, Kyung... Just because we're close friends, it doesn't give you the right to say those kinds of things...
Namju laughs again and I heard someone patting someone. I looked back at the two and saw Namju patting Kyung's shoulder. Then Namju spoke up, "Do you think you can give Ara a ride back home? I have to go somewhere and I don't want to burden her with the travel."
I raised my left eyebrow at my cousin and said, "Don't tell me you're gonna stalk Juda again."
I see the sides of Namju's face turning pink, making me bite my bottom lip from laughing out loud. Then I added, "Bingo! You've been caught red-handed."
"Shouldn't it be red-faced," Kyung teases along, making my cousin glare at us.
"You two must be back to being the good friends you were," He annoyingly said.
"Oh, right, Namju. I'm bringing Ara with me to the beach," Kyung quickly said while grabbing my upper arm. "Is it okay?"
"Yeah, it's okay- Wait, the beach? What are you two going to do at the- HEY! BAEK KYUNG! GET BACK HERE!"
Kyung pulled me right after Namju realized what he just said and we both ran. For this little moment, who cared if I have asthma. I'm making new memories with Kyung, even if he doesn't remember his promise. I'll continue to keep his promise for him.
"So, we'll be taking Uber since I absolutely have no idea on how we'll get to Naksan Beach by using the-"
"Kyung, we've been here for 30 minutes already," I spoke up after yawning.
Kyung looks back at me and sighed. "Then what do you think we should do? There's no other way that I know in going to the beach."
I shook my head at him and took my phone out. Then I answered his question, "There is another way. There is always another way."
"And what's that?" Kyung asked, curiously.
I smiled at him and said, "The subway. Obviously."
I quickly opened my phone and went to Google and search on how Kyung and I can get to Naksan Beach before the sunset. I instantly found a site and showed it to Kyung, who squinted his eyes to see it.
"Take the subway and ensure to get off at Express Bus Terminal in Line 3--- Orange Line. You can also reach Express Bus Terminal using Subway Line 7 and Line 9 and take Exit 1 to get to the Central City Bus Terminal. Get a bus bound Yangyang and get off at Yangyang Bus Terminal Station. Travel time is 4 hours. From there, take Bus Num 9 and get off at Naksan Bus Stop--- 6 stops away. From there, walk towards the beach in which about half a kilometer away. Or from Guryongpo Beach, take a taxi to Naksan Beach..." Kyung stops reading out loud and looks back at me.
Then he adds, "Lead the way then."
"Um... What?"
"It's your phone, silly. So, lead the way."
I pouted and placed my phone back in my jacket's pocket. Then I started walking to the nearest subway station. Kyung followed right after and after a minute of silence, he spoke up.
"What do you wanna do at the beach?" He asked as walks beside me on my left, blocking the side of the road for me.
I shrugged. "Watch the sunset, I guess? I don't know..."
"How about we try to relive the childhood memories you've forgotten?"
I stopped walking and looked at Kyung. "Wh-what did you s-say?" I asked in surprise, a blush creeping up to my face.
Then I heard it the flipping of pages. It was slow and a little too soft to be heard, but it's there and this little moment with Kyung would disappear once again.
"No... No, not now... Please, not now!" I exclaimed while looking around, noticing that everything near me is getting blurry.
"No? You don't want to relive your childhood memories?" Kyung asked with a hurt tone.
I looked back at my tall friend and shook my head. "No! I mean, yes! Yes, I want to relive my childhood memories with you," I replied back while feeling something sharp from the back of my eyes.
Kyung then smiles but frowns when he sees my eyes getting teary. "What' wrong, Ara?" He asked, worried.
He's that worried?
"You're... You're really worried about me?" I whispered when I pulled my tears back.
Kyung takes a step towards me and answered slowly while placing his right hand on my shoulder, "Of course, I'm worried, Ara. Now, tell me what's wrong?"
"Everything is just wrong... All of this... The writer is just messed up and his story so far, Secret, isn't getting anywhere! For once, can't I just be me and live my life the way I want to?"
"What are you talking about, Ara? What story? Writer? Are you talking about God? Cuz as far as I know you and Namju are not even religious."
I bit my bottom lip as my tears started to fall down my cheeks again. Then I stood closer to Kyung and touched his cheek while my heart started to beat faster than usual. "Why? Why are you like this to me?" I asked in a whisper. "Do you even know what you're doing to me? Can't you freaking see that I'm falling for you? Just, please... I think we need to stop whatever this is and not change anything... I don't want to change the stage."
"Not anymore..." A familiar voice spoke up in my head.
I gasped at the voice and took a step back from Baek Kyung. "That... That voice..." I muttered under my breath. "Is... Is that... My voice?"
Then the voice comes back, "Second Prince, please, I'm begging you. Don't change any of the stages. Don't do it."
And a rough voice spoke up, "And what will you do if I don't do what you say?"
"That's Kyung's voice..." I softly said as I looked at him.
"I will no longer be your friend and leave this country," My voice answers with determination, but the pain was evident in my voice.
Then I heard something crash in my head and Kyung's voice shouting, "DON'T YOU DARE LEAVE ME! DON'T YOU DARE HURT ME THIS WAY, HYUN SEOL! "
My eyes went wide and the Kyung in front of me frowns then disappears out of thin air.
사작!
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word: 1647
a/n: finally, I updated. XD
#KyuAra is just... I cannot handle it. :3
Btw, just to be clear, Ara's real name is actually Hyun Seol. ;)
Spoiler. Hehe.
Will be explained later on in the story.