Jisoo -
"Are you sure?"
I gave her a nod and handed my last piece of chicken. Her eyes sparkled with joy and that simple happiness in her face already made me feel full.
"But you love chicken Chu" she asked, still hesitating to accept my offer.
"I know, but I can give up my chicken if it's for you"
I saw her cheeks blush and I felt the back of my neck heating up.
"T-thank you" she shyly smiled at me and I happily watched her eat.
"Will you come and watch me later?" she asked with her cheeks puffed.
UGH! She's so cute!
"Ofcourse I'll be there. I'm your number 1 fan remember?" I smiled at her.
She will audition for the role of Rapunzel later at the auditorium and I can't wait to be there and watch her nail it. Chae has the most angelic voice I've ever heard and I know she's perfect for that role.
"You will?!" she looked at me with wide eyes.
"Why wouldn't I??" I asked her with furrowed brows.
"Because the time of my audition is the same time as your Chemistry class"
"I know. I'm going to ditch it"
She blinked a few times before her cheeks turned red.
"You'll ditch your favorite class for me?!"
I smiled at her and nodded my head.
"Anything for you Chae"
She stood up from her seat and picked up her books hastily.
"T-then I have to go and practice"
She stormed off from the cafeteria and left me dumbfounded.
Did I say something wrong?
It's been months since I've known her but everyday felt like the first day. She never ceased to amaze me and never failed to leave me breathless.
Chae's beauty was like science to me. Like matter, she occupied every space around me and within me. She's all I could think of and her existence was my world.
I was born with an IQ over 140 but when it comes to her, my brain stops working and I would end up acting stupid. There are moments I feel like fainting whenever she acts so sweet. She likes to hold my hand, she likes to lean her head on my shoulder, she likes to eat lunch with me, walk home with me and she even said that she liked watching me hold cylinder glass tubes inside the laboratory with a blue coat.
Why would she watch me experiment stuff?
Sometimes, I don't get her - she's so weird.
I sat on the auditorioum's farthest seat and waited for Chae's turn. I'm afraid that people would see us together because she's so popular especially with boys.
She's indeed a campus crush and I don't want to drag her down just because she's with a nerd. Sometimes when we are together in the cafeteria, I can hear people gossiping about us and I hated every second of it. I sometimes tried to hide from her but she would always find her way to appear in front of me.
"Next, Roseanne Park"
I focused my eyes on the stage and there she was, wearing a white dress while her hair braided to one side. She looked like an angel for me more than a princess.
She stood in front of everybody and I heard boys calling her name and attention but there she was, looking at my direction with a smile. Despite the dark lights and the farthest seat I chose - she still found me.
She closed her eyes and the song began to play. She started singing and as if the whole world froze, I saw nothing but the two us.
Everywhere I'm looking now
I'm surrounded by your embrace
Baby, I can see your halo
You know you're my saving grace
Her song choice, Halo by Beyonce gave me chills. She was singing her heart out loud and I felt it - I felt her heart beating in sync with mine.
I can't..
We can't..
She's too perfect for me and I'm nothing compared to her suitors and admirers.
We can't happen.
I stood up from my seat and left the auditorium. Like a coward that I was, I escaped and run away.
Perfect!
Even the skies were feeling the same.
I was running in the middle of the field when I heard her voice.
"YAH!! KIM JISOO!!"
I stopped and turned around only to see Chae panting and her hair wet from the rain. Her white dress almost became her skin and her eyes were brimming with tears.
"Chae -"
"Why did you run Chu?!"
"Why did you leave Chae?! That audition is everything to you! You prepared all summer for that!" I yelled at her and even the thunder joined our argument.
"I don't care about the audition Chu! Why did you leave?!"
"Because.. Because I can't! Chae I - "
"What?!"
"I'm inlove with you!! And I'm scared!! I don't want to drag you down!! You're too perfect for me and I'm nothing compared to all those who admires you!! I walked away because I ca -"
In that very second, the thunder roared as her lips touched mine as she hooked her arms around my neck.
She pulled away first then slapped me real hard.
"For someone who has such high IQ, how can you be so stupid not to know that I feel the same"
She walked out on me and she was already in the middle of the field when I yelled -
"Roseanne Park!!"
She turned around, her arms folded against her chest as the rain continued to pour.
"Will you be my girlfriend even if I'm a nerd who has zero intelligence when it comes to you?!"
She nodded her head and the moment she did, I bolted towards her direction and kissed her. I thought kissing a girl under the rain only happens in the movies but here I am, kissing Roseanne Park.
"I love you, Chae"
"And I love you too you dumb nerd"
Groaning, I held unto the edge of the table as hard as I could. My body felt sore and my back hurts like hell.
"Ahhhhhhh!" whimpering in pain, I closed my eyes and clenched my jaw.
I can feel Chae's trembling hands as she tried to pull the shattered figments that had penetrated my back when the explosion happened.
"Hold still and bite this" Chae gave me a cloth and I did what was told as she stitched my wounds without any anesthesia
Thanks to this fucking apocalypse thay can't just bring me to the hospital.
I don't know how long Chae has been trying to fix my wounds but my vision is already beginning to blur.
"All done" she whispered and helped me put my clothes back.
I stood up as she handed me back my glasses.
"Thank you Chae - " I was about to hug her when she raised her hand to stop me.
"I'm still mad at you Kim Jisoo, you have to earn me back as hard as you can if you want me back"
My heart felt light as she said those words.
"S-so you'll give me another chance???"
She shrugged her shoulders and turned around.
"Goodluck Chu"
Jennie -
"Lisa wake up, don't sleep. You can't sleep"
I tried to shake her but she already fell unconscious. We don't know exactly what happened but it seems like she hit her head somewhere and her face was full of blood.
Chae attended to Jisoo and brought her inside the room while I pulled Lisa to the nearest couch.
I grabbed my medical kit and started to stitch her wound. Thank God my father prepared me with this kind of stuff but my hand is still trembling.
Once done, I wiped her face with a warm towel and watched Lisa sleep, she looked so peaceful. I placed my fingers on her pulsepoint and I sighed in content when I felt her heartbeat.
While watching Lisa, I didn't realize that my hand is already gently stroking her face.
"Jennie are you even listening to me??"
I looked at him with eyes full of fear while he looked down on me with anger.
"Y-yes babe, I'm listening"
"Then tell me where did these fucking letters came from?!"
I glanced at the letters I kept on my locker from my boyfriend's hands. He sneaked on me early in the morning when I was reading the letter and he found out that someone has been dropping letters in my locker every morning.
"I - I don't know babe"
He read the letters out loud with a mocking tone and I got annoyed at his sarcasm. I wanted to push him and grab the only thing I treasure but his angry face warned me not to do so.
"Come here"
He dragged me at the back of the gym and threw all the letters in the trash.
"Babe what are you doing??"
He pushed me down the ground and took his lighter from his pocket.
"No! Please!"
He threw the lighter in the trash and fire started to blaze. He kneeled in front of me and slapped me hard on my cheek.
"You dare cheat on me Jennie?!??"
He was about to slap me again but a hand caught his wrists.
"Don't you dare lift your hand against her"
I glanced at my knight in shining armor only to see a guitar strapped on her back instead of a sword.
"Lisa - "
"The fuck do you care?!" he punched her without a second thought but she didn't hold herself back and punched my boyfriend straight in his left eye.
"You bitch!!!"
They started hitting each other and I stood there like an idiot who did nothing. I was so confused with what's happening. Lisa was the very first person who stood for me in front of my boyfriend when no one else did. We don't even talk that much and we're not even close but here she is, fighting with my boyfriend.
"Stop! Please stop!"
"Captain!"
Three more jocks joined the brawl and Lisa was outnumbered.
"Stop!!"
"Don't you dare come here Jennie!" he warned.
Lisa was lying on the ground with busted lips. He picked up her guitar and the next thing he did made me kneel on the ground. He was never this rude. He was kind but for some reason, popularity changed him a lot.
"You useless piece of shit!"
He slammed her guitar on the ground and dragged me to the field leaving Lisa unconscious on the ground. I sat in the bleachers to watch him play like his trophy wife while my head was clouded with Lisa.
As soon as the game finished, he kissed me to show everybody that I was his. He cupped my cheek tightly and tears started to fall. I was crying because he set my letters on fire and Lisa got hurt because of me.
"You are mine Jennie Kim, you're a payment for your grandfather's debt so don't you dare cheat on me"
He left me alone as he walked away with his pride while I sprinted back to where we left Lisa earlier. She was no longer there. Her guitar was left on the ground, broken. I glanced at my letters that are now nothing but an ash but I was able to save a small part of the paper that says "smile, my Juliet" and placed it inside my notebook.
I tried to find her in every building's clinic but she was nowhere to be found. But then I remember one spot where I always see her -
Every practice, I always see her sleeping, eating or playing her guitar under the old giant tree near the old gym.
And I was right. She was lying at the ground with a busted lip and a band aid on her nose. She was sleeping as I sat beside her on the ground.
I watched her sleep and for some reason, just being beside her made me feel - safe.
She slowly opened her eyes and our gaze met. She had a beautiful brown eyes and I got lost in the beauty of her iris.
"Ruby Jane?"
She was the only person who calls me by my second name, and for someone that I'm not close with - I find it comforting.
My hand moved on it's own as I touched her face gently. I brushed the side of her lip which was crusted with blood and she whimpered a bit.
"I'm sorry"
She smiled at me and I felt like I've known her for a long time.
"Don't be"
Lisa -
I gained my consciousness back only to see Jennie sitting beside me. She was holding my cheek and there were tears in her eyes.
"Ruby Jane, what's wrong?" I asked her with a worried look and tried to sit but I felt my head throbbing in pain.
"I'm sorry if I forgot about you"
She whispered as she looked at me straight in the eyes. I was about to speak but she hushed me immediately.
"I've been seeing fragments of my memory with you and I want to remember them Lisa"
She said with tears in her eyes and I brushed them away with the back of my hand.
"Don't be too hard on yourself Ruby Jane, I'll wait"
• • • • • •
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Hey guys, been busy this week plus I got an emergency. Sorry for making you all wait.
Do you have any qestions about the book? 🤔
Let me know. 😊
HOSHI 🌠