" Behind the faint smile that looked at me
I'm going to draw a beautiful purple
We may not be on the same page
But I want to walk this path with you
Still with you... "
- BTS (Jungkook), Still With You
OH ARA
I looked around me and noticed that I'm back inside the classroom. I sighed and looked away while thinking about Haru and how he showed up just in time to save Danoh from getting his by the dodgeball. I furrowed my eyebrows as I wondered why I wasn't able to see him if he was with us at the soccer field during PE class.
"Did the Writer not add in him as a character in Secret, yet?" I thought quietly to myself while opening my English notebook to check if Namju stole my essay but fortunately, he didn't.
I softly grinned when seeing my essay still inside my English notebook but hen I heard Stage Danoh and Stage Saemi talking in front of me and I felt like something bad is about to happen in the new Stage.
"Where is Juda?" Stage Saemi had asked while looking around the classroom.
Then less than a second later, Yeo Juda entered the room through the front door.
"There she is," Stage Danoh answered while smiling and pointing at the new girl.
Stage me bit the insides of her cheeks when watching Saemi calling out to Juda and walking over to her.
"Yes, Saemi?" Juda asked with a curious, yet innocent expression.
Then Saemi continued on, "Namju is looking for you." While Soochul had started to record what was happening.
Oh... What are you up to, Shin Saemi?
"Saemi, what are you up to?" Stage Me asked in a soft whisper which got me to gain control over my body.
I raised my left eyebrow at what just happened but I didn't complain. Instead, I walked over to Saemi when Juda left after asking where my cousin is at. Then before Saemi and her little gang walked away, I grabbed her right wrist and turned her around.
"What do you think you are doing?" I asked with a serious look.
Saemi raised her left eyebrow at me before saying, "Why do you suddenly care, Ara? You know, you weren't like this before... Why the sudden change?"
I clenched my teeth together in anger and took a step closer toward Saemi while whispering, "Me caring for Juda is none of your business and whoever I was before is in the past. Whoever I am today is what matters. So if I were you, Saemi, you better not try to play with my patience. If you really know me, then you should know that my temper isn't something you want to experience. Now, get out of my face before you end up crying."
The Stage ended right there and I knew right away that I changed the plot of Secret. But right at that moment, I didn't care about it. I was too worried about Juda that my anger had taken control over me.
Saemi and her little gang had soon left the classroom after I told her to leave. Then Danoh stood in front of me with a sad look on her face.
"I'm sorry about Saemi, Ara..." she gently told me.
I sighed and shook my head at her.
"Don't apologize for her, Danoh. Just because you're her best friend, you shouldn't take the fall. Saemi should be mature about this kind of thing. I should know because I've been in the same situation."
"Huh? You have?" Danoh asked in total confusion.
Then I stared at her for a couple of seconds before turning my head when I heard the familiar footsteps that belonged to Baek Kyung. My heart started to beat incredibly fast but before anything else, I looked away and told Danoh, "I'll be at the library if you need me."
"Oh, okay..." Danoh replied back when I started to walk out of the classroom.
Why do I feel like someone is following me?
I quickly turned around and saw no one behind me in the hallway. So I continued walking to the library but then a few minutes just when I reached my destination, I felt it again. I turned and for the second time, I see no one behind me. I sighed in irritation and just decided to ignore it. I pushed open one of the doors to the library and entered the big room. I wanted to see if the manhwa, Secret, was on its shelf since usually, the book wouldn't always be with Jinmichae in the school's kitchen.
I walked down every aisle in the library and wasn't able to find the manhwa. But instead... I kept on feeling like someone was watching my every move.
It felt familiar but because of the fact that I cannot see who it was and is the only one inside the library, I feel a little scared.
"What if there are ghosts in Seulli High?" I whispered to myself as I walked down the aisle full of manhwas on bookshelves.
Then I laughed it off while shaking my head. "Nah, if there are ghosts here then Secret wouldn't be a rom-com but a thriller and mystery story instead."
I was about to stand by a window at the end of the aisle when I saw a silhouette on the corner of my left eye. I slowly turned my head and saw...
"H-Haru?" I whispered after blinking my eyes a couple of times just to make sure that I wasn't dreaming.
But there he was standing only a few feet away from me.
My adopted brother from Trumpet Creeper is here in Secret.
사작!
What the?! Why am I in the hospital?
"Juhwa oppa!" Stage me called out to a familiar face from down the hall.
Isn't that Dohwa's older brother?
Lee Juhwa turned around and smiled when seeing Stage me. Then he walked over with the nurse behind him. "Ara, what are you doing here?" he asked after giving Stage me a fist bump.
A fist bump? Not a hug? I guess Juhwa knows that Stage Ara likes Dohwa...
"Ah, I came here to see your mom. I was gonna get a new prescription for my inhaler, but she wasn't in her office today," Stage me answered and Juhwa was going to say something but then we both heard Dohwa's voice from across the hall.
I swallowed my nonexistent saliva when I saw my best friend. I followed Juhwa to his younger brother and watched as the two greeted each other and talked. Then once their stage ended, the spotlight moved to Dohwa and Stage me.
"Ara... You're here?" Dohwa asked in surprise with a happy smile.
Stage me smiled back at him and suddenly the atmosphere in the hospital changed.
Why are there flowers floating around me?
"I was going to see your mom," Stage me answered with a smile.
Dohwa then gave me a worried look and asked, "Why? What's wrong? Do you need a new inhaler?"
"Woah! Calm down, Do," Stage me exclaimed while giving him a small chuckle. "I'm alright. I just needed a new prescription since I couldn't find the one that I already have."
Exactly, Dohwa. Calm down.
"Well, you don't need one right now, right?"
"Nope. It was Namju who wanted me to get one so that I won't forget."
Dohwa shook his head while laughing softly at the mention of his friend's name. Then he took my hand and spoke up, "Come on then. I'll walk you home since it's already getting late."
Then the stage ended and before I could say something to Dohwa, I heard it again.
사작!
"Ara, get on," Namju called out as he handed Stage me his extra helmet.
Ugh... A new stage already. Damn you, Writer.
Stage me looked at my cousin in shock and confusion. "Um, I thought you didn't like me to ride with you?" she asked while taking the extra helmet from him.
Namju shrugged and replied back, "Well, it's already been months since the accident, and since we only have 15 minutes left before class would start, I thought it's best to-"
Then Stage me cut Namju off. "Wait, did you say 15 minutes?!"
The tall boy chuckled while nodding his head and then Stage me got on the motorcycle and placed the helmet on. After checking on Stage me, Namju started the engine to his ride and we're now on our way to school.
We got off right away when Stage me announced that we only had five minutes left for Homeroom.
But then the stage ended right when Namju and I entered the school building. I stopped walking hurriedly and watched as Namju cooly, but quickly walked to our classroom. After making sure that he won't come back to get me, I decided to go look for Haru and maybe try to avoid Dohwa for the time being because as far as I can tell I had a feeling that he'll be looking for me today.
I walked to the library and went back to the place where I last saw Haru but unfortunately, he wasn't there. I sighed and continued to look for him all over the library. When I couldn't find him, I left the library and looked outside the school building and around the campus. But once again, I couldn't find my adopted brother.
Seriously, Haru... Where are you?
Then something clicked in my head.
"Would he be in the classroom?" I whispered to myself as I started to walk back to the school's entrance.
And there he was sitting by the windows... but he wasn't alone.
"Do you remember me?" Danoh asked while sitting on the chair in front of Haru's desk.
I do not know why I suddenly feel angry. But I was getting this feeling that I wanted to get Haru far away from Danoh.
Why am I feeling like this?
Then I felt my head aching. It's been a while since I had these headaches but this one was so much more painful than the ones before. I decided to take a step outside of the room before I could make a scene. But before I did that, I look back at Haru and sighed in relief.
As long as I know that you are here and safe... Then I'll be okay, Ru.
🧡 a/n:
I planned to publish this chapter yesterday in the afternoon after my class but then I had to finish my group project early before 10 pm- then my wifi died on me 😟 in the middle of my work and I literally panicked cuz there was a typhoon (Ulysses is still here tho) and I was worried that I wouldn't be able to finish the project...
But thank God, I finished it.
But Ulysses was being a b***h.
The power in my neighborhood got cut off last night so there was a blackout ugh.
And that is why I had published this chapter a day late. 🙃
I hope that y'all enjoyed this one. I'll be writing chapter 29 right now uwu.
✨ - K.
ps. The Second Heroine was #1 in the extraordinary tag a couple of days ago. 😭💘