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H W A N G  H Y U N J I N

i started catching my breath after i danced. i am currently in the dance studio by myself. i told yeji earlier that i will be staying late to dance. what happened yesterday afternoon got stuck in my head.

what i did was tell her the truth, that there shouldn't be any feelings involved in what we're doing. but remembering the look on her face when i told her that makes me feel guilty. i don't want her to be like that. i don't want her to be sad.

but what am i to do then? how can i tell her that i don't like her like that without making her sad? why is this so hard anyway? i don't like her that way right? yes, that's right. i'm just feeling all of this because i grew fond of her, she's a close friend of mine now. yes, that's right.

i grab the towel i have and sat down beside my bag on the floor. i wipe the sweat off of my face and neck. i got my water bottle out and started drinking from it. my eyes focussed at the side of my bag when i heard my phone go off with multiple notifications. what's this? did yeji forget to tell mom again that i stayed late to dance? tsk, that brat.

i put all my stuff in my bag, ignoring the continuous buzzing from my phone. i'll just go home, it's almost time to lock up the dance studio anyway. i turned the lights off and closed the door behind me. it was faint but i can hear the soft tapping of rain from outside. so it's raining, probably why there's a lot of notifications.

i continued walking on my way to the school's exit. i unzipped my bag and dig my hand inside, wishing i brought an umbrella. i continued doing that until i felt the familiar shape of the thing i'm looking for.

" there you are " i muttered to myself as i pulled the umbrella out of my bag. i zipped my bag and continued on my way.

as i get closer to the exit i can hear some footsteps too. actually i'm not sure if that's footsteps or just the rain. i shrug it off, maybe it's just some of the school staff or someone else.

i am walking down the stairs and just in front of me is the exit. i stopped walking midway the stairs when i saw someone standing in front of the exit. i didn't have to look twice, i know who that is. what is ryujin still doing here? wait, did she wait for me? no way.

" he- " i was about to call for her attention when suddenly someone arrived from around the corner of the hallway.

it was seungmin. why is he also still here? i thought he has plans with serim? i watched as seungmin made his way to ryujin, an umbrella on his hand.

" ryujin "

i watched as he stood beside her. they were talking for a while, but i wasn't able to hear them, and then ryujin started laughing. my eyebrows furrowed as i feel this weird feeling. her laugh is different. why is it different?

her laugh now looks way much better than any of all the ones she did when she's with me. what's this? what's happening? the way her eyes genuinely wrinkle into crescents, the natural tune that left her lips, the way how her smile nearly tears apart her cheeks because of how wide it is. it's all different.

i know i've seen her smile and laugh lots of times but this, this is the first time i saw her like this. the first time i actually see the ease in her eyes. it was as if before she was full of imperceptible discomfort compared to how she looks right now. was she faking it all before?

i noticed how her shoulders are more relaxed, only realizing now that they weren't like that before. she then softly hit seungmin's side with her elbow, the same genuine smile on her lips. " pssh, come on lover boy " she teased seungmin, who is now carressing the side of his stomach that just got hit.

i don't know why i'm still standing here. should i just leave? i feel like i need to leave. or maybe i should go to them. i mean, why should i leave? this is normal, so act normal hyunjin.

" ryujin! seungmin! "

the two turned around and looked at me. i smiled at them and jog towards them. ryujin's eyes were wider than usual as she look at me with surprise all over her face. i stopped beside her, the smile still on my lips. i'm glad the atmosphere didn't become uncomfortable like what i thought it would be.

" hyunjin? what are you still doing here? " ryujin asked me, still surprised to see me. i shrug my shoulders and let out a small breath.

" i danced " i said then roam my eyes around. i then met seungmin's eyes who is casually standing there, watching me and ryujin.

" i thought you have plans with serim? " i asked him. he nod his head at me.

" yeah, but something came up for both of us so we decided to just go tomorrow " he answered. i hummed and nod my head.

" so, are you guys going home now too? " i asked them while i prepare my umbrella in front of me.

" yeah, i am " seungmin said and opened his own umbrella.

i turned to look at the unusually quiet girl beside me. ryujin has her lower lip pursed as she stared down at her feet. her eyebrows are furrowed and she seems like she's in deep thought.

i raised my umbrella over my head with a small smile on my lips. she raised her head and then turned to her side. her other side.

" ryujin, do you wanna share my umbrella with me? "

" seungmin, you told me you'll share your umbrella with me! "

i stopped, well more like the three of us did. i turned to look at seungmin, while he turned to look at ryujin with his right eyebrow raised. i look away from him and turned to ryujin, who is looking at me too. her lips are slightly parted and she's blinking multiple times like she's not believing what she's seeing.

" o-oh! " i let out a chuckle and then scratch the side of my neck. " that makes sense, you both go to the same direction anyway " i added.

" uhm, hyunji- " ryujin didn't get to finish what she's going to say when seungmin stepped up.

" i don't wanna share my umbrella with anyone " he said and raised his umbrella above his head. hearing this, ryujin turned to him immediately and huffed her cheeks.

" but you told me earlier that you'll sh- " ryujin whined.

" i changed my mind " seungmin said then took a step forward, going out of the shade. ryujin let out a gasp and then quickly catched up to him, getting herself a bit wet in the process.

ryujin sticked herself close beside seungmin with a victory smile, trying not to get too wet from the rain. i let out a breath and catched up to the two with a small smile on my lips.

" why are you so close to me! " seungmin whined and clicked his tongue.

" i'm gonna get wet if i don't do so! " ryujin spat at him.

i let out a chuckle, as i walk beside them, watching my two friends. seungmin spat back at her but i didn't catch it. i was too focused on ryujin to hear it. she let out a giggle. that smile again. what is with that smile?

it's pretty noisy because of the rain so i can't really hear seungmin as he, probably, scold ryujin or something. i can't hear him, but i can hear her. the soft sound of her giggles. what is this weird feeling? am i feeling betrayed because she's not laughing like that when she's with me? maybe, yes i guess.

" tsk! shoo! "

i am watching them but i guess i was too in my thoughts that i didn't get to prepare myself from what is to happen. seungmin pushed ryujin away from him, making her stumble back and end up standing beside me under my umbrella. i shake the thoughts away and immediately helped ryujin to maintain her balance before she fall on the ground.

" what's that fo- seungmin! " ryujin called out for seungmin who now is jogging away from us. ryujin was about to run after him but my free hand immediately grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her closer to me, so she won't get out from under my umbrella.

" no " i said. she turned her head and looked at me with her surprised expression. " don't go "

ryujin's surprised expression slowly and slowly softened. her cheeks started turning pink and the side of her lips twitched like it wanted to move but she's stopping it from doing so. i stared at her eyes and that's when i realize it. she's stopping herself from smiling.

yeah, she may be able to stop her lips from smiling but her eyes, just looking at them and i already know how much she wants to smile. but why is she stopping herself from smiling? is this why her smile and laugh is different when she's with me? because she's trying to stop it? why?

i didn't break eye contact with her, trying to search for it. the reason why she's doing this. i thought she love me, then why? if she really do, isn't it her asset to show the person she love her real smile? because it's really beautiful and true, so why does she have to hide it?

and then it happened.

maybe she can't contain it anymore. that smile, this smile. crescent eyes, pink cheeks and the full and wide smile. this is the true one, her real smile. she's doing it in front of me. she's really smiling.

my eyebrows, that i didn't noticed were furrowed, relaxed. i didn't let go of her wrist but my hold loosened. then there is this twisting, tightening or whatever this is, in my stomach. so this is what i've been missing out on. the feeling of seeing her real smile in front of my own eyes.

" i'll walk you home "

S H I N  R Y U J I N

what on earth? what? what? wha- how? why? why is- what did he sa- i- oh gosh. i really love this guy, don't i?

i rest my back at the seat here in the bus, trying to loosen up from the explosion of emotions i just had. seungmin walked really fast, we weren't able to catch up to him. so now, it's only me and hyunjin.

the bus is quite full so hyunjin didn't get a seat for himself. actually the seat beside me is available but he chose to stand instead and let someone else, a woman, take the seat. my head is low and my eyes are focussed on my feet. hyunjin is standing right in front of me, and i can't look at him without smiling like an idiot. so i chose to just not look at him at all.

i seriously can't believe i would be able to share an umbrella with him. it was nice. his umbrella isn't that big but i didn't get wet at all. suddenly i'm glad i didn't brought my own umbrella. i'm also glad that seungmin escaped from us.

then the words he said. they're just normal words but, it meant a lot to me. i can't believe i'll actually hear him say those words. he doesn't want me to go, to leave him. i mean yeah, he obviously doesn't mean it like that but still! it means different for me.

i really didn't get wet under his umbrella, unlike when i was sharing with seungmin. that puppy seriously just gave me less than half of the umbrella. tsk. but hyunjin, when we were sharing his umbrella it feels like i am the only one under it. is it because he pulled me too close to him? oh gosh, just thinking about it makes me want to smile again.

i pressed my legs together and raised my left hand to cover my smile. my eyes travelled from my feet to the hyunjin's right in front of me. he's still standing so close to me too. well, it's mainly because there's a lot of people here but come on, let me dream at least.

i stared at his feet, my hand still covering my mouth so that i won't make a mistake and let out a giggle or something. then i notice the small building puddle right by his left foot. my eyebrows furrow as i follow where it comes from with my eyes. some parts of the left side of his pants is wet, his left shoulder and his left sleeve is wet too. what? did he-

i look up at his face but his head is turned to the side. is this why i didn't get wet? he let himself get wet so i wouldn't? no, it can't be. why would he do such thing? but then, why?

the bus came to a stop, my stop. hyunjin faced me and he looked a bit surprised to see me looking at him already.

" uh, let's go? "

i took a deep breath and stand up from my seat. hyunjin lead the way, as his hand found their way around my wrist. just the feeling of it makes my cheeks heat up. hyunjin opened his umbrella again and went out of the bus, quickly pulling me with him. again, i didn't get wet.

i didn't move and stayed there, just staring at his hand on mine. hyunjin didn't move as well, like he's waiting for me to lead the way. i let out a sigh and stood in front of him, facing him face to face. hyunjin raised both his eyebrows, waiting for me to talk.

" why? wai- did you left something in the bus? " hyunjin looked bewildered and he turned his head to where the bus was but it's already gone.

" oh shoo- "

" you got wet hyunjin " he stopped talking and focussed his eyes back at me. i raised my right hand and tap his wet left shoulder.

" oh, yeah a little, i mean we're going home anyway so it's fi- "

" no, we should share your umbrella equally " i didn't let him finish. my eyebrows are now furrowed and the look on his face just makes me feel more guilty. it's his umbrella but he's the one who got wet.

" i-i'm sharing it with you equall- "

" then why are you wet and i'm not? " i asked him.

" i don't know, maybe because you're small and i'm not " he said then shrug his shoulders. he did not just say that excuse. i rolled my eyes and clicked my tongue in annoyance.

whatever. i turned around and walked out from under the umbrella. " hey! "

hyunjin immediately grabbed me by the wrist again, but instead he clung onto one of my bracelets. the pressure from his grip made the thread of the bracelet snap, sending the beads flying. sure, it did made me anxious knowing my scar would be visible to everyone now but the fact that while he is panicking, he still made sure to raise his umbrella above me.

" a-ah, ryujin i'm sorry " he stuttered and used his free hand to wrap around my now exposed wrist. i clicked my tongue making him look up at me.

" i'm really sorry, wait " he took the hair tie from his left hand and put it around my wrist as a substitute for the broken bracelet. " here, i'm sorry ryujin, i promise i'll buy you a new on- "

" you're not even under the umbrella anymore " i said, making him stop. i grab his hand that is holding the umbrella and walked closer to him so that it can protect him from the rain too.

" oh " he murmured. his hair got a little wet now too. seriously, why is he doing this?

" what if you get sick again? " i asked him with my eyebrows still furrowed.

" don't worry, i won't " he said and smiled at me. how can he be so sure?

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i feel like i ended this chapter so badly 🤣 i know everyone's upset with hyunjin and all the things he's doing to ryujin but don't worry hunnies, the tables will be turned 😉 i mean, at least i'll try 🤣 but yeah, see y'all on the next one! 😀 don't forget to give love to this story! 💖💖

~ Bae Rose ⚘