Within These Shadows || Park Chanyeol/Do Kyungsoo || Book 1

44

"Kyungsoo-ya, ir-eona (get up)," Chanyeol pouted sadly. "Please don't be like that. Whatever there was between them, it's all in the past now. Don't be sad."

After coming back from Ju Hwan's birthday party on Friday, Kyungsoo had been lying on his bed all day long, occasionally getting up to eat and complete assignments only. It was Tuesday already And he hadn't attended classes since the week started. He didn't want to face Jay, couldn't face her, because he knew he'd remember that night from the party if he saw her. And what was worse, that Mae's words kept echoing inside his head all the time.

'Ju Hwan oppa and Jay had dated for about two years before he left for England.'

Kyungsoo pulled the blanket up and above his head; he didn't feel like getting off. He knew what he was feeling, but he couldn't comprehend why he was feeling so bad about it. Why did it feel like his heart was breaking even though he hadn't even gone through a break up. Was it because he now knew that there was no way Jay would like him back? She would go back to the man she loved. He didn't know why they had broken up, but they clearly still had feelings for each other; that much was visible to anyone. Seeing Jay on Friday had only made him like her even more, and maybe that's why he was feeling that bad.

"Kyungsoo-ya!" Chanyeol started poking him over the blanket. "You can't keep missing classes everyday! Ir-eona! C'mon!" He began pulling Kyungsoo's blanket but the other boy was pulling it back too. "Ir-eona! Ir-eona!! C'mon!" Chanyeol was definitely stronger than his best friend and he had managed to pull the blanket off of Kyungsoo and threw it on his own bed. "Ya!!" He exclaimed. "If you're so heartbroken, then do something about it! Don't hide here like a coward!"

"Coward? Really?" Kyungsoo spat. "How would you know what this feels like Chanyeol-ah? The girl you love reciprocates your feelings! You have nothing to worry about."

"I know the girl I love, loves me back because I told her and she told me too. You didn't even tell Jay about your own feelings; you don't know how or what she feels. And here you are, making assumptions and sulking. Why? What's the point if you're not gonna do anything about it?"

"'Cause Jay's different! And you know that!" Kyungsoo exclaimed. He sat on his bed, trying to hold back his overwhelming emotions. This was the problem with him; he couldn't let out his emotions and they always ate him up on the inside until he couldn't take no more. And then, instead of bursting, he'd rather move further away from everything else in his life.

"Kyungsoo-ya, I know that. But if you don't tell her, she'll never know and that just increases the chances of her being pursued by Ju Hwan hyung."

"How do I tell her, Chanyeol-ah?

"That I can't tell you. You need to figure that out on your own. But what I can tell you is that if you don't make your move soon, you'll simply have to watch her go."

*

ASM: Park Chanyeol, can we cancel today's date? 😢 it's 18th June now and exams start on 5th July.

PCY: Yeah okay, no problem. ^^ don't be sad :P we can hang out after exams.

ASM: Thank you! 🤍 ily

PCY: ily2 🤍

Mae placed her phone on her table and looked back at her book. Her hair was tied up messily and she looked like a mess herself. With the finals coming up, she was stressing out really bad. Half of her books were highlighted, her laptop had several tabs open and there were stationeries everywhere.

Jay on the other hand, was lost in thoughts, not paying attention to the notes lying in front of her. Her book was open, so was her notebook; her left hand held a pen ever so loosely, while her right hand supported her head. She was staring off far into nothing and couldn't stop thinking about Friday.