Sideline | RENJUN

Chapter 21

I am so screwed, Renjun thought as he buried his face in his hands in embarassment while the others were definitely giving Jieun suggestive looks.

"He sure did." Mark said before giggling, and at this point, Renjun just wanted to disappear off the face of the Earth.

"Oh." Jieun said and Renjun couldn't help but have a thousand thoughts running through his head.

What if she doesn't feel the same way? Did I just ruin our relationship? Ugh, this is the last thing I wanted.

"Well, I guess that works since Renjun's my ideal type too."

What?

Renjun removed his face from his hands as he heards oooh's from his head, turning to see Jieun with a smile on her face. "Really?"

Jieun nodded her head and Renjun couldn't help but have a good feeling as he took her hand, lacing their fingers underneath the table.

Renjun heard Jaemin clear his throat and then the reality of it all hit him. We can't be together anyways.

"She knows, Jaemin." Ayeon said, giving the male a look while Zhilan rubbed her boyfriend's arm. "She just needs time to decide."

"Decide?" Jieun asked, glancing around.

Renjun gulped as Mark gave him a look. A who's going to break it to her look. Thankfully, it seemed like Jeno was going to take the blow for him.

"If what Ayeon says is true, then you know that we have a rule that Phoenixes can only date each other." Jeno told her. "It's to protect both you and him, I'm sure Renjun explained it."

"I did." Renjun said, turning his head but when he felt Jieun's grip around his hand tighten and her face change, he became concerned.

She's angry.

"Does it really?" Jieun asked, using a stern tone. Renjun saw Jieun grit her teeth and had a bad feeling. "Do you really think that if you had this rule, Seolhee wouldn't have die?"

"Well she would have been able to protect herself." Mark mumbled but it seemed to have no effect on Jieun as she scoffed, looking away.

"Protect herself? Seolhee wasn't stupid, she knew what to do. She died not because she didn't know how to protect herself but because you were all reckless." Jieun spat, taking them all aback.

"Excuse me?" Jeno exclaimed, standing up with his fists clenched. The amount of anger on Jeno's face made it clear that if Soojung wasn't holding him back and cooing his name, he definitely would have started throwing punchs.

"You heard me, I'm not saying it again." Jieun said, letting go of Renjun's hand and crossing her arms.

Something's not right, Renjun thought, realizing that something was off. Haechan must have been thinking the same thing as the two of them exchanged looks from across the table.

"Jieun," Haechan said, giving his cousin a pat and blocking his view of the girl. "Did you know Seolhee?"

A part of Renjun didn't want to hear the answer as Jieun rolled her eyes, standing up.

"Yeah, I did. She was my best friend and she died because of all of you."

...

Jieun took the chance to get up and leave as the table went silent. She knew that her anger had gotten the best of her but she didn't really care.

It is their fault, right? Jieun thought as she opened the door to the back, already undoing her apron.

"Over already?" Doyoung hummed as he turned around but his smile was wiped off his face once he caught sight of Jieun. "What happened?"