metal straw | ast. cha eunwoo

twenty three

"Taxi! Wait!"

Why did she take the taxi?

The bus had just arrived soon after so why didn't she take it?

He watched her from afar as she thanked the driver and climbed onto the vehicle. Though he wanted to run after her and asked her right then where she was going, he believed she had her reasons to go. Reasons he didn't need to know just to satisfy his questions.

Texting her was another option. To ask her if she was alright or if she needed comfort. Unfortunately, the massive sign of low battery appearing on the screen prevented him from doing so.

"Eunwoo, what are you doing here?"

Eunwoo tore his attention from his phone and found himself looking up to Soyeon.

And there he was sitting on the staircase, behind the door, debating whether he should see her that day or wait until tomorrow. It was slowly getting dark and his thoughts made him anxious to where Soyeon was. Well, that was until the person he was eager to see appeared right in front of him instead.

"Are you okay?"

He rose from his seat and this time, Soyeon was the one looking up to see him. They were standing close to each other, with only that one step separating them.

"I didn't get to visit you today so I came, sorry."

"A-Ah, you don't need to visit me every day! I completely understand!" she nearly screamed, suddenly feeling the heat rushing from her neck to her face before reaching her ears. At that point, she barely felt the cold atmosphere around her.

Only after resolving another episode of having blood rushing up to her face at high speed did she managed to speak.

"But... are you okay? Do you need anything?"

"You, I wanted to see you."

He wasn't technically lying, he did come to see her as he missed the chance to that morning because of a test. The fact that she was acting like her usual self gave him the idea that she was ignoring what had happened at school. Thus, he tried his best to avoid pulling that question, thinking she perhaps didn't want to talk about it.

"He must be an actor, this isn't real."

One end of Eunwoo's lips rose at the sudden comment. However, that smile immediately disappeared in seconds when he noticed something odd in the view he was seeing. Soyeon never once opened her mouth to say that. They both shared perplexed expressions when they realised none of them said that one line.

"Is this a hidden camera or something? Where's the camera?"

Like one, they both turned their heads at once and nearly jumped at the sudden surprise. Myungjun was suddenly standing next to them close head-to-head to the conversation.

"Are you an actor? Are we shooting a drama?" he asked, leaning up close to Eunwoo. "Can I be in it?"

Anyone could think Myungjun was leaning over for a kiss. Startled, he immediately took his arm back and away from the older boy, causing him to slightly stumble to the side. He chuckled at how quick Eunwoo's reaction. Soyeon could only watch the situation unfold on its own.

"Uh, do you need anything?"

"You, I wanted to see you."

That immediately gave exposure to both Soyeon and Eunwoo. Myungjun was eavesdropping on their conversation the entire time. Eunwoo might think he was listening longer before Soyeon came, exposing he was practising with himself on what to say. As if blushing was contagious, they both felt a sudden rush of blood coming to their faces that some might think they got sunburnt.

"I need you in the kitchen. Eunwoo, help us."