Paper Lilies | Jeong Yunho

09

Yunho's POV

"Did you talk to her?"

"Yeah," Wooyoung slumps at the empty chair on our table looking glum.

"So? What happened?" Mingi inquires.

He ignores the question and snatches the sandwich on my food tray. He bites on it and put it back on my tray before slamming his head on the table which startled me and Mingi.

"Woo, what happened?" I ask him. He mumbles something which my best friend and I didn't hear well.

"What?"

He lifts up his head and rest his chin on his palm, frowning.

"I said she's so weird, at first she was looking all shy when I talked to her then turned annoyed when she found out that San had told me to watch over her. I mean- I only told her my name so how did she know that detail."

I glance at Mingi who was looking at me before looking back at the gloomy boy.

"Where is she now?"

"I don't know, maybe she went to the comfort room." He replies with a sullen look on his face. I stand up from my seat to leave.

"Woah, Yun, where are you going?" My best friend asks.

"I'm gonna look for her. I don't think she hasn't eaten anything," I grab my bag and placed it on my shoulder.

"You are absolutely right, brother. She just ate two pieces of orange and fed the rest to the little cat inside her bag," Wooyoung takes the sandwich on my tray again before munching on it, "aren't we not supposed to bring pets at school?"

"Yeah, they aren't allowed," Mingi answers.

"Damn, it must've been something serious if a top student broke one of the most important rules." Wooyoung says.

He has a point.

I check the clock at the top of the cafeteria entrance and see that there's still about forty-five minutes before the school bell rings for afternoon class.

"Guys, I gotta go. I'll be back!"

- time skip -

I arrived at the entrance to the girl's comfort room and see four girls coming out the door. I peek at the open door to check if anyone is inside.

"Oh, Yunho ah! Why are you here?" The girl with long blonde hair asks, beaming a smile when she sees me.

"Chaerin ssi, did you and your friends saw Nari here?" I ask her. Her face slowly contorts into a frown but tries to hide it.

"Choi Nari? We didn't saw her here. What's the business with her?" She forcefully smiles.

"Ah, I just wanted to make sure she eats something before lunch break ends," I scratch my nape and glanced at the end of the hallway. I notice the chains at the staircase to the rooftop open, realising that someone had went up there, "anyways, thanks for your help Chaerin. I need to go, bye!" I ran to the rusty staircase and went up to the rooftop.

I peek at the ajar door and see a figure sitting at the edge of the building with a cat beside them. I walk out of the dusty door and quietly stride to the girl. Noticing that she has earphones on, I chuckle to myself knowing that she won't notice a presence behind her.

Well, that's what I thought.

The ginger cat stares at me with it's round eyes which made me halt on my steps. My heart thumped when the little animal steals Nari's pencil from her hand and strides to me causing the girl to look at my direction. The cat places the pencil in front of my foot before licking it's arm. I look back to Nari and see her taking off her earphones while staring at me confusedly.

"Jeong... Yunho?"

Wow, she actually knows me. Suck it up, Song Mingi.

"You know me?"

She looks at me more confused. She gets out of the edge and walks to me, lifting the cat on the floor and placing her inside her bag before picking up her pencil.

"Of course I would, I mean- you're the best volleyball player in our year," she huffs before placing her hands on her waist while looking at my eyes, "are you Jung Wooyoung's brother?"

"Uh- how did you know?"

"Well, it's obvious," she lifts one of her hand to count, "though the two of you don't have facial similarities which probably means one of you is adopted, you two have the same surname, has the energetic personality, and both talked to me at the same day meaning you are also involved with my cousin, San," she drops her hand and stares at my horrified face.

"How-?"

"Don't ask," she looks away and walks to the door but I grabbed her arm to stop her from leaving.

"Wait!"

She looks back at me, staring at my eyes. I let go of her as she crosses her arms, leaning on her left leg.

"Gosh, you two are so alike," she sighs and taps her right foot on the floor, "look, I am totally fine and can take care of myself so whatever San says is just him being a worry maniac."

This girl is so hard-headed.

I chuckle at her which caused her to give me a questioning look.

"You say you can take care of yourself when you haven't even eaten any food."

She glares at me, "I already told Wooyoung I'm not hung-"

Before she could finish her sentence, I grab her arm as I drag the both of us inside the school. She widens her eyes, the stonic aura leaving her as she looks at me in fear.

"What are you doing?! Let go of me!" she tries to get out of my grip but of course, failed to since I'm stronger.

"Calm down, lady. I'm not gonna do anything to you."

She tries to pull out her arm from my hand for a few more times until she got tired and sighed in defeat, following me in silence.

We arrived at the cafeteria with thirty minutes left before lunch break ends. I drag her to our table, noticing the dirty stares that the other girls give to Nari as we pass them. I glance at Nari behind me and see her looking down the floor with one of her arm on my hand and the other gripping her bag tightly.

Mingi looks at my hand that's holding Nari before smirking at me. I roll my eyes at him and let Nari sit on the empty chair beside a now cheery Wooyoung.

"Hi Nari!" he beams loudly causing her to wince and glare at me.

"I hate you."

Mingi snorts, irritating me so I stepped on his foot which silenced him. I cough to break the tension before smiling at the angry girl.

"Anyways, I'm gonna get you food so wait here."

I leave the three of them and went to the food canteen.