Blooming | Ateez Hongjoong

15 • You don't know me!

"Why you lied?"

Those three words utterly do some sort of curse on Jang Hyemi. Her brain can't make up any proper excuse. Not at all.

Especially when a certain someone's gaze is still casting on her intensely.

Because you and your colleague undeniably look good together?

Because you fail to notice my current down mood?

Because I simply have no idea why all of these bug me like this?

Possibilities cross her mind but they are more like questions blatantly thrown back at her.

"Nothing." softness in her voice yet a hint of agony is somehow evident, "don't worry."

The usual Hyemi is a peace-lover, especially when it comes to her beloved people. Hongjoong, who has been her friend for years, is certainly one of those people. Never had she thought of fighting or arguing with him.

Though his stance is remaining the same, the pupils in his eyes say differently. "What do you mean nothing?"

To Hongjoong, it can be anything but nothing. Their years of friendship will do no justice if he turns a blind eye and believes the response she just emits.

"Anything you can't tell me?"

Dodging his eyes which she knows they still intently fix on her own despite staying at an arm's length from each other, the urge of backing off sinks in her system all of a sudden.

Like Mingi's advice, it's a dare to get on Hongjoong's bad side.

"Was it your mother?" Annoyance and rage ascend in his tone, "that woman disturbed you again?"

The said girl shakes her head in response, feeling even harder to break what's on her mind to him. "Let's go rest. We're gonna have a long day ahead."

As she is bound to turn away and leaves him with curiosity, Hongjoong quickly grabs a hold of her wrist to keep the female in place, along with the whiff of her shampoo that makes no effort to hit his sense every single time.

"Talk it out, Hyemi." His brows crash in serious manner.

She mutters lowly, wanting to retreat her wrist from his grip, "Really. It's nothing."

"What's with you? Why are you so hardheaded?"

Frustration in his tone does shoot a pang into her heart.

"Then you don't have to care!"

Unexpectedly, irritation ends up getting the best of Hyemi and eventually expodes like a bomb thanks to the boy's words as a trigger.

Hongjoong turns silent. He is stunned by her reaction, in a not-so-positive way obviously.

The air suddenly goes dense, suffocating enough to knock all of sanity out of their bodies.

"Does it matter if I care or not?" His hold on her wrist is loosening abruptly, "At the end of the day you still never let me in! Never tell me your problem!" Harsh words roll out of his mouth nonstop due to desperation and hurt. "What am I to you? An outsider?"

"How can you even say that?" the girl is in a mix of disbelief and anger, unable to decipher why her friend has such assumption. "As if you don't know me..."

"I don't think you know me either," he talks back in sarcasm, not yet noticing his friend's vulnerability. "So what you expect me to do? Enlighten me then."

After a pause, Hyemi's eyes immediately dart to the ceiling as she feels the hot tears threatening to accompany her cracking voice if he stays in her vision any longer.

When agony is eventually set aside, regret is what left. It pains Hongjoong when he himself is the cause, for letting emotion take a toll and pile out uncontrollably.

Such a wrong move.

How come everything went downhill in a matter of seconds?

Disappointment in her glossy eyes and quivering voice, she tries to conceal but fails miserably; and the male is witty enough to notice them all.

But he otps for doing nothing about it.

A part of Hongjoong hopes his friend will acknowledge the mound of feeling that has been capturing in him for so long. Even she doesn't look his way as a love interest, at least she relies on him a little more as a long time friend is second to none.

Is it too much to ask for?

No doubt, none of them can sleep with their eye-closed tonight.

**********

So happy to update again. About the tension, please spare me 😌😂

While writing this chap, I was torn between Letting them make up and Pushing them away a bit. Yeah, you can see I chose the latter sksksk

Have an extra day guys. I really appreciate all of your votes / comments 💖

Update: I unpublished this chapter to add some parts then publish again. Hope it didn't confuse ฅ'ω'ฅ