The Boy Next Door

36.

Chaewon's POV:

I grab all my stuff after a couple minutes since I don't have any business to do here anymore, and frankly, I don't want to see Heeseung.

I keep my head down and try to keep all my stuff balanced my hands. My books, bag, phone, and notebooks are all in my hands so one wrong move and I'll-

I trip over something and fall face first to the ground. I wince in pain in my knee but I quickly get up onto all fours to pick my stuff up.

I turn to see the thing that tripped me but coincidently I see the girl Heeseung was making out with and of course, him.

She's laughing and hitting his shoulder but he doesn't seem to happy. His face is pale with dark undereye bags making me worry and I quickly organize my thoughts since everyone is looking.

"That was hilarious!" she screams loudly. I just pick up all my stuff off the ground and chase after a pencil running away from me.

"Do you like the view?" I hear a male voice while I see a pair of legs appear in front of me. He laughs and does a creepy ass movement with his legs.

"Disgusting." I say before picking up the last of my stuff and running out of there. Before I leave the library I take a glance at Heeseung and see him keeping his head low but we make eye contact for a second.

Why didn't he do anything? Well, I shouldn't expect anything since I pushed him away. He can now live a better life I guess.

I hear my phone beep while I'm walking and see it's Namjin so I ignore it until I get to the car.

"Jiwoo!" I say while seeing her with a group of people.

"Hi!" she says.

"Can you hang out? I have a lot to say." I say but quickly snap back to reality, realizing she doesn't like me talking about other things.

"Uhm, sorry I have plans after school today. Oh and uhm don't text Minwoo he said he was really busy but he didn't want to bother you!" she says looking oddly scared or I guess guilty. Why is she acting like this? And why would he talk to her? I'm not trying to keep him on a leash or something but, why doesn't he communicate with me?

It's like we aren't dating. No no, I shouldn't doubt him.

"No worries. Bye." I say quietly before walking to my car. On the way I check the texts and realize Namjin wants to meet up anyway.

~

Namjinnie!:

Namjinnie!: can you hang out in like an hour or so?

Me: hmm sure ig. Where?

Namjinnie!: oh just the mall! yea we can shop and stuff...

Me: oh okay! see you.

Namjinnie!: and dress nicely ig but you always look good so it doesnt rlly matter

Me: hmm why?

Namjinnie!: nothing!!

~

She's acting oddly suspicious too. Am I doing something wrong? Am I treating my friends badly?

I get ready as soon as I go home since I don't have anything to do, home alone. And all my professor have been giving me less work and assignments when I specifically told them I was fine.

Everyone is on nails around me. It's annoying. I'm fine. Perfectly normal. Why wouldn't I be?

I grab my stuff and stare out the window to all the flowers the gardener has put. They are so beautiful and fresh under the gleaming sun.

It gives me flash backs to when I was younger, with Hees... with him. We would play outside for hours then we would have sleepovers at my house when his father was home.

He always was a anxious kid so I distracted him with games, jokes, and basically anything that would take his mind off this. But he would always listen to my rants, and weird things I had to say.

It's not that he would just ignore my words, he actually listened, I felt safe. Maybe it's different now but I still do wish it was the same.

I snap out of my thoughts and quickly drive to the mall to meet Namjin. I guess her and Jiwoo are my only friends now.

"Chaeeee!!" I hear her voice screen from the other side of the mall. I quickly run to her and hug her like I didn't just see her like two hours ago.

"Okay let's go!" she says happily. She's doing all of this to cheer me up or something, I know it.

She frequently checks her phone and makes really weird turns but all she does is smile at me.

"Uhhh... oh my!! What a coincidence!" she screams at a direction to my left. I turn my head awkwardly and see the person I didn't want to see here.

Heeseung. How? Why?

"Wow what a coincidence we are here! Well..." Namjin says while giving us a look of expectation.

"You planned this didn't you?" I say while death staring at her.

"What!? Me? No way." she says being two seconds away from bursting out laughing.

"Okay okay. I did. But only because you two made my skin crawl when you guys weren't together all the time! So.. this is my cue!! I have... dance practice!! Byeee!! And no motels!!" she screams while running away leaving me in awkward silence.

There's so many things I want to say but I don't know how to say it. Sorry? Thank you for giving me space? Please come back to me? I miss you? Ugh.

"So. Let's just walk." he says coldly while I nod in agreement. I stare down not daring to look at his beautiful eyes.

I stare at his hands and realize they are red and gory like he's been fighting.

"I'm not worried, just a question. What happened to your hands?" I ask while clearing my voice since I totally regret even saying what I said.

I hear him chuckle but more of a force laugh then real. Our shoulders keep touching making me anxious and my breathing becomes shallow.

"For the not worried girl next to me, it's nothing." he says while slowly edging away from me.

"Yah! I mean- yea, I don't care, just curious." I say while lowering my voice.

"Well stop being cur- Chaewon get behind me."  he says mid sentence making me tilt my head but he seems more serious then ever.

He pushes me behind him and puts his hand in front of me but I can tell he's trying not to touch me.

~

Word count: 1103❤️❤️❤️