jay takes the lead

2

"what's gotten you so excited?" haewon asks as you both sit in the cafeteria for lunch.

you shrug, "i don't know."

"oh, come on, i noticed yesterday that you were happier than usual, and now today you can barely sit still," haewon leans over so her face is closer to yours from across the table, "so tell me, what's gotten you so excited?"

you sigh, "jay wants to be friends with me again."

haewon's quizzical smile drops as she sits back into her chair, "jay as in jay park?"

you look down at the textbook you were previously studying and pretend that you've gone back to reading it, "yep."

"y/n, you know that jay park is a douchebag; we've gone over this a thousa-."

"he's not a douchebag," you defend him, and it surprises you and haewon, "he just makes stupid decisions."

"i can't believe what I'm hearing right now," your best friend shakes her head in disbelief, "jay park suddenly wants to be your friend again, and now everything you've ever said or thought about him is thrown out the window?"

"of course not!"

"Well then, have you completely forgotten everything he and his idiotic friends have done to others? what they've done to you?"

you place your head in your hand and rub the spot in between your eyebrows from the frustration you're feeling, "this is why i didn't want to tell you." you know it isn't like you to not tell haewon something, especially if it's made you as happy as you are that you are going to become friends with jay again. but after all the conversations you and haewon have had about your past friends, you knew she wouldn't accept it.

haewon wasn't as popular as jay, sunghoon or jake, and she didn't want to be. that was one thing that you and haewon bonded over when you first became friends; neither of you fell into the high school fantasy that consumes almost every teenager. you didn't get all the hype about it, and you especially didn't get the hype about the popular trio that took over the high school.

haewon didn't necessarily hate the trio; she just didn't agree with any of the stupid decisions they made, certainly not the ones where they've treated another person wrongly. she thought you and the trio were on entirely different sides of the spectrum of people, and she never understood how you could be friends with them.

but haewon didn't know jay, sunghoon and jake as you did. she didn't hold all the memories, the inside jokes, the serious talks about the future like you did.

"didn't want to tell me?" haewon repeats what you said, "great, so now you're keeping stuff from me?"

"haewon, no, that's not what i meant. i just know that you don't like jay and that you probably wouldn't want me being friends with him again."

"well, you're right, i don't want you being friends with him again, but what can i do? you make your own decisions, i just don't want to be the one you run to when he hurts you again, especially not after you don't want to tell me things anymore." you can see the look of hurt on haewon's face as she spoke to you.

haewon is loyal to all of her friends, and she doesn't hesitate to stand up for someone or for something that she considers suitable. you're almost painfully aware that what she's saying is correct and that it's coming from the better side of her heart, but she doesn't understand that jay used to be your best friend too.

"i'm sorry that i upset you won, but if my past friend wants to become friends with me again, then i think its worth a shot."

"Okay," haewon nods, "i respect your decision, y/n."