when i was your man // park sunghoon

삼

"When our friends talk about you,"

"all it does is just tear me down"

A week has passed since Sunghoon and Haewon's breakup, and news spread quickly throughout their school. The news of their breakup even went past the borders of their school and to neighboring schools as well.

The gossip of their breakup didn't help either of their situations. People continuously made assumptions and theories about the downfall of their relationship. 

It's humorous though. How people could be so invested in others' lives just for the fun of it, without even considering the fact that those people are also humans with human emotions.

It was relatively easy for their peers and juniors to do this to the pair, as they were the staple teen couple of the town.

Their families had grown up there, and so had they. They were friends since childhood, everyone knew them and their families, including how close they were. 

Inevitably, the two teens developed romantic feelings for each other when entering adolescence. They spent about a year simply crushing on each other. Everyone around them noticed it, except for them.

The two best friends were constantly shipped with each other, but instantly denied any rumors that would be brought up, in fear of being rejected by the other.

After some time, they got sick of the guessing game, and coincidentally confessed at the same time.

After two years of the dating, there wasn't a single person in their small town who hadn't heard about their breakup. There also wasn't a single person who wasn't somewhat interested or fascinated by their recent breakup.

Sunghoon and Haewon weren't only the desired trope of "childhood friends to lovers" but they were also over-achievers academically and athletically, and nowhere near bad looking. They also managed to somehow gain their own mini fan-club when they officially started dating, too. 

Haewon had a few who despised her out of jealousy from wanting to be in her place, and the same went for Sunghoon.

Now, Haewon walks down the school halls with her eyes on the floor, feeling many stares burning through her sides and back. Loud voices become whispers once she walks past them, she tightly shuts her eyes for a split second, exhausted from all the talk.

This past week has been one of the hardest for her because, of course, she no longer had her best friend to comfort her through times like this.

Even for the past few months he'd neglected her and her love, it wasn't as if he wasn't there at all. She still had the ability to call him or be with him physically. Sunghoon had been with her through her most brutal times, and most joyful memories.

She has other friends, some close to her too, but none of them will ever be able to reciprocate the bond her and Sunghoon once had.

Haewon quickly gathered her belongings form her locker, and headed straight to the classroom where her friends sit, not sparing a glance at her peers that continue to whisper freely about her.

She walks up to the familiar classroom, seeing the wide open door not far from her.

When she enters the classroom, her friends sat in a circle at the bench desks, already immersed in conversation.

She takes a seat next to Chailail. The Thai girl smiles at her once she's seated, then turns back to continue speaking with their friends.

Haewon wasn't too interested in conversing this lunch period, as to go for everything else in the previous seven days.

That changed when an all too familiar name was carelessly thrown into the air. 

The girls' breaths catch in their throats as the room went silent.

So silent, a pin could be heard if it were to drop. 

Cautious eyes turn to Haewon, while one of the friends awkwardly laughed off the tension.

She starts hesitantly, "Uh..as we were saying," she lets out a breathy chuckle, "that jerk Park Sunghoon!" she rolls her eyes dramatically.

The girls look at Jiwoo in confusion, knowing very well they weren't speaking ill of him previously.

 One by one, the girls start nodding, the room bustling with murmurs of agreement.

"Yeah! He's really not all that," Iseul scoffs.

Haewon abruptly stands up, causing a few of the girls to flinch, and the others look up at her in horror.

She walks out of the door without another word, the girls finally able to breathe freely but with a lingering feeling of guilt as well.

Haewon presses her back against the wall outside the classroom feeling tears well up in her eyes.

She looks to the ceiling, fighting her tears. Pressing her lips together, she inhales deeply, closing her eyes. The raven-haired girl calms herself before opening her eyes again to an unfamiliar, and unpredictable, sight.

Park Sunghoon walks down the hallway alone, with his head down, books in his arms, and earbuds plugged in.

Alone. 

That was something unheard of when it came to Sunghoon. Ever since Haewon had come into his life, he was hardly ever seen alone. Especially when he practically betrayed their friendship, and relationship, for his new friends.

This made Haewon wonder if the breakup was just as hard for him as it was her.

Published: February 6, 2023

Edited: --

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