unrequited

29

"Chanhee have you heard anything from Changmin?" I popped my head into my brother's room.

It had been two days since I last emailed him, and every hour I spent worrying and wondering if I should find the hospital and call through them.

"For the last time Doah, no. I haven't heard from him since I replied in like a week. How dare he ignore me," Chanhee said.

"Do you think he's okay?" I asked, as if I hadn't stayed up every night thinking about it.

"He's probably just busy." Chanhee said. "Last I heard his grandma wasn't doing too well. Just-just leave him for a second."

"But you're his best friend and I'm...."

"You're...?"

"I-I'm worried about him." I said.

"I don't know why you're making such a fuss out of it. He's probably roaming the streets of Hollywood getting scouted to be an actor or something." Chanhee shooed me away.

It suddenly occurred to me how Chanhee would react to Changmin and I being.... whatever we were. It's not that I didn't consider my brother's feelings, it's just that Changmin going to the states was such a shock, I didn't think about how it would change when he would be back.

"Aren't you supposed to be getting ready for prom?" He added.

"Yeah," I closed his door and went back to my room.

Hanni already had a group to go with, Sunwoo had his girlfriend, and none of the book club people were going. So, I put on my dress alone.

It was the dress that we got when the three of us went to the mall. I remembered I had a terrible hangover that day. It was silk and dark blue with simple, thin straps and the opened-laced back.

Changmin had stepped in between me and some weird man that day. I had never felt more protected in my life. I remembered liking the feeling of him standing behind me. What I would give for him to be here, looking at me through the mirror in my room with that smile.

I left my hair natural because I wasn't planning on staying for long. I didn't have heels either so I put on my converse sneakers, but when I stood up the length of the dress covered my shoes anyways.

I stood by the door and my mom took a bunch of pictures. Chanhee was all dressed up too, not because he was going to prom, but because he had an interview for an internship with a fashion design company.

"You look nice," Chanhee said as we waited by the door for our ride to come.

"You too," I answered.

"Remember, find Juyeon if you want to leave or if anything comes up. Don't take a drink from someone you don't know, and don't leave your drink either. Oh and-"

"Chanhee." I interrupted him. "I'll be fine."

He sighed. "Okay,"

After circling around once more and making sure my dress wasn't wrinkly anywhere, he finally let me go.

I Got in the back of Juyeon's car, and Kevin was in the passenger's seat. they both didn't have dates either.

"Doah you look so pretty!" Kevin said. "Doesn't she?" He nudged Juyeon.

Juyeon glanced at me through the rearview mirror, but he was more concerned with backing out of our driveway.

"Yes." He said, and continued with his eyes on the road.

The ride there was mostly silent, though I didn't mind listening to Kevin singing along with the radio.

The car was never this empty before.