You Draw Me In ➳ Myung Jaehyun

8; Surprises

The next day, over a shared plate of fries at our favorite hangout after school, I spill the tea to Danielle about the boys' ridiculous prank. Her eyes widen, and I can practically see the steam coming out of her ears.

'Are you kidding me, Lizzie? That's not okay! They really need to grow up!' she exclaims, her annoyance evident.

'I know, right? It was beyond lame, and the fact that Jaehyun was a part of it just made it more annoying for me,' I grumble.

Danielle's eyes narrow as she glares at the approaching group of boys, led by none other than Yeonjun himself. I can see her blood boiling, and I brace myself for the impending storm.

As they approach, Jaehyun breaks away from the group while the rest go pick a table, a sheepish look on his face. 'Lizzie, can we talk for a moment?'

I glance at Danielle, who's ready to unleash a verbal hurricane on the unsuspecting boys. I nod, signaling that I'll handle it first.

'Alright, what do you want to say?' I reply, crossing my arms.

Jaehyun rubs the back of his neck, looking genuinely remorseful. 'Lizzie, I had no idea they were planning to do something like that. I wouldn't have joined in if I knew it was going to hurt you.'

Danielle scoffs audibly, not buying into his apology. 'Oh, spare us the "I had no idea" act. You're hanging out with these guys every day, and you're telling me you didn't know that they were capable of pulling a childish prank? Please.'

Jaehyun shoots Danielle an apologetic look before turning back to me. 'I swear, Lizzie, I wouldn't intentionally do something to upset you. I messed up, and I'm really sorry.'

I sigh, torn between annoyance and the sincerity in Jaehyun's eyes. 'Apology accepted, I guess. Just...make sure your friends don't involve me in their immature games again.'

Danielle, however, is not ready to let it go. 'You need new friends if these are the stunts they're pulling, otherwise you'll end up like the rest of them.'

I shoot her a look, silently urging her to tone it down. She huffs but relents, focusing her attention on the remainder of fries.

As Jaehyun rejoins his group, I can't shake the feeling of frustration. It's not just about a silly prank; I do agree that the choices Jaehyun is making when it comes to friends are not good ones. I wonder if they were going to make him change, but that was something way beyond my power.

Danielle starts to shoot daggers with her eyes at the boys' table. Yeonjun, the mastermind behind yesterday's prank, decides it's time to defend the honor of his squad. He saunters over, a cocky grin plastered on his face.

'Hey, Danielle, heard you've got some opinions about us. Care to share?' Yeonjun taunts, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

Danielle doesn't hold back, crossing her arms defiantly. 'Yeah, I do. You guys need a reality check. Pulling pranks on a girl? Seriously?'

Yeonjun rolls his eyes. 'It was a joke and it wasn't even directed at you. Your friend doesn't seem to be complaining.'

'It was a stupid, mean joke.' Danielle retorts. 'And Jaehyun is the only smart one in your group to realize it! That's why he apologized.'

As if on cue, Jaehyun lifts his head from the boys' table, catching my eye. There's a brief moment of silent understanding, a shared acknowledgement of the absurdity unfolding before us. A subtle smirk plays on Jaehyun's lips, and I can't help but chuckle inwardly. We both think Yeonjun and Danielle arguing is silly.

Yeonjun, however, isn't about to let Danielle have the last word. 'You think Jaehyun's apology was real? He's just scared cause he's new. Listen, we're all having fun. If you can't handle it, that's your problem.'