Paperclips - YJH

Twelve

Coming back to attend college felt weird; it was increasing my anxiety in a way. I was nervous, not because I have pending assignments, but because there were people I had to avoid at all costs. I felt like I was constantly on edge, worried about running into certain individuals who I didn't want to interact with. Of course, that implies Jeonghan. I don't know what it is that my mother hates so much about him; is it his family that is indebted to her? I had no idea.

As I was walking through the lavish hallways of this prestigious college, I couldn't help but think about the first time I met Jeonghan. How his tall figure stood in front of me as we almost bumped into each other on the first day, how he was always late to classes, how I embarrassed myself by asking him out for coffee, how he was one of the first and only people I got close to in this entire college.

"What's so funny?" Soonyoung jumped in front of me, startling me out of my thoughts. I realised the corners of my lips were curled for him to be like this; my eyes widen when I realise it; I had been smiling while thinking about Jeonghan.

Soonyoung flicks my forehead and gets me out of my thoughts again: "You were gone for days, and now you're acting possessed?" He stared at me weirdly, as if he'd just seen something unusual. I quickly shook my head, trying to shake off the lingering thoughts of Jeonghan before turning my attention back to Soonyoung. "Just lost in my own world for a moment," I replied with a sheepish smile.

"Man, you really need to learn to update your friends when you go out of contact like that." He chuckled, shaking his head before adding, "I was starting to think you got kidnapped or something." I laughed, relieved that he was just teasing me and not actually upset.

He slowly quieted down before looking around and saying, "Especially Jeonghan. He was worried sick. He said that you said you were feverish, but honestly, that sounded like an excuse to both of us." My eyes widened at the thought of being caught with my lie. I looked away, "You guys are just jobless, honestly." I coughed out a response and smiled. 
____

From a distance, Jeonghan was watching this interaction between Y/N and Soonyoung. His heart raced as he watched her from afar and how her eyes wrinkled up when she laughed while talking to Soonyoung. He couldn't help but admire how her hair flew in the wind and how she looked prettier every time he saw her. However, there was another emotion burning within him as he watched them—a negative emotion that he didn't like. His fists clenched and unclenched as he made his way towards them. 

"There you are." Soonyoung glanced at Jeonghan before he looked back at me with a smile. Hearing that made my heart race. It made me uneasy. I had to avoid Jeonghan; I need to unfriend him. I need to get him out of my life so that he's safe from the hands of my mother. I couldn't let her hurt him. So, I made the difficult decision to distance myself from Jeonghan for his own safety. It was a painful choice, but one that I knew was necessary to protect him. Without even glancing Jeonghan's way, I say bye to Soonyoung and rush off to my class.

"Wait- Y/N! Where are you going?!" I heard Soonyoung call out from behind, but I ignored him and continued on my way, my heart heavy with the weight of my decision. As I continued walking, I felt a pair of hands grip my wrist gently from behind, but tight enough to bring me to a halt.

Turning around, I see Jeonghan standing there with a concerned look on his face. "Y/N, what's going on?" he asks softly, his eyes searching mine for answers. I take a deep breath, trying to find the right words to explain my actions without putting him in danger.

"It's nothing," I remove his grip on my hands and pull my hands back, "Just go to class, you're late." Jeonghan's expression shifts to one of hurt and confusion as he watches me walk away. I can feel his eyes on me as I continue down the hallway, my heart heavy with the weight of my secret. I know I can't keep him in the dark forever, but for now, it's better this way. As I turn the corner and disappear from his view, I can't help but wonder how long I can keep up this facade.

Jeonghan watches her disappear around the corner, his heart sinking with each step she takes away from him. He knows there's something she's not telling him, and it eats away at him as he stands there, helpless and lost. He knows he has to confront her, but he was scared of what she might be hiding from him. He assumed that it will hurt him, no matter what it is. Jeonghan takes a deep breath, steeling himself for the difficult conversation ahead. He knows that he can't ignore his gut feeling any longer and must find out the truth, no matter how painful it may be.  ____

Later that day, I was walking towards the library to get my mind off things that were happening and hoping to complete some pending work. The sun was beginning to set, casting a warm glow over the campus as I made my way through the familiar path. The quiet atmosphere of the library always helped me focus and escape from the chaos of my thoughts. As I settled with a stack of books in hand, my mind couldn't help but drift off to the incidents that happened today with Jeonghan. Guilt was eating me up and it reached the point where I couldn't focus on the books anymore. Why did I care so much about him anyway? 

Unable to focus anymore, I stand up and grab my bag to head out, planning to return to my dorm and sleep the worry away. However, as I rushed down the road this late evening, I felt another pair of legs following me. I quickened my pace, trying to shake off the feeling of being followed, but the footsteps behind me only seemed to get closer. My heart raced with fear as I realised I may not be alone on this dark, deserted road. Clutching onto my backpack, I took another turn, which unfortunately led me to a dead end. I turned back to see a stranger I didn't recognise. He approached me with a smile and stood in front of me. I tried to look for weapons around, but the ground was clean. I looked back to see if I could run, but the guy blocked the only exit. As he raised his hand to slap me, my mind went blank as I turned away and shut my eyes tightly.

However, the impact never came. Instead, I felt a hand grip mine tightly and start running with me, pulling me away from the dangerous situation. I opened my eyes to see the familiar face of Jeonghan, panting as he pulled me away. Even though the only thing I felt a moment ago was fear, now I felt a mix of emotions as I watched Jeonghan run. I felt happy, I felt safe and more importantly, I fell in love.