Paperclips - YJH

Sixteen

"Do you guys perhaps know each other?" Mr. Lee asked, breaking the tense silence in the room. I felt a mix of emotions as I tried to process the sudden turn of events.

Soonyoung glanced around and patted Jeonghan's back, silently telling him to sit down. As we both came back to our senses, we broke eye contact, and I awkwardly smiled at him to ease the moment but he looked away.
____

Why is she here? Where was she for all these years? Why is she suddenly back? Is she here to hurt me again? A thousand thoughts raced through Jeonghan's mind as he stared at her. The first few years after she left were tormenting for Jeonghan. He couldn't stop thinking about her. He texted her every day. His attempts to call her failed, and he was going crazy. That's when Y/N's mother visited him one day and told him, "Y/N left for good. She doesn't like you; she's embarrassed by your presence, and she wants to live a better life without people like you in it. You better stop trying to reach out to her. She hates you." Her mother's words pierced Jeonghan's heart like a sharp dagger, leaving him shattered and devastated. He realised he had to let go and move on, no matter how much it hurt. Slowly, he started to cope with his pain by despising her. Later as he joined Seventeen and rose to fame, he slowly forgot about her.

Now, there she was, in front of him, after all these years. All the pain he went through all those years ago was suddenly coming back to him but this time, he knew he had grown stronger and wiser, and he was determined not to let her presence disrupt his newfound peace and success. As he sat down, he saw her awkwardly smiling at him, and he looked away. He hated her, to say the least. He knew he had to keep his distance to protect himself from getting hurt again. So, he paid no heed to her and looked away. 
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"We were classmates." Soonyoung told Mr. Lee as the latter nodded in understanding, "Then that's great! I'm sure you'll have a lot to catch up on," Mr. Lee said with a smile.

"Of course," I replied, forcing a smile as I tried to hide the turmoil of emotions that were churning inside me. I knew this reunion would bring back memories I had worked so hard to bury.  

"So, Y/N. Where did you work before this?" The guy called Jisoo asked, breaking the tense silence that had settled over us.

"I was in LA for nine years before coming here." I replied while my eyes carefully glanced at Jeonghan at the other end of the table, who was drowning himself in alcohol while talking to someone.

"Oh? LA? That's such a coincidence! My hometown is LA too!" Jisoo exclaimed with a smile, trying to lighten the mood.

"LA?" A voice chimed from across the room, causing me to look at the person who spoke. It was Soonyoung, "You were in LA?" He repeated, surprised.

"Yeah," I nodded with a polite smile, which he returned. He then glanced at Jeonghan, just like I did a few moments ago.

Jeonghan seemed to be noticing all the secret glances he'd been receiving for the past few minutes as he abruptly stood up. "I need some fresh air." He walked out of the room.

I looked at Soonyoung, and he somehow understood what my look meant. He silently mouthed Go, to which I stood up, excused myself from the room, and followed Jeonghan outside. As I stepped out of the room, I saw him getting into the elevator. I ran to catch up, but the doors closed before I could reach him, leaving me standing alone in the hallway. I quickly took another elevator to the highest floor, assuming that the rooftop was where he went.

I arrived at the rooftop just in time to see Jeonghan standing on the edge, staring out at the city skyline with both his hands planted in his pockets. Without saying a word, I stood next to him. He looked at me for a split second before looking away, indicating that he knows I'm here.

"Jeonghan," I said softly, trying to gauge his reaction. He remained silent, his expression unreadable as he continued to gaze out at the city below. "Jeo—" He cut me off by sighing.

"I have nothing to say to you." He turned away from me and started walking, his shoulders tense.

"I do." I replied, hoping that he'll hear me out. I had no idea what I wanted to say, but I just wanted him to look at me in this moment. Having him rudely his back against me hurt a little bit.

He sighed as he turned to me. "I don't want to hear it." I could see the hint of hurt in his eyes. He looked into my eyes for a good few seconds before walking away, leaving me alone on the rooftop. I bit my lips as I watched him go, feeling a mix of disappointment and regret wash over me. Maybe it was too late to fix things between us.

Soon, I heard footsteps rush towards me, and as I turned around to look at the person, it was Soonyoung. I smiled slightly seeing him pant. After finally regaining his composure, he gave me a menacing glare, just like the ones he used to give me every time we bickered in college.

"Where the fuck were you for nine years? NINE YEARS?!" He screamed at my face, his eyes burning with anger, "COULDN'T YOU HAVE TOLD US?! I had to find out from the fucking professors!" He continued to scold me as I stood there and listened to him with a smile. He hasn't changed. 

"Soonyoung, I'm sorry," I began, trying to explain myself, but he cut me off with a wave of his hand. "Save it," he said curtly, turning away from me in frustration. I waited for him to turn back around as I sarcastically apologised once again, to which he gave me another death glare before he opened his arms, which I gladly accepted with a smile.

After our very short hug, I pulled away and smiled at him. "You guys are now famous and rich, huh?" I asked.

"Of course, we are." He said it proudly. 
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Jeonghan watched as Y/N and Soonyoung acted like friends, with an emotion he couldn't explain. Was it longing? Was it Hatred? He didn't know. However, as much as he hated to admit, he was secretly glad that she was back and his heart jumped a bit when he saw her smile once again.