Trust Issues | Hwang Hyunjin

Eighteen

Kim Haewon

I reluctantly went back to work on Monday. I was extremely nervous to see Hyunjin, but I made a plan. A plan to avoid Hyunjin at all costs.

First, talk to Seungmin as soon as I walk in. .

Second, make my way to my office using the longest route that no one would ever use cause they're all lazy. Or maybe cause they aren't trying to avoid a sexy ex.

Third, stay in office until break. Not too hard.

Fourth, make sure to cling to Ryujin.

The plan was overall terrible, but it was all I had. I made my way into the building and to the reception desk, to where Seungmin was watching something.

"Morning," he said, before I could say anything. 

"Morning," I noticed he was the only receptionist, so I took advantage of that and asked, "where's Yeji?"

"She pulled a Changbin and got out of coming," he replied, then smirked. "or should i say, she pulled a Haewon and got out of coming. All. Week." I rolled my eyes.

"I was sick," I lied. 

"Sure," Seungmin winked, then looked down at his phone. "Help me."

"With?"

"Cho-hee," he said. "I may or may not have really pissed her off."

"What did you do?"

"Hey, I said may or may not have," he said. "anyway, i may or may not have cancelled our plans on the weekend, totally forgetting that i cancelled them last week."

I blinked. "Why would you cancel them?" he shrugged.

"I was tired."

"so tell her that, and then take her out and do something."

Whatever Seungmin replied with, I didn't know, because my attention drifted. Not because Seungmin was boring, because another person caught my eye.

What is he doing down here at this time?

Hwang Hyunjin. He was either ignoring me or hadn't noticed me yet. He was talking with Chan, and he seemed to have impressed him. Chan was laughing, Hyunjin was smiling. His hair was curly this morning. It looked cute. He looked cute. Nothing new there, of course. 

He looked up and met my gaze, but I turned back to Seungmin and smiled.

"gotta run," I said dryly. He nodded and I left, making sure not to look up at Hyunjin. Thankfully, he didn't approach me.

But that got me thinking: was it such a bad thing that I slept with him? What had he said? "I've missed you". was he saying that so i'd have sex with him, or because he meant it? 

I thought back to what Minji had said. "he's changed." True enough, i had been thinking the exact same thing, but my intentions were never to get close with him, hook up at that. 

Then what my parents had said all those years ago, "he's not a good person." they hardly knew hyunjin, he never really was the social type, yet they seemed set on their opinion about him. It wasn't that he was a bad person, it was that he hung around with the wrong people. 

-

"Hyunjin, i don't like your friends," i said, sitting next to him. he frowned and looked up.

"what did my friends do to you?"  he asked uncertainly.

"Nothing, but i feel like they aren't the best people to hangout with,"  i replied, regretting bringing it up at all.

"why?"

"the way they speak about women? it's disgusting, you heard Tae-il talking about how many girls he's fucked, and how Do-ho is going to play around with Soyeon, even though he knows she likes him."

"but that's nothing to do with me, or nothing i'd do," he sounded annoyed. i sighed.

"forget it."

"No, keep going, please," his voice softened slightly. only slightly. 

"and how dahyun is cheating on his girlfriend with her best friend?" i said. hyunjin raised an eyebrow.

"you think i'd-"

"That's not what i said," i interrupted. "I just think they're a bad influence."

"i won't get influenced," he said, and wrapped an arm around me, kissing my forehead. "don't worry."

"okay," i sighed. "stay safe, hyunnie."

-

well, stay safe he did not. 

I couldn't even blame Hyunjin for what happened the other night. He asked me, twice, if i was okay with it. I had told him to hurry up, yet now i regretted it. why did i regret it? because of some mistakes that happened four years ago? pretty big mistakes, but still mistakes. i had lost two people that day.

did jiyeon ever contact hyunjin? did they date after i had gone? did hyunjin dump her? where was jiyeon now? what was she doing? did she even know if hyunjin was around here?

I made my way to my office and pushed the door open.

"My wife is back!" ryujin yelled immediately. I smiled as she closed the door behind me. "where've you been?"

"just....sick," i shrugged. "i'm much better now."

"good to hear, chan's been going crazy without his number one employee," she rolled her eyes. "everyone thought changbin was the favourite."

"i dont blame him for falling for my charms," i joked, and she laughed.

"it's been boring without you, but- update! minho and sakura finally went on a date!"

"how did it go?"

"i think they're going on a second one in a few days, that's what kura said," she sat down, then looked up at me. "jisung's really cute, isn't he?" i stared at her.

"You and Jisung?" i gasped. "I thought you were gay!"

"I thought i was too!" she yelled. "but he's so sweet, and cute, and kind, and boyfriend material, and i can't tell if he likes me back or not...but he's been seeing me almost everyday this week!"

i stared at her. "well...good thing you're good at making the first moves."

"what do you mean?"

"ask him out!" i yelled. "duh."

"I can't, what if- shit," she looked at the clock. "Opening in ten minutes, gotta run. Jisung-"

"going to see jisung, huh?" i winked. "ask the question."

-

less than 15 minutes later i found myself downstairs with seungmin and cho-hee, having an extremely interesting conversation about nothing. 

That's when i heard the voice. 

I frowned. it couldn't be. i made my way to the other side of the room, where other employees were hanging around. Ryujin spotted me and walked up to me.

"soo...i didn't ask."

i ignored her and stared towards me. I was now in hearing range.

"4 years, Hyunjin!" the person said angrily. "and i find you here?"

"we were never-"

"don't 'we were never' me!" she snapped. "where've you been? fucking other girls in the-"

"I-" i stared at the two. "Jiyeon?"