You Draw Me In ➳ Myung Jaehyun

20: Decisions, Decisions

As I make my way to the school building on Monday morning, my mind is still reeling from the emotions that have been swirling inside me since the Videoverse event. I can't shake the feeling of unease that has settled over me like a heavy blanket.

Just as I'm lost in my thoughts, I spot Jaehyun standing by the door, his gaze fixed on something in the distance. My heart skips a beat as I approach him, a wave of anxiety washing over me at the sight of his stoic expression.

"Hey, Jaehyun," I greet him tentatively, offering a small smile as I come to a stop beside him. To my surprise, he turns to face me, his eyes softening as he returns my smile with a warmth that catches me off guard.

"Hey, Lizzie," he replies, his voice gentle and reassuring. "How are you doing?"

I'm taken aback by his kindness, the sincerity in his words catching me off guard. "I'm... I'm okay, I guess," I stammer, my mind racing as I struggle to make sense of his sudden change in demeanor. "Thanks for asking. How are you doing though?"

Before I can dwell on it any longer, Jaehyun turns to enter the school, his posture tense as he braces himself for whatever lies ahead. But as he steps through the doorway, he's met with Jungwon and Yeonjun standing by the locker, who are quick to pounce on him with their barrage of teasing remarks as if he wasn't their friend,

"Hey, look who it is!" Jungwon jeers, his tone dripping with sarcasm as he eyes Jaehyun up and down. "The big hero himself, coming to save the day."

Yeonjun snickers, nudging Jungwon playfully as he joins in on the taunting. "Yeah, I heard you had quite the adventure at the mall, it's been posted so many times on Videoverse you know." he chimes in, his voice laced with amusement. "Throwing eggs at CalorieQuest? Really? What were you thinking?"

I can feel my blood boiling at the sight of their mocking grins, how could they be so insensitive considering what he was going through? A surge of indignation rises up within me as I step forward to defend Jaehyun. "Hey, lay off him," I interject, my voice firm as I shoot them a glare. "He was just trying to do what he thought was right."

But my words fall on deaf ears, as Jungwon and Yeonjun only laugh harder at my feeble attempt to defend Jaehyun. "Aw, look at little Lizzie trying to defend someone when she can hardly defend herself."

I grit my teeth in frustration, my fists clenched at my sides as I struggle to keep my anger in check. "Just leave him alone," I growl, my voice low and menacing as I glare at them with a steely gaze. "He doesn't need your crap right now."

But Jungwon and Yeonjun only exchange a knowing look, their smirks widening into sinister grins as they revel in my discomfort. "Whatever you say, Lizzie," Jungwon retorts, his tone mocking as he turns to walk away with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Just remember, you're the one who's sticking up for the guy who made an absolute fool of himself."

Before the argument can escalate, Yunjin joins the group, her presence immediately capturing attention.

"Enough," she scolds them, her voice cutting through the tension like a knife as she steps forward to stand beside Jaehyun. "Show some respect for what he's going through. He doesn't need your childish taunts right now."

I watch in silent awe as Yunjin takes charge of the situation, it was so simple for her. And as she leads Jaehyun away from the bullies, I can't help but feel a pang of sadness wash over me, a sense of longing tugging at the corners of my heart as I watch them. Jaehyun turns to give me a small wave, and it seems like he would have wanted to stay longer if Yunjin wasn't dragging him away. I felt so incapable, not being able to defend Jaehyun when he needed me.

But despite the twinge of jealousy that's in the back of my mind, I know that Jaehyun needs someone like Yunjin by his side right now, someone who can offer him protection from all the bullies around school. Besides, I'm the reason all of this was happening. I didn't deserve to even be standing next to him.