Spring Moon

11

It was a true nightmare I had on an important day. The numbness started bulking up slowly around my neck as I had to let my head fall backwards, too frozen on what to do.

Panic, that was what I felt. There was liquid dripping down from my nose and it was red.

"Here," Rosie put a few white tissues on my nose as she slowly pushed my head forward. "Gosh, nosebleed is not your thing. Are you really tired these days?"

I peeked over the tissue, red was what I saw and I was terrified! Not because I needed to step out of this room in 15 minutes to meet Moonlight but because it was scary. I wasn't fond of blood.

"I guess, I do feel tired," I said, still holding the tissues over my nose. "Deadline is chasing."

"But, still..."Rosie sighed as she replaced the now red-stained tissue with the new one. "Hold up, okay. I'm gonna inform Sangyeon to give us extra time to get ready."

I nodded, watching her squeeze herself through the door. Even through a small gap, I could hear a ruckus from outside, Moonlight must be here by now.

I'm doomed.

Just a few seconds afterwards, the door once again opened and I whipped my head in the direction almost immediately. Not gonna lie I was shaking at how fast Rosie reported the unexpected situation to the big boss. But, it wasn't her. It was Evelyn and behind her was Faye.

My friends - they were here voluntarily. To be one-day-staff for the event. They had been doing this all the time. For, they knew how much support I needed to face a crowd. Let alone, it was my fans.

"Rosie said you have a nosebleed," Evelyn furiously jogged, her brows almost knitted together.

"Blow them out!" Faye added, grabbing a box of tissues with her as she strode closer. Now, they were all acting like they were doctors in operation theatre.

I followed what they said - blow them out. I even blew harder that I swore it felt like the inside of my nose was flaming.

"I think it got on my dress," I said, peeking down on the fabric that hugged my body. Thank God that Rosie chose a maroon dress for me. Though my instinct slightly screamed that I stained it, still, it was invisible.

But, the thought of walking out and interacting with people while you got blood on your dress was really... uncool. Nonetheless, I had no other choice.

For the next 2 minutes, Evelyn put some pressure on my nose with the tissue from the box that was held by Faye beside her. And I was the unconscious patient with open eyes who had no time to retaliate whether it hurt me or not.

The cosy room then filled with a new figure that obviously was barging in without a second thought but then hesitated to pass the threshold as he made eye contact with my girls. I saw him wandering his orbs around.

"I..." Joochan rubbed his nape, furiously blinking as he felt a piercing gaze dart on him. "I... bring... ice pack for Ivy."

He must have heard about my situation from Rosie.

He hesitantly raised his hand that had the pack and was too scared to look ahead. When Faye came to get it from him, he flinched as if the girl was about to smack him on the head.

Truthfully, both of them did think to be violent to him after knowing about our breakup back then, but it was an old story, it was forgotten anyway.

"Thanks..." I said because knowing Faye very well, she wouldn't say it. Specifically when it was Joochan she needed to interact with.

Only that time, Joochan braced himself to look ahead, at me, and his smile pulled up with his eyes shaped worriedly.

"Do you need anything else? I can get it for you," he suggested but I instantly rejected it with a simple no, thanks.

We looked friendly, didn't we? Well, I just fulfilled his request. To be 'professional'.

And again, though hesitant, he turned around and closed the door with a click. Honestly, I never noticed him leaving. I was busy focusing on the coldness from the ice pack that was numbing my nose.

"Can ice pack really ease the bleeding?" I was absentmindedly asked out of curiosity.

Back in the schooldays, during summer break, I often saw people get nosebleeds which they said happened when the weather was too hot. I wouldn't deny that it started to be hotter these days as the spring started to prolong. But, Rosie insisted that this nosebleed was from the tiring nights I spent.

So, if that was the case, could ice packs heal?

However, little did I know, that none of them were paying attention to my random thought. Their gazes were still on the now-closed door as if they were waiting for the door to reopen.

"What are you guys looking at?" I broke their trances.

"Joochan..." Evelyn started, pondering her head. "He seems to be scared of us, doesn't he?"

"Earlier we met outside, and he suddenly looked uncomfortable," Faye added. "Weird guy."

I put down the ice pack, checking on my reflection in the mirror across from me next for any hint of blood coming out. While doing that, I was recalling a part of a memory from the back of my head.

It was undeniable that Joochan was scared of them. He knew I only had them as best friends, he knew how reliable they were for me, and he knew how they wouldn't break me. And it came to our realization that the relationship we had only caused me pain and that he was contributing to the pain itself. He was scared that my girls would find out. For, he knew he would be dead.

What could I say was: that he was dramatic. None of my friends would lay their hands on people. Maybe their mouths would do the job.

"Anyways, did Kevin say he will come today?" Evelyn swiftly changed the topic, softly touching up my makeup once the bleeding stopped.

I was left speechless and I knew it was evident. Because the next thing that happened was Faye hit my arm.

"You guys didn't talk, right?"

Sigh.

She was right. I sent the invitation and I waited for 3 days for the reply but nothing. He put me on the read. I didn't care about him not replying but... I did hope to see him here at my event.

"I guess, he's busy," I watched my reflection in the mirror pursed her lips. It kinda looked like the person in there who was resembling me was assuring me. That I did not have to worry about anything.

"I swear, Ivy. I'm getting sick of it," Faye groaned, her eyes then rolled. "Every single time 'he's busy'. Doesn't he have a life?"

"You're badmouthing my boyfriend," I looked at her intimidatingly but Faye was never scared of it.

"Honey," Evelyn butted in with her soft voice, her hand softly grasping mine. "I'm sorry but this time I agreed with Faye. Jacob even tried to call him but he won't pick up like what the he-"

"Language!" I cut her in real quick, knowing what she was going to say. There was no way I would let them say it in my face. "Let's go... Sangyeon probably has been waiting."

Taking a deep breath, I led the way towards the door of the waiting room, the two trailed behind me after getting the essentials in case my nosebleed came back. I was less nervous with them here and I was glad that Sangyeon permitted them to accompany me all the time.

Faye was bickering with Evelyn about taking a bottle of drinking water when I held the knob and twisted it open. They were still bickering when I had my breath hitched upon seeing 3 roses on my eye level and in the background was a familiar face I couldn't deny the existence.

"Hey..." Kevin Moon greeted.

He was here.