𝐍𝐎 𝐁𝐎𝐃𝐘, 𝐍𝐎 𝐂𝐑𝐈𝐌𝐄.양중원

distractions

"our connections so magnetic on the floor,

nothing can stop us tonight."

MINJI begs her friend through the phone, jihye only groaning in response. "come on, please, jihye! it's awkward when it's just me and gyuvin!" minji protests, earning nothing but a scoff.

minji and gyuvin have been going out together - not in a dating way, in a friends hanging out way. minji insists it's awkward, but jihye knows the truth is far from that. there's much more important things to be thinking about, like how their head and their classmate literally vanished in thin air. either way, minji's good with people, with keeping conversation going and leaving no room for discomfort. gyuvin's the most extroverted boy she's ever met - who can hold connections almost seamlessly, honestly a talent in this day and age. so what the hell is minji even on about?

"i don't know why you're lying." jihye snickers, fixing her grip on her phone as she reads through her piano course, annotating it dilligently. multi tasking is her expertise.

"but either way, you never go out with us! come on. is your dad abroad?"

"mhm.."

"and your mom?"

"working.." 

"see!!! please?? we're going to the arcade!" 

jihye sighs reluctantly, rubbing in her strawberry-milk hand cream thoughtfully.

"just you and gyuvin? wouldn't I be third wheeling?"

"no. i'd leave him for you 1000%."

"fine. what time." jihye eventually breaks, sighing, despite the small smile growing on her face. she can hear minji squeal in the background.

"2pm! eat lunch at home, i can't afford buying meals right now. i splashed out on a new perfume."

"okay~" jihye hums, cutting the call.

'saturday, 23rd september, 2:03pm'

jihye clicks her lockscreen, a cute picture of herself, yunah and minji, checking the time, as she brushes a hand through her hair, waiting for minji. the second minji sees her, she squeals, leaving gyuvin, and running to jihye, tackle hugging her, leaving jihye in a frenzy of giggles. its a little weird how she was so quiet and unsure yesterday, compared to her usual behaviour now, but jihye ignores it nonetheless. gyuvin smiles, offering jihye a wave, and she smiles back.

but then a familiar figure emerges menacingly from behind him.

clad in baggy jeans, a black hoodie and a thinly- layered grey jacket above, jungwon walks, head straight, arms crossed, following behind gyuvin. he raises an eyebrow, and jihye scoffs, looking at minji accusingly.

"i got ready. i snuck out. i lied in my piano log book!" jihye scoffs, hitting minji's arm lightly.

"i know, im sorry! but you never get to go out, and i knew you'd say no if i told you he was coming!"

jihye just grumbles. "we're not friends anymore."

"ill buy you tanghulu."

jihye looks at her in a flash, eyes sparkling. "really?"

jungwon, in the meanwhile, nudges gyuvin, looking at his taller friend with eyes so sharp they could kill. "why is she here?"

"minji wanted her to come. i don't like saying no to minji. get over it."

jungwon just groans, following behind gyuvin, who follows behind the pair, minji linking arms with jihye as they enter the garishly-bright arcade. they stop at the claw machines, gyuvin helping minji with the claw machine. jihye leans against the machine behind it, watching the pair with crossed arms, as jungwon stands next to her, looking at them too.

"third wheeling?" he speaks up.

"fourth wheeling, if i count you."

he laughs, but he doesn't sound amused in the slightest in all honesty, moving his piercing gaze towards her. "why are you here?"

"minji asked me to come along because she said it-"

"gets too awkward?"

"yeah."

they fall into their own awkward silence, staring at the ground, as minji speaks up, with a grin.

"jihye."

jihye, apprehensive of her best friend's.. unpredictability, winces. "..yeah..?"

"do the punch machine, please!" minji grins, as jihye groans. not this again.

in the meanwhile, jungwon walks behind gyuvin, following like a lost puppy. he's not really enjoying this, which is ironic, because arcades are supposed to be fun.

this is not fun.

jihye rolls her shoulders, rolling her sleeves up and rubbing her hands together, as minji massages her shoulders, her hands patting encouragingly. the two boys stare, gyuvin smiling in amusement. "don't get too sad if it isn't a high score, jihye."

jihye looks at him, and offers him nothing but a tiny smile. she turns back to the machine, minji jumping in her spot excitedly.

jungwon raises an eyebrow. in all honesty, this has caught his attention now. he knows she does taekwondo, but that's more about leg strength, right? she won't get a high score, right?

...right?

jihye rolls her arm, and thrusts a searing punch. gyuvin and jungwon's jaws collectively fall slack. her score reads 988.

no way.

she broke the last record.

she grins, turning to minji who high fives her and squeals, linking her arms with jihye. "oh my god jihye, you're such boyfriend material! i want you so bad." jihye merely snickers at her friend's... homosexual tendancies, resting her arm lazily on her shoulder.

"lets go, baby." jihye winks, and minji squeals again, hitting her arm, as the duo walk forward, leaving the two boys stood there. jungwon snickers, turning to gyuvin.

"looks like she stole your girl." 

"minji is not my girl." gyuvin simply huffs, jungwon chuckling and hitting his arm. the two boys walk, conversing avidly, as they follow behind the two girls, contempt in chattering away.