Well, I'm kind of being a hypocrite. I haven't really sorted things out with Junghwan myself. I've been avoiding him-catching earlier buses, leaving school to do extra work, skipping hangouts, and saying I have evening classes. I know it's low, but I tend to act impulsively and then get caught up in my own mistakes.
Tomorrow was our birthday. My brother had to leave for a match at the crack of dawn but promised he'd be back in time. We never missed celebrating together. Birthdays were a big deal in our family. I'd already racked up five presents-call it spoiling, but what can I do with a rich and overly generous brother?
For the past week, I've been waking up at the crack of dawn just to catch the early bus and dodge Junghwan. It's become a whole covert operation-like I'm some secret agent, but instead of taking down villains, I'm just trying to avoid awkward eye contact. Today, I was almost late but still managed to make it. I sprinted onto the bus, flung my fare at the driver, and found a spot to stand, gripping the rail above me like it was my lifeline.
As I was mentally congratulating myself on another successful evasion, I felt this hot, clammy presence breathing down my neck. Seriously? Who does that? I swear, if Sir Amoeba Neck Breather thinks he's gonna ruin my morning zen, he's about to catch a fistful of justice. I was just about to turn around and give him a piece of my mind (and maybe my elbow) when I caught a glimpse of his reflection in the window. It was Junghwan.
"Ignoring me, are we?" he whispered, his breath tickling my ear. I didn't have the courage to speak. The bus was crowded, and him standing so close behind me, with his body pressed against mine, wasn't really helping. "C'mon, speak, darling," he teased, his voice low and smooth.
I swallowed hard, trying to muster some sort of response, but all that came out was a nervous squeak. Great, just great.
Junghwan chuckled softly, clearly enjoying my discomfort. "You know, I thought we were friends. Friends don't ignore each other, right?" His hand brushed against mine as he spoke, sending a shiver down my spine.
I finally found my voice. "Junghwan, can we not do this here?" I mumbled, glancing around at the other passengers who were blissfully unaware of the tension between us.
"But why not? This seems like the perfect place to have a chat," he replied, his tone mockingly innocent. "Besides, you've been avoiding me for a week. You can't run away forever."
"I haven't been avoiding you," I lied, my voice barely above a whisper.
"Sure, and I'm the Queen of England," he scoffed. "You've been taking earlier buses, skipping hangouts, and dodging me at school. It's almost impressive how dedicated you are."
I felt my face heat up. "I just needed some space," I muttered.
"Space? From me?" Junghwan asked, sounding genuinely hurt for a moment before his teasing smirk returned. "Well, I guess I'll have to make up for lost time then."
Before I could react, he leaned in even closer, his lips brushing against my ear as he whispered, "You can't avoid me forever, you know. Sooner or later, you'll have to face me."
I let out a shaky breath, my mind racing. "Fine," I said, summoning the last bit of my courage. "After school, we'll talk."
"Good," he said, finally stepping back a little, giving me some much-needed space. "I'll be looking forward to it."
As the bus pulled up to our stop, I hurried off, my heart pounding. I knew I couldn't avoid this conversation any longer. It was time to face Junghwan and figure out where we stood.
The school day dragged on, and all I could think about was the "talk" we were supposed to have after school. When the final bell finally rang, I packed up my things with the urgency of someone who's about to face a very awkward conversation. I hurried to the gate, hoping Junghwan would magically appear, but he was nowhere in sight.
I did spot Sunwoo and his gang, munching on chocolate like they'd just won a candy lottery. "Junghwan told me to tell you to go to his class," Sunwoo said through a mouthful of chocolate, barely pausing to chew. "Guess he's got something important to say."
Great, just what I needed. I made my way to Junghwan's classroom, my nerves getting the best of me. Knocking on the door, I instantly realized I might have made a mistake.
The next thing I knew, I was being pulled into the classroom by Junghwan. Before I could even react, I found myself pushed onto the nearest table, my heart racing as I felt his hands firmly planting themselves on either side of me, effectively trapping me in place.
Junghwan leaned in, his face inches from mine, and I could feel his breath against my skin. His intense gaze made it clear he wasn't going to let me escape this conversation easily.
"Alright," he said, his voice low and teasing, "now that we have some privacy, how about you explain why you've been dodging me all week?" His smirk widened, and he seemed to relish the situation a bit too much for my comfort.
I tried to gather my thoughts, but all I could focus on was the way his eyes locked onto mine, making me feel like I was being scrutinized under a spotlight.
"Do you regret it?" he asked, his voice steady and serious. I looked up at him, feeling the weight of his question. He leaned in closer, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Taeyeon, don't make me repeat myself. Do you regret it?"
I took a deep breath and shook my head, giving him a small but definite "no."
He studied me for a moment, to see if I was lying or not.
The next thing I knew, we were leaning into each other. Our faces inches apart, his breath warm against my skin. Without another word, we closed the gap and our lips met, losing ourselves in the moment and forgetting everything else.
Are we avoiding each other? No. But are we going to talk about the kiss? Definitely not. I mean, we made a little progress, so yay. My birthday is in a few minutes or so. Here I am, waiting by the main junction for Taek to come. I had been out all day because I had some shopping errands to do with my dad. Now I was waiting for him so we could go home.
"Is that another present?" I asked, my eyes wide with disbelief. Taek and Dad had already showered me with more gifts than I had candles on my cake.
He chuckled, holding up a small, neatly wrapped box. "I promise, this is the last one," he said with a wink.
I took the box from him, curiosity bubbling up. "Alright, let's see what you've got this time," I said as I carefully opened the bag. Inside, nestled in the tissue paper, was a stunning pearl necklace. My eyes widened in amazement. "Oh my gosh, this must have cost a fortune! Why would you get this?" I gasped.
"Because you deserve it," he said, his voice soft, making me emotional.
"Jesus, yeah, yeah, I know. What can I say? Best sister in the world," I said, trying to hide my tears as I smiled.
Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out a small jewelry box and handed it to him. He looked surprised as he opened it, revealing a locket with a family photo-our only family photo of all four of us together. His eyes welled up, and we both cried as we hugged, grinning from ear to ear.
When we finally walked into the house, Dad came up to us, wished us a happy birthday, and kissed our foreheads. We headed to Taek's room to show him the other presents I had for him.
As we entered, the lights suddenly flashed on and everyone shouted, "SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TWINS!"
