Love in the Halls [Lee Donghyuck]

Chapter 38: Two Hours

⋆˚ 𝜗𝜚˚⋆

The walk home felt longer than usual. Narae replayed the conversation with Haechan over and over in her mind, dissecting every word, every glance. She still wasn't sure if talking to him had been the right decision, but it was done. There was no going back now. Maybe he really could keep things simple. Maybe he would understand her need for space.

She kicked off her shoes as she entered her apartment, her bag dropping to the floor with a thud. Kiwi, her ginger tabby cat, sauntered over, rubbing against her leg and purring softly. Narae bent down to scratch behind her ears, finding some comfort in her presence. "Hey, buddy," she murmured. "Rough day."

Kiwi meowed in response, her brown eyes blinking up at her as if she understood. Narae smiled, feeling some of the tension from the day start to melt away. She headed to her room, collapsing onto her bed, the familiar scent of her lavender sheets calming her nerves.

Reaching for her phone, she pulled up her contacts list and scrolled to Haechan's name. Her thumb hovered over the 'unblock' button, hesitation prickling in her mind. She bit her lip, contemplating for a moment before letting out a sigh. "He said he'd give me time," she reasoned quietly to herself, pressing the button. A notification popped up confirming that Haechan was unblocked. Narae dropped her phone on the bed beside her and stared up at the ceiling, feeling a strange mix of relief and anxiety.

Just as she was starting to relax, her phone buzzed. Narae glanced over, her heart skipping a beat. A text from Haechan.

___________⋆˚࿔ hyuckie ⋆˚࿔ ___________

hyuckie: hey

hyuckie: u home yet?

She rolled her eyes in disbelief, letting out a scoff. So much for giving me time. Narae picked up her phone and typed a quick reply.

Narae: what happened to giving me time?

A response came almost immediately.

hyuckie: it's been two hours

hyuckie: isn't that enough ?

Narae shook her head, amazed by how ridiculous the boy was. She could practically hear his voice in her head, that teasing lilt that always seemed to accompany his words.

Narae: i'm seriously tempted to just block you again

hyuckie: ))):

hyuckie: please dont

hyuckie: seriously I was upset

hyuckie: I tried texting u a lot

Narae: u were also drunk

hyuckie: but even after

Narae: serves u right

Narae: don't get ahead of yourself

Narae: I still haven't forgiven you for the party

hyuckie: ???

hyuckie: I thought we sorted things outttt