Embracing Her

Chapter Five

Ever since that night, Jihoon seemed to make it his personal mission to create a scene whenever Junkyu was around. It was almost as if he thrived off the tension, while I, for the most part, just let him do his thing. Junkyu's irritation was clear, but he never did anything to stop Jihoon.

In fact, he'd gone out of his way to avoid me altogether, barely even glancing in my direction.

"Astrid, come with me to the library," Jihoon said casually, sliding his hand over mine with a smug grin.

We were lounging in the field, surrounded by Jaehyuk, Yoshi, Junkyu, Evie, and the rest of our group. None of us had classes, and the afternoon sun cast a lazy warmth over us. He shot me a sly wink and subtly gestured toward where Junkyu was sitting. I glanced over to find him staring at Jihoon, his gaze intense yet revealing nothing.

Jihoon grabbed my hand and stood up, pulling me to my feet effortlessly. I heard our friends calling out to us, but Jihoon simply waved them off.

Feed me, my hand's sore from practice," he whined dramatically, like a child craving attention, as we settled into our usual spot in the cafeteria. Yes, Junkyu was sitting right across from us.

Come on, Astrid~," Jihoon teased, his voice dripping with fake sweetness and seat next to me at Apex, our go-to hangout.

Without warning, he leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to my cheek. "Tsu~!" he grinned, winking at me, while I instinctively touched my cheek, startled by the suddenness of it.

But then, an abrupt noise shattered the moment. I looked up to see Junkyu standing by the table, his chair knocked over in his haste to stand. His expression was blank, completely devoid of emotion, but his silence spoke volumes. He shot us both a brief, unreadable glance before turning on his heel and storming out of the room.

Jihoon laughed out loud by Junkyu's departure. I lightly smacked his shoulder, trying to mask my own confusion.

Jihoon's little stunts were becoming part of our daily routine, and as much as I tried to keep my distance from Junkyu when we were in the same space, it was hard. I missed him.

Our friends had noticed, too. Evie and Amethyst exchanged knowing glances whenever Jihoon started his antics, practically itching to ask me what was going on between us. But they held back, waiting for me to open up on my own.

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"Astrid, over here!" Amethyst waved at me from the bleachers. I waved back and made my way over to where she was sitting.

"Hey there," I greeted as I settled down beside her, noticing the towel and bottle of drink in her hands. Probably for her Boyfriend Yoshi.

"Why did you take so long to get here? Didn't you see my text?"

That's when I remembered to check my phone. I pulled it out and scrolled through my messages, finally spotting her text.

"I'm sorry, I totally forgot to check my phone. I was busy finishing my plates last night," I explained.

The gym buzzed with excitement, vibrant with the energy of basketball practice. My eyes scanned the court, searching for him, but he wasn't there yet.

Amethyst pulled out her camera from her bag, adjusting it in her hands. She was likely preparing to take pictures for the school paper, where she worked as an editor.

"I've been waiting for you! I had no one to keep me company earlier. Amara's busy over there," she said, gesturing toward Evie, who was commanding her cheer squad with all the authority of a captain.