Rank One (Park Sunghoon FF)

29

It had been a week since Heeseung hadn't shown up at school. There was only one reason. He was definitely avoiding Juna. He wasn't answering her calls or texts. What else could she have done other than to knock on the door to his house?

Heeseung's mom opened the door and let out a gasp. "Oh, Juna! It's been a while..." Her tone wasn't happy but more distant. It seemed like she knew the reason Heeseung hadn't been to school and it was none other than Juna herself.

"Hello, Miss Kim." Juna gave a small smile and bowed.

"Are you...here for Heeseung?" She asked cautiously. "If so, he's not feeling well and I don't think he'd want to see...anyone."

Me. She means me. He doesn't want to see me.

"Please, Miss Kim. I need to talk to him. Just for a few minutes..." Juna pleaded, taking his mom's hands in hers. "I haven't seen him in a while and it's worrying me to death." Well, it was partially the truth. The other reason? She needed to confront him.

"He told me he didn't want any guests." The mother shook her head. "Come back another time, Juna."

"Please..."

"I-"

"Let her in, Mom," Heeseung's voice sent a wave of relief through Juna even when it sounded cold. She hadn't heard it in so long that it sounded almost comforting to her, regardless of her anger towards him. He had been her best friend for most of their lives after all.

Miss Kim hesitantly opened the door a bit wider and Juna bowed before getting in. Heeseung stood frowning with his arms crossed. His hair was all jumbled up and he looked paler than ever with eyebags under his eyes. He looked, well, horrible to say the least.

"Heeseung..." Juna breathed out, her eyes softening at the sight of his disheveled appearance. She desperately wanted to reach her hand out and run it through his hair - like how she used to but she held herself back. "What happened to you?"

He didn't answer and instead, grabbed her wrist and pulled her to his room, slamming the door shut behind him. He spun around to face her.

"You happened, Juna. You happened to me." He fisted his already messy hair in frustration. "You and Park Sunghoon."

Juna scowled at this. "So you're mad at me now? Well, guess what, Heeseung? You don't have the fucking right! You told Sunghoon I hated him and broke off with all your friends, including me. I think we both know who did the most damage here."

"Does your heart break every time you see me? Do you stay up until morning every day thinking about me? Because I do that with you. Tell me you've suffered even half as much as me." Heeseung snapped, his eyes dangerously wide.

Juna went silent. Everything she suffered, he had to go through even if in a different way. Anger, pain, heartbreak.

"It still doesn't give you the right to snitch on me."

"If he's still mad at you, go talk to him. Why are you even here?" Heeseung said in disgust as if the mere thought of Sunghoon made him want to throw up.

Juna bit her lip and looked down at her hands for a few seconds before answering. "First of all, we're on good terms now. And second, that's not what I'm talking about."

Heeseung tilted his head slightly, confusion in his eyes. "Then what else?"

"You told Boram something, didn't you?" Juna stared directly into his eyes, trying to see if he showed any signs of dishonesty.

"What now?"

Juna stepped closer to him in an attempt to seem intimidating. "You're the only one who could've figured out what I had planned with Sunghoon and I saw you and Boram talking the other day."

Heeseung furrowed his brows and remained quiet for a while. It didn't look like he was trying to come up with a lie or an excuse but more like he was trying to connect pieces of a puzzle together.

"So that's your secret? You're planning something with Sunghoon."

Juna blinked rapidly. "You didn't know?" Heeseung shook his head. "And what do you mean secret?"

A look of confusion and concern flashed across his face before he shook his head as if to clear it all. He grabbed her wrist once again, this time, dragging her to his bed. He gestured for her to sit next to him. When Juna did, a wave of memories hit her all at once and she had to force them out to focus on what he had to say.

"I don't know what's going on with you and him, but I'll tell you my side of the story first," Heeseung said, more calm now. He seemed more like the long-time best friend she had known since childhood. Sincere, truthful, warm. Juna nodded slightly, urging him on. He reached out and took her hand in his as if it would give him the strength to talk. Juna flinched a bit from surprise but didn't pull away. She had missed this, too, after all. Her cold hands in his warm ones. 

After a brief silence, he started talking, "The day you got detention with Sunghoon...Boram came up to me and said that you gave the banana milk that I gave you to Sunghoon. And she also made an offer. She wanted to work together to separate the two of you and after our fight at the contest...it was tempting. Still, I denied her when she brought it up a second time but you know what she said? She said she knew your secret and if I didn't work with her, she would reveal your secret. So your turn. What exactly are you planning?"

Juna ignored his question, her face scrunched together, trying to process what she had heard. So Sunghoon's feelings were right the whole time. Boram did have bad intentions when suddenly wanting to become friends with Juna.

And what Heeseung said...it was his way of protecting Juna's secret. If he hadn't tried to separate her and Sunghoon like Boram wanted, Juna's secret would've probably reached Sunghoon by now.

"She didn't even keep her end of the deal..." Juna mumbled angrily, looking up at Heeseung. "She told Sunghoon that I was using him."

"And it's true?" Heeseung raised his eyebrows in shock.

Juna chewed on her bottom lip before burying her face in her empty hand. 

"What...? Why are you using him?" Heeseung pulled her hand away from her face. His gaze was soft. He was silently telling her that he wouldn't judge her for the reason - whatever it might've been.

Juna hesitated for a bit. 

He already knows pretty much everything now. It won't matter if I just tell him.

"I want his rank."

"But what does that have to do with..." Heeseung eyes widened when he connected the dots. "That's why you asked me that night. How to get someone to like you." 

"I thought maybe if I get him to fall in love, it would distract him from school," Juna admitted. "But I feel bad because it's working. He likes me now."

Heeseung wasn't listening to Juna's last words. It was evident in his next actions because he pulled Juna into his arms and buried his face in her hair. Juna tried to push him back but he held tight onto her waist.

"So you don't actually like him. Thank goodness you don't..." He breathed into her neck, his whole body trembling slightly. He pulled back a bit to observe her face, his hand coming up to cup her cheek. Juna gasped but stayed in his arms, letting him touch her face. "I was worried you really fell for him. But it's all an act?"

Juna didn't reply. She was too ashamed to admit or deny anything. But if she said it had all been acting, it would definitely be a lie.

Heeseung smiled softly as if taking her silence as a confirmation. "I'll wait for you. Until you're rank one. I won't give up on you, Juna."

-

"I love you."

Lee Heeseung