Sparkle | HoonSuk

ch 29

Hyunsuk stares at his phone. His last two messages asking Jihoon when they can meet for their further discussion have not been replied. Not even been read by Jihoon. Jihoon still answered his previous messages even though it took him more than 2 hours to answer it. Hyunsuk thinks that he's just too busy, but at the same time, it just feels like Jihoon is trying not to reply to his messages right away on purpose.

“Did he block me already?” Hyunsuk asked himself. Did Jihoon find him so bothersome that he finally decided to ignore him for real? But Hyunsuk never actually asked him to meet if it's not because of the assignment they had. Hyunsuk tried his best not to bother Jihoon and just watched him from afar. Maybe Jihoon noticed him doing that, that's why he decided to distance himself.

Hyunsuk sighed. He didn't know that he could be this pathetic. Like he really wants to see Jihoon but he doesn't want to make Jihoon dislike him even more, judging how Jihoon looks uncomfortable around him. It's his karma for playing with people's hearts, Hyunsuk thought. He has been playing around with the girls’ feelings, probably Jihoon's as well. And by the time he finally realized his real feelings toward Jihoon, it's already too late to do anything.

Hyunsuk opened the Instagram application on his phone. He remembered that when Jihoon canceled their appointment for their discussion on their assignment, he saw Jihoon lining up in a queue for a dessert shop with Yujin. On that same day, Hyunsuk saw Yujin's Instagram story in which she posted a picture of a picture of the desserts with a caption ‘on a date with my love’. Yujin even tagged the official account of the dessert shop and the location as well. It's the same shop where Hyunsuk saw Jihoon with Yujin.

Hyunsuk tried to look at Yujin's account. Who knows if she has updated anything with Jihoon. But it seems like she didn't post anything. Hyunsuk goes to Jihoon's account. The same. He didn't post anything. But looking at Jihoon's Instagram’s feed, he definitely looks like he's living his life after they ended things between them. And looking at the followers count, he really gained a lot of followers now compared to back then. Well. Jihoon has changed too compared to a year ago.

“You’ve moved on so fast, Park Jihoon,” Hyunsuk said while looking at one of the pictures that Jihoon posted. Hyunsuk sighed again.

It has been 2 days since he last saw Jihoon. And because Jihoon is also preparing for his graduation project, he also gets an exemption to attend some classes if it clashes with his preparation. And Hyunsuk couldn't really find Jihoon anywhere at the college either. Hyunsuk looked at the date today. Jihoon is supposed to have a night shift today at his part time job.

Hyunsuk decided to just go to the convenience store during Jihoon's shift tonight. But when the time has come, and Hyunsuk arrives at the convenience store, Jihoon is nowhere to be seen.

The very next day as well. Hyunsuk didn't see Jihoon at class or anywhere in the college. Hyunsuk decided to go to the convenience store after his class as it was supposed to be Jihoon's shift later. Hyunsuk knows that he might sound like a stalker. But it somehow makes him worried. Did Jihoon go to that extent to avoid him?

“Welcome,” the female worker at the counter greeted as Hyunsuk walked inside. Hyunsuk looked around. There's another worker inside the convenience store. But it's not Jihoon. Hyunsuk then walked toward the counter. ‘Seunghee’. The name on the nametag that the female worker is wearing. “May I help you?”

“Um.. I’m just wondering if Park Jihoon is not working today. It is supposed to be his shift now,” Hyunsuk said.

He had expected a certain reaction from Seunghee. Like he said, he might sound like a stalker. Or probably some loan shark.

“I’m not some kind of suspicious man. I’m a student who went to the same college as Jihoon. And we were supposed to meet up for our discussion for our assignment. But he hasn't replied to me for 2 days already,” Hyunsuk tried to show his chat with Jihoon. But Seunghee doesn't seem convinced at all. “And he hasn't attended classes for 2 days at least. I’m just wondering if something happened to him,”