Love is a Lie

CHAPTER 1 - BEGIN

<SULLI POV>

"Sorry," I said walking over to our booth and sliding down to sit back next to Ji-woo, "there was a line, again." I grumbled with a roll of my eyes. I seemed to have picked up the habit of needing to use the loo at the same time as half of the world. I felt Ji-woo shift uncomfortably next to me and made a mental note to ask what that had been about later; he didn't like hanging out at the pub that much and I knew he only did it because it was the only time we got to hang out, I didn't want to make the situation even more uncomfortable to him. Besides, it was probably just because he didn't want to be there and I knew that already.

We (my friends and I, that is) had found this little pub right at the end of the street from our High School and adopted it as our Bat Cave. It was a private place, only people who knew about it would come, it's very difficult to stumble across it, where we can be goofs and spend quality time together now that we're all off to different Universities. We always sat at the same booth no matter how people met us there, it was our sacred place even if we had to cram ten people in one table.

"Yeah, we figured." Nari  nodded at me, then pointing her chin at the door, "Shall we?" She asked, nudging everyone around her so they would start gathering their stuff, which they did, and soon we were all ready to leave.

"Hey, Sulli?" Ji-woo called out as I got to the door, turning around to peek over my shoulder, "don't forget your phone." He said, walking over and handing it to me before practically running out the door. That was odd. Even more than usual. I hurried my goodbyes to everyone else and tried to catch up to him, but by the time I finally got outside, there was no sign whatsoever of where he'd gone. I'd remember to ask next time we got together, whenever that was.

I didn't like texting. I never had, it's very superficial and a much easier way to be honest, which for me takes all the value out of the words. So I wouldn't text him about it. And I didn't like making phone calls either. So that was out of question as well. I could go to his house, but I never know when he is actually around, dance school takes up most of his time, and I didn't want to bother him there, either.

So I just sighed, pulled my hoodie over my head and headed home through the rainy streets of Seoul.

~~~~

As it turned out, I wouldn't need to wait that long to see Ji-woo again, because when I got home, there he was, soaking wet waiting outside my door.

"Ji-woo!" I gasped, hurrying my pace and fetching my keys to open the door. He was just standing there. Only god knows for how long, hands in his pockets, head down, turning up as I realized he was there, but other than that there was no more movement from him until I opened the door and had to call him inside. "Come on, it's freezing outside and you're soaking wet." He was usually quiet, but not THIS quiet. Something was wrong and I had a feeling he was there to tell me what.

"Give me your coat." He held out my hand, not wanting to pressure him into talking until he was ready, but he only shook his head at me, water dripping down his face.

"I'm not staying long." He explained, looking at me before turning around and opening the front door again, "I just wanted to tell you you might want to check your phone, they- you might have left it unlocked as you went to the bathroom and someone might have had one too many drinks." he spoke dryly before walking back out and closing the door behind himself.

What the actual fuck had just happened? And why did it seem like he was mad at me? Shouldn't I be mad at  him, at them, for messing with my phone? First I had to find out what exactly they had done, but even before that, I wanted a hot shower and some food. Being angry with an empty stomach would do me no good if I had to yell at someone.

After doing all that while avoiding my phone like the plague (which was a particularly difficult task because: music in the shower, social networks as I eat and cook) I finally sat at the kitchen table and unlocked it. Nothing at first sight but I didn't think there would be. I scrolled through my instagram and other social networks to check if they'd posted something dumb, but those were clear, too. I prayed to God they hadn't gotten into my contacts as I opened up my text messages and call records. Still nothing. Had Ji-woo been messing with me? There was nothing different, nothing more nothing less, not even an extra thousand selcas on my gallery.

To: Ji-woo Oppa
01:35 AM- What the fuck?

01:35 AM - There is nothing wrong with my phone, nothing in the texts

01:35 AM - nothing that ruined my social life

01: 36 AM - why would you say that to me?

I was pretty frustrated as I typed the texts, knowing I would have to wait for the replies for a while, taping my fingers furiously on the screen. I probably would have been less angry is they had done something.  But then again, Ji-woo didn't seem like he was joking, he was, in fact, very serious, too serious, and he'd walked all the way to my house to tell me that, why? Especially if it was a lie. 

My phone buzzed and I opened it without a second thought, thinking I'd gotten lucky and had a reply already.

[1 New Text - 01:40 AM]
From: Yoo Kihyun

I didn't even think to tell you, I'm sorry x

My heart skipped a beat, stopped, then skipped a beat again. They were all so dead.

<KIHYUN POV>

As our dance practice came to an end and everyone started leaving the room I walked over to the corner where I'd left my towel at, picking it up and draping it around my neck as I also picked my phone up and unlocked it.

[1 New Text - 00:53 AM]

From: Sulli

Hey, long time no see, huh? I'm still kinda cheesed you got signed and didn't even tell me, those things hurt, you know?