Hold Me Tight (ON-GOING & EDITING)

three: the art of leaving

SUZY

"Where'd you go? I've been looking for you." Sehun approached me by the bathroom.

"And what are you doing here?" I looked around and then back at him.

"I want to go home," I whined. But it was fake, and I just needed to sound convincing enough for him to agree.

"We're not going to the after-party?"

"Oh god, why is that I don't know half of what is going on?" I groaned.

"Maybe because you keep on disappearing. Jennie and Jongin have just arrived, remember what you told me earlier in the car? They'll be disappointed if we just leave." Sehun reasoned out.

I won't budge.

When he noticed that I wasn't buying what he said, he sighed and looked at me. He gently held my face.

"Look, if you want to leave. It's fine, I won't force you, but we need to tell them that we're leaving." I sighed in defeat.

"Can't I just text her?"

"No."

"Fine! Where are they anyway?"

"Back at our table. Come on, if you want to go home, let's say goodbye." He kissed the top of my head and pulled me in, and wrapped his arms around me.

We walked towards the table, and I instantly saw Kyungsoo and Sooyoung looking at me with concern.

Jennie was right beside Kyungsoo, so I approached her first.

She looked back at me and kissed my cheek. "We've been looking for you. What happened to you?" She pulled me to sit down on the chair next to her. Sehun remained standing in case I don't change my mind about leaving.

"I need to leave," I croaked out.

"Huh? Why?" Jennie looks at me worriedly. She then gives Sehun a dirty look.

Sehun backs up, "It's her idea, not mine!"

Her gaze went back down to me. "Yes, I just want to go home. This party's so boring," I forced a smile.

"Let her go, Jennie," Kyungsoo interrupted, glancing at me.

"Are you okay?" I felt like she noticed my eyes were wandering around.

She holds my hand. "Suzy,"

I looked at her. Her eyes are full of concern. "Hmm?"

"I know why you're leaving." She sighed.

"It's not that. I just really want to go home."

"You're really going to keep this up?" She quietly said, glancing at Sehun.

I sighed. "No."

"Then woman up." Her grip tightened.

Jennie was there for me since it happened. She knows every bit of detail there is to know about what happened years ago. She witnessed how I succumbed to darkness when he left. She's my rock. I wouldn't have survived if it wasn't for her.

"What should I do? I can't-"

"It's okay. You can do this. This is the reason why you worked so hard, right? So that, one day, when you see him, you've changed."

I nodded.

She's right.

Why am I scared of him?

I'm a forensic pathologist. I'm a doctor! I deal with dead people all the time. I can deal with him.

I sighed and just went along with whatever she has in mind. I looked at Sehun and tugged the end of his shirt.

He looks at me. "Let's go?"

"On second thought, we should stay. I wouldn't want to waste our outfits." His eyes glistened, and he quickly pulled a chair to sit in.

"I love you," He whispered.

I looked at him. But, my eyes looked farther behind when I saw the person I've been avoiding this whole night.

"I love you," I said.

--

He was sitting in front of me, next to Chanyeol. And he was conversing with Sehun, but his eyes were constantly shifting towards my direction.

"Yeah, I've been thinking about opening a business right next to where your law firm is," Sehun announced. I looked at him, confused.

What business is he talking about?

"That's cool. That location is pretty famous so opening a business there is such a great idea." He stated, looking at me as if he's asking for confirmation.

I looked away and played with the food in front of me.

"You haven't touched your food ever since it arrived. Do you not like the food?" I looked up at him.

He stares at me, waiting for my response. I cleared my throat, "Uhm, no, it's okay."

"Because if you don't like it, I can request—"

"I said it's okay!" I snapped. But I didn't mean to.

The second I realized what I've done, I shut my eyes and sighed. When I opened them, everyone at the table was staring at me, confused as to why I suddenly snapped.

I sighed. "I mean, it's fine. You don't need to do anything."

He nodded and stared at me for a while.

"Excuse me for a second," I said and stood up. I made my way towards the bathroom hallway and rested my body against the wall.

Minutes after, I felt a body standing right in front of me. I opened my eyes and was startled that Baekhyun was standing too close.

I moved to the side as he follows my movement.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"I just want to apologize for stepping at any boundaries earlier." He said, staring at me.

I pulled my jacket closer. "It's fine."

We stayed silent for a while, listening to the muffled music. I hear him clear his throat.

"How have you been?" He said innocently.

I scoffed. He was taken aback by how I responded. "Why are you so mad at me tonight? I haven't done anything to you. While we're at this, you should be the one to apologize."

I gave him a confused, sarcastic look. I crossed my arms. "Apologize for what?"

"For treating me as if I was a stranger."

"You are. Aren't you?"

"What?"

"You're a stranger. The day you left, you were a stranger to me." He gave a shocked expression, and it made me think if I was too harsh.

"I didn't leave." He gritted his teeth.

I scoffed once again—the audacity of this guy.

"Are you serious right now?" I said with a hint of disbelief in my voice.

"Suzy, I didn't choose to leave. I was forced," He sighed.

"Forced or not. You still left me. Goodbye," I turned around and walked away from the bathroom hallway.

I went back to our table. I waited for a few minutes, but he didn't come back to his seat.

He has really mastered the art of leaving.

Typical.