Nodus Tollens || Jung Jaehyun

Chapter 11: A Small Break

Three songs.

In just two days, Jiwoo managed to compose a total of three songs, a feat she rarely accomplishes on her own time. That was what keeping herself locked in her personal studio could do to her when she's dwelling on a million emotions. As fulfilling as it was to create three satisfying pieces, she absolutely hates the feeling that sat on her heart.

Dread, guilt, pain.

She wanted to be over it. To forget the past, to forget the mess she had caused. Wasn't five years long enough move on from it all? Apparently not if Jiwoo still felt this incredibly crappy.

It was a relief, at least, that she was able to talk to Lee Soo Man for a slight change to her schedule. After mentioning meeting Hong Yoora at M! Countdown, he had cut her off from attending the other music shows she was supposed to accompany the boys at. She did feel bad for abandoning NCT 127 for a personal matter, but she needed to recollect her thoughts after the reunion with someone she had trained alongside with five years ago under SM.

There were so many what if moments that ran through her mind through the days she kept herself hidden in her studio. All the energy, however, went into her music, as usual. She had this, her small little world in her own sacred place. She can let out whatever she wants in her music, and that itself was a stress reliever.

To some extent.

"Whatever," the young girl sighed as she went back to her keyboard to figure out a possible fourth song. Her fingers playing along on its keys to make some distinctive melody and her mind already in intense focus.

In the midst of her composing, she hadn't noticed the person who was listening in from the outside. The male staring inside through the small window, staring at the girl with melancholy in his eyes... and a bit of admiration.

After making up his mind, he finally knocked on the door.

The brunette lass didn't bare a glance at the sound. Thinking it was her concerned cousin visiting, she called out that he could enter. However, as the door cautiously opened, Jiwoo was mildly surprised at her wrong guess, yet a little delighted to see the particular boy's face. "Jaehyun-ah... what are you doing here?"

The idol stepped over to Jiwoo's side and sat down on the bench next to her. Slow and cautious, so to not catch her off guard. "I just wanted to visit you."

"How did you know I was here? Did Seokju-oppa tell you?"

"No, I had a hunch."

Sure, she was glad to see the boy here with her, but in that moment, she remembered why she had been avoiding the boys for the past couple of days. She hung her head, eyes trained on the white and black keys in front of her.

"You didn't tell the others about what you heard the other day, did you?" Jiwoo asked in a meek voice.

I don't want them to know more about me.

They won't like me anymore.

He won't like me anymore.

"Of course not." Jaehyun's fingers laid on the keys besides hers, lightly pressing on some. "But, why wouldn't you want anyone to know you know Yoora-sshi? Or that you've trained under SM?..." He halted himself from bombarding more questions on the girl, who was probably still overwhelmed on what happened that music show. Jaehyun recollected himself to find the right words to say, "I don't know, but I think it would've been cool to see you as an idol... And maybe we would've been able to perform together sometime..."