Why Can't We Be Like That? (Seventeen Jeonghan x CLC Seunghee)

Chapter Seven ** Homeless Love

Published: April 1, 2017

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It’s only been a couple of days but they’re missing each other. They want to see each other. They want to be together. And the longer they are apart, the stronger they long for each other. But right now, what they have is homeless love, and it’s the sad truth.

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They’ve just finished eating some pizza and Seunghee is washing the dishes. She unintentionally left her phone on the table infront of Yuta and he notices it as it vibrates and a message pops out. It gets his attention cuz it’s from a saved number with a blank name.

“Who’s this? Asking where you are?” he asks as he drinks his glass of water.

“Who is it?” she replies still busy with the dishes.

“It’s a blank name. But you had it saved.”

His voice is hinting on something. Or maybe she’s just overthinking cuz she knows it’s from Jeonghan. “Oh, that’s my brother’s new number. I forgot to name him.”

“Alright…”

But Yuta has been sensing it. These past few days, it feels like she’s conniving with someone. She’s always taking phone calls and walks away when she does. She usually just take it with him around, if it’s her family or friends. But recently, she’s been secretive. One of his friends told him a while ago that he saw her with another guy at the train station once. But he didn’t believe him. It was impossible for Seunghee to be that shameless in cheating on him. She can’t possibly do that, that’s what he believes. But the truth is he doesn’t want to overthink things. It’s not in his nature to doubt people. He trusts her enough to question her faithfulness. But something is telling him now that it’s not right. Something is not going right. He watches her as she washes the dishes, wishing he’s just being obsessive and nothing more. Cuz he doesn’t want to taint her in his mind. She’s nothing but pure to him.

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“Oppa! I need your help!” Chaeyeon declares. She’s on the phone with Jeonghan but only replies her with, -‘I’m busy. Talk to you later.’-

She slumps on her bed and throws her phone. She’s hating this. It’s been a couple of days he’s been like this, always busy and not talking to her properly. It feels like she’s being shut out. She’s having a very bad feeling that it’s gonna lead to something she can’t accept. She doesn’t want to lose her oppa. It was her who came to him and it was her who won his heart. But now, why is he being cold to her? There’s nothing she can think of that may have hurt him or made him bitter. She can only think that there’s another girl. Then she recalls, there was a time he was watching a game but when he called this one person, he went out of the room just to talk to her. It’s a big thing for her cuz he doesn’t do that even when his mom or dad is calling. She doubts it’s a girl, but she has a feeling it really is. But she hasn’t seen him with anyone, except one time at the park where he was standing at a distance with the girl she saw at the café of Hanyang University. She was so pretty she doubted she was natural. But she unmistakably is. No wonder she never forgot her. Now that she thinks of it, were they talking? She didn’t go close enough cuz she was in a hurry for her next class and she forgot to ask him about it later on. Now that she thinks about it, he doesn’t know that girl. She knows all of his friends. But why were they together that day? But then were they really together? She doesn’t really know.

She sighs hard and just looks at his picture on her bedside table. There’s no one for her right now but him. And she wishes he’d stick with her till the end. That will be the happiest day of her life. She doesn’t know if she can find someone else if he leaves her. She just wishes it won’t ever happen.

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On a Sunday, Seunghee and Yuta go for a walk at the center. And it’s a coincidence that Jeonghan and Chaeyeon are also there for something. Seunghee and Yuta are there for some supplies while Jeonghan and Chaeyeon are going for some pies. The booths are only blocks away and Seunghee and Jeonghan are too close, yet too far away from each other.

Yuta is the one who talks with the seller and pays the supplies. Seunghee stands beside him and she looks around at the people passing by. And with all the people around, crowding the mall, Seunghee sees him. Jeonghan is standing at a booth talking to the tender. She wants to call him out but she’s with Yuta. And later, Chaeyeon appears by his side. She clings all over him. With her arm entangled with his and he doesn’t push her away. She understands why cuz they’re still together. But it hurts. It hurts so much she wants scream it out in her face that Jeonghan belongs to her. But she can’t do that yet. He’s still attached to her and she’s just a third party for now. She averts her eyes to ease the pain. She has to take care of her own problems too. And that is Yuta still being beside her today.

While Chaeyeon is busy talking with the booth owner, Jeonghan can feel someone’s eyes at him. He turns around, searches for that someone and finds her. She looks as lovely as ever. How he longs to walk over her, hold hands with her, and tell the world she’s his. But that’s not possible right now. There Yuta stands beside her and he fully knows his boundaries. But that will only last for long. He’s gonna end his part of the plan soon. And he will not let any other man touch her again. For now, he can only look at her from afar and convey his feelings through the wind, wishing it reaches her.

Seunghee feels his gaze and eventually locks eyes with him from that distance. It feels like they’re the only persons in the world and that time stops just for them. They both want it to end. They know they have to tell their partners now. Hiding the truth longer will only hurt them even more. And will make it even harder for all of them to accept it. The time is now.

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To be continued…