silver lining » wonwoo

sixteen;

The pencil between her fingers had been spinning nonstop as the thoughts running in her head kept her restless. There were only a few people left in the library as the school was about to close.

The room might be quiet but her thoughts were loud that if the librarian could hear them, she would've been kicked out by the time she spotted the boy with glasses strolling from one aisle to another. She bet on her leg that he was there in search of novels instead.

Too much happened in a span of a couple of months that Yiseul had slowly forgotten the last time they talked and what it was about. She had been too focused on the college entrance exam, which was a month from now, to be bothered by anything else. Though, the thought of Wonwoo sometimes popped up in her mind and wringed her heart.

The exam was a good distraction somehow to keep her away from the heartbreak. Was heartbreak even the right term to describe how she felt? Because she felt more than just a mere loss and disappointment. It felt like someone was pouring acid over her wound whenever she thought about him.

A sharp breath came out rather too harsh that the librarian had to shush her and it made the remaining visitors glanced at her, unexceptionally Wonwoo and his friend Soonyoung who were sitting at the far end of the table.

She shot him a small embarrassed smile and he replied with what seemed like a forced smile—meanwhile Soonyoung looked like he was suppressing a giggle. That was it. Their interactions were limited to awkward greetings and small smiles. She wondered what had happened that changed him drastically.

It wasn't like Yiseul had tried to initiate a conversation first anyway. Ever since he said it would be better for them to focus on the exams, she only followed the game. Yet he was always found reading novels, not studying. So, if she were to make the first move, would it make any difference? Would he want her to put more efforts in their friendship? Or did he really just want to stop talking to her for whatever reason?

Thinking about the last possibility had made her heart clench in pain yet again.

When the clock stroke 6.45pm, Yiseul quickly packed her belonging and stormed outside of the library. Her breath was in a messy rhythm, so she managed it so her heart would beat decently as she leaned against the wall, waiting for that certain someone to come out.

The hallway was deadly silent and chills were sent through her spine. Not because of how silent it was though, but because she didn't know what she was doing and what she must do or say when she finally faced him. If only she knew what made him distance himself in the first place then she would probably know what to say.

The students came out one by one, luckily without stealing a glance toward her direction. Her heart was literally jumping up and down and almost out of its place.

When she saw his figure walking out of a library, Soonyoung wasn't by his side. He was alone and she stood a good chance to talk out whatever was bugging her with him.

"Hey," she greeted, successfully making it seem like a coincidence.

"Oh hi," he managed to reply properly though she knew that he was taken aback. There was a moment of silence before he asked, "Why aren't you going home yet?"

Yiseul put a wary smile on her face. She didn't know the exact answer to his question. Did she just bluntly confront him or did she initiate some small talk first? She didn't know and it frustrated her.

"I, uh, I think I left something in the library so I'm going back to take it," she nodded her head reassuringly.

If they were as close now as they were before, Wonwoo would've voluntarily waited for her just so they could go home together, but he did not.

"Wonwoo," she called out, trying to do whatever to keep him from going away. "Did you forget something too? Just making sure."

The boy stopped in his track, mentally checking his pocket and his bag before he shook his head in slow motion.

"Then, did you have something to tell me?" she continued. A part of her told herself to just bluntly confront him but that would be too sudden.

Wonwoo gulped, like he just swallowed whatever he had to say to her and kept it to himself. His eyes scanned her like he was trying to read what she wanted. But then he shifted his gaze to the floor. "I did not."

With that said, Yiseul nodded, signaling him that he could go now. And so he went off, leaving her with a lump forming in her throat.

It was crazy how things could be a whole lot different with the change of that certain something.

Yiseul felt like pulling her hair out. She couldn't make out the constellations of things in the tip of her tongue she didn't manage to say and his thoughts that always moved in a dynamic state.

The cold and silent distance between them cut her heart like a knife. Maybe even if she started over from the beginning, it wouldn't make much difference. There always has to be a stop in every journey, and maybe this was a stop he wanted in between them.

She didn't even know what happened in between them in the first place. Or what they were once. But one thing she knew that it was hurt; to have someone pull themselves away from her life with no last word. It hurt.

"Hey," a vibrant voice echoed in the hallway and she immediately recognized who it belonged to—Soonyoung.

"Hey," Yiseul turned her face, blinking her eyes so the tears that were brimming her eyes would go away, hopefully the pain in her heart too.

She turned to him and flashed him a smile. They started walking side by side in the hallway.

"What happened to you and Wonwoo?" Soonyoung asked carefully.

"Did he tell you something? Because nothing happened between us," she said with hopeful eyes. We just completely stopped talking.

Soonyoung murmured something she didn't quite catch. His eyes looked up and he pursed his lips like he was thinking hard. This was probably the most serious Soonyoung she had ever seen. Because even during math exam, he had never looked this serious.

"That's the thing, he told none of us nothing."

"Is he alright though?"

"Yeah yeah, he's doing fine. But he acts weird whenever you're brought up to the conversation. So I thought you two fought," he rubbed his forehead. "And he's never talked about you to me for so long."

Yiseul's eyes widened in surprise when she made out what he had just said. As if he had just realized what slipped out of his mouth, he dramatically looked at her and said, "Pretend I never said that." Then he changed the topic quickly. "So, did he like stop counseling with your father or something?"

"Yup, he's stopped a while ago. You know, when we were still talking. I'm fine if he's fine though."

*

this story is coming to an end in no time wow, thanks to everyone who is still waiting to read this story!!