superficial love | jaerosé

twelve

superficial love

chapter twelve - the mess i made

song : parachute -  the mess I made

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Chaeyoung stilled herself, standing in the empty hallway alone, wanting to disappear from everyone and everything.

Although she stood still, the thuds of her heavy heart, the ringing in her ears, and the cascading stream of tears did not falter.

Chaeyoung felt broken.

Not only had she been belittled and slapped twice, but Jaehyun had just ripped her heart out and stomped on it right in front of her.

"What did I do to deserve this?" Chaeyoung mumbled in a mess, damning herself for being one to cry so easily.

Hiccuping, she desperately attempted to wipe the tears that had stained her cheeks, not wanting the other members to see.

"A-are you okay?"

Chaeyoung jumped at the voice behind her, immediately turning around with widened eyes.

Taeyong stood there, bottom lip in between his teeth as he looked perplexed.

She blinked at him before turning away.

Chaeyoung was too embarrassed for anyone's company- nonetheless, an NCT member's company at the moment.

"I-I'm okay." She muttered, the waterworks slowly coming to an end.

Taeyong tilted his head in silence, observing her momentarily.

"You don't seem 'okay'." He says softly.
"D-do you want to talk about it?" Taeyong asks, and Chaeyoung's eyebrows strewn together in confusion.

"Talk about it?" She asks in disbelief.
"I- I don't even want to think about it!"

"Then let's not talk about it!" Taeyong says quickly, not wanting to upset her any further.

Taeyong observed the girl once more.
Her cheeks flushed and red, her eye makeup smeared and her overall mood down and solemn.

Taeyong felt bad for the girl.
The girl that had the most beautiful and pure smile was now sniffling and broken in front of his eyes, and he didn't want to just stand by it.

As he held his cold water bottle in his hand (which had been grabbed on his way), he gently lifted it to press it against Chaeyoung's reddened cheek.

Chaeyoung's eyes immediately widened, locking with Taeyong's calm ones as the cold surface of the water bottle had settled onto the stinging side of her face.

She had almost began to stutter until Taeyong had opened his mouth.

"Cheer up, Chaeyoung." He says softly, "You look the best when you're happy."

Chaeyoung could only gulp thickly before slowly nodding as Taeyong sent her a reassuring smile.

Chaeyoung couldn't help it.
He just seemed so dependable.