stalker | hyunjin

拾壹

[twelve ; the pent up anger]

"CHEER UP HEI RYUNG, you're supposed to smile when you see a handsome face like mine," minho joked, his futile attempts left her smiling awkwardly.
"it's just-" she fidgeted with the tips of her ponytail, "-you got hurt 'cause i didn't listen to the stalker. i got you involved and now you're here..." she mumbled, her lips quivering at the sight of the bandage that wrapped around his head. the red blotches conspicuously seeping through the thick material only added to her guilt.

"you know what? if you want to make it up to me then take me out to dinner. anywhere of your choice this saturday, okay?" he asked, reassuring his plans on whether she'd accept or not. he didn't like to see her upset, it was as if he swallowed a rock and it was weighing down on his gut, he couldn't explain why.
"of course it'd mean you're paying though." he continued and she nods her head, agreeing to his terms.

"are you sure you want me to choose? i mean, we could go to your favourite restaurant, what do like? japanese, malaysian, italian-"
"just choose anything, i don't care." he replied, grabbing the blanket and throwing it over his head, "i don't mind as long as i get to go with you." his voice wavered and mixed with the shuffling of the blanket. her face burned scarlet red and she chuckled,
"don't be such a flirt, it's gross."

saturday seemed to come fast and here hei ryung was, standing in front of the entrance to one of her favourite homily restaurants, a chinese hotpot eating house. coincidentally, hyunjin and myung hee happen to be heading towards the same building, almost missing their female friend standing out front.

"hei ryung? why're you here?" myung hee was carefully observing the girl and questioning her presence before her.
"umm well i'm waiting for someone."
"who?" hyunjin steps in, curious to see who she'd be going out late at night with to the restaurant he had planned to take her to. it wasn't his intention to bring myung hee here at all, but he couldn't leave the girl alone.

"min-"
"why don't you join us? i'm sure your date wouldn't mind!" she gleefully interrupted. hei ryung's face flushed.
"date?? what do you mean date? hei ryung explain!" hyunjin whined and she flailed her arms in exasperation.
"no i'm not dating anyone! what the hell myung hee?!" she explained, annoyed as her friend laughed,
"i was just joking, no need to get defensive."

linking arms with hei ryung and hyunjin, she dragged both teens inside.
"i don't think i should join you guys. i could be ruining plans, how about next time?" hei ryung appealed, wary of how close hyunjin was to her and the fact that minho and myung hee weren't on good terms.
"too late, you're already sitting with us." myung hee replied forcing the girl against her whim to take a seat in front of her. hyunjin sat next to myung hee, the empty seat soon to be occupied by minho was positioned in front of him.

"what a coincidence to see you. it really is." her friend smirked, stirring an uncomfortable nod from hei ryung in reaction to her strange tone of voice. hei ryung's eyes slowly darted towards myung hee's clinging arms wrapped around hyunjin's forearm, her chest clearly open for him to see but he only stared at her.

hei ryung would try to avoid his gaze but he didn't look away. only until minho's voice caught his attention.
"hei ryung, you didn't tell me we had other company." he smiled, easily identifying hyunjin and hei ryung. minho had his eyes fixed on the back of the girl he presumed he hadn't met before, unaware it was myung hee and watched her turn around to face him.

his fists clenched and immediately a frown appeared on his face. he wasn't even trying to hide his hatred towards the girl. suddenly the mood became sour as he glared at her. this was not what hei ryung wanted. she wanted to have a good time but here they were quiet and awkward.

"i'm going home. sorry that i'm leaving early hei ryung." he said, turning away from them almost too quickly. if it wasn't for the waiter that blocked his way, minho would've already been out the door.

"stop it minho." myung hee's voice had caused him to halt in his tracks. the more she spoke the more his eyes darkened.
"i don't want to ruin this night because of our complicated relationship." hyunjin and hei ryung looked at each other in hopes that the tense atmosphere would lessen. of course it didn't.
"we don't have any kind of relationship." minho answered back gruffly, the anger never dissipating from his tongue.

"look, the past is behind us, you can't just leave hei ryung here." minho scoffed, reasoning with himself that she only wanted him to stay so that she could show off how much she's already moved on. he couldn't care less about her intentions, hyunjin had rejected tons of girls before, he knew she had no chance. he just couldn't bare to be around her.
"it's not fair for you to say that." his eyes drifted towards hei ryung, shifting uncomfortably in her seat.

"i'm only staying for her, don't bother talking to me." he grit between annoyed grunts and a sigh.
she turned away from him and began to order their food.

✿

the whole night was horrifyingly compromising.

hyunjin and hei ryung were completely burdened by keeping themselves from asking about the wedge that drove myung hee and minho apart. they were completely ignoring each other (and doing a good job at that too) until myung hee and minho both reached for the chilli sauce, her fingers slightly grazed his thumb and immediately he pulled back.

"don't fucken touch me ever again." he yelled, his eyes red with fury.
"umm i'm s-sorry."
"no you're not, just shut the hell up if you don't mean it." he raised his voice, catching the eyes of strangers sitting around their table. his breaths were ragged and loud and his face contorted in disgust.

hyunjin stood up from his seat, "relax minho. don't you think you're being too harsh on her?"
"if you don't know anything then don't unnecessarily take her side."
"i'm not choosing sides just back off a little." hyunjin spoke defensively on myung hee's behalf. "we're in public too." by the end of his sentence, minho whispered back in response.

"i'm going, dinner was terrible." he threw his chopsticks on the table and readied himself to leave.

————
what happened between minho and myung hee? can you take any guesses? find out next time!
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