Jealousy | Wen Junhui [EDITING]

Chapter 54

Jennie, the boys, and I were all situated in the livingroom of the boys' apartment room, anticipation casually resided on their faces. Everyone eyed each other, expecting someone to pipe up a conversation to clarify why we were all gathered. I glowered at Seungcheol to prompt him to express his confessions. He cleared his throat, initiating his disclosure, however someone else had interrupted him.

"Guys, why are we all here?" Seungkwan questioned. 

"Seungkwan, he was just about to speak. Shut up," Jeonghan retorted.

The addressed boy held a rigid, unperturbed expression and faced Jeonghan, looking as if he was inviting Jeonghan to fight. Jeonghan rebounded by firing the same look, but challenged Seungkwan by displaying a crown of sass on his heightened brow. I coughed to grab their attention and darted my eyes towards Seungcheol, who sat awkwardly. He was downcast and stood up with his broad shoulders slumped.

"I have a confession to make..."

Stealing a breath, Seungcheol narrated everything he did, from beginning til the end. He left out no stories, combing through every nook and cranny. Jun received several stares of sympathy along the pathway. Minghao couldn't even find the words to say to his companion. I felt Jennie's clammy hand hold mine. After Seungcheol finished, the room became deafeningly quiet, only the humming of hollow breaths could be heard.

"I'm so sorry I lied to you all..."

Vernon rose from his sitting position and stood face to face with the older male. Seungcheol shamefully glanced at Vernon, which proved to be a great mistake; within a heartbeat, Vernon grabbed Seungcheol's collar, attracting everyone's attention.

"How could you? How could you do this to Jun! How could you make us do your dirty work? I sprained my damn ankle for that!" Vernon bellowed, being pried off Seungcheol by Joshua and Jeonghan.

Seungcheol forced himself not to cry by gnawing on his bottom lip. Under the thunderstorm that loomed around the standing males, I shrank and suppressed myself from witnessing the fulmination. Another male stood up. His quiet and gentle presence had stopped the chaos from progressing. Chan stared directly into Seungcheol's eyes in hurt and betrayal, and left the room without another word.

"Chan..." Seungcheol whimpered.

Vernon ripped his shoulder from Jeonghan's grip and trailed after the youngest. The boys sequentially arose and left the room, each number exactly the same amount of seconds apart, and each held identical crestfallen eyes. Jennie left with Minghao guiding her out the door, followed by Jeonghan and Joshua.

Before he left, Jeonghan whispered rigidly to Seungcheol. "To think I knew who you really were." And sauntered alongside Joshua.

It was only Jun and I remaining in the room with Seungcheol. Jun looked disappointedly at the older male, who was already digging his nails into his arm, and then offered his hand to me. I willingly obliged and stood up next to Jun, giving him an apologetic look.

Just as we were about to leave through the door, I stopped by the doorframe as an effect of a sudden remembrance.

I strode back to Seungcheol, having already delved out the ornament I cheerily wore during the era of artless ignorance. I protruded my hand the necklace was perched on towards the paper man in front of me.

"Take it."

He lifted a trembling hand to receive the charm, whose spell brewed a completely opposite effect to when we first swallowed the tantalizing potion. The hot tears rising from their wellspring betrayed the solid glare I once more pierced into the liar.

"It was never mine in the first place," I stated brusquely, turning back to the door.

Through the closing of the door, the dam imprisoning Seungcheol's emotions ruptured and cascaded his anguish freely. The paper man had finally crumpled. I heard the echo of a thump coiled with distant crying. The man who was loved by his world became isolated because of the means of his own hands.

Minghao's POV

I watched in silence as Jun guided Tori gently out the apartment building. She situated herself on a bench adjacent to the entrance with her face lying on her palms in surrender, while Jun sat quietly next to Tori. I sighed melancholily for the two victims and wished to comfort them as well, but I knew it was best to leave them to their thoughts for now.

I returned my gaze to the girl beside me, who finally tore her eyes away from her phone and gazed into the traffic.

"How could he... to Tori and Jun..?" Jennie enfeebled.

I landed my hand on her shoulder; her eyes had found mine, but I was sure her mind was still wandering elsewhere. I was hoping to change that.

"Run away with me," I articulated.

Jennie widened her eyes in surprise. "What?"

"Run away with me. Just for today. We could use a little peace during times like this."

"But Minghao, is this right? To run away at a time like this?"

"There's nothing wrong about a little escapade. Also it's just for today, I promise I'll get you home by 9 at the latest."

"Are you thinking of a place in particular?"

"We can go anywhere we want."

"Wait we? J-just us?"

"Yes, Jen. Just the two of us."

"But why me?"

"Why not you? I can't think of a better person to run away with."

Jennie glided her furrowed eyes to her blank phone and then to the horizon the road led to. My small smile faded slightly as I followed her gaze to the end of the road. I knew what her eyes were searching for, and I couldn't help but feel dejected that they weren't looking into the non-cryptic path I genially laid out for her that led to what I had been meaning to show her all this time. Nonetheless I still persisted and patiently waited for her redirected attention.

"Okay. Let's run away."

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