HIS TOUCH || JAEYONG

Chapter 22 teary-eyed

Taeyong skipped school for a week until his mom didn't allow him to do that anymore without a reason. He couldn't tell her anything. Just lied and told that he felt sick.

Jaehyun called him. Many times. He didn't answer even in one. He got many messages but didn't dare to read any of them. He skipped school because he didn't want to see him and he was scared of being hurt again. He wanted to forget everything about Jaehyun and if the other would show up at him for whatever reason he was calling him, that would be impossible.

After a week on Friday he was finally dragged to school by his friend, Ten, who was now sitting opposite of him. They were on a lunch break in school cafeteria and Taeyong tried to hide himself in his oversized black hoodie. He couldn't eat but he waited as his friend ate while he nervously glanced at the clock from time to time.

"So...can't you just tell me what happened?" Ten asked for the nth time the same day. Taeyong glanced at him briefly.

"I already said that I don't wanna talk about it."

"You know, keeping it all to yourself isn't healthy. I know you still haven't gotten over the thing that happened between you and Ji-Eun either...Ji-Eun?!" Taeyong's face snapped in the direction his friend was now looking. The girl's eyes met his so he averted his gaze down again and tried to hide himself better under the hood. He wanted to do nothing more than run away again.

"Taeyong we are gonna talk now!" The said boy looked at his friend with pleading eyes. He hoped that Ten would help him out of the situation.

"Ji-Eun you know what, Taeyong would gladly do that right now," Great, his best friend had just betrayed him. Taeyong looked at him in disbelief still not moving in his seat.

***

Ten and Ji-Eun had finally managed to get up from his seat. They needed to threaten him that they'd carry him if he didn't walk himself. Ten left the two alone with a pleased smile on his face while the other boy was scared to death. He was afraid of the things she would say to him.

His eyes wandered on the ground while the girl stood a few steps away from him. They stood outside under the shelter and it was freezing. His shoulders tensed when Ji-Eun started talking.

"Ten told me everything you've been doing these past years," Ten was going to hear about that later. Why couldn't he keep his mouth shut?

"I know what you're thinking but you should thank him later instead," Why the hell should he do that?

"Taeyong why the hell are you torturing yourself like that? Yeah, I know about your anxiety problems and how they began," Ji-Eun shouted and the other flinched. He was afraid everyone nearby could hear her. He didn't want to answer. The girl sighed before starting to talk again.

"When I was at the hospital, I waited for you to visit because I wanted to tell you that I was sorry. Still am. My parents and my brother were really angry with you but I wasn't. I knew you better than them. I was very disappointed though when you never came. At some point I came into a conclusion that you probably hated me for ruining our performance or something. Then when I finally came back to dance studio, I found that you had left. I thought that you probably changed studious so I just blindly accepted it. I had no idea what you were actually going through at that time," Taeyong couldn't believe anything she was telling but still listened carefully.

"Then I met you again," Ji-Eun's voice broke. "You can't even imagine how much I hated myself when I heard what had happened to you. When Ten told me... If I just had searched you and told you that I was fine and nothing was your fault, then maybe you would still dance and do the thing you love the most. Maybe you wouldn't have blamed yourself for it like me, and I'm sure you would still be yourself," Taeyong looked at her. She was on the verge of tears. Was that really what she had thought about him the whole time?

"But it really was my fault. You shouldn't have blamed yourself for it," Taeyong opened his mouth for the first time. His words caught the girls attention.

"I already told you, stop blaming yourself! It was an accident. I know you're not a bad person to hurt anyone on purpose, just overly sensitive and cautious and thoughtful. I was the one that wanted to change our choreography just before the competition, remember? So definitely not your fault that I broke my leg." That was true.

"I don't hate you and neither does my brother. He misunderstood our situation so don't hate him. And please, start dancing again, I know how much you love it. I don't want to be the reason that's holding you back ," Taeyong felt like crying, again. The look in Ji-Eun's eyes was sincere and he could almost believe in her words.

Maybe that was what he had needed to hear. He had all this time thought that she would hate him for his mistake and that he would never deserve to enjoy about anything again but he was wrong. He had no idea it would turn out this way.

"J-Ji-Eun... I'm so sorry," She came closer to him with a few steps.

"Don't say that. You have nothing to be sorry for," She reached her hand to his cheek to wipe away the lone tear but the boy pulled his head back before her finger tips managed to touch his cheek. "Oh I'm sorry, I already forgot that you had this..."

"No it's fine. Just a reflex...y-you can-," Taeyong stuttered. The girl guessed what the other was implying and raised her hand again. Taeyong clenched his jaw and tried not to move his head away when the hand was almost touching his cheek. On the outside he looked calm but in reality he was freaking out and wanting to run away.

"You don't seem so comfortable," Ji-Eun dropped her hand and the other sighed visibly in relief. Ten had been right, talking had helped him as his heart felt now lighter. Then he had thought it would be fine to let someone touch him now that he didn't feel so anxious anymore, but it wasn't.

"About Jaehyun...how is it that you seem so comfortable with him?" Ji-Eun suddenly changed the topic and the other averted his gaze down again.

"I-It wasn't like I liked him or anything...I just...I don't know..." He felt his cheeks growing red.

"I guess I just liked the attention I was given by him," He felt so embarrassed but still raised his eyes on her. Now that he looked at her properly, he noticed that she really did resemble his brother surprisingly much. How didn't he notice that earlier?

"Are you sure?"

"O-Of course..." Why was he even hesitating?

Neither of them knew that someone had been around the corner eavesdropping them the whole time. The someone had seen and heard everything.

***

//I'm sorry for the late update. I have exams right now so I don't know when I'll be able to update the next chapter. Also I had many problems with this chapter so it took longer than usually.