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chapter 35 : don't know what to do without you
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"so... how is it? is it everything you wanted and more?" junichi asked kyunghee, leaning over the table as she tasted her ice cream cone.
she nodded. "it's good."
he fist bumped the air as if he won a game or something, "yay! i mean... that's good."
kyunghee chuckled and look down at her ice cream again sadly. she'd have these quick moments of happiness when junichi tried to cheer her up. and every time, she'd think she was over it, but then she'd remember seonghwa.
junichi sighed. he noticed her pain, too. "hey, cheer up."
"i know. i'm sorry."
"don't be. so hm... what did you make on your literature test today?" junichi desperately changed the subject.
"i made a... s-seventy two." she whispered.
junichi jumped back in fear. "you're the smartest girl in our grade! how?"
kyunghee shook her head unknowingly.
"i guess seonghwa's really got you down, huh?"
she nodded, "yeah."
"well do you wanna go to the arcade or shopping?" junichi asked her and she just shrugged. he added, "karaoke? movies? pet cafe? picnic?"
she grinned, "how about a picnic and then a movie?"
"sounds perfect. let's go!" junichi was trying his best to make her smile again. he thought he was the expert at this, but kyunghee was hard to crack. it's because she wasn't exactly sad, she was confused and couldn't stop thinking about it. there was always a chance that seonghwa was telling the truth.
he saw kyunghee dragging her feet lugubriously; needless to say, junichi didn't like that. he sprung forward and picked up kyunghee, carrying her over his shoulder.
"hey! let me go!" kyunghee shouted and laughed loud.
junichi's mission was accomplished. nevertheless, he kept carrying her like that as they walked home to prepare for their picnic.
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seonghwa barely touched his lunch. his appetite was lost; there were more important things to him right now other than eating. for example, he wanted to know why junichi was getting so close to his girlfriend during this time of adversity.
"you gonna eat that?" mingi asked him, pointing to the rice on his plate.
"go ahead."
mingi happily took it and ate. seonghwa usually would've beaten him up for stealing his food, but today he didn't care.
"what's wrong, seongie? is it because kyunghee isn't at school today?" jongho asked the older with a playful smirk.
seonghwa sighed and looked away, "she thinks i cheated on her. i have a feeling she's gonna break up with me soon. she won't even talk to me..."
"but did you cheat?" yeosang asked, being protective as always. seonghwa shook his head as a no. then yeosang added, "you better not be lying or i swear..."
"ouch. maybe this will help." san offered seonghwa his mango smoothie.
"no thanks."
san leaned forward with a suspicious smile, then whispered, "try it. i spiked it with lots of good stuff."
"oh.." was all he replied, drinking the mixture with no more hesitation. after only a few bites, he could feel his blood flowing faster and his heart speeding up.
san sure wasn't lying when he said it had good stuff in that smoothie. seonghwa felt relieved, but only for a while.
instead of killing pain with drugs, he'd rather have his real happy pill - kyunghee. he was going to make things right today, whether she liked it or not.
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that night, kyunghee walked home from the movie theater alone. junichi offered to walk her, but she declined because he lived on the opposite side of town. not to mention, it was super late for him to do that.
kyunghee began to regret declining him. she felt an unsettling feeling. it was like she sensed something.
she glanced over her shoulder and gasped. a man was walking behind her at a similar pace to her. he stared right back at her.
kyunghee sped up. she was worried since she still had a while until she would reach home. her head was spinning, suddenly panicking. when she turned around again, the man had sped up too.
kyunghee nervously took out her phone to text someone for help. she didn't have much time before she would have to start running, so she weighed her options carefully and quickly.
junichi was way too far away, her mom and jaeeun were probably sound asleep... what about yeosang and seonghwa? they cared about her the most.
kyunghee speedily sent them a text message through a groupchat.
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kyunghee please help me a man is following me i'm going past the city square what do i do?
seonghwa keep going and just pretend he isn't there i'll be there soon babe
yeosang yeah be careful make sure to walk under streetlights just incase i'm coming too
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although the boys' texts reassured her a bit, she would still have to wait for them with some creep following her. kyunghee prayed and hoped that she could take care of herself for now.
