Clash of Colors

The Great Defiance

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Namjoo flipped her phone over and over and over. Now in bed but wide awake. The lights turned off. The door locked.

She wished he would call, but after the kiss...she didn't think he would. Perhaps to give her space. Perhaps to have some time alone to think. Yet really, she just wanted him beside her so that everything would feel ok.

Flipping the phone again Namjoo turned the screen on. It was 4AM. Sehun would be asleep. She shouldn't wake him up, but then...what if she couldn't see him in the morning? What if they didn't see each other for a few days?

She would miss him.

What if in that duration of time Uncle Jaejin would complain to his parents?

She worried.

Namjoo chewed her thumbnail. Forget it she thought. She would call. She wanted to hear his voice. She wanted to tell him she wasn't upset with him.

Scrolling through her phone she found Sehun's name and pressed the device to her ear. Listening to the phone ring. Hoping he wasn't too deep asleep. She was sorry she had to wake him, but she needed assurance.

Contrary to her expectations, Sehun answered faster than she hoped. "Namjoo?"

His voice stirred her heart. Moving her phenomenally. It was strange that she wanted to melt against him. Hug him. Bury her face in his shirt and hide from the rest of the world.

"Are you there?" he called out. "Are you ok?"

"Yea, I'm ok," Namjoo answered in a low voice. Careful not to speak too loudly in case someone was lurking the halls and heard her.

"I'm sorry, you got in trouble," Sehun apologized.

"It's ok," Namjoo assured. "He didn't scold me too much."

"I wish you didn't have to stay there," he said. "I don't like the way they treat you."

"No, it's...it's really ok," Namjoo assured. She could deal with everything else, but she hated how Uncle Jaejin looked down on Sehun. If possible, she didn't want Sehun to know about the things his uncle said about him. How much that could hurt him knowing a close family member disliked him so much.

"Namjoo," Sehun gently called, "I'm sorry."

Her heart went out to him. How hard it must be on him, too. That those around him had these perceptions about him, judging him by what they thought about him. All without giving him a chance to show who he truly was. No one dared to think he had the capability to self-reflect.

She was sorry he felt like he had to protect her from even his friends.

"Sehun," she said, "it's ok. I'm not upset with you."

"Are you sure you're really ok?" he worried.

Smiling, she nodded even if he couldn't see her. "Sorry, I woke you up."

"I was still awake," he admitted. "Actually, I couldn't sleep. I was worried I had scared you off."

Namjoo giggled. "It'll take more than that to scare me."

"Oh?" he teased.

They chatted for another half hour. Calling it a night when she began dozing off. Dreaming again of cotton flowers floating prettily along a green field. Merrily trying to catch the fluffs. Under the glowing rays of the giant sun. Streaking gold around her. Accompanied by much bliss in a faraway land.

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"Yes, yes," he heard his mother speaking into the phone on his way downstairs. "I understand. Yes, I'm sorry. We'll be more careful."