Street Cred

Chapter 30

When Byeol woke up the next day, her eyes and throat were sore from crying so much the night before, so it didn't take long for her to become sad. Again. She laid in bed thinking about what she said to Jeongin. Was she wrong? Totally.

It isn't right to force somebody to tell you something if they don't want to. She should have given him time. Maybe he wasn't ready, or maybe he didn't know how to tell her. Thinking about last night in a stable mindset made Byeol realize how wrong she was.

She looked at the clock and realized she would be late for school, but she didn't care, she needed to make things right with Jeongin. She jumped out of bed and quickly ran to her room where Jeongin had spent the night. Byeol knocked on the door, but there was no answer. She tried the handle and smiled when it twisted open. The door swung open to reveal a neatly made bed with her fox plushie centered on her pillows, exactly how she liked it. Her smile faded however when she didn't see Jeongin.

Byeol walked into the room and went to her bed where she noticed a notepad with some scribbling sitting on the bedside table and she picked it up, reading what Jeongin had left her.

Byeol,
I'm sorry that I wasn't able to share with you last night. It's just hard for me to talk about my personal life with anyone. Not to mention, this whole relationship and having someone I can depend on like this is new to me, and I'm scared. I decided to take a few days away from everything and everyone just so I can clear my head. If you need me, Hyunjin is the only one I told where I'm going, so talk to him. I'll be back soon, and I'll be ready to talk.
-Innie

P.S. I made some breakfast and left you some :)

Byeol wanted to cry. Here she was, ready to take full responsibility for everything that happened last night, and now she wouldn't be able to resolve it until Jeongin came back. She sat on her bed and stared at the note for a few minutes before deciding it was time to get ready.

She checked her phone and saw that she was already two hours late to school and that she had about 10 missed calls and like 50 texts from Felix and Minki. Each.

After letting them know she was okay and that she wasn't feeling well so she wouldn't be there today - which wasn't a total lie - Byeol got dressed in Jeongin's sweatshirt and some jeans. She grabbed her phone, wallet, and some sneakers before heading out of her apartment and locking the door behind her.

She just started walking, who knows where. She passed the shops that were near her apartment, her school, a few restaurants, and was finally just walking next to a wooded area. When a clearing arrived, she realized it was the park that Jeongin had taken her to on their date. She felt like smiled at the sweet memory and walked into the park.

Even though their date had been at night and the park was dark, Byeol remembered where he had taken her. The hidden path through the trees. So when it came up, Byeol didn't hesitate to take it. She stumbled her way through the branches and roots on the ground and finally came to the clearing where she then sat on a rock.

The weather was perfect. Slightly warm, but a slight breeze was blowing to make sure she didn't sweat under Jeongin's sweatshirt. Byeol brought her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms under her legs as her head rested on her knees. She closed her eyes and listened to the river flow in front of her. The birds chirping caused a smile to spread on her face and the sweet scent of the flowering trees mixed with the lingering cologne on a Jeongin's sweatshirt made her feel comforted. A few tears started streaming down her face, but her smile remained, she was thinking about Jeongin and wondering if he was okay.

The soothing music of the river and birds was interrupted by the sound of multiple pairs of feet and loud voices coming from the woods that Byeol had come through. She didn't have any time or anywhere to hide, so she wiped her tears and turned around to greet whoever had disturbed her peace.