Caratland [Seventeen FF]

-13-

Soonyoung poV:

A week passed since that day. No one talked about the portal neither did Seungkwan or Hansol spoke up to me about it. Jihoon also didn't speak to me and the others distanced themselves from me as well. Only Chan sticked by my side.

I spent the weekend by my mom and sister. It was nice to see them again and it was nice to have a little break from everything.

I was still curious about that portal. It never showed up when I went there alone. But I also didn't want to go with the others. Especially when they try to avoid me.

I was sorting out coins again. Jihoon did the same only in another corner. There were times were I had a good joke in my mind and wanted to tell him, but then reminded myself that we stopped talking to each other. I didn't even know why. After we came back from his world everything seemed fine, but later on he ignored me. Well more like he avoided me even though we're teammates, which makes work uncomfortable.

"Hey, Soonyoung! Work is boring!", Chan whined as he walked over to me.
"I know, but as long as I'm getting paid I'm motivated enough", I grinned.
"True", Chan responded.
I finished sorting out the second box of coins, while Chan watched me. "But Soonyoung", he started. I looked to him while putting the boxes full of coins under the table. Chan approached me a little. "What happened between you two? You were so close and now you avoid looks", he asked in a whispering tone. I thought back to the day we went to his world. Nothing happened actually. I shrugged my shoulders and kept sorting out the coins. Chan looked at the floor.
"But Chan", I started after silence fell between us. He looked up again.
"Do you know why the others avoid me?", I asked. He got seemingly nervous. He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it shortly after again.
"N-No, I don't know", he stuttered and looked away. I sighed. Chan was stunningly bad at lying.
"So Seungkwan and Hansol told you about it. Don't be worried. I'm neither creeped out of y'all nor can I see it without y'all so it's fine. I won't tell anyone. Seems like a big secret to you", I said. Chan's eyes grew in shock, but then he let out a relieved sigh.
"Ah, I thought I need to lie to you till the end", he exclaimed, which made me smile a little bit.

"You really can't see it when you're alone?", he asked me again. We had lunch break and neither of us were hungry. I shook my head.
"Why?", he questioned.
"Y'all know probably more about that world than me so you're asking the wrong person here", I replied. We chatted about more things, surprisingly less about the other world, while helping out other customers. It felt like I got closer to Chan than to Jihoon.

After the work day ended we went eating out again. The last day I always brought something little back to the hotel to eat there alone since it felt like the others didn't want me near them. But Chan explained me the situation so I understood them a little better. The people kept quitting here because they were creeped out by the fact that a second world exists and everyone on this island knows about it. He also told me that I don't need to worry since no one will believe them if they try to report it.

This time we went to the burrito stand. It was near the taco shop and the burger shop. Chan told me that the others went before us and we were the last to come.

When they saw me they froze not knowing what to say. Chan quickly explained the situation, which calmed the others a little down. Jihoon and our boss were the only ones not here.
"And you're not creeped out about that?", Seokmin then asked with a small voice. I shook my head.
"That boy is different", Mingyu commented.
"So you're not going to quit?", Minghao asked with a full mouth. I shook my head again.
"Close your mouth when eating, you pig", Junhui complained.
"Shut up, stupid piece of wood", Minghao exclaimed.
"A piece of wood, seriously?", Junhui asked, not impressed by the counter of Minghao, making Hansol and Seungkwan laugh.

We chatted and ate all together. The two kept argumenting over little things, making Wonwoo sigh annoyed. Hansol, Seungkwan, Jisoo and Seokmin played a game and Jeonghan, Mingyu and Chan kept asking me questions. The whole time I asked myself where Jihoon was. It was weird not sitting next to him.

We finished our burritos and went back to the hotel. Well more like the other went to the portal. They were now a little used to the fact that I know about it.

I went to the harbour. I liked the atmosphere there. I sat on the edge of the footbridge, letting my feet hang out almost touching the water.
Suddenly I felt someone sitting next to me. I turned to my right to see our boss, hanging his feet in a similar way down. I didn't know what to say so I looked back to the water.
"Good evening", I murmured.
"Let the formalities down. No one besides my brother cares about things like that here", he said, "Just call me Seungcheol like the others." I nodded and looked back to the sea.
"Then, why are you sitting here, Seungcheol?", I asked him after a while.
"Ain't I allowed to do so?"
"N-No, I mean y-yes. Sorry."
"Calm down, it was a joke", he laughed.

"Let me get to the point then", he said after a silence. I looked to him curious.
"Talk to Jihoon."
My look changed into a confused one. How did he notice? I never saw him the last week and Chan told me Jihoon usually doesn't open up to people easily.
"He's the type to keep things for himself until they explode. In other words: He would never actually speak to a person, but let the guilt take over him. I don't know what happened between you two, but it seems like Jihoon trusts you more than us all together", he explained. I nodded, listening attentively. So he felt guilty for getting angry at me... I wasn't even in need of an excuse. I just wanted to know why he got so serious. But then I smiled.

He trusts me more than the others...