flipped. | kaiyuna

chapter nineteen

a few days has passed after the fiasco and yuna hasn't returned to her normal state. she still attended school, but you wouldn't immediately notice since she didn't raise her hands to ask questions or answer questions anymore. she kept her head down low in fear of making eye contact with anyone who heard what had happened. and everyone did.

lia and ryujin were given a two-week suspension and a ban from the field trips and prom this year. after that day, lia checked up on yuna and reassured she'll be fine, but yuna certainly knows she won't be.

chaeryeong, being the friend she was, gave yuna some space for her to calm down. of course, she would check up on her through kakaotalk but they didn't interact outside of studies during school hours.

without any of them, excluding yeji since she's never free, yuna was alone. for the first time of her 11 years in school; she sat alone in a table, eating silently, without anyone to talk to.

[hueningkai's p.o.v.]

'honey, i don't know what's going on right now but please open the curtains.' mom's voice bounces off the walls as sunlight enters after days of blackout.

i stay silent as i lay on bed, staring at the ceiling as she sweeps off the instant noodles off my desk, into the trash bin she held.

'why not take a jog? it's quite bright this afternoon.' mom says as she stares out the window.

'no thanks, i'm fine.' my words came out as a mumble.

'no excuses. get out of the house, now.' she pulls out some clothes onto the bed before i could protest.

i sigh but decided to take a quick jog since i was tired staring at a lonely ceiling for days. i changed to sweatshirt and some shorts, brush my hair that hasn't been touched for a long time and slide down the stairs, slipping onto some sketchers.

i take my airpods from the shelf and exit the house, saying bye to lea who was taking her shift at the moment. i took a few laps around the neighborhood before deciding to go to hangang park, and maybe visit han river if i had the time.

i go home, take a few of my essentials and inserted them in my bag. i take a bus ride for 20 minutes and i was already at the gate of the park.

it's been awhile i've been here. i take in the view of the river, identical the the view i experienced when i was younger. how the subtle but calming splashes of the water against the edge sang a melody into my ears. how the scene of family and friends having fun made me smile like an idiot.

i jog a few paths through the park, reminiscing about the times i've jogged here with dad. finally i reached the main attraction, a wide, empty area near the river where tourists and people were just admiring the view.

and then i gulped.

among the crowd, sat wonyoung on a picnic blanket with a couple of her classmates, yujin and chaeyeon. they were laughing as they recorded themselves fooling around, until wonyoung finally made eye contact with me.

i shuddered thinking of her outburst approximately a week ago. her sudden, angered confession which was quite discomforting.

i see her talking with her friends with a tense look on her face before leaving them, walking torwards me.

'hey.' she pants.

'hi. whatcha doing?' i say, trying my best to sound casual.

'oh— just hanging out with them. uh, i came here to ask.. c-can i talk with you? while walking, of course.' she fumbles on her own words.

'sure.' i bluntly say.

she recommended a quieter pathway in which i agreed to. she rambles on and on about her friends and her pets, and it was obvious she was stirring the conversation away from being any close to her outburst. and if i'm being honest, it annoyed me. i needed to know the truth.

'yuna.' i stop her from chatting on and on.

'yeah?' she asks.

'be honest with me.' i gulp.

'did you record a conversation with you and yuna? and gave it to ryujin?' the words came out harsher then i expected it to.

she flinches back, and pushes her hair behind her ear.

'maybe. but what's the issue with that? it's the truth, anyhow. you needed to know.'

'but.. i don't believe it. i know her well.'

her face darkened once i said that. her eyebrows furrow as she crosses her arms.

'no you don't. not as i do. she's not just crazy; she's obsessive. she's just some cuckoo girl who happens to be your childhood friend, kai. she knew i liked you but still drooled over you? she's a fake. a fake friend and a fake person.'

she got something wrong. yuna liked me for the longest time, but it wasn't important.

'please, wonyoung— just admit what you're trying to do.'

silence was heard after i said that.

'do w-what? i don't get it.'

'trying to get me back. i know you well.' i repeat the words she just said.

'so what if that's that? open your eyes, hueningkai. we were a better match than anyone else in our batch! or even the whole school! i'm doing what needs to be done-'

'will you shut up for a second?'

i didn't intend to go hard on her, but once i said that, it was like boulders were being removed from my shoulders.

'what did you just say?' she mumbles.

'i asked you to shut up for a second and let me speak. i know how bad she can be, but i know she would never go pass the line. i know you would.'

her mouth opens, but nothing comes out. she struggles to find words, but she was definitely speechless.

'just stay out of my life. i'll say this once, and listen to me very carefully, wonyoung: we will never be together. ever.'

those were the last words i say before leaving her alone, her jaw touching the floor. i never felt so loosened up in my entire life.