ᴀʙᴅɪᴛᴏʀʏ || baek kyung

How Was I To Know That My Actions Would Have Consequences?

How Was I To Know That My Actions Would Have Consequences

Dohwa was staring out a window melancholically again when Jia crept up behind him. She watched him hug his arms tighter around himself and let out a heavy sigh.

"Is this where you cry about seeing my face in the clouds?" She peered over his shoulder and asked.

"Oh, great." He grumbled, withering even more than before, "Now I'm hearing your voice too."

"Why, were you hallucinating me walking around the school?"

Taking a step away, Dohwa glanced at her as if waiting for her to disappear. With another dramatic sigh, he walked past her, accidentally bumping shoulders with her.

Jia huffed, turning around to follow him, "Rude."

He froze, realizing that he had hit something solid. Hesitantly, he swatted her bicep once and then twice. Eyes wide as saucers, Dohwa gasped loudly and covered his mouth. "Jia." He teared up. "It really is you!"

"Of course it's me— oof!"

She stumbled against him as he nearly crushed her into his chest, wailing at the top of his voice. "I thought you were really gone!" He cried, pressing his cheek on the top of her hair, "Everything about you began to disappear and I couldn't even find my way to your apartment. And—and that phonecall—!"

Feeling oddly flustered because of his arms around her, Jia awkwardly patted his back, "There, there." It was a good thing Dohwa couldn't see how red she'd gone in the face.

(He sniffed soundly, "Hey...why do you smell like burnt paper?")

☘☘☘

After much persuasion that she wouldn't disappear if Dohwa took his eyes off of her, Jia wandered back to her class to check on her friends. She found them huddled together, in the hallway outside, whispering furiously to each other.

Jia clapped Aesam on the arm, making her flinch, "What are you guys talking about?"

The three exchanged looks and Aeri tossed her ponytail over her shoulder. "Why didn't you tell us you're close with Lee Dohwa?" She asked.

"What?"

Aeil pouted, "We saw him hugging you. Jia, why didn't you tell us? We would've understood."

Before she could get another word out of her mouth, Aesam interrupted her with a smirk and a nudge, "Hey, hey. Give us some tips too. How did you manage to snag an A3 member?"

"Jesus fuck, stop it." Jia made a face at the girls, "I'm friends with him, that's all. He just...hadn't heard from me for the past three days and got worried. Speaking of which," She crossed her arms and scowled at them, "How come you guys didn't notice me missing?"

After a moment of confused silence, Aeri slowly spoke up, "You know...you're right. It didn't really strike me but weirdly enough...I don't recall seeing you at school."

"Ah...she's right."

"I don't think you answered our calls either." Aeil knitted her eyebrows together, "Or I think your phone number wasn't reachable. Where were you?" She eyed Jia's denim jumpsuit and sneakers curiously. "Do you work morning shifts as well?"

Jia honestly didn't know how to answer the first question because she didn't expect them to remember the past three days. She adjusted the straps of her jumpsuit over her blue shirt, eyes shifting from corner to corner of the hallway. "Yeah..." She finally said, "Something like that."