Within These Shadows || Park Chanyeol/Do Kyungsoo || Book 1

28

15th March, 2019

"Home sweet home!" Mae crashed on her dorm room bed, spreading her arms and legs like she was trying to make a snow angel on her bedsheet.

"Yah, if your mom hears this, you might just become a permanent resident of this dorm." Jay chuckled, bringing in their suitcases and placing them by their respective beds.

"I'm not saying the dorm room is better, but you know, we've been living here for so long; I miss this place when I go home. I'll miss it after graduation." Mae sat up. "We've made lots of memories here, haven't we?"

"Yeah." Jay took her seat beside her best friend. "Mae?"

"Hmm?" Mae looked at the girl beside her.

"Can I ask you something?" Jay started fiddling with the ring on her left finger, suddenly feeling nervous.

"Yeah, sure. What is it?"

"What's gonna happen after graduation?"

"What do you mean?" Mae's brow furrowed.

"So many responsibilities, different fields of study, different jobs; what if we get separated? I mean, we'll get busy, we might not even have time for each other. Especially if either of us goes for post graduate studies. What then?" Jay couldn't look up at the girl beside her.

"Jay…" Mae moved closer to Jay, placing her chin on her shoulder. She wrapped her arms around her best friend and sighed. "We don't know what will happen in the future. Maybe we'll be together, maybe we'll get separated. But whatever happens, our job would be to make time for each other. Plus, you said it yourself; we're a set. Wherever you go, I go."

Jay chuckled. "Yeah, we are. But I'm glad that you have Chanyeol with you. This makes me relieved, even by bits. He's a great guy." She patted Mae's cheek.

"Yeah, he is." Mae smiled at the thought of her boyfriend. "You know, DO is a great guy too." Mae looked at her best friend from the corner of her eyes, trying to see her reaction.

"We're not going there, honey. So don't even try." Jay chuckled.

"Why not?" Mae whined.

Jay's smile slowly faded away. "You know why," she whispered after a long silence.

"Jay, it's all in the past now. Moving forward, you'll realise that some things are worth it."

Jay forced a smile on her face on hearing Mae's words. She knew Mae expected her to say something in reply, but she chose to remain quiet. She didn't want to dig up old incidents or stories. Things were better the way they were now; there was no need to create a tension between her and Mae.

Mae understood Jay's silence; she knew she could no longer talk about the topic. Hence, she decided to change it, "Anyways, let's wrap up this sentimental chapter 'cause my oh-so-handsome boyfriend has asked us to meet him. And with his pokemon too. C'mon!" Mae got up from the bed, pulling Jay along, who laughed at the pokemon reference.

*

"Hi~" Chanyeol sang upon seeing Mae; he had the brightest smile of the day. And why wouldn't he? He was seeing his girlfriend after almost two months.

"Chanyeol-ah!" Mae ran up to him and hugged him tight, looking like a chipmunk hugging a tree trunk.

"I missed you," he planted a small kiss on her forehead, causing her to blush a little while beaming like a kid who had been given his favorite candy. "Hey, Jay," holding Mae close, Chanyeol greeted the other girl.

"Hey, Kowalski," Jay greeted Chanyeol.

"You changed my nickname again?" Chanyeol laughed.

"It varies, from time to time. You know, whatever suits the mood," Jay shrugged. "Hey Charmander, how is you doin'?" Jay shifted her focus on Kyungsoo.