✓the three words • kim seungmin

f o r t y t h r e e

edited 25aug21

• chapter 43: i missed him

Seungmin shut the door close and laid on the couch. The words he had said suddenly flooded his mind and instant regret conquered him. Putting an arm over his eyes, he whispered to himself.

"Maybe she will really go to him."

"I'm so dumb."

He pressed his arm harder on his eyes. His teeth grit, fist clenched and after awhile fighting, he lost.

He cried.

I'm so sorry.

‹›‹›‹›

Hyemi really did not talk to him anymore. Not just Seungmin, but also her seatmate. Jeongin had been trying to start a conversation with her but she didn't reply anything. Poor guy, he's stuck at the middle of the cold war.

As usual, Hyemi would spend her lunch with her friends or with Hyunjin. The guy offered his shoulder whenever she needs one and she was totally grateful for having him as a friend. Meanwhile Felix and Jisung, they know what was going on but did not dare to bring up the topic in front of Seungmin. They know how emotional and angry the guy could be.

"I'm having a quiz after this," Hyemi twirled the unused straw in her hand. "I'm nervous."

"What quiz?" Heejin raised her head up. "If it's Korean Lit I can give you the leaked questions."

"Where did you even get that?" Jeno questioned, giving her a dirty look.

"Dumbass, we just had the quiz before." Knocking his head, she wriggled her eyebrows towards Hyemi. "You want?"

"It's Chemistry." the girl scoffed."I hate that."

Mia snorted, "You hate all subjects."

"True," she sighed. "Gotta go. I still haven't read anything."

"As expected from you." Jeno snickered. "Goodluck."

"Thank you dumbass." she smiled and went to her class. Surprisingly the teacher was already waiting and she was getting nervous. As she was about to sit on Jeongin's place, the teacher spoke up.

"Hyemi-ssi can you sit at your usual place? I don't want some cheating happen." she asked kindly. Hyemi slowly nodded as she swapped Jeongin's stuffs with hers.

After a long time. she thought, glancing to the seat beside her.

Students started to come in after the bell rings. Jeongin was happy when he got his seat back but frowned when seeing the two not talking to each other again.

The teacher passed the papers and Hyemi got more nervous. She played with her pen, twirling it around her fingers. What if I don't do well. What if my parents are disappointed in me. What if they get mad–

"You can start now."

It's alright this is just a quiz.

Looking at the first question, she panicked.

Oh shit.

‹›‹›‹›

"I did not do well." she muttered, closing her locker and turned to Hyunjin. "I'm doomed."

He chuckled, "How are you so sure you didn't do well?"

"My mind suddenly went blank."

"That's normal."

"It is." she replied, hugging the books to her chest. "But my parents are not."

She whispered the last part causing him not to hear it. The two walked in silent to the entrance until Hyunjin had to go to the other way. Bidding goodbye, the two parted to their own ways and now she was walking alone.

A sigh escaped her lips as she looked down to her feet, lazily kicking the pebbles on the road. She didn't look anywhere and might have walked to cross the road.

"Hyemi!"

A sudden shout and the feeling someone grabbing her hand to the side shocked her. A car passed by with full speed and her his widened. Her legs felt wobbly and she was about to fall when the person caught her.

"Are you okay?" Jeongin asked with worry evident in his voice. "That car suddenly speeds up and— oh my god I was so scared."

The girl couldn't say anything while regaining consciousness from what had happened. Jeongin helped her to stand up straight. "Come on, I'll walk you home."

Hyemi could only nod, heart beating fast.

What if Jeongin wasn't there?

Will I.. die?

"How is he so fast.." Seungmin talked to himself as he watch Jeongin dragged Hyemi away from the road. He saw the traumatic expression on her face and blamed himself for not being there for her, again.

However he felt relief when Jeongin was quick to rescue.

But he was still sad.

"After all I did nothing to protect you."

I really don't do anything.

He's starting to lose hope.

‹›‹›‹›

"I feel like.. the person did that on purpose."

Hyemi looked down, her fingers playing with each other. Jeongin had come over that night and her parents let him in, but they chose to talk outside. Jeongin started to worry about the girl. She was not the Hyemi he knows.

"Hyemi, if you're going somewhere make sure someone is with you."

She felt a lump on her throat. "Seungmin used to be that person.." she said lowly but still audible for him to hear. Then he heard sobs coming from her. "I– even my parents know about it that doesn't mean they can watch me twenty four–seven. Jeonghoon still could do anything."

Until now, the only person who knows about Jeonghoon was Seungmin, Jeongin, Mia and Heejin including Chan and her parents. But all of them couldn't watch over her outside the school.

Seungmin used to.

Jeongin felt bad for her. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, hugging her side. "If it's Jeonghoon, then I'll just stay with you. We are neighbors anyway."

"I'm such a burden."

"No you're not."

"A nuisance."

"Jung Hyemi, stop it." he said sternly.

"This won't happen if I'm not crushing on him and be his classmate." she hung her head low. "Why am I friends with him?"

She felt Jeongin push her shoulders away and hel them tight. "Yah, look at me."

Hyemi's eyes bored into his, weak.

"You. Are. Not. A. Burden." he emphasized each words. "Only because both of you are having a cold war because of a misunderstanding, doesn't mean this is the end. You still can change it. He can fix this. Jeonghoon is just a side character in your story that tries to destroy your friendship with Seungmin hyung. I am the friend that can protect you from Jeonhoon in the meantime. Hyunjin hyung is the friend who's willingly to lend you his shoulders. Felix hyung and Jisung hyung are the friends who can cheer you up everyday with their silly jokes. You realise it or not, we are just placing temporarily the position while Seungmin hyung is not with you. And he needs you, okay?"

"We never think of you as a burden. From the day you became my friend, our friends, we consider you as a close family and you had helped so much to bring the old Seungmin hyung. Seriously Hyemi, we are thankful for that."

Hyemi's eyes welled up with tears again. She cupped her hand over her mouth, trying to muffle her cries. Jeongin smiled as he wrapped his arms around her, comforting the girl.

"You're just stressed, Hyemi. Don't let the thoughts eat you. I'm here whenever you want to let it all out." he softly said, feeling the girl hugging him back.

"I miss him.."

"Me too, we all do."

🥀

never think yourself as a burden.

:)