☆★ ﹑ You Keep 𓆪﹒ His Shirt ;

xliv. truths unspoken

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CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR ─ truths unspoken.

❛ cause i'm not gonna be the one to get hurt ❜

Choi Yumi's Perspective

"Your name's Yumi, right?"

I nearly jumped out of my skin upon hearing an unfamiliar voice call out to me. There was a sense of busyness in the air as all the students got off the train in as little chaos as possible (of course, that didn't mean no chaos). Concerned students who lost their luggage and belongings yelling for help, people taking pictures the moment they exited the train, and I also heard someone say they swallowed mouthwash. 

In this sea of havoc, I look around restlessly, searching for a tall tower surfing through the crowd that was Eunyoung. I didn't want to make any awkward conversation with people from university who I barely remembered. Unlike me, Eunyoung's college experience was quite pleasant from what I remember, so I thought she would be a great help in conversing with these insufferable people.

Even with all this going on, a scruffy-looking guy had managed to approach me with a rather unpleasant grin on his face, as if he was going to make pork chops out of me.

"How do you know me?" I asked, taking a step back, dragging my suitcase along in case he happened to be a theif.

"I know a lot of things," he said smugly, "The name's Minjun. I'm your sunbae."

"What do you want, sunbaenim?" I took another step back, praying for Eunyoung to appear soon.

(note- sunbae or sunbaenim means senior in korean!)

"What do I want?" he repeated slowly, the creepy smirk never leaving his face. I gave him my best scowl, which seemed to throw him off.

"Yes, that's what I asked you," I said, daring to take a menacing step towards him, "Did you understand it or do you want me to spell it out?"

"Let's go-"

"Sunbaenim!" snapped a comforting, familiar voice from behind. I heaved a sigh of relief on seeing Eunyoung's face. She shot him a sarcastic smile, "The rest of your cocky friends are over there, arranging the chairs. So, why don't you do something useful and help them out, hmm? And stay away from my sister before she files a restraining order."

Minjun frowned and turned to leave muttering something offensive under his breath. Eunyoung stood at Yumi's side, rolling her eyes at the boy. "He's got some nerve."

"Never been happier to see you," I said, clinging to her arm.

"That's nice of you."

"I didn't mean it like that."

"I know you didn't, I'm just messing with you."

"I'm just worked up," I groaned quietly, "How do you know the guy anyways?"

"Oh I remember him very well. He was the guy who got kicked out because of a drug scandal, remember?" the moment Eunyoung said that, all the movement around us ceased as time stopped for a brief second before springing into action again.

"I keep forgetting that happens," Eunyoung chuckled.

"Yeah," I returned a smile, feeling lighter than before, "Now that you say that, I do remember Minjun sunbae. He was trying to hit on me before we got onto the train too, but I basically ran away. He was always insufferable, huh? "

"Yup."

While my eyes wandered the landscape mindlessly, I spotted the Eclipse members approaching. For a split second, I found myself locking eyes with Taesung before jerkily looking away, turning to look at the tall pine trees, that had never looked more interesting.

"Hey!" Eunyoung greeted them enthusiastically. I watched as her and Sunjae's eyes locked ever so naturally, as if it was planned out beforehand; and then he shot her a smile, which she returned. Looking at them, it made me wonder whether something like that could ever happen between me and-

"Hi!" said Inhyuk, breaking my train of thoughts, "How was your journey?"

"It was pretty okay," I answered, trying my best to sound nonchalant, avoiding Taesung's gaze entirely.

"I was sleeping for most of it," Eunyoung chimed in.

"Me too," Sunjae beamed. Inhyuk smirked at him knowingly, as if to say "And you spent the rest of your time admiring Eunyoung from afar." Which was probably true.

I found myself giving in to temptation and stealing a glance at Taesung, only to find him already looking, which made my face erupt with heat. I watched his eyes move down my face, looking at my scar- the stubborn thing that refused to go away, then, he quickly shifted his gaze to my eyes. He stared at me silently for a moment before saying, "My journey was okay as well."

"Good to know," I said, stretching my lips into a straight line and nodding awkwardly. I probably looked like an idiot.

💿

After some chitchat with the group, we moved to the tents to unpack. I was glad that the girls majoring in Journalism and Practical Music were in the same tent because I remembered how painfully awkward and weird it was to sleep next to a stranger I barely knew last time.

When I decided to venture out to check out the scenery, I ran into Inhyuk.

"Yumi, hey," he said.

"Oh, hi," I replied, feeling pleasantly surprised, "Thank god, it's you."

"Who'd you think I was?" he asked with an amused chuckle.

"Minjun sunbae," I rolled my eyes, "The field trip hasn't even properly started, but he's already tried to hit on me twice. It's exhausting."

"Damn, that's terrible," he sympathized, "He's such a weirdo. Every time I look at him, the voices inside my head start screaming- FRAT BOY."

I let out a laugh at his attempt to cheer me up, "You're so right!"

"How's your injury?" he asked gently after a few moments.

"It doesn't hurt anymore," I told him, smiling through the pain of remembering the accident, "Just the scar is too prominent for my taste."

"I think it looks cool," he decided.

"You can have it," I chuckled, which he reciprocated.

"Jokes apart," he said, looking serious, "How have you been doing?"

"As okay as I can be," I sighed, looking at the forests surrounding the tents, "It's not exactly a pleasant memory, you know."

"It gets better with time."

We stayed quiet for quite some time. But it was a comfortable silence. One that represented mutual understanding and agreement.

"By the way," he said after a while, "Have you seen Sunjae anywhere?"

"No," I began, "But Eunyoung stepped out before me, so that should answer your question."

☾⋆｡𖦹 °✩⋆｡° ✮

nana's notes: yumi and taesung have no idea what's coming 👀

delphi's notes: stay tuned ;)

next chapter: friday list of chapters here!

xxi. clarity in the darkness

☾⋆｡𖦹 °✩⋆｡° ✮

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE ─ clarity in the darkness.

❛ and i know i make the same mistakes every time. ❜

Choi Yumi's Perspective

See, I've always prided myself on the fact that I had the ability to make rational decisions. That's why, when I stood in the dark hallways of Jagam High School after hours with the Eclipse members and Sunjae, I felt like the biggest idiot to ever walk this Earth. What had gotten into me? Why in god's name would I ever agree to something like this? I felt like slapping myself for getting swayed by Inhyuk's persuasion. However, there was another storm brewing in my mind that haunted my thoughts. I was doing this for Taesung. For his birthday. I refused to let myself think of it.

"Hyunsoo," hissed Inhyuk.

"What?" he responded in a similar fashion.

"Stop breathing so loudly," he made an effort to keep his volume as low as possible, "You're going to wake the dead."

"Shut your trap."

"Um, Guys?" Sunjae intervened, "We've been standing at the door for a while. Don't you think we should start looking?"

"He's right, we should get it over with and vamoose before anyone catches us," I chimed in.

"Where do you think all the student records are kept?" asked Inhyuk. Despite all our efforts to speak as quietly as possible, our voices echoed in the empty hallways.

"Let's check the staff room?" I suggested.

We moved like a gang of thieves, sticking close to each other as fear gripped our bones. A cold gush of wind sent a shiver through my body as we inched closer to the staff room. I never realised I was such a coward until now. Paranoia had consumed me entirely. I dreaded the consequences of this reckless adventure. Someone speaks an octave too high, someone drops a heavy object, one small mistake and they all would be dead meat.

We were faced with the extensive staff room, and rows of tables and chairs, sending confusion through us all.  "Do you know where his homeroom teacher sits?"

"Here," said Hyunsoo, Eclipse's drummer. He followed him to a desk by the door. Inhyuk took the initiative to reach out and shuffle through the files lying on the table. The shuffling and rustling of papers sounded painfully loud in the silence of the deserted school. "Quieter!" hissed Sunjae.

Inhyuk retrieved the thin sheet with the personal details of students pinned on the soft board. Just then, as if a manifestation of my worry, slow, steady footsteps echoed in the hallway outside the room. Panic surged through my body as I felt my breathing become unsteady.

Inhyuk got a hold of the sheet holding Taesung's information. Hearing the footsteps getting closer, I motioned everyone to duck under the table with my shaking hands. As we all crouched under the table, my body shook with terror. A bright flashlight flashed on the ground next to us. Everyone held their breath as a voice spoke, "I could have sword there was something..."

The light faded out of sight as all of us heaved a sigh of relief. "I got a picture!" whispered Inhyuk, his voice laced with triumph.

"Great, now let's get out of here!"

💿

Ryu Sunjae's Perspective

Going back to school after my surgery was an experience in itself. I received sympathy from peers and teachers that I had never received in my years in high school. It seemed as if the world was showering me in pity, rubbing salt in my fresh wound that had gotten no time to heal. I felt dejected, and it showed. I slouched in class, stared blankly into space and zoned out when someone was speaking to me. In this confusing haze of people's sympathy towards me, I found solace in the blue cap I wore─ Eunyoung's thoughtful gift. It rested atop my head like a reminder of her warmth and the gentleness of her voice.

Eunyoung was different. She treated me like she always had. Through all the changes I observed in everyone's attitude towards me, Eunyoung stood like a guiding light, staying constant through my adversity. I found comfort in her unchanging demeanor. 

As she took her usual seat next to me as per usual, the familiarity of the scenario sent tingles through my body. I smiled secretly to myself on seeing her face. How could she take away my breath? Just by being herself? I must be crazy. 

I noticed her yawn next to me, covering her mouth with her hand. Her blinking became slower as there was a visible struggle for her to keep her eyes open.

"Long day?" I asked.

"The substitute teacher for geography did a fantastic job," she let out another yawn, "At putting the class to sleep."

I chuckled. She looked up at me, smiling with sleepy eyes. 

💿

I felt Eunyoung's head fall gently on my shoulder. I slowly turned to look at her head resting peacefully on my shoulder. Thankfully, it wasn't the shoulder that got operated on. I would hate to push her away. A few strands of her hair framed her angelic face. Her soft breath fanned my neck, sending a shiver down my spine. The gentle rise and fall of her chest was rhythmic and calming, a stark contrast to the chaos of the day. A wave of protectiveness washed over me as I realized how vulnerable she looked in this moment.

I couldn't help but trace the outline of her face with my eyes. Her lips were slightly parted, and her eyelashes cast delicate shadows on her cheeks.

This has happened before. I remembered the moment we had previously shared with shocking clarity. It replayed in my mind like my favourite scene from my favourite movie. The point of contact that made my heart flutter back then, did the same today. The tingling feeling surged through my body, just like that day. She looked as perfect as ever─ maybe more. Every moment I spent with her, I found myself wishing it would last forever.

I stole another glance at her. A warmth spread through me, a comforting familiarity that I hadn't felt in a long time. This was a moment of peace, a sanctuary from the world outside. And in that moment, I knew that I would do anything to protect this fragile, beautiful girl beside me.

☾⋆｡𖦹 °✩⋆｡° ✮

nana's notes: eunyoung if falling asleep on the bus was a job 💸💸

delphi's notes: ryu sunjae, the biggest loser to exist ;)

next chapter: saturday (out now!) list of chapters here!

xxv. between notes and secrets

☾⋆｡𖦹 °✩⋆｡° ✮

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE ─ between notes and secrets.

❛ and i feel so high school

every time i look at you ❜

Choi Yumi's Perspective

The sunlight peered into my room through the translucent curtains hanging over my window. The light cast itself on every surface- my desk, the wooden floor littered with various teenage junk and my spinning chair. Even my bed, which was in an obscure corner of my room couldn't avoid the stingy hot rays of the sun. I lay on my bed like a dead starfish abandoned on the sea shore, staring blankly at the ceiling above, deep in thought.

It's been a couple of weeks since I started learning guitar from Taesung. No matter how hard I tried to be nonchalant about it- I couldn't help myself. He was on my mind, all right, consuming my thoughts day and night. Here I was, rotting in my bedroom on a perfectly pleasant summer Sunday afternoon, thinking about a boy who probably never had a comprehensible thought in his life. Scenes played in my mind like flashbacks in a movie. His gentle tone explained things to me; How our hands would brush ever so often and my stupid heart would start racing like a mad horse.

I wanted to believe so desperately that I was the only one in the world who knew this side of him. Sensitive, kind, gentle- vulnerable. His tough-guy act was all just a pretence. I could see a new part of him now that I had spent so much time with him. His eyes showed a glint as he spoke about music- passion. There was something else about him that he wasn't ready to tell me. The melancholy in his voice whenever the subject of family came up- neglect.

I felt pathetic thinking this to myself, but I wanted to know. Curiosity pierced through my heart, a desire to know him better. What kept him up at night? What makes him smile? Or cry? I wanted to know it all.

I lazily moved to my desk, slouching in my chair as I propelled myself towards the table with my legs. I gazed at the music sheet lying on the table. This music sheet wasn't an ordinary one. It was for the song Taesung was teaching me on the guitar. My fingers played with the corners of the paper, mindlessly folding it. My other hand reached for my pencil as I began to scribble on a different scrap of paper.

The long-hidden time, calls us back again.

💿

Choi Eunyoung's Perspective

"Have you ever felt like someone is keeping something from you?" I asked Sunjae as we walked back home from the bus stop through the warm Monday afternoon.

"The feeling of being lied to?" he asked.

"No," I replied, "Like they're withholding information on purpose."

"I don't know," he mumbled, scratching the back of his neck that glistened with sweat, "Is something on your mind?"

"It's probably nothing," I shrugged, looking up at him to smile reassuringly, "Yumi had been coming home late these days. She said there are extra lessons at the music club, but I have a feeling that isn't the whole story."

He smiled back at me, flashing his dimples. My face must have turned the colour of a fresh tomato because I could feel the heat rising. I tried to play it cool, but it was no use. 

I knew it was silly. But there was something about him that just drew me in. Maybe it was his kind eyes that sparkled in the sunlight, or his laugh that not once failed to bring a smile to my face, or it was just the way he made me feel. Whatever it was, I couldn't deny it. I had a stupid, hopeless crush on him.

"It feels amazing to take off my shoulder brace," he sighed as we turned a corner.

"Does it still hurt?"

He shook his head, "The doctor said that it won't get triggered unless I engage in strenuous physical exercise."

"I'm glad you're better now."

A comfortable silence filled the air, our smiles never leaving our faces as we journeyed home. I don't know when I'll be going back to my time, or how much time I had left. In that moment, none of it mattered. All that was important was the soft melody of "Sonaki" in my mind and Sunjae's company which was as warm as the summer breeze flowing through my hair.

💿

I stared blankly at my flip-phone screen displaying a message from an unknown sender.

Hello Eunyoung. 

It's your dad.

My heart raced, threatening to burst out of my chest. I felt my breath become shaky and my hand reached up to my heart in attempt to calm myself. There were a million thoughts and questions running through my mind since the moment I saw the message. What did he want? How did he find my number? But one question brought my spirits crashing down to rock bottom. Where had he been my whole life?

Everything seemed to come back to me. Memories of me as a baby, tiny and vulnerable, desperate to be loved. Now I remember everything I did to try and get my dad to look at me longer than a fraction of a second. I once even tore his favourite pair of shoes to catch his attention. That seemed to make things worse. I thought he hated me. I never once thought he was capable of love. The way he screamed at my mom...

I covered my ears in agony- I could hear the scene replay in my head.

Another message flashed on the screen.

Let me make things right. Can we meet up somewhere?

"Eunyoung?" My mother's voice fell upon my ears. In shock, I spinned in my chair to look at her beady eyes staring down at me.

"M-mom..." My voice stuttered and stammered as I felt a lump in my throat, "D-did you..."

I want to cry.

"Listen, Eunyoung," she began, her voice cold and stiff, "I know this isn't your fault, but under no circumstances will you agree to this. Do you understand? I hope I've made myself clear."

"Yes, mummy," I said, faking a smile, trying to blink away my tears. A warm smile appeared on her face as she pulled me in for a hug, "You're all the family I need." I said to her, biting my lip, trying desperately to hold back the urge to cry my eyes out.

☾⋆｡𖦹 °✩⋆｡° ✮

nana's notes: i'm so proud of that header 🥹 also eunyoung is so real for that last line.

delphi's notes: the way she calls her mom mummy ;(

next chapter: saturday (out now!) list of chapters here!

xlii. piercing through my soul

☾⋆｡𖦹 °✩⋆｡° ✮

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO ─ piercing through my soul.

❛ i wanna hold you just for a while

and die with a smile ❜

Choi Eunyoung's Perspective

The chatter and buzz in the interview room rekindled after the cameraman's "Cut!" People switching off all the extra studio lights, packing up their things and chatting with each other. The tense atmosphere that previously hung over the room while the filming was ongoing was replaced with a new friendliness and lightheartedness. Words of encouragement and several people saying "Good job!" seemed to raise everyone's spirits. 

I heaved a quiet sigh the moment the cameras were out. During the interview, I felt as if I had been holding my breath the whole time. Never in my career of doing interviews for famous, influential personalities had I ever felt so nervous. At the same time, I knew I was obviously holding myself back. Every cell in my body wanted to drop all formalities and throw my arms around him and tell him how glad I was to see him. 

His experience writing 'Sonaki' was something that pricked me from inside. His words constantly echoed inside my mind. He met her on a rainy day. It was dangerously similar to how I met Sunjae. A part of me- the hopeful part, wanted to believe desperately that it was me. Despite wanting to hold onto the hope, an anxious and worried voice inside me told me not to get excited over it. It was too good to be true. Him writing a poetic masterpiece about his first love who was none other than me? It sounded impossible. I was also afraid. Afraid of being wrong after thinking it was about me. At the end of the day, I'm nothing more than his fan. And to him, all he's going to remember me is as a distant memory from his teenage years.

I gave in to all my temptations as I stole a glance at Sunjae, sitting across from me rummaging through his bag and talking about something or the other with his manager. I nearly smiled seeing his relaxed posture and radiant glow. Something about him had changed in the best way possible. He looked happy, and that was enough for my heart to be content. For a split second, our eyes met and I tore away forcefully and unnaturally, probably making a fool out of myself. It was too much. Seeing him again uprooted so many repressed feelings.

Soon, he was telling his manager to go on without him and saying that he would be out soon. Watching his manager leave the room, I found myself thinking- Am I really going to be here alone with him? It hadn't even been that long since I'd last seen him, yet my heart pounded in my ears like a thousand drums.

"Hey," he began once he was sure everyone was gone. I nearly jumped out of my skin hearing his voice, "It's been a while, huh? How've you been?"

"Hi," I answered with a small smile. So he remembers me... "Yeah, it's been ages. I've been good. How 'bout you? How's everything?"

"Good, you know. Life's full of surprises," he answered, smiling.

"That's nice to know; You...look... good- like you've been well," I stuttered like an idiot, "This is awkward, isn't it?"

"Yeah," he agreed, sounding disappointed, "It's been too long, I guess."

"Yeah."

An uncomfortable silence filled the air as we both looked here and there, thinking hard about what to say next. It seemed like both of us had a hundred thoughts racing through our minds, but no words nor courage to express them.

"You don't have any like... illness or anything lately, do you?" I asked slowly, afraid of the answer.

"No, not at all," he answered, sounding confused.

"I read some of the articles you wrote," he said after a few more moments of silence.

"About Eclipse?" I asked, sounding a bit too eager.

"Yeah," he replied, fidgeting with his clothes, "And other things. Your writing's as good as ever."

"Thanks," I cracked a real smile, "Should we go? Your manager must be waiting."

"Yeah."

We made our way through the door and into the elevator. I had never realized that our building elevator had no mirror. Or music. I stared at the ground, soaking in all the silence between us. The awkwardness sent a chill down my spine. I wanted to do something. I wanted to tell him that I missed him. But that would make things even more awkward and I would die of embarrassment.

Gosh, were elevator rides here always so insufferable?

The elevator finally stopped at the ground floor after what felt like a million years, and we exited the building, still completely quiet. Standing on the pavement looking onto the highway, I looked up at Sunjae, who was already looking. My face felt hot as I forgot what I was about to say.

"So this is it?" he said with a hint of sadness in his voice.

"We should keep in touch this time," I blurted out too quickly. Why was I so jittery? "You can get my number from your manager."

"Yeah, let's do that," he said with a smile, finally showing his beautiful dimples. I returned his smile, feeling my heart swell up at the very sight of a happy Sunjae.

"My manager's car is over there across the street," he said, looking at the black car parked on the other side of the road, "I'll see you?"

"You will," I said with conviction, the smile never leaving my face.

I watched as the made his way across the zebra crossing, going further away, but in that moment, he felt the closest that evening. The soft glow of the streetlamp and the dim starlight seemed to give me a glimmer of hope. That this was the beginning of something new. Something special. Then, as if to throw water over all my happiness, I loud crashing sounded, like a huge truck suddenly stopping. My eyes went wide as my body seemed to freeze from shock. I felt my blood go cold.

Time seemed to splinter into fragments, each one more agonizing than the last, as I watched the massive, green truck barrel forward, unstoppable. There was a horrid screeching of brakes, but it was too late—the impact was thunderous, like the world cracking open right before my eyes. Sunjae's body collided with the force of the vehicle, a sickening blur of motion as he was thrown to the ground, his form limp and unmoving.

A piercing cry escaped my throat, one I barely recognized as my own. My chest constricted, an unbearable ache tearing through me as if the impact had shattered not only him but every part of me, too. For a brief, surreal moment, I couldn't move; I was paralyzed, bound by the horror of what I'd just witnessed, by the helplessness sinking like iron into my bones.

I stumbled forward, heart hammering wildly, tears blurring my vision as I rushed toward him. "Sunjae!" I cried, my voice trembling, desperate. My knees hit the ground beside him, the unforgiving pavement scraping through the fabric of my jeans, but I barely registered the sting. All I could see was his stillness, his face pale and serene in a way that frightened me more than any amount of pain ever could.

A sob broke free, raw and guttural, as I reached for his hand, cold and heavy in mine. Memories flooded my mind—his laughter, his warmth, the look in his eyes when he talked about the future, a future I suddenly couldn't see. It was slipping from me, unraveling like sand through my fingers, and I was powerless to stop it. The sight of him lying there, broken, filled me with a heartbreak so deep I felt hollowed out from within. I could feel my heart shattering, piece by piece, each shard lodging painfully within me.

"Please...please, Sunjae," I whispered, voice breaking as I clutched his hand, unable to stop my tears. The world had collapsed around us, reduced to this one horrible moment, to the unbearable thought of losing him.

☾⋆｡𖦹 °✩⋆｡° ✮

nana's notes: sunjae's death breaks me in every timeline.

delphi's notes: here we go again.

next chapter: friday (out now!) list of chapters here!

. ˚  · ( 🍒 ) we were drivin❜ the getaway car . . .

★☆ 𝓝ana, she/her, @iheart-nana

she is beauty, and she is grace; but she will punch you in your fucking face . . . ☆★ ࣪.* unforgiven girlzz

( 𖦹 ˕ × ) ˚ . ｡ do you think i'm fragile? ☠️ ࿔

like the moodboard? it's a teaser for an upcoming fanfic! make sure u follow me and stay tuned! thank you, bye!! <33

oc by: @the-one-and-only-delphi

HAPPY PRIDE MONTH!!!

. . . ( 🦴 ) 月が綺麗ですね ⋆ ࣪. ᓚ

soukoku post for pride month!

new fanfiction titled TOWARDS YOU coming out this wednesday! stay tuned! <3

with @the-one-and-only-delphi

´）﹒✶ easy they come, easy they go . . . ( +💿 )

☾⋆｡𖦹 °✩⋆｡° ✮

CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE ─ expect the unexpected.

❛ and it feels like the start of a movie i've seen before, but you're not here ❜

Ryu Sunjae's Perspective

I practically ran down the stairs, my heartbeat drumming on inside my chest as I felt a new kind of giddy excitement to meet Eunyoung. I had always felt incredibly happy at the thought of her, but this was different. With all that had happened yesterday, it felt like all the puzzle pieces fit perfectly and we were together at last. Everything in my life seemed to lead me here, to Eunyoung.

To my disappointment, on descending the last stair, instead of seeing Eunyoung's smiling face greet me, I saw her sister, Yumi waiting impatiently. Before I could speak, she turned around suddenly, making me jump a little. She was glaring at me with a kind of resentment and disgust that made me feel sick. I took a step back, cowering before her.

"You know, I wanted to be happy about you and Eunyoung," she said menacingly, "But now I'm thinking that you're all kinds of trouble."

"What did I do?" I asked, furrowing my brows in confusion.

"Last night, you guys must have had your rom-com moment in the rain," she started, "But now Eunyoung is lying in bed with a 100 degree fever."

"What?!" I yelled way too loudly, my eyes widening and my heartbeat quickening, "Eunyoung is sick?!" It made me mad. Guilt seemed to be gnawing at my heart as I realized it was my fault. Before I could get a response from Yumi, whose rage had been replaced by surprise at my exaggerated reaction, I began running to Eunyoung's front door.

"I wouldn't go in if I were you," Yumi said. I stopped in my tracks. She continued, "Mom's been up all night taking care of her and her opinion of you is not exactly favorable."

Narrator's Perspective

By the time Sunjae and Yumi had reached school, there was a strange awkwardness between them since Eunyoung wasn't there to play the mutual friend. But when Yumi considered the situation in her mind and concluded that it would be a lot worse if Eunyoung had been with them, because then it would have been Yumi third wheeling with a couple who was so obnoxiously sweet she would have vomited. So, she sat there with Sunjae, feeling grateful for the awkward air that had settled between them.

"So, are you in the school play?" Sunjae asked her out of politeness. He had begun to get a little restless because of the silence. He had imagined his bus ride to college a lot differently. He thought it would be romantic with Eunyoung next to him. But instead he was forced to deal with Yumi; He knew by instinct that she was just tolerating him because of Eunyoung, and honestly he felt the same way.

"No, I'm not," she said without looking at him, "I don't even want to get into all this festival nonsense. I'm the last person to do a thing like a school play. And they chose a Shakespeare play? Forget it."

You ask a simple question... Sunjae sighed internally, "I just thought you would audition- you know, since your boyfriend is in the play."

I guess Eunyoung hasn't told him... This made Yumi feel a little at peace; The fact that Eunyoung was guarding her secret well was a comforting thought.

"Do I seem like the kind of person to humiliate myself on stage because my boyfriend i decided to do it?" she asked formidably.

"I guess not," Sunjae said, giving up on making pleasantries, "I gotta go anyways." He practically ran away from her.

💿

The auditorium was filled with playful banter and friendly conversations. The cast of the Shakespearean play As You Like It that had been casted so far were gathered there for the very first practice. The actors crowded the stage, discussing their roles and reading their scripts. The director and writers responsible for translating the play into Korean occupied a table with various sheets of paper stacked and a microphone to maintain some order.

"Excuse me ! Everybody! May I have your attention please?" asked the girl who was given the role of director. The chaos settled down, slowly but surely, "Thank you. Is everybody here? Or is someone missing?"

"Eunyoung isn't here," Sunjae answered promptly. His comment was followed with some girls eyeing him and whispering among themselves.

"Oh my gosh!"

"Do they like each other or what?"

"I swear there's something going on since the field trip!"

Sunjae wondered if he was being too obvious but chose to ignore the gossip.

"What's her character?" asked the director, looking down at her list of participants.

"Rosalind," he answered. He could hear more whispers.

"Rosalind?!" she repeated, taken aback, "Our Rosalind is absent? Why on earth would she miss the first rehearsal?"

"Uh, she's down with fever!" Sunjae told her, "Pretty bad, actually- hundred degrees. Her sister told me." He ignored the giggling that followed his rather enthusiastic answer.

"Oh, dear," said the director a little calmer than before, "Well, tell her to take care, then. And tell her that absenteeism will not be tolerated except for health related reasons. I'll let her off the hook this one time."

Sunjae heaved a sigh of relief. The writer sitting next to the director whispered something in her ear. Her eyes went wide, "She's one of the writers too? That is... unfortunate."

"Could you be any more obvious?" Taesung sneered.

"Shut up," he snapped, "At least she's in the play."

"Ouch," Taesung said defensively, "Damn, Sunjae didn't think you were stingy like that."

"By the way," began the director, addressing Sunjae, "What's your character?"

"Orlando," he answered plainly.

"Good," the director smiled. The students began hooting and screaming with excitement.

"Okay, settle down," said the writer. He took the microphone from the director, "We don't have an actress for the role of Celia. Does anyone have any suggestions? Anybody wishing to audition?"

A lightbulb suddenly lit up in Taesung's head, "I know someone who could play the role."

"Do they have a name?"

"Uh, yes," he answered, the palms of his hands feeling sweaty, "Choi Yumi from the Practical Music Department." Once again, people began ooh-ing and ahh-ing. 

"Bring her to rehearsal tomorrow to audition," said the writer in a matter-of-fact tone. Taesung smiled ever so slightly. Now he would get to spend some time with her...

"Okay, so since we don't have Rosalind or Celia, we can start with act one, scene one..."

☾⋆｡𖦹 °✩⋆｡° ✮

nana's notes: yumi is literally ready to fight sunjae

delphi's notes: don't mess with yumi