Chapter 14

"Solji is really pretty," Heejin commented.

She was settled on a couch in Jeno's house, twirling the pink beaded bracelet on her left hand while scrolling through the phone using the other. Jeno was cooking their dinner in the kitchen.

He almost choked while chugging water when Heejin commented that.

"Yeah... she is. Very pretty," Jeno said and wiped the water that escaped from his lips.

"I wish I can meet her again," Heejin whined. "Look at her! Isn't she the prettiest?" Heejin then showed Jeno the picture. He had to cross the space from the kitchen to the living room to see what picture she was showing him and his breath hitched when he saw it.

It was a post-makeout picture when they were in Isle Irene. Solji was wearing the nude illusion dress and her hair was slightly disheveled from their makeout session. She was cupping her face using her left hand, revealing the emerald engagement ring. There was a tall shadow at the back and Jeno recognized it was him.

Solji had always been beautiful in Jeno's eyes but there was something about that picture that made him smile. Was it because her swollen red lips? Was it because her eyes were half-lidded after making out? Or was it because she was flaunting the engagement ring for everyone to see?

"Mark oppa and Solji really look good together," Heejin said which made Jeno's smile drop. "I wonder why she doesn't post their pictures."

"They won't."

"What? Why?"

"They're not dating to begin with."

Heejin frowned. "What a waste. They really look good together. They were even holdings hand under the table."

Jeno clenched his fist in an attempt to calm himself down. She was saying things only based on her assumption and what she saw, he had absolutely no right to be upset to her.

That scene was engraved in Jeno's mind that kept him awake at night. He felt betrayed. But did he have the courage to stop them? He didn't, either.

"Solji is my fiancé," Jeno blurted out. Heejin hummed and nodded before her eyes widened in realization.

"What?"

She stood from her seat and searched for the ring. Jeno raised his hand and Heejin clasped her mouth when she saw the same emerald ring on Solji's picture.

"Are you for real?"

"Yeah---"

"Tell me everything!" Heejing squealed excitedly. "Gosh! I can't believe you're getting married."

"We're not getting married yet. This engagement is more like a seal to our parents' business endeavors."

"I don't have all day, Mr. Jeno Lee. Tell me everything right now."

With a defeated sigh, Jeno joined Heejin on the couch and told her everything, including how they met at the club when Solji threw herself on his lap and kissed him. How much she despised him after learning about their engagement. How surprised he was when he learned that Solji was not only beautiful, but also extremely intelligent.

Jeno talked about Solji with a smile on his face as if she was the most interesting person to ever exist.

"I used to admire her for her beauty and brains. I mean, who wouldn't? Even Mark hyung admired her for that. But as I get to know her, I got to like the sound of her laugh, the noises she make when she's frustrated.

"I like the look on her face when she's focused on what she's doing, how she would roll her eyes at me then smile afterwards. I like how she would discreetly lean to me to sniff my perfume.

"I just... I just like every single thing about her. Damn."

Jeno closed his eyes and trapped his head between his hands. He didn't mean it that way.

He didn't mean to accidentally realize his feelings and voice it out.

"Shit. What the hell, Jeno Lee!" he hissed at himself.

"Do you like her? As in romantically speaking?" Heejin asked.

Jeno raised his head and met Heejin's eyes before answering.

"A lot."

Heejin broke into a smile and tapped Jeno's shoulder. "Then you should go tell her. Just because you're engaged doesn't mean you shouldn't let her know how you feel. I feel bad now. I told Mark and Solji that they look good together that day, not knowing that her fiancé was sitting beside me."

Jeno chuckled.

"Why did you say close friend instead of fiancé, you dumbass?"

"I was nervous, okay? I mean, that was the first time I saw you in years and I didn't know if it's okay for her to introduce her as my fiancé."

"Does she do it? Introduce you as her fiancé I mean."

"Yeah..."

Heejin forcefully hit Jeno with a throw pillow. "You're the biggest dumbass I have ever met! If she does that then it's okay! You should take a hint!"

"I don't want to do something that will make her feel uncomfortable. It took me so long to finally gain her trust. I will not do anything rash to break it."

Silence fell as Heejin stared at Jeno. His cheeks were flushed and his mouth slightly agape, catching his breath. He was still the same Jeno, the same thoughtful Jeno who would put himself last.

Jeno apologized to her for walking out at the hospital. Heejin was surprised that he still remembered it and carried it for years. But then, how could Jeno forget it when that was the last time he saw his best friend before they departed from New York?

Jeno, who was always one call away.

Jeno, who was always so selfless.

Jeno, who wouldn't show his weakness so he could be a source of strength.

But this Jeno, he was vulnerable and troubled. All because of a woman he didn't know he would fall for.

"You really like her..." Heejin stated. "Go for it, Jeno. Tell her how you feel. You can't suppress your emotions and let them wander for years like what you did to me. You'll feel trapped once you do the same thing again."

Jeno looked at Heejin with his eyes full of fear.

"What if she rejects me? What if it will cause her to avoid me forever?"

"What if she doesn't?" Heejin moved closer and clasped Jeno's hand. "Are you willing to do everything for her? Does she mean so much to you?"

"She means everything to me."

"Then do it."

Jeno smiled before hugging Heejin. He was still unsure, but he would take the risk when he's ready.

When they're both ready.

***

If Heejin found out what he had done instead, she would surely beat his ass. Jeno was lucky Jaemin was forgiving, but then he could be wrong.

Jeno and Jaemin were eating lunch in the cafeteria near the Engineering department. There were dark circles under Jaemin's eyes and he was walking like a zombie from the sleepless nights he spent taking blood samples.

"Jeno, can I take your blood again?" Jaemin said while looking at Jeno's veiny arm.

"Why does it have to be me all the time?" Jeno whined and hid his arm under the table.

"Because your veins are inviting me to drain your blood."

"Jaemin! You're studying to be a surgeon, not a serial killer."

"It's just the same thing. The only difference is that the other saves lives, the other solves overpopulation. But then again, I'm only a human so I can make mistakes," Jaemin said with an evil grin.

Jeno gave Jaemin a horrified look. "You are in dire need of twelve hours of sleep."

"Probably, yeah. Because I think I'm hallucinating."

"Why?"

"I can see your fiancé with your cousin."

Jaemin was introduced to Mark a week after Mark arrived in South Korea. The two instantly clicked. Mark found Jaemin weird but he would constantly baby him and squeeze his cheeks and Jaemin always acted like a baby towards Mark. He had never had an older brother before and Jeno hardly passed as a brother figure to him.

Jeno turned around and saw Mark giving chocolate fudge to Solji and in return, Solji gave him a bento box. His heart tightened at the sight. He suddenly remembered the bento that Solji made that he didn't accept. Now that he thought about it, Solji didn't reach out to him anymore in any way.

No phone calls or texts. She didn't ask him anymore to eat lunch with her. Whenever they see each other in the campus, Solji would give him a sweet smile and then walk past him.

That sweet smile almost seemed fake.

"Should I call them?" Jaemin asked. "I missed Mark hyung!"

"No," Jeno answered and tore his gaze away from the two. He couldn't bear it. Especially when it was his fault.

Jaemin instantly noticed something was wrong.

"Did something happen again?"

Jeno bit back a lie. He was about to, but lying would only prolong the conversation and that was the last thing he wanted.

"I realized something," Jeno said.

"And what is that?"

"I like Kim Solji."

Jaemin simply stared at Jeno which made the latter confused. He was expecting his best friend to act hysterical like flip the table over or scream bloody murder. That would have been a normal reaction from him but instead, he blinked back. Not surprised at all.

"Jaem, are you broken? Do I have to change your batteries?"

"Wait, I have to act surprised?"

Jaemin gasped dramatically, his hand covering his mouth and his eyes were wide like saurcers. Then he changed it back into a poker face.

"Is that good enough?"

Jeno glared at his best friend and Jaemin held his hands in surrender.

"I'm serious, Jaemin. I like her."

"Do you think I don't know? I realized that already before you even did. Took you long enough but I'm proud you finally figured it out." Jaemin leaned forward to tap Jeno's shoulder. "I'm so proud of you."

"I don't think you'll be proud of me after I tell you what I did."

"What is it?"

"I avoided Solji the past few days."

Jaemin was torn between stabbing Jeno with a fork or hitting him with a plate. "You did what?"

Jeno closed his eyes and chewed his bottom lip. He knew he would receive a good scolding from Jaemin but he would find out either way.

"Because I don't know how to act now that I have realized that I like her! I feel bad for bailing out on her a lot of times these past few days because I'm... Jaemin I'm going to die of nervousness. I'm not kidding I swear! How am I supposed to act?"

It took everything in Jaemin not to bash Jeno's head using any object he could reach. Everything was new to him and he looked sincerely lost.

A guide was what he needed the most right now.

"Jeno Lee, you are literally the biggest dumbass I have ever met. You are a bright student but foolish when it comes to love."

"Look, Jaem, I know all of that, thank you very much. Remember when I told that I don't deserve love or I don't even know what love is at all? Imagine the confusion I had to go through to figure everything out? Everything scares me, Jaemin. But the scariest thing about this is the possibility that Solji doesn't feel the same."

Being honest to himself was a big leap for Jeno. A milestone. Miracle, even. The hardest part about being honest to himself was eliminating the other possibilities to clear out the confusion.

He could think of Solji as a friend. Like Heejin. But he eliminated that idea.

The feeling was there all along and he was brave enough to name it.

But just when he thought it would make things easier, another problem arose.

"I just like her so much that I can't bear to lose her. So, I will do everything, anything. If I will have to lie about my feelings just to keep her then I will do it."

Jaemin reached out and touched Jeno's hand. "I hate to break this to you, but you are already pushing her away by avoiding her."

"I know..." Jeno whispered, a look of defeat etched on his features. Jaemin hated seeing his friend hopeless, especially when he was there and he could do something about it.

"Don't worry. I, Na Jaemin, will be your fairy godfather. I may not have magic but I will help you get your princess back."

***

Jeno and Mark rarely hang out together now that Mark seemed to get closer to Solji, and Jeno felt that his fiancé was slowly drifting away from him. He didn't want to think the worse, but he was being reminded of the possibility every time he looked at Mark who was smiling wildly while looking at his phone.

There was an unspeakable tension between them. Jeno thought he was just overthinking things like he always used to. But Mark seemed to act indifferent towards him.

"Who are you smiling at? Are you texting your girlfriend?" Jeno asked and plopped on the couch beside his cousin to try and take a peek but Mark was quick.

"Nope. That's not my girlfriend." Yet, Mark added silently.

"Then who is it?"

"Solji."

Jeno clenched his jaw in an attempt to suppress his jealousy.

"Oh. Really?"

"Yeah," Mark grinned cockily and Jeno wanted to punch his cousin to wipe his arrogance off.

"You two seemed to be getting really close. Good for you," Jeno said and tried to play it cool. He opened the television to serve as a background noise.

"Indeed. We're actually really close now that she's opening up to me. She's been telling me her problems recently."

Stop pushing my buttons, Jeno wanted to yell at Mark. He had always been a calm person but everyone had their limits. He was reaching his.

Solji hadn't been contacting him for days and he felt a pang of jealousy that she was confiding Mark instead of him. It used to be him.

He knew something was off.

And it was surely terrible knowing by the fact that Solji was smiling at him while acting distant. He would have preferred it if Solji wasn't smiling at him at all. But this time, it felt cold. He felt as if the rift between them was beyond fixing.

"Really? That's good. What did she tell you?"

"Their company is facing a crisis right now. An employee leaked the details about their latest perfume collection that is scheduled to be released this month."

Jeno's eyes widened. He didn't know. He suddenly remembered the time when Solji called him thrice but he was with Heejin. His blood ran cold.

"She didn't tell me..." Jeno whispered but loud enough for Mark to hear.

"Why would she? Where were you when she needed you? You bailed her out a few times," Mark said tauntingly and Jeno closed his eyes to control himself.

"I didn't---"

"Yes, you did. Where were you? You're spending time with Heejin, right?" Mark stood up and faced Jeno who was still sitting on the couch. "I just wanted to remind you that Solji is your fiancé, not Heejin. Heejin is my friend, too, but you don't see me practically glued to her. You deserve everything that Solji will do to you."

A look of shame crossed Jeno's face.

"She gave you a chance. She let you in in her life. She let herself become vulnerable to you. She was independent all her life but she relied on you. You just made her realize that trusting people will only disappoint her. You think I won't realize that you're avoiding her?"

Jeno looked up, surprised at what his cousin had said. Mark only scoffed.

"What? Cat got your tongue? I may be slow on most occasions but I can see when something's off. You're a huge dumbass."

"Won't you ask me why?"

"Why would I? You don't deserve it. You hurt Solji because of your cowardice and I doubt that she will ever trust you again. Serves you right."

Mark had never acted so cruel towards Jeno that it made the latter rethink of his decisions.

"You don't mind if I take Solji away from you, right? After all, you're too busy tailing after Heejin like a puppy. I can treat her better than you can."

Jeno shot up from his seat and grabbed Mark's collar. Mark wasn't even afraid despite Jeno seeing red. He was seething in jealousy and Mark taunted him more by smirking at him.

"Scared?" Mark asked.

"I'm her fiancé," Jeno said through gritted teeth.

Mark scoffed before looking at his cousin. "Then act like one."

Silence passed before Mark pushed Jeno off and straightened his shirt. They glared at each other for a few seconds before Mark walked away. Jeno was taking deep breaths to calm himself down. Mark stopped just before he opened the front door of Jeno's house.

"I'll give one last chance to make it up to her. If you act like a coward again, I will not hesitate to steal her away from you. Engaged or not."

After saying those parting words, Mark finally left.

Strength left Jeno's body and he let himself fall on the couch, staring at the ceiling. He fucked up. He ruined everything. And because of Mark's threat, he needed to work a million times harder.

***

Jaemin's plan was brilliant.

But the problem was how would Solji react to it.

Solji was studying in the library. She was researching about the different kinds of organic ingredients and essential oils that she should add in order to create a compatible perfume.

It might sound selfish---evil even---that she saw their company's crisis as an opportunity to show off her ability. She was hoping that her parents might finally recognize her abilities once she saved them from their dilemma. But of course, that was only one of a million probabilities.

She was too engrossed with her task that she didn't notice a presence looming over her and she only looked when she heard a scraping of a chair.

Jeno wasn't wearing any perfume today.

As always, he looked drop-dead gorgeous but Solji was far too angry to acknowledge that. Instead of ignoring him, she sent a smile his way.

"Hello, Jeno," she greeted and went back to scribbling on her notes.

"You're working so diligently today," Jeno commented and nodded at her notebook full of writings and even sketches. His eyes darted on Solji's left hand. The engagement ring was still there and he felt relieved somehow.

"Tell me something I don't know."

"I think you are the one who has something to tell."

Solji looked up and met Jeno's eyes. Her eyes were cold and blank but she felt a surge of longing as she stared into his eyes. She thought she turned completely cold, but she was wrong.

"What do you mean?"

"Mark hyung told me about the problem in your company," Jeno answered but he couldn't meet Solji's eyes. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"You are the first person I contacted when I found out about it. It's not my fault you didn't answer," Solji replied curtly. Jeno bit his bottom lip as he felt a lump on his throat. He would rather argue with Solji than deal with her calmness. It was too dangerous and unpredictable and it was scaring him.

"I'm sorry. I---"

"You don't have to apologize. I am not your responsibility, after all. I have no control over your life whatsoever so you can freely do anything you want. Besides, I can shoulder this problem alone."

"Solji... please don't say that."

"Why not?"

"Because---" Jeno couldn't give an answer. "Listen, I'm really sorry for not being available to you the past few days. I---"

"I didn't ask for your explanation. Why are you pressuring yourself?"

"You deserve an explanation."

"The reasons you gave were enough. What do you take me for? Don't worry, I will not hold those moments against you."

Jeno would choose Solji screaming at his face any day than the Solji sitting in front of him. She's too nice, too formal, too cold.

"Solji, listen. I'm really sorry. I want to make it up to you. Please."

"Why do you feel the need to make it up to me? Is it wrong to give your tine to your long lost friend?"

"No, but---"

"Why?"

"I just... I just feel like I had to. I feel like you're mad at me."

Solji smiled. "Then you're not doing it for me. You're doing it for yourself, to make yourself feel better, probably to silence your conscience or soothe your ego. Don't worry, I'm not angry at you at all."

I'm disappointed, Solji thought. And that's even worse.

Jeno let out a defeated sigh. He knew... he knew damn well he fucked up.

Solji's phone lit up and vibrated on the table. Jeno caught a glimpse of the caller ID and he didn't have to guess who it was.

Watermelon Boy calling...

"You called?"

"I have the vials you need. Is there anything else you want me to buy?"

"No, nothing. Thank you! You're the best."

It was like a knife to Jeno's heart hearing Solji praise somebody in front of him. He pretended not to hear what they were talking about.

"You know I didn't do this for free, right?"

"I know! You know I'm true to my words."

I'll do it for free. Anything. I'll do everything you ask me to! Jeno screamed inside his head.

"Alright then, I'm already at the parking lot. Meet me here."

"Okay. Give me five minutes."

Solji ended the call and started organizing her stuff as if Jeno wasn't there at all. There was a pen lying in front of Jeno and when Solji picked it up, he took that as an opportunity to hold Solji's hand. She looked down and gave him a questioning look.

Jeno gulped.

For her, he was willing to swallow his pride. He was willing to stoop so low. He was willing to beg for her to take him back.

"Is there... is there anything I can do to help you?" Jeno asked, his eyes pleading.

Solji could feel her heart thumping inside her ribcage. It was too painful to see Jeno looking so lost and on the verge of tears. But she had to protect herself as well. She promised to herself that after that phone call, she wouldn't bother him again.

So even if was against her will, she would break his heart just to save hers.

"No. I got everything I needed," she replied and snatched her wrist a little too forcefully, leaving Jeno behind.

***

"You know, if I were Solji, I'd do the same, too. You ditched her a lot of times and I am a hundred percent sure she's taking a sweet revenge on you. Serves you right, sorry not sorry."

Jeno ran a frustrated hand on his wet hair. He just got out of the shower, droplets of water dripping from his hair to his porcelain skin. A towel was draped around his hips as he talk to Jaemin on the phone while using his other hand to rummage his closet.

"Jaem, I asked for a recipe. Not a litany. I know, I know I fucked up, okay? You don't need to remind me. That's why I'm doing everything I can right now to make it up to her."

"Doesn't change the fact that you're a coward dumbass."

Jeno sighed which only made Jaemin to scold him more. He listened and silently endured Jaemin's nagging.

"You could've just Googled a recipe or watch tutorials on YouTube. Why do you have to bother me?"

"Because you're the only person I can talk to right now. And you're the best when it comes to cooking. After Solji of course because I prefer her cooking. So pretty please, my angel best friend. I'll treat you eight shots of espresso every day for a week after this as a payback."

Jaemin snorted on the other line.

"Fine, I'll come over. But you better make sure to confess to Solji about your feelings or I will run you over with a truck, do you understand?"

"Yes! Yes, I do. I will not let anything like this happen again."

The call ended and Jeno absentmindedly threw the phone in his bed. He stared at the mesmerizing view outside his penthouse.

The twenty-third floor of this building allowed him to see the breathtaking view of the city light during nighttime. He wished to watch it with Solji and wait for the sunrise to come.

They could just talk about nonsense stuff to pass the time. He could just stare at her and he would be contented. He couldn't wait to do all of those with her.

But first thing's first.

"I'll get you back," Jeno told himself. "And I will not give up on you."

Solji could push him away a hundred times but Jeno would take a step forward a million more.

***

It's finally time to execute Jaemin's plan.

All Jeno had to do was recall all the times he bailed Solji out and make it up to her using the same methods.

The first being making a bento box for Solji and eat together.

Jeno spent the two days searching for recipes and how to decorate them perfectly. It took him quite a handful of failed attempts before he could get a decent outcome. His hands were cut and bled and patched with band-aid but he didn't stop.

He would do anything for her.

Good thing Jeno knew Solji's schedule so all he had to worry about was her reaction. He wasn't disappointed when he found her sitting on the bleachers.

Solji caught a whiff of Jeno's perfume so she turned around and caught him trying to surprise her.

"What are you doing?" Solji asked, her brows furrowed.

"Um... nothing?"

Solji simply shrugged her shoulders and went back to reading. Normally, she would roll her eyes at him. It made Jeno sad somehow but he cheered himself up. This wasn't about him now.

He sat beside Solji and took a peek of the book she was reading. It was about perfumes.

"You really like perfumes, huh?" Jeno commented. Solji had no plans of talking to him so he felt obligated to start a conversation. Not that he didn't like to, he just didn't know how to start it smoothly. Solji only hummed as an answer.

"Have you eaten lunch?" Jeno asked.

"Why?"

"I made bento for you!"

Jeno then showed the bento box he made. When he opened the lid, the panda made of rice balls were almost unrecognizable. Grains of rice were scattered all over. The bear that he made didn't look like a bear at all and the eggs decorated like chickens were crushed.

As Solji stared at the wrecked state of the supposedly cute bento, she saw the wounds on Jeno's rough hands.

A twinge of guilt and sympathy squeezed her heart. Especially when Jeno looked disappointed after he saw the state of the bento he made. He instantly closed the lid.

"I'm so sorry. That was awful. I'm just going to make you another one tomorrow," Jeno said.

I want to avoid you so damn much. Please don't make this harder for me, Solji silently pleaded.

She wanted to walk out and leave Jeno but seeing his wounded hands, he surely put a lot of effort into it. He must be disappointed in himself and Solji's conscience wouldn't bear the weight of her guilt if she left him.

Without another word, Solji snatched the bento box and opened the lid.

"What are you doing?" Jeno asked.

"What do you want me to do with this? Throw it away?"

"You don't have to force yourself to eat it. It's awful---"

"I'm starving. Do you want me to starve to death?"

Jeno broke into a grin and happily handed her the chopsticks. Even though Jeno was doing all the talking, he was happy seeing Solji enjoy the food he made. All the cuts, failed attempts, and sleepless nights were worth it.

I will break my own rule only for today, Solji consoled herself.

Jeno thought he was doing great but he was getting too ahead of himself. Because the past few days, Solji was declining all his offers. Even the smallest ones.

When he tried to help her carry the books.

"I can do it, Jeno. It's not that heavy."

When he tried to open the heavy door of the auditorium for her.

"Jeno, I have hands. You didn't have to."

When he gave her chocolate fudge.

"Sorry, I've been eating a lot of sweets lately. You can give that to Jaemin instead."

When he asked her to have lunch with him.

"I'm sorry, I already ate with Mark."

When he asked her if she needed anything for her experiment.

"No, thank you. Mark provided me already with everything I need."

When he asked her to watch a movie with him.

"Sorry, Mark said that movie was so bad. He saved me from wasting two hours of my life."

Mark this.

Mark that.

She did to him what he did to her.

He was slowly losing hope. He watched silently as Mark replaced his place beside Solji. How he made her laugh. It used to be him.

Oh, what he would give just for them to go back to the way they used to.

But he couldn't. It wasn't that easy. Love wasn't meant to be easy.

Love? Lee Jeno, you're out of your mind.

Still, he waited at the parking lot of the campus. He knew Solji would be there any minute. He was planning to ask her to eat dinner with him.

Soon enough, Solji arrived holding tons of books as usual. She had been working hard lately and the bags under her eyes were visible. But pretty just the same. If he didn't avoid her like a coward, he would still be updated about what Solji was doing.

I'll get there soon when she forgives me.

"Solji!" Jeno called her name which made her turn to him. Her face flashed with relief when she saw him but she instantly hid it.

"What is it this time?" Solji asked. Jeno snatched the books from her arms without asking for permission because he knew she would decline.

"Are you busy?" Jeno asked expectantly.

"I am always busy," Solji answered. "What do you need?"

"Well, I wanted to ask you to have dinner with me. I saw this place and I remembered you so I wanted to---"

"I can't," Solji answered and snatched the books from Jeno. "I'm busy. Why don't you ask Heejin instead?"

Jeno gulped as he stared at Solji's blank eyes. They used to be lively. In love, even. Or that was probably him being delusional. Delusion or not, he would take anything even if it's fake. He just didn't want to see those blank eyes again.

"Am I... disturbing you?"

Solji sighed. "I can't give you my time like I used to. I have to prove myself, this is my chance. I will not blow it up. Who knows, maybe if I succeed, I can stop this engagement and we will both be free?"

What the hell are you saying? Solji asked herself. She vowed to herself she wouldn't let her emotions control her but now she's spewing nonsense.

A look of pain flashed on Jeno's face.

He didn't like it. Hell, he despised it.

He wanted to beg Solji to take back what she said, but then again, he had no courage to do that. He was already selfish for avoiding her. How could he be selfish now?

"You know... you know I'm always here for you, right?" Jeno said.

His eyes were glassy and his voice was almost pleading.

It almost thawed her heart. Almost.

But then she remembered how he set her aside the past few days as if she was some toy he got tired of playing with.

"I have no use of you so I don't see why I will need you again," Solji replied coldly. With one last freezing look, she walked away and left Jeno.

Every step she took was almost physically painful. She was so tempted to turn around and hug Jeno and tell him that she was just lying. That she just missed him so much.

It would only take a little bit of courage and honesty to bring things back to normal.

But would she want that? Act like nothing happened? Act as if she wasn't neglected?

No, he was only pulling you back because he realized you're not chasing after him anymore, Solji told herself. You don't need him. He was twisted. If he is going to choose between you and Heejin, he will choose her in a heartbeat.

No, Solji had enough. At that moment, nothing was more important than her pride and ego. She would never let someone make her feel like an option again. Ever.

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