Chapter 18

The walk was quiet. Yiyeon was silently trailing behind Yangyang while the boy had his hands in his pockets.

She didn't know what to do. She wanted to talk to Yangyang so bad, but she couldn't speak now that she had the chance. Sighing, she looked at Yangyang, whose back was facing her. She couldn't even find the right words to describe what she was feeling right now.

Fear, maybe.

Yangyang stopped walking, and she did, too.

"So, what is it that you want to talk about?" He asked, not facing her.

Yiyeon looked up, expecting that he was looking at her, but no to avail. "Could you please look at me while talking?" She pleaded.

He clenched his fists inside his pockets as he turned around to look at her. "What?"

"I..." Yiyeon stuttered. "The two of us... everything's okay between us. Why are you avoiding me?" She asked.

Yangyang looked away, "I don't know what you're talking about, Yiyeon."

The girl stepped closer, "Yangyang, please don't play dumb. I know that you know exactly what I'm talking about," she said. Her voice was shaky. It sounded as if she was trying to persuade someone. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No." He shook his head.

"Then tell me what I should do for you to talk to me again!" She yelled.

Yangyang was taken aback. The girl in front of him doesn't look like the Yiyeon he knew. The Yiyeon he knew never beg. The Yiyeon he knew never broke eye contact. In the days he ignored her, did she change that much?

"You told me that I didn't do something wrong, so why are you avoiding me?" Yiyeon asked. "Could you please tell me already? Because I'm slowly losing my fucking mind, Yangyang!" She yelled. Her hands were in a fist. It was as if she was restraining herself from blurting out things too much.

"You can't understand, Yiyeon," Yangyang said. "If I tell you what's on my mind, everything won't be the same."

She rolled her eyes, "What the hell do you mean by that, Liu Yangyang?!" Yiyeon was beyond pissed and hurt. All the emotions were starting to take over her. "Instead of me... were you the one who did something? Because if yes, then why the fuck are you avoiding me? You, of all people, would know that I would never judge you if you did something!"

The two became silent.

"If I... say it... you'd hate me... and it might be the end between the two of us, Yiyeon..." Yangyang muttered under his breath. "It's better if you don't—"

"Damn it, Yangyang!" Yiyeon yelled. "I don't give a shit about your excuses, just tell me—"

"Fine, I like you, okay?!" He yelled back. "Are you happy now?!"

YIyeon looked down, "Why didn't you tell me sooner?" She asked.

He clenched his fists, "Did you think that it was easy for me to keep my mouth shut?! It hurt like hell, Yiyeon! Do you know that every time you cry because of Jeno, it's as if I've been stabbed multiple times?" At this point, neither cared that they were in the school hallways. Someone could probably hear them, but it's fine so that they would know when not to interrupt.

"When you told me... that you like Jeno, I didn't know what to say..." He looked down. "Because back then, I already knew that he liked you, too, and if I were to say something, I would just get in the way!" He chuckled bitterly. "And now... now, I don't know..."

He looked at her in the eyes, "But Yiyeon, believe me... I tried to be your friend, and only as your friend. It's not my fault that my heart chose you in the end." Yiyeon could notice that his eyes were getting glossy. "Trust me. I tried to stop my feelings for you. Because I know that when you find out, that would be the day that I will lose my best friend and the person I love the most."

A tear dropped the moment he blinked. He tore his gaze off of her as he turned around.

"Now that you already know, it just gave me another reason not to talk to you..." he whispered. "But don't worry, our friendship won't end here."

Yangyang started to walk away, "Don't worry, I'll be back for you... soon. I'll just get rid of my feelings for you." He threw her a glance before smiling slightly. "I'll still be your friend, Liu Yangyang."

***

"Why do you look so grim?" Jaemin asked the guy in front of him as he placed his tray on the table. Getting no response, he snapped his fingers in front of his friend's unblinking eyes. "Hello? Jeno?"'

The other blinked several times before looking at Jaemin, "H-Huh? Were you saying something?" He asked as he grabbed his milkshake.

The latter raised a brow as he sat down, "Something happened, am I right?"

"What? No. Nothing happened." Jeno shook his head and continued eating. "I was just... thinking of something. That's all."

"So something happened," Jaemin nodded as he sipped from his milkshake. "Because if nothing happened, you wouldn't be thinking about it now."

The other could only roll his eyes.

"Come on, Jeno! It's just the two of us here," Jaemin chuckled. "And I've been with you the longest. So spill." He said and leaned closer.

Jeno sighed and crossed his arms, "I was early this morning... and I happen to hear everything."

Jaemin gasped, "Did you hear people making out?!" He said as he covered his mouth dramatically.

The older boy threw the crumpled receipts that were on the table. "What the hell are you thinking?! Do you even take me seriously?!" He glared at him.

Jaemin laughed as he picked up the crumpled pieces of paper on the floor. "I just said that because you were too serious," he laughed at the guy in front of him. "Okay, you can continue."

"Forget it. You won't listen anyway," Jeno rolled his eyes.

"Come on, tell me! Or I'm telling Mark-hyung!" Jaemin threatens.

The other boy took a deep breath and rolled his eyes once again. "Okay, fine." He sighed. "I happened to hear everything Yangyang said..."

"Yangyang? Why is he suddenly in the conversation?"

"I think something happened between him and Yiyeon, and Yiyoen went mad. I don't know," he shrugged. "But I heard everything he said... and Jaemin..." Jeno looked down. "He confessed his feelings to her."

"What?" Jaemin's eyes widened. "Did he finally confess?"

Jeno nodded. "I also heard that he... had feelings for her before I did..."

The two suddenly stopped talking. And Jaemin regrets asking.

He knew that Jeno doesn't want to talk about her anymore. But his nosy self just wanted to know what's bugging him.

"Sorry," Jaemin said.

"For what?"

"You don't want to talk about her already, yet here we are..." he sighed.

Jeno didn't respond.

"What are you planning to do now?" Jaemin asked.

Jeno shook his head, "I'm not planning anything." He sighed. "Although I'm sticking to my words."

"What do you mean?"

"The words I told her when we broke up," Jeno said nonchalantly. "Even if we're not together, as long as she needs me, I'll be there. But I'll also be the one to step back if she pushes me away."

- tbc.