Chapter 41

"Jaemin, have you seen the photos of Jeno scattering around?" Renjun leaned closer, afraid that someone might hear.

The other boy nodded while munching on his food, "Yeah. I wonder who took those photos. I need to ask them what camera lenses they use," Jaemin said while rubbing his chin. "Might as well recruit them in the club, too."

"Have Jeno seen this?" Renjun asked.

Jaemin shook his head, "Not to my knowledge. But I think he'll see this later, at most." He shrugged. "Oh, it's Shotaro," he said, calling the attention of their friend who had just entered the cafeteria.

Shotaro immediately rushed towards them the moment he saw Jaemin waving his hands. Contrary to what Jaemin was expecting, Shotaro looked so worried, and it's somehow making him uneasy. He could tell that Renjun was also curious but too afraid to ask.

"We have to rush back to the club after lunch," Shotaro panted. "Our club is in trouble."

"What? What do you mean?!" Jaemin exclaimed while exchanging glances with Renjun.

Shotaro sighed, "The student council is looking into the pictures that are being distributed without permission," he said, chewing on his food. "Those photos of Jeno during the match, not only those, actually," he shook his head. "The photos of the entire varsity team are being sold, but they're unpermitted. So they're pointing fingers at our club, particularly the photojournalism team because of these photos."

***

"See this girl?" Shotaro pointed at the girl standing beside Jeno in a picture. "She was the one who distributed the photos last week."

Jaemin raised a brow, "I think I've seen her somewhere..." he sighed. "Ah! Isn't she Jeno's friend or something?" He stared at the photo for a while as he recalled the varsity team's previous games. "What's her name again? Y-Yun..."

"Yunseo," Shotaro said. "She's also the captain of the volleyball team."

"Wait, if she's Jeno's friend, wouldn't that mean that Jeno has an idea about the photos?" Jaemin asked.

The other boy shook his head, "Renjun and I talked to him last week, but he said he had no idea about the photos. He was pretty creeped out," he sighed.

Jaemin froze.

"Jeno doesn't have any idea about Yunseo... and she's his best friend. So it's possible that she likes him, right?"

Looking back, Jaemin wanted to punch himself for not bringing up this topic. Now, their friend and Jeno's soon-to-be-girlfriend-again might be in trouble because of the same girl who spread photos of Jeno before.

"Shotaro, try calling Hyunjin. I'll try to call Jeno. Renjun, try calling either Daewon or Yangyang. Jisung, call Sungchan," he instructed as he hurriedly dialed Jeno's number.

The door opened, and the people who entered the clubroom looked confused. "I thought we were supposed to clean? Why are there papers scattered on the floor?" Rina asked. "Hey, what's with the rush?"

Jaemin hung up when Jeno did not answer.

"Yiyeon might be in danger."

"What?" Yuan freaked out, "Jaemin, you can't say that all of a sudden. That's not a good joke at all," he laughed nervously.

Their editor-in-chief pulled his hair out of frustration, "The person who's meeting Yiyeon right now might be the same person who ordered the other girls who used to hurt or bully her!" He said as he continuously dialed Jeno's number.

He mentally cursed himself for not having her other friends' contact numbers.

"What do you mean?!" Rina was panicking at this moment. Everyone else, too. "Does Yiyeon know about this?"

"Of course not! If she did, why would she risk her life again to meet her?" Jaemin said, his voice getting louder. "If we all knew, why would we let her? Let alone Jeno," he shook his head as he pulled a stool out to sit down.

"I'll try contacting Hyunjin and Yikyung-hyung, too. For now, let's hope that nothing bad happens to her," he sighed. 

***

Yiyeon happily skipped towards the coffee shop while happily humming a tune. Today was Yunseo's last day in Korea before their flight tomorrow, and as much as she didn't want her friend to go, she has to.

The scent of freshly-brewed coffee beans greeted her as she entered their meeting place. At a table, she sees Yunseo while talking to someone over the phone. She smiled unknowingly and was about to scare the other girl since Yunseo's back was facing her, but she suddenly overhears the conversation on the phone.

"What do you mean Jeno reported you?!" Yunseo said, irritatedly. "You know what, I honestly thought that you guys could do better, but I guess I just wasted my time and money on you!"

Yiyeon was puzzled. How is Jeno involved in whatever Yunseo is talking about? 

"Of course, Yiyeon and I have already met, and contrary to my expectations, she's doing well! And you even told me that you made her miserable," she snorted. "Now, you're telling me that she and Jeno are back together? Piece of trash-"

Yiyeon clenched her fists beside her as she wore the most genuine smile she could muster, "Yunseo!" She called, and as quick as the lightning did Yunseo kept her phone away from Yiyeon's sight.

Now, Yiyeon could tell that everything was a facade to hide everything. It became clearer. She had never been so certain.

"H-Have you been there for too long?" Yunseo cleared her throat.

Yiyeon chuckled and shook her head as she placed her hands on the table, "Let's cut the act," she smiled sweetly. "I'm not gonna pretend that I did not hear you, nor am I gonna pretend that I don't feel anything but wrath right now." Yiyeon smiled as she leaned back. "But for the sake of your ego, I'm gonna ask if I... heard everything right."

Yunseo rolled her eyes, "Yes, and if your friends and Jeno didn't interfere, I would have succeeded in getting you out of the picture!" She crossed her arms. 

"What did I do to you to hate me this much?!"

"Because it should have been me and Jeno, but you interfered!" She gritted her teeth. "We were good friends. Not that close but we had something going! But he stopped looking my way ever since you appeared in his life!" Yunseo clenched her fists as she hit the table. "When you left the team, I thought that it was finally my time to shine because the annoying middle blocker who takes the spotlight every game was already one. I thought that Jeno's eyes would be fixated on me during games once you're gone. But he stopped watching the games when you left! everything's because of you!" Yunseo was bawling her eyes out at this point.

Yiyeon doesn't know why her friend was crying. She wanted to comfort her, but she's not too naive and stupid to do it, either.

Yiyeon sighed, "I didn't even know that you liked Jeno, I didn't even had any idea that I was stealing the spotlight every game, just like you said... but it must have been enough reason for you to almost destroy my entire existence." With that, she stood up and picked up her bag. "I hope you're satisfied with what you've done. I hope that you were able to get something by hurting me. Because if you did, I'm happy for you. But just so you know, I'm not giving Jeno up for anything, or anyone for that matter," she glanced at Yunseo once again. "...and if you decide to come at us again, I won't hesitate to fight you, even if you're an old comrade. if you want to come and get Jeno for yourself, you have to go through me."

She started to walk away, not wanting to hear more lies from her old friend. "Ah, this is farewell then, Park Yunseo. I do hope that I won't meet you again in the future," she scoffed. "In all seriousness, though, I still wish for your happiness. although I'm not sure if you have considered me as a friend, or even as a teammate as I did. You were a precious friend to me, but that's it..." she sighed as she looked at the girl who was fixated on her cup of cappuccino.

"Bye, Yunseo. I hope that your plane to New York won't crash or anything," she shrugged ad left the coffee shop.

- tbc.

Merry Christmas, Jaems!