Chapter 7

"Nobody's allowed to get drunk!" Yiyeon said. "As much as you guys want to drink, you can't. You still have basketball practice tomorrow. And by you, I mean Daewon, Yangyang, and Hyunjin." She said and flicked their foreheads. "Hyunjin-ah, can't you hear me?!" She yelled at her cousin, who was already drunk.

She saw their younger friends laughing at them, "And to you two, both of you can't drink, do you understand?" Sungchan and Jeongmin just nodded.

Yiyeon saw Hyunjin already knocked out. She could only roll her eyes, "What the hell? How are we supposed to go home now?" She said and slapped herself in disbelief.

Sungchan, Jeongmin, and Yiyeon were the only sober people among all of them. None of them could drive. That's why she doesn't know how they're supposed to go home. Moreover, Daewon, Yangyang, and Hyunjin have their basketball practice tomorrow. Their heads would probably throb like hell.

"Oh shit, what am I supposed to do with you--"

"Yiyeon?" The said girl turned around only to see Jeno wearing the padded coat she returned. "What are you doing here?"

She could only sigh and pointed at her already wasted friends, "Hyunjin is the only one who could drive." She took a deep breath and patted her brother's shoulder, "Hwang Hyunjin!"

"What?! Let me sleep!" Hyunjin groaned and continued sleeping.

Yiyeon groaned in frustration and looked at Jeno, "There we have it!" She said, which made Jeno laugh.

"Do you want me to take you guys home?" He asked. "I'm currently with Doyoung-hyung... you know him, right?" Yiyeon nodded. "I could just give this to hyung and then drive you guys home..."

"Would it be alright?" Yiyeon asked.

Jeno nodded, "Why wouldn't it be."

Sungchan cleared his throat, and Jeongmin started singing.

"Why can't we be friends when we are lovers? 'Cause, it always ends with us hating each other--okay, I'll stop now," Jeongmin retreated. "Sungchan told me to do so!"

Yiyeon could only roll her eyes, "Hurry up and help me with these idiots."

Jeno called Doyoung, and they helped the wasted people get in Hyunjin and Yiyeon's car. She and Jeongmin helped Yejin stood up. Sungchan helped Yangyang, Jeno helped Daewon, and Doyoung helped Hyunjin.

Once they were inside the car, Jeno gave the plastic which had bottles of soju to Doyoung.

"What about your brother?" Yiyeon asked as Jeno started the car.

"He'll be driving our car," he replied as he started driving.

Meanwhile, Jeongmin and Sungchan could feel the awkwardness between them.

They could only look at each other and shook their heads.

"How have you been?" Jeno asked all of a sudden.

She looked at him before replying, "Me? I'm okay, I guess... never been better." she said and pressed her lips into a thin line.

Who am I kidding?

Jeno nodded and hit the brakes the moment they encountered a stoplight. "That's good to hear..."

"What about you?" Yiyeon asked.

Jeno shrugged and continued driving, "Still the same..."

The girl just nodded, "Good to hear, then..."

"Liar!" Yiyeon looked at the backseat only to see drunk Yangyang laughing. "B-Both of you are... are idiots!" He scoffed. Jeongmin flicked his forehead, which made him fall asleep once again.

Jeno just shook his head while laughing.

***

"Oh, Yiyeon-ah, you're here," Yejin greeted her friend, who just arrived at the area where they will be setting up their booth.

Yiyeon just raised a brow, "Where is Yangyang? Why is Daewon sleeping? And why is that guy here?" She scooted closer to her friend.

Yejin chuckled, "Yangyang is in the clinic because he still has a hangover. Daewon is asleep because of the same thing. While Jeno? He offered help. Who am I to refuse?" She shrugged.

Yiyeon looked around and noticed some of the students whispering and looking at them. Some girls were even rolling their eyes at her, but she couldn't care less. She could only roll her eyes and hide her face in pure frustration.

Sighing, she stood up and pulled Jeno away from their booth. She ran with him and went behind the makeshift stage, located at the other end of the auditorium.

Jeno smiled lazily, "What is it this time, Yiyeon-ah?" He asked the girl whose back was facing him.

She had her eyes closed, even if she knows that Jeno couldn't see it. "Shouldn't I be the one asking you that, Jeno?" She took a deep breath and faced him. "I don't understand... why you're suddenly like this."

"Like what?" Jeno asked and stepped closer, only for her to step back.

The girl looked down and clenched her fists, "Which part of 'we're over' do you not understand?" She looked at him and tried to fight the tears. "Everything was going well, but why are you making things hard for me?"

"I have accepted everything already, Jeno, but why..."

Jeno looked down, "Yiyeon, that night... that night was a mistake," he said, pondering every strength left inside his body. "You were right. You were right all along. I should have listened to you when you said that you'd got a bad feeling about that night..."

"Jeno-yah, are you sure that you could trust these people?" Yiyeon asked Jeno, who was about to board the van in front of him.

He told her that they would be having a two-day vacation outside of Seoul before the upcoming commencement of the basketball league. Yiyeon has been restless ever since Jeno had told her about the vacation.

The boy smiled and placed his hands on her shoulders, "You don't need to worry about a thing, Yiyeon-ah. I'll be fine. Besides, they're my teammates."

She looked up. She totally knew that he'd be going to that place with his teammates. It should give her peace of mind, at least, but she wasn't comforted, even a bit.

"And I want you to know that I'm sorry..." Yiyeon looked up to meet Jeno's eyes. "I know that what I did was unforgivable, but I just want you to know that I'm willing to do everything just to gain the trust that was lost..."

Yiyeon looked down, "I don't know, Jeno... but I can't take another heartbreak."

***

After their conversation backstage, Yiyeon has been trying her best to ignore Jeno's presence. Her friends were also able to tell that something had happened in a short period of time. They wanted to talk to her, but she wouldn't say anything.

"You know, I'm worried about Yiyeon," Yejin sighed. "After lunchtime earlier, she immediately went to the library and said she'll be helping Jaemin... but I don't think it's exactly where she went."

Her friends stopped working for a while and sat beside her.

"Did something happened earlier today?" Sungchan asked.

Yejin took a deep breath, "Well, she did talk to Jeno earlier, but I have no idea what they talked about. She won't talk to me."

"Let's just... give her time," Daewon said. "Let's just understand her because she's probably going through something..."

***

The door that leads to the rooftop opened, but Yiyeon couldn't care less.

"Yiyeonnie?" The girl looked back only to see her best friend standing by the door. "What are you doing here?" He raised a brow.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that, Yangyang?" She said. "Why are you here, and how did you find me?"

Yangyang walked towards her and sat beside her. "I always stay here when I've got nothing to do. Sometimes, when I'm not too fond of the lesson, I go up and here and sleep. I even bring snacks sometimes, but I'm too broke today."

"I see," Yiyeon nods.

"And you? Why are you here?" He asked.

"Yangyang..." she started. "Have you ever wanted to just run away... because of the pain?" She chuckled bitterly. "Since when did loving someone become this complicated?" She said and looked at the scenery below them.

Students were leaving the school one by one. Her friends were probably looking for her already, but she doesn't have the energy to face someone other than Yangyang today.

"Do I have to face all of the sunsets alone?" Yiyeon said, which made her friend look at her. Tears were already flowing from her eyes, and Yangyang wanted to do something, but he was frozen in his place. "Ah, I shouldn't cry over him. I'm over him. Yeah, I'm over him..."

So it's about Jeno.

Yangyang scooted closer and placed an arm around her, "You know, it's not always too bad to face sunsets alone," he said, which made Yiyeon look at him. "I mean, you wouldn't be able to see a scene like this if you're always with someone..." he said and pointed at the sun.

"And it's okay, Yiyeon..." He smiled and looked away.

"I never knew sunsets would be this sad..." Yiyeon said. "They signify the end of the day, but they also signify a new beginning," she smiled sadly. "Sunsets tell you that the day is over, and everything will be okay since the day will come again."

Yangyang smiled at her, "You were able to figure out such deep meaning in less than five minutes?"

She shook her head, "I had the thought for a while, and I think about it every time I look at sunsets..." she said and pressed her lips into a thin line. "Thank you, Yangyang..."

"For what?"

"For being here for me... always." She smiled.

"As long as you're okay," he smiled.

- tbc.
as promised, i'm back :>>