40

                                    

                                          
"Jae!"

Jaehwa's heart skipped a beat when Yerin suddenly grabbed her shoulders from behind. Looking over her shoulder, she saw the latter with palm placed over her mouth, laughing at how pale Jaehwa was. 

"You could've killed me." Jaehwa hissed under her breath, pulling her knees closer towards her chest before she rested her chin on the top of them. She had no idea if she was too oblivious of her surrounding or the apartment complex had been quite silent recently, sounds of screeching tyres from the nearby roads and men laughing out loud no longer taking over the air of the night. Jaehwa exhaled loudly, faint puff of white smoke left her mouth as the consequence of her action. The temperature had dropped a bit considering spring would come soon, yet she couldn't deny that the chilly breeze was enough to make her teeth chatter.

Yerin smiled cheekily before she pulled out the other chair, sitting on it in a rather forceful manner before propping her elbows on the small table. "You're spacing out." She started, glancing over Jaehwa only to know she wasn't paying any of her attention to her. "It's only the second week of the semester."

Jaehwa huffed, words uttered by Yerin couldn't faze her at all at the moment. Her being was there, sitting at the balcony while staring at the city before her eyes, yet her mind was travelling somewhere. Deep inside, she was debating whether to keep what was happening to herself or let it out and tell Yerin. Yerin probably wouldn't be able to understand her either for her to have no relation with Jeongguk and Hyun, but the wavering emotions inside Jaehwa's chest were starting to kill her that she didn't think she could sleep a blink tonight.

"What are you thinking?" Yerin started, voice sounded monotone as if she wasn't that eager to know. However, knowing her and her nature, Jaehwa knew Yerin was trying to lure her to speak out the words that had been lingering her mind. 

Jaehwa bit her inner cheek, the words stuck at the back of her throat when she tilted her head to get a better look of Yerin. Swallowing hard, Jaehwa dragged her chair closer to the table, biting down her lip once she realised that there was no way she could keep everything to herself.

"I'm worried." Korean had never been that difficult that Jaehwa seemed to not be able to speak well, as if the language was too alien for her tongue to pronounce each syllable. "A- about- about Jeongguk."

She saw how Yerin's eyes widened a tad bit upon hearing his name, probably didn't expect that Jaehwa would bring the name up. On daily basis, Yerin would've teased her for thinking about Jeongguk when she should be sleeping but looking at how gloomy Jaehwa was, she chose not to utter anything. 

"Jeongguk?" Yerin repeated, a frown gradually formed on her forehead when Jaehwa nodded hesitantly. "Aren't you guys on good terms now? Why? Did he make mess with you again?" Jaehwa shook her head, causing Yerin to sigh out of frustration. "Then what's the problem? It's been long since I saw you spacing out thinking about someone like this. You should be sleeping, not staying outside."

"I'm worried about him." Jaehwa rubbed her face before tucking the loose strands of her hair behind her ears. "He will return Hyun to his real father tomorrow night. He wanted to convince me that he's fine but I know he's not. Yerin, do you think he will be okay? Do you think he can handle this?" 

Lips agape, Yerin inched away from Jaehwa, confused at what she just heard. "Okay... look. I don't really get what you're trying to say but I know that Hyun isn't Jeongguk's son. Then, you once told me that Jeongguk hated the boy and now you are telling me that he's returning Hyun to his father? Wait, isn't that a good thing? Considering Jeongguk doesn't like him? Why should he feel sad though?"