FIREFLIES

VII

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「　seven ; untold secrets。 」━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

AFTER FIVE DAYS IN THE HOSPITAL, jaemin was gleefully welcomed by his classmates; especially his chemistry class. when jaemin entered the room, he was surprised by the cake the class chipped in for him.

drizzled on the chocolate cake were the words; "welcome back nana". jaemin couldn't help but crack a smile before he rests his hands in the pocket of his jacket. once he took a seat, his classmates kept pestering him on why he was brought to the hospital.

the information that went around the campus was the fact that jaemin was injured in the classroom. and that was simply it. jaemin tugged the corner of his lips and shook his hand dismissively to tell his curious (and nosy) classmates that he was okay.

the lecture began and jaemin attentively listens. he had no drink to keep him up, he wasn't bored nor drowsy, but he was somehow distracted by hwayoung sitting in front of him.

jaemin knew that once he left the classroom, he would forget anything that happened with him and hwayoung on that day; so he had to make every single day count. as jaemin jotted down notes, at the back of mind, it was resting that he wouldn't forget hwayoung anymore.

not only because he carved her name on his arm, but also because of the notebook. he had found a way to help her, now, all he had to do was to come up with a plan.

chemistry class ended like a breeze. jaemin was finally learning something in this class. sure he had troubles with some of it, but he was confident that he had everything under controlled.

as jaemin placed his belongings back in his bag, hwayoung approached the boy. "jaemin," she calls out. jaemin lifts his head and saw the firefly girl next to him. he makes a quick glance at the classroom, making sure that no one was there before he replied,

"what now?" a smile slowly crept up jaemin's face and hwayoung couldn't help but gasp.

"y-you remember me now?" hwayoung breathes out, to which jaemin simply nods his head. "you shouldn't have cut yourself you know. if i simply gave you the notebook then you would be in the same situation as you are today; but in that case, you don't have a scar."

jaemin lets out a chuckle before he smiles. "yeah, that was a dumb thing to do." jaemin admits as he smiles sheepishly.

before the two could converse any longer, jaemin brings out the notebook and hands it over to hwayoung. "is it okay if you write all these things that happened today?"

hwayoung fervently nods before taking the notebook out of jaemin's grasp. the two started talking and like a typewriter, hwayoung jots everything down. her neatly formed words filled in the empty spaces of the page.

they were now embedded on the sheet forever.

"hwayoung," jaemin calls out to which hwayoung hums in response; allowing jaemin to continue. "why do you have fireflies all over you?"

jaemin tilts his head as he eyes one of the fireflies floating around. hwayoung abruptly stops writing and lifts her head up from the notebook to jaemin. "i actually didn't know about these fireflies until you told me a few weeks back."

hwayoung admits before she continues on to scribble on the notebook. forehead creasing, jaemin queries. "how can you not see them, they are all over you!" jaemin exclaims to which hwayoung simply shrugs.

"i don't know honestly. but i know one thing for sure." jaemin was intrigued by hwayoung's words but before he could ask her any further, she threw him a question. "jaemin, if you're in my chemistry class, why do you see me?"

jaemin pursed his lips into a thin line as he thought of an answer. "do you even remember me at chemistry class without the fireflies?" jaemin has then found himself sinking his teeth on his bottom lips.

lips were quivering as he tried to remember when was the time jaemin saw hwayoung without the fireflies. pain was sparkling in hwayoung's eyes. jaemin then realized that despite remembering the first time they met; jaemin couldn't remember anything of hwayoung without the fireflies.

the tense air was suffocating jaemin and the awkwardness was swallowing him whole. hwayoung had stopped writing and had her dagger like gaze on his frame. jaemin felt intimidated and pressured. jaemin finally opened his mouth and answered meekly, "i don't."

hwayoung's lips curved into a painful smile as she masked the pain she was feeling inside with her smile. "i knew you wouldn't." hwayoung shuts the notebook and hands it back to jaemin. "you better leave, it's getting late."

"wait, wait, wait— what about the only thing you knew, what's that about?"

"jaemin just leave." hwayoung closed her eyes as tears trickled down her cheeks. not wanting to press her anymore, jaemin stood up and left.

by the time hwayoung opened her eyes, jaemin was already by the door. resting in front of her was the notebook that jaemin had left. "jaemin, wait!" before she could run over to him, jaemin already went through the door.

jaemin went home and forgot a fragment of his memory in the classroom.

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