Veil || Lee Donghyuck

Chapter 15: Try Again

It was well after 4 PM, and two high school seniors walked arm in arm down the sidewalk. One was obviously more excited than the other, despite the other having a smile glued to her face. It was a cool afternoon, perfect weather for the walk.

Although, Baek Dani never realized until now how lengthy the walk would be.

She missed her bike.

"I'm so excited!" Geurim chimed. She turned to look at her friend. "You always mention your mom's snack shop but you never bring me. I can't wait to try your mom's cooking since you always rave about it!"

Dani nodded, a small nervous laugh leaving her lips. "I know... since I don't have my bike, I didn't think the trip is worth it. Although, I've been craving it lately. I need something spicy."

"Are you stressed about something?"

"Multiple things actually." Dani wasn't sure what to bring up first. One of her worries was about to happen in mere minutes, the closer they walk to her mom's shack. There's also her dilemma of re-friending Donghyuck and the Dream Four; along with other things. Without thinking much about it, she continued, "I still have no clue what to paint for the festival, and it's really frustrating."

"You're a wonderful artist! I'm sure you'll think of something. Maybe do a scenery that a lot of people like taking pictures in front of?" Geurim suggested. The shorter lass hummed as her mind's gears were turning. "You don't have to go so elaborate on it, either. You can draw whatever you like. Aren't sunflowers your favorite flower? Just draw a bunch of those!"

Dani pursed her lips. It definitely wasn't a bad idea. What's stopping her from painting sunflowers on the board? She only thought about drawing the flowers whenever she's in a rut. It never occurred to her that she could do just that.

"I'll definitely keep that in mind, thanks Geurim," Dani replied, giving her friend a loving nudge. They turned the corner and they had finally arrived to the business district. A familiar tall building appeared before them. Dani peered up, the company logo gleaming in the digital board. The two girls paused, taking in the whole view before them.

"Ah, and here's the company that our school is founded by," Geurim commented, her eyes glued to the impressive tall building. "Sometimes, I do forget that Neo Culture Technology owns us. It's crazy how much they've expanded in the past few years."

Neo Culture Technology is one of South Korea's biggest companies. It has shown its massive success for +20 years in the business, even being well-known across the globe. It's typical to see the NCT logo on every-day appliances. And just recently, the company funded a new university, Neo Culture Institute of Technology. While it was only a couple years old, it was making its way of becoming an institution of high demand. As a senior in high school, the college's name have been buzzing about her peers as their top pick for college.

She was not one of them, as her dream of studying abroad in France is still very much intact.

"You know, I haven't really thought about it much but NCIT is a really good school. I don't know if I want to go to it yet but Renjun—" Geurim immediately clamped her mouth shut and the accidental mention of the name.

Dani frowned. This hasn't been the first time. She knew Geurim had been doing her best to not bring up any of the boys around her, in concern of upsetting her. It must be hard on her, since they are her close friends. How can she not talk about them every once in a while? Geurim did really well for the past two weeks, making it seem they didn't exist for Dani's sake.

"You know..." Dani started, as she felt the guilt eat her up inside. "You can talk about them, Geurim."

Hesitation crossed the shorter girl's face. "A-Ah, Dani..."