The Way It Is

eighteen

Chapter 18

The walk was quiet. Yiyeon was silently trailing behind Yangyang while the boy had his hands in his pockets.

She didn't know what to do. She wanted to talk to Yangyang so bad, but she couldn't speak now that she had the chance. Sighing, she looked at Yangyang, whose back was facing her. She couldn't even find the right words to describe what she was feeling right now.

Fear, maybe.

Yangyang stopped walking, and she did, too.

"So, what is it that you want to talk about?" He asked, not facing her.

Yiyeon looked up, expecting that he was looking at her, but no to avail. "Could you please look at me while talking?" She pleaded.

He clenched his fists inside his pockets as he turned around to look at her. "What?"

"I..." Yiyeon stuttered. "The two of us... everything's okay between us. Why are you avoiding me?" She asked.

Yangyang looked away, "I don't know what you're talking about, Yiyeon."

The girl stepped closer, "Yangyang, please don't play dumb. I know that you know exactly what I'm talking about," she said. Her voice was shaky. It sounded as if she was trying to persuade someone. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No." He shook his head.

"Then tell me what I should do for you to talk to me again!" She yelled.

Yangyang was taken aback. The girl in front of him doesn't look like the Yiyeon he knew. The Yiyeon he knew never beg. The Yiyeon he knew never broke eye contact. In the days he ignored her, did she change that much?

"You told me that I didn't do something wrong, so why are you avoiding me?" Yiyeon asked. "Could you please tell me already? Because I'm slowly losing my fucking mind, Yangyang!" She yelled. Her hands were in a fist. It was as if she was restraining herself from blurting out things too much.

"You can't understand, Yiyeon," Yangyang said. "If I tell you what's on my mind, everything won't be the same."

She rolled her eyes, "What the hell do you mean by that, Liu Yangyang?!" Yiyeon was beyond pissed and hurt. All the emotions were starting to take over her. "Instead of me... were you the one who did something? Because if yes, then why the fuck are you avoiding me? You, of all people, would know that I would never judge you if you did something!"

The two became silent.

"If I... say it... you'd hate me... and it might be the end between the two of us, Yiyeon..." Yangyang muttered under his breath. "It's better if you don't—"

"Damn it, Yangyang!" Yiyeon yelled. "I don't give a shit about your excuses, just tell me—"

"Fine, I like you, okay?!" He yelled back. "Are you happy now?!"

YIyeon looked down, "Why didn't you tell me sooner?" She asked.

He clenched his fists, "Did you think that it was easy for me to keep my mouth shut?! It hurt like hell, Yiyeon! Do you know that every time you cry because of Jeno, it's as if I've been stabbed multiple times?" At this point, neither cared that they were in the school hallways. Someone could probably hear them, but it's fine so that they would know when not to interrupt.