Silence ○ Lee Haechan

○53

"Do we have to go?" Mari heard Daeun complain next to her as their whole class was being dragged once more onto the bus to some random location.

"One more trip before we fly back tomorrow. Don't worry, you guys will like this one."
"We're going to the Folklore and natural history museum." The teacher explained and Daeuns head hit the head rest of the seat in front of her.

"We will spend the morning there, then we're off to the beach  and then in the afternoon we're going out for dinner once more to finish up our activities before tomorrow," one of the other teachers explained before slipping into their seat and causing a domino effect of people buckling their seat belts.

"If I had known we were gonna go to museums I would've made the schedule myself."
Mari's hand came out to pet the girls head as she looked outside to the world passing her by.

A content sigh leaving her as she basked in the feeling that they were actually in Jeju. But when she blinked her smiled turned downwards to a frown as she remembered last night.

The group rushed back to the hotel right after Daeun came out and warned everyone, only just making it back in time for the teachers to check on them.

Lip pulled between her teeth as she recalled all of what had been said.

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Mari tagged along behind the group as her class made its way towards the entrance of the museum. Her head down as she squeezed her eyes in hope to get rid of the pounding headache that had formed from last night.

Feet dragging along the floor and her eyes flicked up through the pieces of hair that fell in front of her face, gaze landing on the back of Donghyuck and her stomach began to feel weird.

Memories of yesterday popping up in her mind and she felt sick to her stomach in anger and sorrow and regret.

"Hey," Jinyoung voice from beside her broke her stare as she looked up to him.

"Hi," her gaze fell to one of the portraits on the wall.

"Did you enjoy last night? I swear I saw you only for that game of beer pong before you disappeared- I did try looking for you," he spoke and Mari began to bite at the inside of her mouth, pulling at the inside of her cheek.

"Yeah it was fine," her voice wasn't as happy and bubbly as it usually was and this made Jinyoungs brows furrow.

"Are you okay? Did anything happen?" He tilted his head to look at the girl who donned a frown.
"Mari?"

"Yeah I'm okay, just, thinking about stuff," she didn't really want to tell him what had happened last night, wanting to figure out what happened on her own as her eyes flicked back up to the boy who was staring straight at her.

Eyes connecting and Mari's footsteps faltered as his head turned away. Head dropping as the flesh of her lip began to grow raw with every pull of the skin.

Feeling like she should go speak to the boy but she didn't know where to start.

She needed a moment to collect her thoughts but with everyone around her she felt overwhelmed.

Jinyoung decided to go talk to Jeno about something leaving the girl alone, respecting her wishes to let her think.

"Hey baby watcha lookin at?" Daeun threw her arm around her shoulder and looked up to the painting that Mari was looking at.

Tilting her head to the side and then the other side "I don't get this one," she laughed to herself and looked at the girl beside her. Taking in her stoic appearance and she lightly shook the girls shoulders.

"Watcha thinkin off in that sexy little brain of yours?" She asked playfully, wanting to lighten the mood as she detected her best friends off aura.

When she didn't answer, her hand slid down to her upper arm as she stood in front of her, "is it about last night?"

Mari's gazed flicked up to hers and that let Daeun know that that's exactly what it was about.

"What happened Ma?" She asked lowly so no one could hear.

Sighing, the girl looked over her shoulder once more at the boy.
"Did you finally find out why he moved to Seoul?"

Mari shook her head and Daeun nodded in thought.
"Is it about why you two hate each other?"

"Kinda? Not really..."
"What do you mean by not really?"
"I mean not really, gosh why does everyone keep asking me so many questions today," Mari snapped, shrugging off Daeuns hand as the thunderstorm of hormones and thoughts started to unleash itself.

Mari glanced at Daeun and she felt her stomach churn, "I'm so sorry Da, I didn't mean to snap. I'm just so... confused and I haven't had time to fully digest what happened last night. I promise I will tell you, I just need time to myself."

"It's okay hun, it must be hard and I get that. If you just want a hug, I can do that too. We don't have to talk."
"A huh would be nice," she smiled sincerely as her best friend pulled her into an open embrace.

"This museum is boring anyways, why don't we go find a convenience store and get ice cream."
"That sounds good, I know there's one down the street."
"Perfect, my shout."