Querencia

10

Clicking and clacking erupted as Hana smashed the alphabet on her phone screen, her eyes scanning all the incoming messages in the group chat. It was like her duty, to check on the information and relayed it all to her best friends who leisurely walked on her left and right side, sandwiching her along the pavement.

"They said, we are on the correct path", she informed, locking her phone and keeping it in her pocket. "The cafe is at the end of this road."

It was already the day when Hana and Juyeon along with Freya had agreed to join the reunion which their classmates had planned weeks prior.

The sky of the late evening that day was beautiful as the three stared on whilst walking underneath it. Their heads somehow were occupied by the old memories that seemed not to have expired though 100 years had passed.

It was specifically a memorable one for Hana - it was the day she met Juyeon, her love interest.

"Changmin told me that he'd met the student council", Freya spoke up, after some time admiring the view. "I think he is the most excited person to hold the party."

"It is his nature", Juyeon added, running his hand through his hair. "He will make sure that he gets whatever he wants."

"That sounds...." Hana paused, struggling to find the correct word to describe without Juyeon having to feel offended just because she was talking about his friend. "Scary?"

It was then the boy giggled, covering his wide open mouth. "I must admit that sometimes, he is scary."

God knew how relieved Hana was that time as she looked at Freya on the other side, huffing silently. 10 years of being loyal to one person was terrifying, no doubt, and Freya had noticed it though Hana had never told her about it.

The female did not want to be so obvious about her feelings towards him. She was afraid if the boy felt uncomfortable around her but at the same time, she was always careful. She did not want him to get used to seeing her only as a friend.

"What?" one of the girls around the table Hana and Freya occupied in the cafe who was also their classmate once upon a time almost choked on her drink as they exchanged stories. "Hana and Juyeon go to the same college and also pursue the same course?"

A nod from Freya whilst Hana eyed the rest around the table - some were gasping and some were cheering for an unknown reason, made it quite hard to interpret, the said girl herself was pondering.

"Why?" she nervously asked, the unusual stares she received made her heart thump harshly inside her chest.

"What is why?" another girl who sat across her spoke up, leaning forward as if she was about to whisper. "You two are meant to be together, aren't you?"

It was then Hana's cheeks reddening, her heart thumped even more furious by the words she heard right now. For a moment she forgot that not only Freya knew about her crushing on Juyeon but the whole class did.

Everyone had heard that Juyeon had been rejecting her to focus on his studies, the two had promised to be best friends since that day. One thing Hana knew that Juyeon did not, their whole class was rooting and cheering for a better ending to the one-sided love.

However, they must have never expected that Hana's one-sided love story would last for 10 years.

"You two should date", another girl added, glancing over her shoulder to look at Juyeon at the next table with the other males. "Until when this mystery relationship of you two should last?"

Looking in the same direction, Hana won't be lying that she sometimes was wondering. She wondered what had made Juyeon hold onto his decision so tightly, she wondered what exactly he looked at her as.

"Should I ask?" she started her monologue as she took a break in the restroom, staring at her reflection in the mirror. "Won't I look desperate?"

"No, you're not."

"You scared me", jumped a little, Hana was genuinely startled by the sudden smash of the cubicle's door, revealing Freya with her lazy eyes. "When did you follow me?"

"It's a public area, girl", Freya scoffed, washing her hands at the sink whilst Hana once again drowned in her thought. "You are always comfortable around Juyeon, why are you scared to talk to him about your curiosity?"

The former turned facing her friend who was pouting whilst leaning against the wall. Hana may be comfortable playing around Juyeon, teasing him all the time and sparking a random conversation with him but she admitted, she was a coward.

She could not even tell him that her feelings were still valid, she was afraid of another rejection.

But, seeing Juyeon come out from the restroom across the one she went into, she somehow was desperate. Something welled up in her chest has urged her to open her mouth and say it aloud, nonetheless, it was not as easy as she expected.

"Why? Are you feeling sick?" Juyeon was concerned, noticing how she put some pressure on her waist, biting her lower lip in the process.

Why must he act like this right now? It just made Hana want him more.

"I'm fine", she forced a smile, stretching her sudden numb limbs.

Juyeon blinked, watching the girl walk past him confidently. However, when he was about to start his first step, Hana suddenly turned around, nervousness clouded over her as she breathed heavily.

"I rejected Kevin", she told him, swallowing a lump in her throat.

"Oh", he was lost for words, his head working diligently to digest the situation. "What a shame. Kevin is a good man."

"I know", she breathed out. "Don't you think he needs someone better than me?"

"Right..." Juyeon then shrugged and seemed to catch up on things by now. "Kevin will be too tired to handle you. It's okay Hana, true love will be coming."

He smiled, patting Hana's shoulder as he walked away. He acted as if nothing had happened between them before and it hurt Hana a bit.

If only Juyeon knew that Hana had rejected Kevin was all because of him.