Querencia

29

"Who wants to know a secret?"

Chanhee sparked interest after noticing how tense the atmosphere was with these two females in the library. One was moody - scrolling on her phone, whilst the other one was busy smashing the keyboard of her laptop, eyes fixated on the screen.

Freya tossed her phone on the table, distressed about something she just read about animal abuse.

"What secret?" she asked, hoping that it could've enlightened her mood about how to be positive of the world's cruelty.

"Tell us something interesting", Hana added, eyes still on the screen. "Like you're dating someone."

"Shut up!" Chanhee who sat next to Hana later hit her arm, the girl hissed at a limited volume so as not to gain any attention from the grumpy librarian. "Do you want to know or not?"

"Spill", Freya suggested, darting eyes on him.

"Yes, I'm all in though I'm chasing the dateline", sarcastically the other female sassed. She was so done with the group assignment she had volunteered to compile.

"Says the one who has chased her partner away", Freya emphasized in the middle, earning a glare from Hana across her. The latter was offended but she never thought that her best friend would have dissed her and not take her side.

"I like your attitude", Chanhee patted Hana's shoulder, building her mood up again after being smashed. "Anyway, what I want to tell you guys is... Changmin has decided on the dress code for the party and we need to go shopping."

Freya softly clapped her hands, ecstatic at the thought of shopping. However, her best friend was the opposite.

Hana's face was seen scrunching at the idea suggested, because she was not into something that all girls loved. She was built differently from any other girl.

"I'll see if I have any outfits that match the theme", she shrugged, still smashing the keyboard when Chanhee once again hit her arm. "Ouch, easy boy."

"You have to come. I want to know where you bought that boot", he pointed to her legs that were crossed under the table. "These days you are so fashionable and I like that."

"Hey", Freya took the turn kicking Hana's entangled legs, which she once again groaned. She could have sworn that her friends were using violence more than usual. "Submit the assignment, then we will discuss where to go."

At that, a conclusion was made resulting in the fight against the keyboard being seen as more violent than her friends' attitude, her head was working twice the capability to get the hypothesis for the research done beautifully.

Pushing the submit button on the screen, Hana finally let out a breath of relief. The struggle of being a student would never leave her head even after 10 years of graduating. That was for sure.

"Let me use the restroom for a while", she announced after the three stepped out from the library, planning on what to do since all of them did not have any classes in the evening and Hana ain't going to Juyeon's practice.

She seemed to do well in her moving-on phase. At least that was what people saw.

But the reality was bittersweet, it was not easy for her to adapt. Like how she did the assignment which she used to do together with Juyeon. It felt so weird doing it alone without a certain demeanor.

Somehow, she missed him.

She did text him earlier, saying that she had submitted their assignment, so Juyeon need not worry about it anymore. She told herself that she just had the urge to tell him because they were a partner.

But, was it the reason?

The glimpse of someone she met in the restroom after freshening up herself was unpleasant. Out of all places, why must the restroom seem to be the most fateful place for them to run into each other?

Hana just put on her stoic face as she washed her hands, the girl seemed like she was waiting for her - again. Hana could have seen from the corner of her eyes, how Heiji was arranging words in her head, finding the suitable time to blurt it out.

"Don't talk to me", but, Hana has no intention to strike up a conversation - with her specifically. She pulled some of the tissue papers to dry her hands, tossed them into the dustbin, and walked towards the door to leave.

"I just want to talk to you", but Heiji was fast as she grabbed her hand before Hana could move farther.

Their eyes met with different emotions, Heiji would never get used to how cold Hana's were. She always thought that maybe Hana was always seen like that but Juyeon did tell her that she was not. Hana always has her sweet gaze on.

Maybe she should have known, that Hana was only cold towards her.

"I don't talk to just anybody", it was then Hana broke the silence, smirking as she crossed her arms. "I'm only talking to my friends."

"Then, can't we be friends?" shamelessly she suggested, having no idea that the other girl hated the idea to be in her presence.

"I'm sorry?" Hana scoffed, running her hand through her long hair. She seemed to get an idea about this accidental meetup and it made her stomach churn with rages. "Did Juyeon ask you to be my friend? If yes, I'm sorry that you will never."

Heiji's face slightly fell but Hana could have said that it was not genuine and some more they have gained many onlookers around them.

Hana herself could have guessed that in a few days or maybe by the end of today, there must be a discussion sparked in their campus portal of how an anonymous girl was humiliating a campus goddess or worse, an unknown girl has made the basketball captain's girlfriend cry.

"Hana, but I-"

"Heiji?"

Their attentions then fixated on a voice that came not so far from them. Freya and Chanhee were wondering why Hana took so long to come back and casually went to check just to be met with students loitering in the hallway like they were watching a show.

At that, they knew, Hana's reputation was in danger.

"Why do you need to talk to Hana? You two are not in the same course at all", Freya purposely put on some volume in her tone, catching everyone off guard.

"What are you looking at?" Chanhee dismissed all the students with his sassiness, cursing them with his eyes. He then flickered his gaze at the two girls who had different personalities before his eyes.

This kind of drama was interesting but had never piqued his interest.