Tied Remastered

Chapter 13

Y/n shook Hyewon's shoulder, earning a side-eyed from the hamster. He smiled awkwardly, gesturing toward the kitchen as the passing members spoke.

"Lunch is ready."

Sluggishly, Hyewon rose from her seat. She shuffled into the kitchen, portioning her food with her eyes half closed before placing quietly placing herself in her seat. 

As she wafted the savory scents into her nose, Hyewon felt her battery refill. The savory smell of chicken mixed with salty soy sauce, topped with sweet onions and red bean paste brought her to sensory heaven. Without hesitating, Hyewon slurped the glass noodles vigorously, squealing with joy.

Sitting along the table's perimeter with her, the youngest two conversed about Ji Hoon's high school life. Minju frantically shoveled large bites of food into her mouth for what Y/n could only assume was a separate schedule of hers, and EunTomi carefully watched the maknae and her friend.

"So, Y/n, What are you interested in?" Chaewon asked.

Hyewon eyed the pair, staring into the back of Y/n's head. Her gaze shifted to Chaewon before snapping back to to her food as she and Chaewon connected gazes.

I don't know anything about him...

"I like music," Y/n replied. 

Chaewon tilted her head, "What kind?"  

Y/n hummed, pursing his lips, "I can't really pick one-"

"Which one of our songs is your favorite?" Hyewon interrupted.

Y/n froze; all eyes focused on him, settling a heavy silence on his shoulders. 

"Uh..."

"Y/n, you're a Wiz*One?!" Chaewon gasped.

"Y-Yeah..."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Wonyoung questioned.

Y/n glanced toward Eunbi, biting the inside of his lip as she crossed her arms. "I wanted to keep it a secret so I came off more genuine..."

"How long did you know he was a fan?" Eunbi asked, eyeing Hyewon.

"Ever since we visited his place," Hyewon replied.

Eunbi turned to Y/n, shooting pins down his spine, "And how long were you planning on keeping this secret from us?"

"I-I don't know..." Y/n trailed.

Before any of the members could press him further, Ji Hoon stood from his chair, scraping its leg against the floor. For just a moment, Y/n felt the heavy eyes lift from him as they turned to Ji Hoon.

"Y/n ssi. Let's go for a walk."

"Huh?" 

Y/n turned toward Eunbi. He watched Ji Hoon and the leader exchange glances. To his surprise, she turned her head to her food prompting Ji Hoon to give him a thumbs up.

"Okay..." 

Nervously, he followed the younger outside the dorm, sighing. The fresh air cleared his head with an addicting feel--as if he had held his breath. Despite his invitation for a walk, Ji Hoon remained a pace ahead of Y/n, prompting him to resign to his spot.

"So... Why did you pull me out here?" Y/n asked.

"Hyewon noona put you in quite the sticky situation; I figured you'd need this," Ji Hoon replied. He stopped in his tracks, eyeing Y/n, "Plus, I wanted to draw you out here."

Y/n came to a halt, furrowing his eyebrows. Scenarios of malicious origins played in the man's head, painting the boy as a delinquent. 

Is he going to attack me? Did he bring a gang here? Why is he looking at me like that...?

"Relax." Ji Hoon turned his body toward the older, gesturing for his right hand, "Your tie is the main focus here. It's way longer than you think it is now."

"My tie...?" Y/n's eyes widened, "You know what this is?!"

"I can see it," Ji Hoon acknowledged.

"I knew it! You were the boy that one night, weren't you!!" Y/n exclaimed.

"Who knows?" Ji Hoon placed his palms on the back of his head, shrugging. He pointed toward the sky, "The one upstairs doesn't exactly like giving explanations."

Y/n blinked, tilting his head, "So God is real?"

"As real as the incorporeal red-orange string attaching you to your bias," Ji Hoon grinned.

"What do you know about this thing?" Y/n questioned.

Y/n frowned at the boy's shrug. He sighed, glancing toward his tie before turning back to Ji Hoon. "It's my turn for questions: How do you feel about Wonyoung ssi?"

"Can you elucidate?" Ji Hoon trailed.

"What do you think of her as a person?" 

Ji Hoon placed his hand on his chest, "She's my closest and only real friend. As childhood friends since before we could speak, naturally I would want to protect her; she feels the same."

"So a relationship is off the table?" Y/n prodded.

"Technically, we already do have a relationship; a friendship is a relationship after all," Ji Hoon chuckled. "But we've never discussed pursuing romance. She has her job as an idol, and there isn't room for romance in that world."

Y/n nodded, "And if she wasn't an idol?"

"Only fate would know. How about you and Hyewon noona?" Ji Hoon proposed.

"I'm not sure," Y/n trailed. "I feel like there might be some feelings, but I'm just a fan and she's an idol."

Ji Hoon tilted his head, protruding his lips, "Nothing wrong with that. Just give it time--and make sure you actually treat her correctly."

"What do you mean?"

"You're giving Chaewon noona a lot more attention and energy than Hyewon noona. You clearly like the latter more; your tie would have connected to Chaewon noona if that wasn't the case," Ji Hoon explained.

"I don't understand," Y/n mumbled.

Ji Hoon pointed toward Y/n's tie once more. "You're tied to Hyewon noona--not Chaewon noona. You may get along with the latter better, but don't ignore the former."

"Okay." Y/n looked to the sky, taking in the vast blue hues, "You know, it's relieving having you around."

"Why?"

"I'm just an ordinary guy surrounded by idols--female ones. It's something people can only dream of, yet once I'm actually here, it's not all that great. Don't get me wrong! I love being around them, but you and average-ish guy, being here gives me a sense of familiarity," Y/n elaborated.

"That's good to hear," Ji Hoon blankly replied. He started toward the dorm, tapping on Y/n's back, "I'm heading back. Wonyoung's probably waiting for me. Don't forget about what I told you."

Y/n watched the boy disappear behind the front door. He took a deep breath, kicking at the ground.

He's right... I have been focusing more on Chaewon than I have Hyewon.