COLLIDE [PARK SUNGHOON]

24.

I stayed home today. I told my parents I was sick and strangely, they bought my act. Now they are running errands and I'm left in my jumper, chewing on some cereal. My one knee is propped up on the chair and my hair hangs down my back in a messy ponytail. It feels like an evil spirit has sucked out my feelings. In fact, I don't feel much as I unconsciously bring the spoon to my mouth.

Sunghoon has tried to call me several times, but I don't want to see or hear him at the moment. It really hurts me because the pain is still fresh. Shaking my head because I don't want to think about him, I place my empty bowl in the sink and walk to the connected living room, feeling the fluffy carpet at my feet.

I plop down on the longest sofa and curl up under my blanket. Sleeping is the only way to forget him. 

Am I overreacting? Maybe, but I am someone who cares a lot about people and when they expect something from me, I give everything and maybe even more than I should, so it feels like a slap in the face to realise that my efforts were in vain when it comes to Sunghoon.

Swearing to myself as my thoughts drift back to him, I hear the doorbell ring and groan. Did my parents forget the house key? Drowsily, I stay put for another minute, but the doorbell rings again, so I have no choice but to come out from underneath the snug, cosy blanket.

Planting my feet on the carpet and then feeling the cold tiles underneath, I reach the front door. "Did you forget-"

No. Those are not my parents.

Trying to slam the door shut, a hand just snuck in, preventing the door from closing all the way. I never thought I would see him in front of my house.

"Can we talk for a sec?" A shivering Heeseung mumbles out and I tiredly try to pry his hand away from the door. "No"

He's stunned by my dead, monotone voice and raises one eyebrow. "Please? It won't take long" He's persistent and I have to admit that he's determined to talk to me. I heave a deep sigh, allowing him to push the door all the way open and he enters with a big, cheeky smile.

"Nice house"

"Whatever" I grumble and stroll to my kitchen, yawning quietly. He takes a seat at the kitchen island on one of our leather bar stools and taps his hands on the shiny surface. 

I pour some water for him out of courtesy and put a glass in front of him, then pour another for myself. He thanks me after looking around my house for a while.

"Does Eun-Ji know you're here? By the way, don't you have school?" I glance at the clock that reads exactly 1 o'clock. He chuckles. "I could ask you the same thing, why aren't you in school?" He decides to ignore the first question and shoots me a comment right back.

I scoff and narrow my eyes at him. "That's none of your business."

"I take it none of your business is a synonym for Sunghoon?" I grit my teeth and he seems pleased with my reaction to his question. Folding my arm over the other, I give him a look. 

"What do you want?"

"First of all, I'd like to apologise for not really being responsive yesterday. It was not our intention to be so... rude?" He scratches his neck uncomfortably and winces at his words. "We just had a misunderstanding in our group, but we are sorry for behaving like that." He reasons with a softer tone and I don't know what to make of this information. He probably already knows what happened yesterday with me and Sunghoon. 

My friends have also flooded me with text messages that I'd rather not read yet so as not to bring up the memory again.

"Did Eun-Ji send you?" I ask suspiciously, because I no longer have any trust in those guys.

He groans and shakes his head. "Listen, I rarely apologise, it hurts my ego too much, but I did this on my own because I felt really bad, okay?" 

My eyes get narrower and a silence falls in which I silently judge him based on what he tells me. I think he's right. I don't know what spell Eun-Ji gave him, but he's becoming a better person. In fact, they have been together for a long time, even longer than his other flings.

"Can you say something?" He mutters, feeling embarrassed the longer I stare at him.

"Fine" I grumble and release a breath.

He heaves a relieved sigh and a teasing smile breaks free. "So? Do you forgive us?"

I nod slowly. "Not Sunghoon, though..." I utter under my breath.

"What was that?" He puts a hand to his ear to hear what I just muttered. But I'm sure he heard exactly what I said.

"Nothing-" The jingling of keys in the door makes me stop talking as my eyes slowly widen. Did my parents have to come back from their shopping spree already? 

Hopping off my chair, I drag out a confused Heeseung, but panic when I can't find a good hiding place for him. Thinking quickly, I throw him behind a small couch in the corner where he is relatively out of sight. I shush him and then jump back onto the long couch myself and quickly shuffle under the blankets.

I close my eyes just in time as they enter the living room. I hear the rustle of their groceries as they put the plastic bags on the kitchen counter. Shit, Heeseungs glass is still there. "Dahlia, are you still sick?" My mother comes closer to me and finally crouches down next to me on the sofa. Her hand goes to my forehead and she frowns.

"It's just a cold mum, I'll be fine" I take her hand off me and she pouts sadly. They know I'm still cautious about their sudden interest and I have every right to hold up my walls a little longer. I bet they just feel guilty for hitting me the other time, although I'd like to believe they care about me now.

She walks away to my father who's already storing vegetables in the fridge. "Have you had anyone over?" She suddenly asks as she picks up one of the two glasses and my eyes dilate. "N-no? Why? Am I not allowed to drink water anymore?" I scoff under my breath and she just shrugs.

"You drink water out of two glasses?" She presses on and by now my father is also listening in. 

"I threw medicine in the first one, so I took a new glass so as not to taste the medicine, because I wanted more water. I should have just washed the other one. I'm sorry" I lie quickly and hear a tiny snicker from behind me. I roll over on the sofa, away from my parents to make eye contact with Heeseung. 

I make zipping motions to get him to shut up and he lightly holds up his hands in mock surrender. Fortunately, my parents did not notice the silent snicker, because I coughed right after.

I only hear some humming from them, but I know they're still suspicious. They both walk out of the house again to load some other stuff they bought. I quickly mouth to Heeseung that he should get up and use the back door. He's confused and giggles, but I just push him out with a venomous look. That idiot.

Once he's gone, I can finally breathe properly and even feel a little better because he actually came to apologise.

A/N:

His character development>