Nook in the Forest

IX

Chapter 9: Conflict (pt. 2)

A loud BANG! woke Jiji up, and her body jerked as she suddenly regained consciousness.

"Meow!" Tigger jumped up onto her bed, holding Tae Seok's note between his teeth.

She slowly sat up and rubbed her eyes that were still sleepy from her short nap. Taking the note from Tigger, she realized that the back of the note held additional handwriting, saying, "PS: I'll take over for your shift until you're feeling up to it," along with a smiley face.

Her heart ached and filled with warmth. That's nice of him. The corners of her mouth turned up softly and slowly as she made her way out of her room toward the kitchen near the entrance of the bakery, where the boys inevitably were. I shouldn't make him take over my whole shift. I'm sure he has better things to do than to talk to my brother. As she approached the kitchen, however, she saw that the door was already open, and Jun, Tae Seok, and Benji were in a heated conversation that distracted them from noticing her.

"...Jiji will always, always, pick me over you. She's been totally in love with me for three years, so you don't have a chance." Benji concluded what seemed to have been a thorough admonishment.

Although she was shocked and furious, Jiji found the confidence to knock on the doorframe to draw their attention. All the boys immediately looked at her, but her focus was turned to Benji. A multitude of feelings welled up, and she didn't know where to start, but she tried her best.

"You knew?" Her wavering voice tempted her to lose confidence but she was determined to voice her emotions. "You knew the whole time, and you still pretended like you didn't so you could keep me on the backburner?"

Benji's eyes widened and he took a step back, unsure of what to do–Jiji had never lashed out at him.

"I–"

"I spent the last few years pining over you, thinking that maybe, just maybe, I would have a chance. I finally accept the fact that you don't like me back. Then Tae Seok shows up, and you feel threatened because all the girls prefer him to you. He doesn't even do anything to warrant his popularity, and I'm the only girl who still cares about you," Jiji quickly wiped a tear from her eye before it dropped on her cheek. "So you decide to act like you care about me, like you've ever cared about me. Tae Seok might not be my favorite person, but he always apologizes. When have you apologized? I've been horrible to Tae Seok, but he still tries to be nice to me despite my outbursts. I've given all my time to you, and you take advantage of me, just to gain something over your 'popularity rival?' I can't believe I ever thought you were my friend." She scoffed through her tears, which were flowing freely now. "I can't believe I ever wanted you to be mine." She ran back into the house and out the back door into the woods.

Each footfall through the trees reverberated as loud as each beat of her heart. Without thinking, she sprinted toward a cave in the forest where she often hid to be alone. Free to release all of her frustration, she let out a scream and began sobbing into her knees on the floor of her personal alcove as she waited for Tigger to arrive as he did each time she came to this place.