Chocolate Hearts | Jongin

23. Relapse

Chocolate Hearts
Chapter Twenty-Three
Relapse

When Nari walked in to work the next day, she hadn't expected her arrival to cause Yumi and Hye-Jacto freeze, confusion and horror written across both their faces.

Yumi was the first to recover. Blinking rapidly, she opened her mouth several times, only succeeding in speaking on the third attempt.

"Nari! Why are you in today?" she squeaked. She ran forward and pulled Nari into a bear hug. "Are you okay? I thought you'd take the day off or something!"

Nari froze in her position in Yumi's arms, and her eyebrows furrowed together. "Why should I take the day off?" she demanded, not missing the glare Hye-Ja shot at the back of Yumi's head. Slowly, she detangled herself from her friend's arms. "Why shouldn't I be okay?"

As far as Nari was concerned, everything was fine. She'd returned from her shopping trip with Jongin and Sehun, spent time in her apartment with Jongin eating a pizza she ordered and lying spread out on the couch, talking about nothing and just enjoying each other's company. Jongin had to leave soon after they finished, but they'd kissed and he'd promised to see her again soon. Nothing had been amiss when she woke up this morning and made her way to work.

"Because -"

"It's nothing," Hye-Ja said quickly, cutting over Yumi. "Yumi's just blowing things out of proportion. It's really no big deal."

Yumi's jaw fell open, then quickly closed it again, a fierce scowl on her face. Nari jumped back, startled by the sudden change in her friend's expression. She hardly ever saw this side of Yumi. 

Yumi spun around to face Hye-Ja, fists clenched at her sides. ""Hye-Ja, this directly affects Nari! This is all about her! She needs to know!"

What's all about me? What do I need to know? Nari's eyes flicked between the two like it was a tennis match. Her heart began to speed up in fear.

Hye-Ja bit her lip, obviously pained, torn between two decisions. "Yumi -"

"People already know, and Nari's going to make herself even more of a target if she doesn't !" Yumi snapped heatedly. "Hye-Ja, she needs to know."

"What's going on?" Nari asked, her voice cracking. She couldn't remain silent any longer, couldn't remain the only clueless person there. Her breathing was now unnatural, more like panting that actual breathing. "What do I need to know?"

Yumi and Hye-Ja stopped bickering, and instead looked at each other dead in the eye. After a few seconds of silent conversation, Hye-Ja sighed and inclined her head slightly.

"Look, Nari, this isn't going to be easy for you to accept," Hye-Ja said hesitantly. "Just know we're here for you, okay?"

Yumi grabbed her phone and opened her app. Her eyes flicked between the screen and Nari before she inched over, holding the phone out. "Here. It came out early this morning."

Nari's heart was practically hammering out of her chest as she took her phone, her hand shaking slightly. With bated breath she scrolled through the page Yumi had opened. At first, she barely took anything in, she was still trapped in terror and disbelief. Then, the familiar figures on the page sunk in.

"But those are photos of me. And Jongin!" she gasped. Her throat thickened when she recognised places in the photos. Jongin meeting her outside SM. The two of them headed for the same car. That hug after her ran in with her father. The two of them sitting alone outside that cafe, Sehun nowhere in sight.