"I didn't know you came?"
Haneul hugged her cousin briefly, she had ask for him to come in replace of her parents as they had a business dinner of sort but Donghyuck told her he couldn't make it but now, he's here.
"I thought I'd surprise you if you had won." He said, it was supposed to be sweet but he was trying to diss on her for being eliminated. Typical Donghyuck.
"Never mind that! Congratulations Haneul for entering quarter finals?" Yangyang gave her a bouquet of flowers as he shoved Donghyuck out of the way, his congratulatory sounded like a question but nonetheless Haneul accepted it from him. "I think these belong to him." Haneul chuckled and pointed to Jeno who was receiving the medal from their principal.
The boys looked at one another, communicating in a way as if Haneul wasn't there. "Why don't you give it to him then?" Renjun was the first to suggest and the rest nodded. Haneul wanted to laugh as she thought they were joking but then she caught her cousin nodding as well.
Then she stared. "You can't be serious?" She asked but the boys shrugged their shoulders. "We have to celebrate, don't we?" Donghyuck added. Still, the girl tried to laugh but no one followed. They were serious, they planned it!
Haneul looked back and forth at them, and at Jeno upstage. It was photo time. His mother was called on stage to have a photo with him, other contestants were cheering on him while some audience were already leaving with their children.
A lot of students were still there, taking pictures all over the place and Jeno stood there with a huge grin, chatting with his mother. However as if planned, his mother went over to talk to his teacher and that was when he saw his friends and Haneul.
The boys instantly approached him and Donghyuck pulled Haneul to follow after them as they went on stage. The girl still, had the flowers in her hand. What was she supposed to do?
They congratulate him and joked around a few stuffs, Haneul was stiff. It was like their first meeting, it was awkward but it wasn't a negative one. She was just nervous to talk to him. The girl liked him that much, it was a crush. It really felt like it.
Donghyuck pushed her lightly, telling her to give him the flowers and as if on cue, the boys stepped back, allowing only the two to talk to one another.
If she could explain, her heart felt like stopping or maybe it was beating too fast. She met him backstage before, but why did it felt so different now?
"Congrats?" It sounded like a question as she handed him the flowers. "I-It's from the boys, they wanted me to give it to you." She stuttered. The two of them turned to look at the boys in which they instantly turn around to pretend they weren't watching.
"Thanks." Jeno replied kindly. The silence came again, they had a lot to talk. They both knew that, but no one seemed to want to to first. Haneul bit her lower lip, it was now or never.
She wasn't going to miss this chance. "Jeno, I have a lot to tell you about what happened after that night." She started and it surprised the male. He was finally getting answers he had been dying for.
"I didn't lie when I said I liked you." Her voice was very soft on this part as she felt very shy. "It was just that my mum found out and you know how scary she can be. So, I decided to back away because I had always been so afraid of what she might do and I didn't want her to harm you—"
She didn't get to finish her words, they remained sealed within her lips. It was bizarre what Jeno did to stop her.
He kissed her.
The girl stood there, she was surprised but then she slowly closed her eyes and held him. Haneul tried to calm herself down as she kissed him as well, it was something she wasn't used to yet.
