Incompatible (Jae Day6 X Jeongyeon Twice)

Chapter 5

Jae and Jeongyeon sat side by side in the band room quietly. After Jeongyeon's break down, Jae suggested they skip their class.

She couldn't really say no to that. Her eyes were puffy and red from crying too much. And she felt guilty for leaving a huge tear stain on Jae's shirt.

"Feeling better?" Jae asked.

Jeongyeon nodded once. "I'm sorry about this morning."

"It's just... there's the rule that says you're our biggest enemy in Twice. And I might get kicked out and bullied amd more if they caught me with you."

Jae turns to look at Jeongyeon, his eyes unreadable in the darkness.

Everyone knew about that ridiculous rule, including himself. But it doesn't bother him as much before, since he never wanted to deal with Twice. But now that he heard the reason Jeongyeon hides from him, he started to want to know why that is their number one rule.

Jae always thought Jeongyeon was strong. At least she looks like she is. The way her long, slender legs took her through the corridor, how her eyes would look at someone straight in their eyes, and her chin always brought up. She had this aura around her that shows everyone to not mess with her. But turns out, he thought too highly of her.

He was dissapointed in her.

"That's it?" Jae finally said. "Just because you were afraid, you hurt me?"

Jeongyeon's eyebrows creased. "You think you're the only one hurting? Did you think I wanted to be like that?"

"Your actions say so."

"I've been acting for a year now. What do you expect? I couldn't let the connection I made ruined just because of you!"

Jeongyeon felt her tears building up again, and she quickly rubs it with her sleeve.

"Now you're blaming me?" Jae stands up. "What you had are fake! Do you need someone to say it to your face for you to understand?"

Jeongyeon stands up too, her tears uncontainable and flowing down her face. "I know! I know it's fake! I know Jihyo only took me in because of my parents! I know everything!"

"Then why!" Jae shouted.

Jeongyeon flinched by the harsh tone. She wasn't used to people shouting at her, and all the arguments she had in her mind suddenly vanished.

Jae notices how Jeongyeon's pupil shook after he shouted at her, and he felt guilty about it.

"Sorry." Jae pats her on the head and rub it gently, calming Jeongyeon.

"I... was bullied until before highschool." Jeongyeon started with a sob. "My birth name was Yoo Kyung Wan and I was bullied because it sounds too boyish. So I legally change it to Jeongyeon in the third grade.

"The bullying lessened after that but it didn't stop completely. Entering middle school, I moved somewhere far away from my house. There, I change my style. I cut my hair short and tried to open up more.

"I thought I was finally free. But then, some kids from my school somehow found me and I was bullied again. My money got taken away, my shoes missing, and they spread a nasty rumor about me."

Jae listened quietly until Jeongyeon finishes. Remembering how she cried back in the band room and today, he was forced to face reality.

Although Jeongyeon's image had changed, he somehow felt realive.

He had been wanting to get to know her better since last year. He remembered seeing her among the new students, shouting out his name and jumping around wildly. He always liked to see the audience enjoying their performance, and remembered most of them just from looking at them once.

Few would stay in his mind for a long period, while some just stayed for a day.

Jeongyeon was on his mind the longest. Even after three months, she was still in his mind.

He wasn't sure what got him so attracted to her. But he found himself waiting for Jeongyeon to strike a conversation whenever he's alone. Or at least say hi.

She didn't come. He didn't even see her anywhere in school. So he concluded that maybe she moved.

It was only around the first day of the new semester that he finally seen her, completely different from how he remembered.

She had a hard look in her eyes. It was mesmerizing and chilling at the same time. Without him realizing, his eyes were following her every step.

When she turn to a corner, Jae still followed her. He knew he was behaving just like how a stalker behaves, but his eyes couldn't stop.

Since then, his eyes always stays on Jeongyeon whenever he saw her.

And then, finally, he found the reason of her 'disappearance' for the whole semester.

Jihyo.

"Jae...," Jeongyeon called softly.

"Hm?"

"I'm sorry."

Jae raised his eyebrows. "If it'for my stained shirt, I'll only accept cash for the laundry fee."

Jeongyeon looks at Jae weirdly, but giggles when she saw Jae shurging his shoulder like it's a normal thing.

"Sure," Jeongyeon nodded. "But it's not that. I was... constantly running away for you, and I'm sorry for that."

"Enligthen me?"

Jeongyeon sighs. "I know you've been looking around for me last year. I don't know why, though."

"How conceited," Jae scoffs. That was not because she was wrong, but mostly because he was too shy to admit it. He thought he did it without Jeongyeon noticing, turns out she notices him all along.

"Whatever," Jeongyeon rolled her eyes and giggles. "I was happy about that, you know? I was your fan. Although now, that's next to impossible."

"I never knew liking me is such a sinful act?" Jae asked.

"If you're in Twice, yes. I'm guaranteed to be kicked out from the group if they caught me talking to you like this."

"That's messed up."

Jeongyeon could only nod her head once.

"Then you should just leave. That group were bad news. Nothing good ever comes after saying their name."

"I know. But I can't leave." Her voice shook with regret and sadness in them as she spoke. If only she was strong, she would leave Twice. No question asked.

She might even never joined them.

"Why?" Jae's starting to get frustrated.

"Without them, I'm weak. I would be all alone."

Jae tightened his jaw, and turns Jeongyeon to face him.

"But you have me now."