sweet lies. / skz hyunjin

[ 八 ]

/ third person.

"why must it rain like this?" seungmin sighs, holding the clear umbrella above his and suni's heads. the two were walking to school together.

"hey, seungmin?" the petite girl's voice chimed, causing seungmin to look down to her. "i don't know how i feel about this whole mess. can i trouble you for a second?"

seungmin smiled at the girl. she truly was very mature for her age and would do anything to get her joyfulness restored.  "of course! go ahead!," he says, handing the umbrella to suni as he reached into his backpack for a strawberry milk for her.

"you know that feeling that mostly everyone goes through in a breakup? the one where they never want to see that person again and don't want them back yet they aren't completely over them?" suni says, sipping the strawberry milk. "i already am excluding him out of my life, but somehow tears continue to fall. even if i'm not necessarily feeling sad at the moment."

seungmin hummed as a response. "you know that soulmate alternative universe where the people in the universe have two names on both wrists? one is their enemy and one is their true love and yet they don't know which one is which. it's as if you thought he was going to be the love of your life, but just so happens he ended up being the enemy," he continues, turning to make eye contact with the girl. "but what worries me the most is that hearts are breakable, and i think even when you heal, you're never what you were before."

"don't worry about me, seungminnie! i'm strong and you know it," the girl gives a smile, but seungmin could see right through it. she was worried, too.

seungmin didn't want to budge in any further and instead, looked for a distraction. "hey, is that hyunjin?"

suni looked through the entrance of the school to see hyunjin at his locker, looking confusedly at a note. "oh, it is. come on, let's go talk to him."

seungmin followed behind the girl as she rushed to hyunjin and began to read the note. "seulbi's house. 6 o'clock. see you there? wow, hyunjin! you're being invited to a party during your first week of school? i've never been invited to those," suni says, smiling at the boy seeing him thrive at the new school.

"i don't really like parties, though," hyunjin says with a chuckle. "my parents prefer me studying all night than being at another person's house for five minutes. what are you guys planning on doing tonight?"

"today is bike riding thursday. seungmin, felix, jeongin, and i go bike riding every thursday. we would be glad if you could join us! we do study at our secret hideout once we arrive there," suni says, before suddenly being dragged by someone to the rooftop. "hey, let go of me, idiot!"

seungmin and hyunjin were following them, upset at the boy, but the boy quickly shut the entrance to the rooftop and locked it. "finally, some time to explain."

"you are going to regret this. what if felix find out you did this to me? he will kill you," suni says, glaring at the boy.

"suni, i just want to talk," he says before suni slapped him across the face. "ow! what was that for?"

"are you seriously asking me that question? do you not know what you did wrong? did my point not stick in your hard head? listen here. i. never. want. to. see. you. again. and. i. don't. need. your. pitiful. explanation. okay?" she says before turning to leave when he grabbed her wrist again. in response, the girl kicked his crotch, causing him to let go immediately. she ran out of the rooftop and into what she thought was felix's arms.

"suni? are you alright?" hyunjin's voice was heard, making suni realize she was in hyunjin's arms. he lightly put his hands on her shoulders and bent down so that he could see her face more clearly. once he saw the empty tears fall down her face at rapid speed, he brushed her tears away and pulled her into a hug again. "don't worry about it. you're safe now. in my arms. his sweet lies won't get to you here."

she was unable to get the words she was wanting to say out of her mouth. instead, she just hugged him tightly, staining his blazer with her tears. hyunjin didn't care at all, for at that moment he looked into her eyes before, he felt his heart flip. hyunjin was already falling for the girl in his arms who he hadn't known for a week yet. but suni was clueless and the thought of love was already removed from her brain.

suni was thinking, "have you ever been in love? horrible, isn't it? it makes you so vulnerable. it opens your chest and it opens up your heart and it means that someone can get inside you and mess you up." she didn't like how she was crying in this boy's arms. to be honest, she wanted to look good in front of hyunjin, not knowing why, but at least felt comfort in his embrace.

"i'm sorry, hyunjin. but thank you," she whispered, barely loud enough for him to hear.

he chuckled, "don't be sorry."

you don't love someone because they are perfect, you love them in spite of the fact that they're not.