𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚍𝚑𝚘𝚘𝚍 𝚍𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚖𝚜 | Haechan

Chapter Eleven: Something Different

It was really late. I was lying in bed, staring at the ceiling. I pictured WinWin's face in my head. I giggled and kicked my legs. "He was so fun to hang out with! I feel like I know him so much better now." I smiled. I felt a feeling of happiness. I heard a knock on my door. "Come in!" I said. Renjun came walking in. "I have a question." He shuffled his hands in his pockets. "What is it?" I raised my eyebrow at him. "What did you say to Haechan that made him suddenly leave yesterday?" Renjun's sudden question it sparked a feeling inside me. A feeling of grieve and guilt. I looked down. "I didn't say anything." I lied. "Then why won't he reply to my messages? I was asking if he wanted to play games but he said he wasn't in the mood and hasn't texted me since. And like.. he always is up for video games so.. something is up." Renjun shrugged. "I'll figure it out." Renjun turned around and walked out the door. "Did I really hurt Haechan?" I thought, with a sigh. "Did I let my fear get the best of me?" The confusion in my mind started to spin around again. I slammed my head up against the wall. "Why do I always do this? Why do I always confuse others and myself??!" I whined to myself.
It was the next day. I had nothing to do today so I was going to try to arrange something with my friends. I started to make a group chat on my phone. I was going through my contacts adding all my friends. Yuna, WinWin, Jungwoo, Taeyong, Soojin, Mark, Taeil, ChungHa, and when I saw Haechan's contact name my heart sunk. "Why do I feel so much guilt? Why is this bothering me so much?" I shook my head. I wanted to talk to someone about it, but I wasn't sure who. "Uhg. I'm so bored." I yelled, so I texted in the group chat I made:
"Anyone want to hang out today? I have no plans and I'm bored!" I texted
Someone was typing.
"Don't you have work today?" Taeyong texted. I had a sudden thought. "Wait do I actually work?" I texted
"Dude, have you not even checked your schedule, or do you want to get fired?" Taeyong teased.
"Geez guys calm down." Jungwoo texted.
"What's this?" Mark said.
"Ooooooo group chat time!" Yuna texted. So many people were texting at once my brain was getting jumbled. Suddenly there was a text from WinWin: "Y/N, let me take you to work." I was shocked by his sudden text. "Ooooooooo broooo." Mark texted. "This is spicy," Taeyong added.
"Sure." I blushed while texting. "Make sure to be on time and not get distracted with your boyfriend." Taeyong texted.
I blushed. "He's not my boyfriend." I sent. "Sure." WinWin texted. I scrabbled. "Skskskskks." I thought. "What's that supposed to mean?" I texted. "I think she's the only one who doesn't know." Mark texted. "Bro shut up," WinWin replied. I just giggled at their texts. "Know what?" I thought.
After awhile of texting I got my things together and got ready for work. I walked out of my room. "You have work today? But it's so far away." My mom seemed concerned. "It's okay. I'm going with a friend and I'll be home tonight." I nodded. I headed out and was walking down the street of the city. It was noisy, and I wasn't so use to that. I saw a lot of people around me, then I recognized someone in the crowd. It was Haechan. I felt flustered, and also guilty. He was looking around in front of a store, it seemed like he was looking for someone. I stood still, holding onto my bags. "What am I doing? Why do I just stop every time I see him?" I looked down, but my eyes kept going back to him, who was looking around. He then noticed me from across the street. He looked into my eyes, then looked away. "Crap he saw me." I flustered myself. I was thinking he was going to come up to me, but when I looked back at him, there was someone talking to him. A girl, with long light lavender hair, she was really pretty, and the feeling in my stomach and chest got more intense. I felt a feeling of discomfort, and displeasure. "Who is that he is talking too?" I thought with a glare on my face. I started walking, I kept looking at them. But, then they walked into the store. "Why do i feel so bad when he talks to pretty girls? I mean he does it all the time so why is it now just bothering me?" I thought, and took a step forward, but I bumped into someone. "Oof. Sorry." I mumbled, then looked up to see WinWin. His face was lit up. "Oh hi." I brushed myself off and fixed myself. "what are you doing? I was waiting for you at the train station." He scratched his head. "Sorry." I looked back to see if Haechan was still there, and he wasn't." "I got distracted." WinWin looked behind me to see what I was looking at, but he couldn't figure out what. "Should we head there? You don't want to be late." WinWin shrugged. We walked to the train station. We got on the train, and sat next to each other. I kept my hands together. "Why did he just ignore me?" I shuffled through my mind. "Why is he still in the city? And not home? What is he even doing?" I stressed. WinWin looked at me. "What's wrong?" He asked. I frantically looked at him. "It's nothing." I chuckled nervously. "You lie." He shook his head. "Aren't we supposed to be honest with each other?" WinWin teased. I smiled slightly, then looked down. "You're right." I sighed. "You know how Haechan and I are good friends right?" I looked at WinWin. "Yeah." He said with a gulp. "Well.. I feel like we're drifting because what I said too him." I shrugged. "Oh. What did you say?" WinWin looked at me. "Well.. a confusion happened between us and then I told him to 'get out' and I think he took it the wrong way." I Sighed. I hid my face in my lap. "So that's what's bothering you?" WinWin made a sigh. "Well, I'd say that you go up to him and explain the whole confusion. No matter how hard it is." He crossed his arms. "I mean. If you really want to keep that friendship and it bothers you so much, do something about it. You know like how you came to my apartment yesterday because it bothered you so much that something was bothering me? Why don't you do the same to him?" WinWin's words made me realize what I had to do. No matter if I was confused or not, I didn't want Haechan to be bothered or troubled. I wanted to clear it up so we could laugh together again. I nodded. "Thank you." My face lit up with hope. "I will try and do that for sure.." I was thinking of ways I could do it but my mind was way to complex. After some time, The train stopped. We both walked out together. We walked side by side, I felt so warm and comfortable around WinWin now, I feel like we've drawn closer, and that brought a smile to my face. He lead me to my work. I bowed and smiled. "Thank you for taking me today. You put away your busy schedule for me.." I looked down at my feet. "It's no problem. Plus I wasn't doing much anyway.. I wanted an excuse to get out of my meeting with my family anyway.." WinWin chuckled nervously. "Oh ahah." I chuckled nervously too. "So, I should be thanking you." He got all serious, and shrugged. "I'll pick you up tonight after work too. Night time is even more dangerous, so yeah." WinWin looked away with a serious look on his face. His duality was no joke. I nodded. "I'll head in now." I turned around. Then turned my head. "Bye-Bye." I waved at him. He quickly smiled, and waved then walked off with his fancy coat dragging behind him. I walked in with a smile on my face. I saw Taeyong with his feet up on the counter. "Bro.. he's really your boyfriend huh?" Taeyong raised an eyebrow. "Uh!" I blushed by the sudden question. "No. We aren't together.." I looked at my feet as I made my way behind the counter. "Then why are you guys always so flirty with each other? Bro.. do you like him?" Taeyong leaned in with a smirk on his face. "No! I don't know.." I blushed and was thinking: "do I like him?" As I thought that, my mind pictured Haechan's soft face for some reason. I shook my head back and forth. "What's up?" Taeyong looked at me weird. "It's nothing." I scratched my head. "Why do you lie all the time?" Taeyong leaned back, crossed his arms and clicked his tongue. "I don't." I snapped. "Fine fine." Taeyong shrugged then went on his phone. "Why doesn't anyone come in this store anymore?" I sighed. "It seems like no one comes in when I'm here." I looked back through the door, and someone was walking in. "You stand corrected." Taeyong teased as the person walked in. It was someone I saw before. I really thought about it.. "it's the pretty girl Haechan was hanging out with.." I tried to avoid looking at her, but it was so hard. She was really pretty. She was walking around looking at the shelves. "Why is she here?" I screamed to myself and I hid my face. "Wait do you know her?" Taeyong sat up and glared over at the girl. "Stop it!" I whispered at Taeyong. "What?" Taeyong whined. As the girl walked up to the counter, Taeyong got up and moved me out of the way so he could be the cashier. "Geez." I stepped back. She put some snacks on the counter. "Is this all?" Taeyong tried to act gentlemen like. I rolled my eyes. "Yes. Thank you." She said softly. As he put her things in a grocery bag. He smoothly looked up at her and threw that eyebrow up. "May I ask what's your name?" He said with a slight smile. She giggled. "Hani. What about you?" "I'm Taeyong. Nice to meet you." He handed her the bag. "Thank you." She walked off with a smile on her face. "Why must you be a flirt?" I whined to him. "Bro.. I'm kind of interested in her." Taeyong went back to sitting down. "You can't be interested in someone you just met." I crossed my arms. "What's up with you? Do you know her or something?" Taeyong shook his head. "Maybe.." I grumbled. The feeling I had towards Hani, I don't know what it was but I just felt grumpy for some reason. "Does she just attract all the guys she comes across or something?" I rolled my eyes in my head, then leaned my face in my hand up against the counter. "Why am I such a potato?" I sighed. "How did that come up?" Taeyong looked up at me. "It's nothing." I sighed.
The day passed with not many people coming in and the day was mostly spent with Taeyong and I just teasing each other. I was waiting to close the store. I texted WinWin: "Are you still coming?" But he didn't answer. Taeyong was about to leave. "Are you going to go home?" He stuck his hands in his pockets. "I'm waiting for someone to take me back, but he isn't replying. I'll be fine though, so you should go on home." I shrugged and looked back at my phone. WinWin still hasn't replied. "Okay, just let me know if you need someone to take you home. I'll send for someone." Taeyong made a quick smile and left. I waited there for a few minutes, tapping my foot. "Did something come up?" I started walking in circles around the store. The night outside seemed to be getting darker. I sighed and then decided to try to call WinWin. But. He didn't answer. "Maybe he's busy, so I won't bother him." I sighed to myself and decided to just head out on my own. I stuck my hands in my pockets and started to walk down the street. I suddenly got a text. I stopped and got my phone out of my pocket. "I'm sorry. A Family situation came up so I can't take you home. Please have Taeyong take you or something. Don't go alone. Please." WinWin made it clear. I sighed and texted back: "I will. Don't worry."
"The thing is Taeyong already left and I don't want to bother anyone else." I shook my head. "I'll be fine on my own. This town isn't that dangerous anyway." I thought and continued to walk. I made my way to the subway. I stood there for a few minutes waiting for a train. I walked in to see so many people inside. I walked in and grabbed hold of a bar. I looked over and my heart dropped, Haechan was standing across from me, with his head down on his phone. Standing and grabbing hold of the bar. I turned around and looked down so he wouldn't notice me. "He's my best friend, why am I ignoring him?" I got mad at myself. Then I thought of what WinWin had told me earlier: " If you really want to keep that friendship and it bothers you so much, do something about it." WinWin's words inspired me. So I wanted to take action. I turned my head around to face Haechan, but a sudden urge of nervousness made me turn back around. "What am I doing?" I sighed to myself. I stood there the whole time, then got off the train at the stop. I looked back and noticed Haechan was gone. I then felt another wave of guilt. I looked down and decided to leave the subway. I made my way to the sidewalk and grabbed ahold of my bag. I walked while looking at my feet. I felt a weird presence. I looked back but no one was behind me. So I shrugged it off. I never really been in the city at night before. But, I just continued to shrug it off. I walked and kept thinking: "why can't I just go up to Haechan without getting nervous? Why do I see him wherever I go?" I struggled with these thoughts. Suddenly I heard someone behind me, I stopped and looked back. No one was there but I could feel a strange presence. I then looked forward and started to walk fast. "Maybe I should've called Taeyong." I regretted my decision. Suddenly I felt something wrap around my waist and pick me up. The sudden fear overtook me. I tried to look behind me to see who it was but it seemed to be an older guy. I struggled and started to yell. I kicked my legs. "What are you doing?!?! Let me go!!!" I yelled and tried to jerk out. But he was too strong for that. He started pulling me away into an alleyway. "Stop! Stop!" I kept repeating. "You really shouldn't be walking out here alone." The guy whispered in my ear. My heart felt so scared and really wanted someone there with me. I closed my eyes tight as the guy gripped tighter on my waist. "Why can't... just this once... why can't he be here?!" I screamed in my head while picturing Haechan in my mind. I kept kicking my legs but it was no luck. The guy dragged me further, but then someone came from the dark and said: "let her go." My heart felt a thump, I looked back to see him. To see Haechan coming up. He looked so angry. The guy looked back at him. "What? Do you know this girl? Ha! Why are you walking here at night, mate? Just mind your own business. She's my girlfriend." The guy tried to trick him. "You're wrong. Because she's mine." Haechan then punched the guy straight in the face, the guy dropped me on the ground. My heart started to ache. I scraped my hands on the ground. "What's your problem?!" The guy yelled and started walking back. "Don't you touch her again." Haechan said in a tone voice. I've never seen Haechan in this way. He looked so defensive. The guy stood up. "Well, you should be more of a reliable boyfriend, then, huh? Or things like this wouldn't happen." The guy raised his eyebrow and then swung his fist at Haechan, but Haechan dodged and then swung back at the guy, Hitting him straight in the jaw. Causing his mouth to bleed. The guy held his mouth. "Leave before I call the police." Haechan threatened. "Fine fine. Geez, what a loser." The guy swayed off. Haechan then looked at me, and I looked at him. "What are you doing here?" I asked. My hands hurt. He walked up to me and helped me up. "Are you okay?" He looked all over me then noticed my scraped, bleeding hands. "Let's go." Haechan brought me to a place. I wasn't sure where it was. I sat on a bed, while he was getting something out of the bathroom. He walked out with medical stuff, like bandages, alcohol, and medical cream. He kneeled down in front of me. "Give me your hands." Haechan looked up at me. As he said that, my heart started to beat. I was nervous and I slowly jittered my hands to his hands. As he grabbed ahold of my hands I felt a feeling in my chest, all I could do was look at Haechan. He grabbed a soaked towel and started dabbing it on my cuts. I felt stinging. "Ow." I closed my eyes. "Sorry." He said softly. As he blew on my hands. His hands were holding mine. He was looking down at my hands, as he blew I saw his puffy cheeks and his soft skin glowing. His forehead was bare, and all I wanted to do was look at him, but my heart got so hot I had to look down at my hands. He then put cream on them, using his tiny fingers, and rubbed the cream in my cuts. I felt the sting. "Ahh." I closed my eyes again. "It'll be okay." Haechan started to wrap my hands in the bandages wrap. As he let go of my hands I pulled them closer to myself. I looked down and grabbed ahold of my chest. "Why am I so nervous?" Haechan went and put the other things away. "I should just tell him when I have the chance." I fought with myself. I couldn't fight the nervous feeling. Haechan walked back in. "I'm sorry." I suddenly said. He looked up at me. "Why?" Haechan shrugged. "For being mean to you. I really didn't want to hurt your feelings. Really. I'm sorry. I was just confused.." I looked down. "Confused? Of what?" Haechan sat down in a chair across from me. "You said something to me the other day.. and I was just really nervous." I coughed then leaned back. "What did I say?" Haechan seemed confused. "At the restaurant. Remember? You asked me to spend the night with you.. then well, when I took you home when you got drunk you asked me to stay with you so I got scared and left so when I heard you were staying at my house it made me even more nervous and flustered than when you walked in my room and stuff I just was getting really nervous... so that's why I reacted the way I did. So I'm really sorry." I felt a feeling of relief off my chest. I didn't feel as burdened at all. I looked up and see Haechan in shock. Then he started chuckling. "At the restaurant, I meant to spend the night doing something like watching movies all night.. did you think I meant.." He looked up with bugged eyes. "Uh.. I'm not like that." He laughed. "Do you not know me?"
I blushed. "You're right. I shouldn't doubt you. But, as I said. I was just very confused." I scratched my head. "It's alright. I just thought you were mad at me for no reason. But, I understand now." Haechan had a soft smile on his face. "Also, when I was drunk, I wanted you to stay there with me because I was afraid of throwing up all over my bed and my mom complaining about it." Haechan chuckled. I then realized how stupid I was. I facepalmed. "I seem so silly now," I whined. "You're not silly.. but why do you have those thoughts about us in the first place?.." Haechan glared up at me. By his sudden question, I got flustered. "No. No. It's not like I wanted to, or anything.. I was just I don't know.. confused?" I waved my hands then made a nervous smile. "Oh. Okay." Haechan sounded disappointed. I looked around. "I should take you home then." Haechan stood up, and I followed him out. Then I remembered what he said when he saved me:  "Because she's mine"
"What did he mean by that?" I thought while taking a glimpse at Haechan's face. We walked out of the building. We walked side by side. My heart was beating as I slowly looked up at him. He looked at me. "What is it?" "Nothing." I immediately looked down. "You've been acting weird lately." Haechan laughed. "No, I'm not." I flustered. He stuck his hands in his pockets. "Don't walk alone again, okay? Didn't I warn you of that?" Haechan seemed defensive. "Things like that happen all the time. What if I wasn't there to save you?" Haechan looked at me with a sigh. "I'm sorry." I pouted. "Just make sure someone takes you home next time. Like even if it's WinWin. I don't care. As long as you're safe." Haechan made me feel safe. I just wanted to continue being around him. I wanted to always be by his side because he gave me a safe feeling. A feeling of happiness, and hope. It was a warm feeling that was different from all other people. Haechan made me feel something different from what I've ever felt before.