EMBERS • HAECHAN (Not Finished Yet)

Chapter 36

In a bad mood, I slammed the door of my locker and leaned my forehead exhausted against the cold hard metal.

The last two night had been pure horror. All evening long I had been rolling around in my bed, practicsally covered in sweat, while the nightmares about the fire had plagued me nonstop.

That strange and unusual feeling I had felt towards Donghyuck, when we were lying together in the garbage container, had been swept away for a long time.
Instead, my inner flame was rekindled, causing me to glare deadly at anyone who came too close me.

"Hello there," Soyeon's voice came out of nowhere as usual. "You'll scare off all the freshmen if you keep on scowling like that."

I looked up at her in annoyance, not even bothered to put on a fake smile.
All my energy was drained, leaving me with dark circles under my eyes that were darker than the night itself.

"Any other funny comments?" I asked her ironically before I turning around, wanting to leave just then.

But not a second later I felt a grip around my wrist and I looked back with my eyebrow raised. Surprisingly, my best friend looked a bit sorrowful to the ground while she continued to hold my arm.

"I uh... I know you're still mad at me and the other girls, but I'm really sorry."

With sad eyes she now looked up at me and forced a weak smile onto her face. It was strange to see the girl like that when she was usually quite intimidating and self-confident.

"I should have said something when Yeeun confronted you that harshly in front of everyone."

My expression instantly softened  as I listened carefully to her words, quickly taking her hands in my own, smiling at her honestly and gently.

I had no idea that this incident would bother her that much, but then again, she was my best friend. I should've figured that she would feel some type of remorse for not defending me.

"It's all right, she was right", I tried to assure her, since I was really not mad at them anymore.

"If there is one thing I am really bad at, it is controlling my emotions. I guess after my nightmares came back, I just felt weak and angry, although you guys did nothing wrong."

As if I had just announced the news of the year, her mood suddenly changed and she now looked at me happily, squeezing my hand even tighter.

"Thank God," she sighed with relief, "I was about to talk some freshmen into baking you a cake or something."

"First of all", I now started chuckling, pulling my forhead into wrinkles, " don't you mean you force those freshmen? Secondly, why don't you bake it yourself?"

"Are you crazy? I am lazy and clumsy as fuck. I don't look so intimidating for nothing, my dear."

"Well, I guess you're right."