Blue And Grey

Tear

"Thank you for listening to my babbling. And ... I'm sorry for ruining your supposed time for inspiration." Ji An looked down, played with his fingers. She was embarrassed when she remembered what happened at the cafe earlier.

She lost control, cried in front of Gi Hoon and accidentally told the truth about why she wanted to stop the song from continuing.

"It's okay," replied Gi Hoon. "Listening to other people's stories is also inspiring. Right now, a lot of ideas are coming into my head."

"Really?" Ji An furrowed her brows, then looked back down. "Genius are different. I couldn't even think of anything when ... Ah, forget it."

When the atmosphere was quiet again, Gi Hoon again said, "Go inside. Refresh yourself, and sleep. Tomorrow ..."

Ji An lifted her head. "Tomorrow?"

"I'll pick you up and we'll go to school together. How about that?" Gi Hoon said firmly. A smile appeared from the corner of his lips.

"Oh, but I have to get Yeon Hee first..." Ji An stopped.

For the past three days, Ji An and Han Sung picked up Yeon Hee, just in case if that crazy Jiseob appeared. But is she still strong enough to keep walking beside Han Sung, still strong enough to hold back from crying?

Ji An feels so stupid. Crying for someone who doesn't have the same feeling as her. At least every time she finished crying, she could slightly release the weight in her chest. Even though in the end she will cry again.

Instantly Ji An remembered The Man's words during the tarot card reading and Han Sung's words one afternoon at the park.

{"That card kind of gives you a warning not to be afraid of the ordeal that will bring you down." - The Man.}

['So this is the ordeal that bring me down?'] Ji An closed her eyes for a moment.

{"You could say that your current condition is not trying to keep going. You are inviting trials to come to haunt you." - Han Sung.}

['I should keep going, right?'] Ji An looked at Gi Hoon who was silently looking at her.

This boy, a boy who couldn't possibly be her friend at first, turned out to be very helpful. Useful in a good way, he accepted a side of Ji An that was never shown to anyone else — especially Han Sung, without complaining.

"Very well then," Ji An nodded slightly. "I'll be waiting for you tomorrow." She smiled and raised her thumb in front of her cheek. She must not continue to sink into sadness.

Min Gi Hoon chuckled. He also raised his thumb, then after looking a little hesitant, that boy rubbed Ji An's head gently.

Ji An's smile suddenly faded. She was shocked but felt calm. Maybe this is why the need for friends to talk to when you sad, they can calm you down.

"I'm leaving," Gi Hoon said in his trademark lazy voice. The boy got into the car and left after returning a wave of Ji An's hand in front of the house fence.

Ji An was still waving until the car turned at an intersection. She could hear the sound of the door opening. With a sigh, Ji An opened the fence and closed it again, she looked towards the door without showing any expression.

"Where were you this late?" Han Sung put his hand inside his pants pocket.

"Get some fresh air." Ji An answered simply as she walked past the boy.

Han Sung closed the door, "I thought you said you were not feeling well, that's why you don't go to the shop."

"I was."

They were climbing the stairs when Han Sung opened his mouth again. "I saw Gi Hoon's car from the balcony. Where did you go? Did you both finish the song yesterday?"

Ji An stopped in front of her room, without turning around and replied, "I threw it away."

♡♡♡

['She what?']

"What do you mean?" Han Sung held Ji An's arm before the girl opened the door. "Threw it away? You mean your song?"

Ji An sighed. The girl pulled her arm away from Han Sung. "Right. I threw it away."

"Why?" Han Sung still doesn't understand.

"No special reason. I just have no intention of continuing." The girl said without looking at him.

"I thought you were so happy when Gi Hoon helped you make the beat melody?" Han Sung tilts his head. "Gi Hoon likes your song. I also like your—"

"Well, i'm not." Ji An answered quickly. As if noticing that her tone was a bit sharp, she cleared her throat and walked into the room after saying, "I'm tired. Night."

Han Sung is flabbergasted. Did something happen during the song-making process? Hence they met? But is Gi Hoon willing to follow the girl's wishes? He's not the type to give up on this. Wow, Han Sung is really curious.

He still didn't notice the change in Ji An's attitude. He thought they were fine after the tower talk because Ji An was acting like usual, at least that's for him.

The girl just doesn't look excited, it could be because the day they came home from the theme park, Mr. and Mrs. Lee scolded them for getting a call from the school saying they were absent. Han Sung felt guilty, and he was sure Ji An felt more guilty. Ji An's parents asked them to self-reflect and not repeat this.

The next day, when Han Sung was ready with his uniform and school bag, he went down the stairs thinking of asking Ji An to buy breakfast sandwiches from the food truck on the way to school. He had a brief greeting with Mr. and Mrs. Lee, who immediately went to the bakery shop.

Han Sung went into the kitchen and saw the girl was eating three layers of pancakes. The plan to buy sandwiches together vanished. He pulled out a chair, sat next to Ji An, who was busy eating and at the same time fiddling with her cellphone.

"I was going to ask you to buy sandwiches together before going to school."

"You can go buy it," Ji An chewed, her eyes not leaving the cellphone. "Together with Yeon Hee. I'm not coming," added the girl.

"Why don't you come? Do you have homework that you haven't finished? Want to copy Ha Joon's again?" Han Sung chuckled.

"Gi Hoon will pick me up. I'll go with him."

Han Sung's laughter stopped. "With Gi Hoon?"

"Hm."

"Why?" Han Sung could see the girl's brows wrinkled before looking up.

"What is it why?"

"It's just ... it's so unusual," Han Sung scratched the back of his head. "Rarely does he want to pick up ..."

Ji An didn't say anything, she drank the chocolate milk from the glass and went back to eating her pancakes.

['Maybe they want to discuss yesterday's song again?'] That's what in Han Sung's mind right now. He brushed aside the awkward feeling of Ji An's indifferent attitude towards him. He said, "See you later," to which she only nodded, and then he headed out to fetch Yeon Hee.

Yeon Hee said that in recent days it seemed like her ex wouldn't appear again and decided that it seemed safe for her to go to school by herself without being picked up. Han Sung agreed silently.

As they enter the busy classroom, Han Sung's steps slow down as he realizes that someone else is sitting next to his chair, which should be Ji An's place.

"Myung Jo, why are you sitting here?" Yeon Hee furrowed her brows.

The boy who was asked just shrugged, as if he were mad because he had answered the same question several times. The boy glanced across the classroom and said, "I swapped seats with Ji An — no, she asked me to sit here."

Han Sung and Yeon Hee turned in the direction that was intended, and it was the seat beside Gi Hoon.

Lee Ji An, that girl is laughing at Jo Min's and Hee Seok's jokes. Even Gi Hoon besides the girl was also laughing. A rare sight. Gi Hoon rarely laughs in class.

Han Sung came to them. Jo Min, who realized his arrival, suddenly greeted him. "Yo, Han Sung!"

Han Sung just smiled, nodded slightly. He stopped beside Ji An, realized the girl's attitude looked stiff and suddenly took out a pencil from the bag.

"Did you swap seats with Myung Jo?"

"Hm. New environment?"

"What?" Han Sung confused even he was a little relieved that Ji An replied, but the girl's answer didn't satisfy him.

"I didn't quite clearly look at the board from the back of the classroom. So I moved here." Ji An didn't look at him at all, busy drawing on the notebook.

Han Sung was silent. How many times has he been silent today? He turned his gaze towards Gi Hoon and they stared until it was his friend who looked away first. Now his friend didn't greet him, huh?

['Strange, is there something wrong?']

Han Sung doesn't want to think about this. He turned back to his chair and sat down just as the homeroom teacher entered.

♡♡♡

Yeon Hee bit her lower lip, her legs swaying involuntarily. She didn't pay attention to the teacher in front. She doesn't care. She kept stealing glances at Ji An. Hoping that class ends soon because she wants to talk to her best friend.

In recent days she noticed Ji An's unusual behavior; not excited, answered casually when asked, even rarely joined lunch in the cafeteria. And this time, the girl swapped seats next to Gi Hoon. Were they so close that they were sitting next to each other? Han Sung didn't even respond when Yeon Hee sent a message on the paper asking why Ji An moved seats.

The recess bell rang, before the teacher opened the classroom door, Yeon Hee immediately got up from the chair, gently pulling Ji An's arm. "Hey, let's talk."

Ji An didn't refuse, she followed Yeon Hee obediently towards a more private place: the school rooftop.

"What's wrong?" asked Ji An, when Yeon Hee let go of her grip.

"I should be asking. What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing's wrong with me." Ji An answered while looking away.

['Hoh. She's lying.'] Yeon Hee could tell. She narrowed her eyes and said, "Oh yeah? Your attitude has been unusual these few days, then your eyes are often swollen, even though today they are not. The reason for watching sad K-Drama scenes seems to be just a mask. Also," Yeon Hee tilt her head. "Suddenly you swap seats with Myung Jo. Are you having a problem with Han Sung?"

Ji An was silent. Yeon Hee realized the girl's eyes were watery. O-oh .... What? Why is this girl so fragile just because of her nagging?

"Ji An?" Yeon Hee held the girl's shoulder, she was scanning her expression. "Something happened, right? Tell me."

As if bewitched by her words, Ji An's tears flowed. The girl covered her face with hands, sobbed and her shoulders shook violently. Yeon Hee hugged her, feeling guilty for pushing the girl.

"I'm sorry ... calm down ... you don't have to tell me right now, it's okay."

Oh, dear God. What happened to her best friend? This was the first time she had seen Ji An look broken. Yeon Hee waited patiently for the girl to stop the cry and started telling her the problem. Yeon Hee was sad, but she was also upset. Annoyed at the one person who broke her friend's heart.

-------♡

Please do VOTE, and also COMMENT

Thank you

-Autumn Notes