CHAPTER TWENTY
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We slept a lot after coming back home. This time, we drove. About eight hours later, we made it back in time. But it was already dark. And we fell fast asleep in our dorm rooms.
We were usually up at five or six in the morning. But because of the long drive to get back, it wore us out.
We woke up at about ten in the morning. We slept in quite late. But that didn’t mean we couldn’t get our usual quick breakfast from Starbucks. But we didn’t have much planned for the day, other than beginning to work on our debut projects.
I visited ENHYPEN’s dorm. Most of the members were actually in school. And I had already finished mine for the day. I saw Sunghoon sitting still as a stick, staring out into space. I then sat next to him and laid my head on his shoulder. For some reason, it felt like Jake’s shoulder. Warm and soft like a puppy’s fur. But he then let go and walked with Jay and Jungwon, who came back from school.
Eventually, Jake entered. Even he was sleepy too. Today had a lazy start for all of us. The rest of the girls were still doing school, except me, since I finished already.
Jake lay flat on the couch on top of his tummy. His head was turned to the side. I felt the top of his head rub on the side of my knee. Another trait from a puppy. I laid down next to him and stacked my head on top of his.
“Y/N?” Jake said, with his muffled voice.
He then shot his head up.
“What brings you here?” Jake asked.
“Because I wanted to?” I said.
Jake nuzzled my nose side to side and up and down. He was like a puppy sniffling another puppy. Except…I am more of a cat.
He then sat up and said, “It’s your birthday soon, right?”
“Yes,” I replied.
“Seventeen?”
“Yes.”
“I thought you were younger?”
“And that’s what I thought about you as well.”
Our birthdays were in November. It was on a Sunday as well! It was as if they were connected. But…here is the thing…we were not considered a couple. After all…we were just friends.
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Our debut was right around the corner. And me and the girls picked out the perfect song. We were on our way to the usual practise room. However, we found out another band that was using it. The only thing is…they would not give us the room.
And so, we were forced to go to the one ENHYPEN was using. But, of course, the boys were not up for sharing. As always.
Yeo-rin then spotted us entering in.
“The boys will be over with this spot very soon. It seemed to me that BTS haven’t given up on their practise room yet, haven’t they?” she asked.
“We’re not mad,” Maeve huffed, “I just wish my boyfriend didn’t have to be so mean to me like that.”
“Well…” I said, “We’ll talk about that later. Right now, we got to practise for our debut show.”
The song Wi-Fi by SATURDAY was the song we chose. It had a cute, 90s vibe along with high school teenage love and other things. To be honest, it was one of those songs that makes me just want to get up and dance until I trip, fall, and break my elbow or something.
We danced and we danced until we were officially tired out. And we danced to this song for no more than fifty times. I counted off the many times that we practised our choreography. It wasn’t easy…but it was so much fun.
And then I remembered that Jake was having something planned for his birthday. If I had known that my birthday was on a Sunday too then I wouldn’t have felt so bad about not getting him a gift. And I did get him a gift. It was that I wasn’t too sure if he would like it.
A little bit later, the girls and I were at the artist lounge room. I mentally discussed with myself and began to contemplate on what me and Jake want to do on his special day. After all, he was the birthday boy. But I wanted him to have an idea as well. It wouldn’t be fair if he got what only he wanted and if I got what only I wanted. And so…I thought more until my eyes burned with tears.
By then, Yeo-rin, came and broke the silence.
“We’ve prepared the set for your final album cover shoot.” she said, “And the costumes are ready in each of your sizes.”
Since our theme and backstory was high school in the 90s, we had to have school uniforms and a school setting. We were doing most of the shooting at an actual school. But since it was vacation days, the school School of Performing Arts Seoul. It is said that some K-Pop idols, Jungkook for example, had attended there. So hearing about doing a few shoots there was actually pretty cool.
When we got there, some students were in weekend classes (which is one of the many reasons why most of us chose to do online schooling).
The school principal showed us a few classrooms that were big and empty. Perfect for us to start the shoot. And then…after our individual pictures were done, we started on our group photos.
You are wondering about AO3. Well…
“Hello?” I said, answering my phone on the way back from the school.
“Y/N! Gues what!” said Livia, through the phone, “The boys are getting started with their photo shoots and they are having us starring with them!”
“So…have they picked out our concept yet?”
“I’ll tell you when you get back.”
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When we returned to HYBE Building, we found the boys dressed in white poet shirts. For some reason, I fell in love with Jake even more.
I eventually found Livia and she said:
“Our concept is three high school girls reviving the life of a dead girl who fell from a well near the school! And they said we would be a feature in their music video! But the most exciting part is us being in their photos!”
It is true! We dressed up in our costumes as well. However, some of the members didn’t look too happy that we were going to be in their photoshoot…or in their first music video.
“I can’t believe the girls are in our photo shoot!” said Sunoo, elated.
“The girls should have had their own album to work on!” I heard Jake mutter.
I tilted my head. It seemed as though he didn’t want us to be in the photo! That got me confused. And I couldn’t tell if he was jealous or just being plain mean. Anyway, I didn’t want to see my best friend from I-LAND all moody.
Jax was with Heeseung, Livia was with Jay, Hinata was with Ni-Ki, and I was with Jake. Of course, they were our biases so far. But while I was with Jake…things felt a bit different for me. Whenever he had a serious face, I could not help look at how handsome his face was. It was chiseled and he had a straight nose. His rose-colored lips were soft and puffy (and no, I had not kissed them yet). And his skin was white as snow and his hair was a dark auburn.
And yet, when I looked at him, my cheeks were glowing red.
In my honest opinion, I never felt that way towards him before. I was never meant to have a crush on Jake. Yes, he was handsome. But I never thought that even the closest people I knew would be one to end up hurting my feelings.
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It was after the photo shoots when I overheard the boys and their secretive conversation. They mentioned Jake a lot in them. But I didn’t realize what was going to happen next.
The next day, we were out in the lobby of the building. The other boys were already playing with each other and they left poor Jake out. And that day was his birthday!
Was it for a prank or were they just bullying him? I wasn’t sure. But the girls and I knew exactly what to do.
“Jake!” Lara called out, “Ignore them back and come play with us!”
It took the twelve of us to drag him out of the room and towards outside. He bragged to him about everything that had been happening throughout our brand-new lives as debuting idols. Of course, it had nothing to do with him. But we did think that it would cheer him up, especially after what we saw what the other members were doing to him.
And then, the girls left us alone, since they said they had something for us in a moment. I thought it had something to do with the fact that it was Jake’s birthday and that mine was the following Sunday.
Jake took out his phone and played some piano music to break the silence. But it was beautiful and tragic at the same time.
“Is this Mozart?” I asked as I raised my eyebrows.
“What,” said Jake, “I like listening to classical music to break the silence. His twenty-third piano concerto in A- major is the one I usually listen to as I sleep, especially the second movement.”
“Well, I did not know that. I don’t think you’ve told me this before.”
“I didn’t. I found it a little embarrassing to share.”
We sat in silence for quite a while…he looked at me with soft puppy eyes as he gently formed a smile on his pink, puffy lips. Whenever he looked at me, he would always flutter his eyelids like butterfly wings. No one else would understand why I found him so beautiful and so attractive.
He then moaned and cuddled up right on my chest. At first, it was uncomfortable. But his warmth made me feel a bit sleepy too. I laid my head on top of his as I gently caressed it.
I really like you, Jake, I thought, I really like you!
It was quiet for a long time. That was until ENHYPEN came back and broke the silence, singing “Happy Birthday” out of tune. And the girls came in as the backup singers.
But they didn’t know how sleepy we were. But Jake looked as if he was possessed by a demon.
And so, as things were getting too far (for him), Jake yelled:
“THAT’S ENOUGH!!!”
The whole room was dead silent afterward.
“We were trying to sleep!” Jake exclaimed, “And you all decided to pop in here like nothing and interrupt us from our sleep! And yes, the girls too! So if you don’t mind…I NEED MORE SLEEP!!!”
The girls looked over at the boys and then at me.
Jake is being a bully!
Why is he so grumpy?
He was never like this during I-LAND.
The guys need to set him straight!
I sat him up and I said:
“We appreciate the care you bring us. But I think maybe next time you should surprise us at a later time. When we are more awake. Thank you.”
I gave Jake a peck on the cheek and walked away. I remember feeling my heart flutter after that. But the girls were more concerned for Jake rather than me. I wondered why at first. Until Jake knocked on my door.
I answered and I was greeted with his flared eyes and a frown on his lips. I could tell he was not happy with the way things were going. Especially on his birthday. I tilted my head in confusion.
“Why did you kiss my cheek?” he asked, coldly.
“I didn’t mean to,” I responded, trying to ignore his dismissive demeanor, “But I only did out of our friendship and the love we share.”
“‘The love we share’, eh?” Jake scoffed, “You don’t understand.”
“What don’t I understand?”
“We are just friends! Can’t you see that?”
“I didn’t say that I loved you romantically!”
“You looked like you were going to say it!”
“No, I wasn’t!”
“Yes, you were!”
“No!”
“Yes!”
“Jake, why are you so upset, especially on your special day?”
“Because,” Jake snapped, “I wanted some alone time. And then everyone just barges in on purpose!”
“They were planning a surprise!”
“Surprising me or not, you need to control the girls’ behavior! Because I don’t see any signs of professionalism at all!”
And then, he stormed away.
“Jake!” I called out.
“I DON’T WANT TO HEAR IT!!” Jake screamed.
We parted ways in bittersweet. I ran to my room and slammed the door shut, and cried hard so softly, that even the other girls could hear me.
“I don’t think she should be hanging out with him anymore.” I heard Maeve say.
“He’s becoming a bully to us and specifically to her! That’s not good!” said Leila.
“Even the closest friends can hurt your feelings.” said Erika.
“And Jake is close to her…!” said Isabelle.
They were right…Jake was becoming a bully to me in particular. He kept taking his frustrations out on me and the girls instead of the boys. It wasn’t fair. But it was after I calmed myself down, when I thought of the reason why…