recap:

"That night from 10 years ago..." Kyungwoo whispered.

"What about it?" I whispered back.

Then Kyungwoo stopped walking and made me face him. "I'm sorry for leaving you behind."

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion and was going to ask by what he had meant but then I remembered an old memory from when we were seven years old.

flashback - 10 years ago

"It's going to rain," Kyungwoo said as he put his backpack on.

I watched as my two friends started to get ready to leave the classroom while I stayed sitting on my chair. I knew that it was going to start raining but I was afraid of going back home. I didn't want to hear my mom making those noises with Uncle Hyuckjae. I didn't like the noises they make in my parents' room. Not one bit.

"Yoonhan, hurry up!" Juyoung called out with a smile on his face.

I bit my bottom lip and shook my head, making him and Juyoung look at me in confusion.

"What's wrong, Hana?" Kyungwoo asked, sounding worried.

"I... I don't want to go home just yet," I replied back softly.

Then I heard Jungwoo sighing. "Come on, Hana, it's going to rain. Don't be a drama queen!"

I clenched my fists under my desk and glared at him while saying, "I'm not being a drama queen!"

"You are," Juyoung pushed on, making me tear up.

Then I heard him telling Kyungwoo to just leave me behind since I can just get my family's driver to come and pick me up like always. I looked over at Kyungwoo and saw him hesitate. He then heard Juyoung calling for him from out in the hallway. The seven-year-old Kyungwoo mouthed an apology and left the classroom to catch up with his best friend. I bit my bottom lip once again and held back my sobs.

After five minutes of waiting for my friends to come running back, I decided to leave the classroom and placed my raincoat on before walking out into the cold, wet air. Once I stepped out of the school building, I shivered and looked around. I didn't see the black car that my family's driver would use when picking me up from school. I sighed and remembered that he called in sick earlier today.

So I walked in the rain.

Alone.

Then I heard it.

I jumped up in fear and hugged myself after hearing the thunder ringing out from above me in the sky. Tears started to flow down my cheeks, joining the raindrops. A sob escaped my lips while I wished for Kyungwoo or Juyoung to show up.

But they must already be in their homes by now.

It was already getting late and the thunder played around me as I hurriedly went back home alone.

Then I suddenly slipped on my back, my head hitting the wet cement ground. I cried out in pain and started to call for someone who I know won't be there. Then I stared up at the dark grey sky and watched as the lightning danced here and there. I stayed on the ground until the rain started to slow down.

Then I heard his voice.

"HANA!"

I couldn't sit or stand up since my head was aching in pain.

"HANA! WHERE ARE YOU?"

"K-kyungwoo..." I whispered, surprised to hear him not far away.

Then I heard the familiar sounds of his running footsteps nearby and in less than 30-seconds, I see my best friend kneeling down beside me with panic written all over his face.

"H-hana... Can y-you hear m-me?" His voice asked, wavering in panic and guilt.

"K-kyung... W-woo..." I whispered, barely awake. "It h-hurts..."

Then I hear my father's voice a few feet away and soon saw him kneeling on my other side. I felt him lift me up into his lap and heard him yelling on his phone. I slowly looked over at Kyungwoo and saw him crying while apologizing to me for leaving me behind. Then I looked up at the sky once again and shut my eyes after falling in love at the sight of the soft rain.

end of flashback

I mentally shivered at the old memory that made me fear the sound of thunder but ended up loving the soft rain. Ironic, I know. But ever since that accident, Kyungwoo and I became closer than before which I didn't exactly expect to happen. And of course, seven-year-old Juyoung apologized for leaving me behind too, but we both don't talk about that accident after that. If Kyungwoo didn't show up that day... I wouldn't be here anymore.

Can I just say how irritated I feel right now?

I sat in between Kyungwoo and Byunghoon with Kyungmin on Byunghoon's left and the two irritating girls in front of us. I quietly ate the food that Kyungwoo ordered for me which happened to be my favorite snack from when we were kids, Dakgangjeong (spicy bite-sized crispy chicken). 

I smiled at the snack and then I heard Ahram saying, "Oh! This is so good!"

I had to bite my tongue and clenched my fists from saying and doing anything that might end in a bloody fight. 

"Calm down, Hana..." Byunghoon whispered from my left side.

I took slow deep breaths in and out. Then I looked over at Byunghoon and whispered back, "I'm honestly relieved that you are here."

"But I'm not," Kyunghoon spoke up making everyone around the table look at him in confusion.

Then he added while glaring at Byunghoon and Kyungmin, "I only invited the girls to pay them back for stealing their umbrellas, but why are you two here?"

I quietly giggled and took a bite from my snack. Then Kyungmin spoke up, "The most disgraceful thing is to complain when you're treating people."

Both Byunghoon and I nodded our head which made Kyungwoo glare at us. I stuck my tongue out at him and continued eating. 

"You'd be criticized about it," the boy on my left added in while giving the red hair boy on my right a disapproving look. 

But then Kyungwoo exclaimed, "I'm not going to pay for you both."

"You're so disgraceful, Kyungwoo."

"You really are."

I softly laughed at the three boys and looked over at Ahram when she spoke up.

"Shouldn't we bring her the key card?" She asked Minji while still chewing on her snack. "Isn't this a good thing?"

I raised my left eyebrow at the new topic from across the table. "A good thing? How?" Minji asked, still not getting it. But then Ahram hit her elbow on her friend's side and Minji's face lightens up. "Oh... Do you mean..."

I shook my head at what she was thinking and knocked three times on the table, snapping the two girls out of their imagination of what will happen between my friend and their friend.

"Hey, keep whatever you're thinking about PG-13," I said while taking a bite from my chicken. 

"Tsk, as if you know what will happen?" Ahram replied back while pointing the barbecue stick at me.

I rolled my eyes at her and added, "Jooyoung isn't the type of person to do anything dirty.  So mind you."

"How would you know?" Minji spoke up while glaring at me. "From what I've heard you moved to Busan two years ago. Maybe Jooyoung changed."

I can't believe this, girl...

I stood up from my chair, ignoring the looks from the boys while glaring back at the blonde and saying, "I know Jooyoung longer than you do and from what I can remember, he may be naive and annoying, but Gongjoo is a true gentleman and a friend who I can always count on." Then I grabbed my backpack and walked out of the restaurant, not wanting to do anything else with the two girls and even my own three friends.

It's just like middle school all over again.

I never got along with the girls, especially the ones who think are close with Kyungwoo or think they personally know Jooyoung.

Once again, I find myself in my past problems...

🍭a/n.

new book cover and title !!

I AM BACK UWU 😤😅

how is everyone doing? I'm doing better- I mean, my right wrist is doing better. Schoolwork is "UGH" and life in the midst of COVID is "UGH 2x" 🤣🤣🤣 I hope y'all are living healthy and working out well with your problems in life~ 

anyhoes, this was kinda like a filler chapter- oof 👀
next up is episode 3~