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━━━  " 📂 " ‍..⃗. ༉

𝙍 𝙊 𝙈 𝘼 𝙉 𝘾 𝙄 𝙉 𝙂

! chapter seventy-six ─── ʚĭɞ

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Following Jugyeong's rejection of Suho's drink, the day progressed as normal, and just like so many school days before, Miyeon found herself sitting beside Jugyeong at the lunch table, opposite them being Soojin and Sooa.

"Hey guys." Sooa began, looking up from her food. "Let's go to a dry sauna this weekend after we study."

Miyeon's mouth was filled with food, but she nodded enthusiastically, chewing as quickly as she could so she could reply.

"A dry sauna?" Jugyeong question, and Miyeon's gaze drifted over to her friend, realisation flooding over her expression when she understood. "I don't think I can go."

"Why not?" Sooa asked, a slight whine to her voice. "Let's go, it'll be fun. Please?" She pouted, looking between Soojin and Miyeon.

"I don't think.." Jugyeong began again, looking completely lost with what to say as her excuse.

"I don't think I can go either, I forgot but I actually have something planned this weekend." Miyeon added absentmindedly, picking up another bit of food.

"And why would you want to go to a dry sauna?" Soojin continued, Miyeon's eyes flickering over and wondering if it was a coincidence that Soojin was suddenly against it, or if she knew too. "I hate the heat." She scoffed.

"Forget it then." Sooa didn't seem too disheartened by it, the four of them returning back to their lunches, Jugyeong sharing a smile of gratitude with Miyeon, and then Soojin.

The sound of a chair scraping against the floor caused Miyeon to look up, leaning forward in her seat and watching confused as Suho sat down on the other side of Jugyeong.

Instantly, murmurs of questions could be heard around them, and Miyeon's gaze flickered over to Soojin, who could only shrug, wondering what was going on just as much as the next person.

"What's with him?" A group of girls were walking past quite slowly, eyes trained on Suho almost as if it was a second nature. "He usually eats alone."

"Maybe he's close with her." Another one of the girls suggested. "Wasn't he friends with that other trainee one as well??"

"What's going on?" A third girl gasped. "Why is he eating with Jugyeong?" Suho's head tilted towards them, clearly annoyed by what he had heard.

Miyeon jumped out of her skin as Jugyeong got to her feet. "My gosh, I lost my appetite." She announced, picking up her tray and hurrying away.

"You only had one bite?" Soojin called after her, the three of them looking on helplessly as she rushed off.

Sooa was saying something about diets, and Miyeon watched as Taehoon sat down beside Suho. "I'll go check on her. You guys should take whatever you want off here, I'm not really hungry." She said, pushing her tray toward them.

"But you didn't even have any of your tonkatsu?" Sooa looked confused as Miyeon stood up.

As the two girls took a look at her tray, picking out a couple of things to eat, Miyeon pushed her chair away and was about to go after Jugyeong when Suho's phone buzzed.

"Is it Jugyeong?" Taehoon asked, sitting up as Suho took his phone out of his pocket. "What did she say? Oi - move your hair." Miyeon had dipped into the gap between the boys' shoulders, reading the messages.

'I honestly find you really annoying.' The first read. 'You get on my nerves' It continued in the second one, before basically repeating the first.

"Ah. Poor guy." Miyeon had a rather fake sympathetic smile on her face, patting Suho on the shoulder and winking when he looked up at her. "I'll go check on her. Don't worry."

"Hwang Miyeon-" Suho began, but Miyeon was already rushing off.

She managed to get out of the cafeteria pretty quickly, asking a couple of people if they had seen her. Miyeon was pointed down a couple of corridor, finally seeing Miyeon disappear down another flight of stares.

"Im Ju!" Miyeon shouted, running after, not even noticing as she accidentally pushed past Seojun, who exclaimed and shouted after, but she was already gone.

Miyeon finally caught up with her, trying to catch her breath as she lent against a wall. "Gosh you can run." She commented, pushing herself off of the wall and standing up. "Jugyeong, what's going on?"

Jugyeong sighed, glancing around before pulling Miyeon into the closest bathroom, looking to see if anyone was in the stalls before turning back to Miyeon. "Me and Suho-" She began, but with a sudden rush of guilt for not telling her that she knew, Miyeon cut her off.

"I know. Suho told me." Miyeon winced slightly. "I should've mentioned I knew - you see, this is sort of tricky to explain, but I've been staying at Suho's for a while because I.. left my family home." The Hwang girl said. "So I know, I saw the necklace not longer after he brought it."

"Oh.. is everything okay? You're not hurt or anything?" Jugyeong looked concerned, fingers twisting the chain of her necklace in worry.

"I'm fine, I got out of there which is all that mattered. Now, Im Ju - I know about what happened, and don't worry so won't tell anyone, but why are you acting like this?"

"I'm scared for people to find out." Jugyeong admitted. "Especially the bullies.. I don't want to think about what they might do."

Miyeon's eyes widened as she nodded, understanding immediately. "I see.. just make sure you don't hurt him, okay?" She didn't want to dig into it too much, but she knew first hand how misunderstandings could leave to hurt.

"Miyeon you're so sweet." Jugyeong smiled. "I was about to go and meet with him now, I left him a clue in the texts."

"You're so smart." Miyeon grinned, admittedly feelings rather released as she watched Jugyeong say goodbye and rush out of the bathroom. Taking a moment to herself, Miyeon washed her hands and her face, taking a hand through her hair and stepping out of the bathroom, heading back towards the classroom.

And as she turned the corner, she almost crashed into someone, glancing upwards and meeting Seojun's eyes.

He seemed to brush off the fact they had almost collided, and instead held a small box up. "I heard you didn't even eat your tonkatsu at lunch." He said, pushing it towards her.

"You worry too much, Han Seojun." The Hwang girl shook her head, a smile forming on his face at his thoughtfulness.

And she accepted it, letting him place the box in her hands. "We should go out and eat soon. I don't know what food Lee Suho eats at home but eating takeout all the time isn't good for you." Seojun flicked his hair out of his eyes.

Miyeon's eyes widened, before realising that she had no reason to feel nervous about it. That was what friends did.

"Good idea." She nodded. "I'll text you?"

"Sure. Now, eat up." Seojun tapped the top of the box before turning around, heading in the opposite direction.

It was safe to say that it wasn't the hunger in Miyeon's stomach that gave her that pretty yet annoying fluttery feeling.