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━━━  " 📂 " ‍..⃗. ༉

𝙍 𝙊 𝙈 𝘼 𝙉 𝘾 𝙄 𝙉 𝙂

! chapter ninety ─── ʚĭɞ

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"Jugyeong's father is staying at my house." Suho announced on the following Monday morning.

He and Miyeon had gotten into quite the habit of walking to school together, and seeing as Suho wanted to see her apartment, he has gone to meet her there.

This meant that they had to take a car for a good part of the journey to Saebom High, but neither of them minded, thanking the driver as they got out a couple streets away from school.

"Jugyeong's father is what?" Miyeon's jaw had dropped as she walked alongside her friend, a black wool coat pulled over her uniform as the days got colder.

"He got into some trouble.. fell for a scam or something." Suho shrugged. "I bumped into him the other day and he convinced me to let him stay there. It's actually been alright."

"Does Ju know?" Miyeon's eyebrows furrowed as she asked it, continuing to walk ahead with her eyes glued to the pavement.

"He's hiding out from his family there - please don't tell her." Suho turned to her, and after a moment of consideration, Miyeon nodded her agreement. She felt bad for not telling Jugyeong, but there was obviously some family stuff going on there that needed sorting. "It was actually quite nice. I was lonely after you moved out and he watched the football with me."

"Was it one of those matches in the middle of the night?" The Hwang girl wrinkled her nose, remembering all the times Suho had tried to convince her to stay up and watch one. "Gosh, I can't believe people stay up to watch them."

The pair of them approached the school, and Miyeon peeked in the bag swinging in her hands. She was taking Seojun's jacket back for him, after he had left it on the coat stand at her apartment. She wasn't sure whether it was on purpose or not, but either way, she was going to give it back.

Having texted him a few minutes before, Seojun said he was in one of the courtyard areas, and so Miyeon and Suho split up as they reached the end of the long path from the road up to school.

Passing through into the open area, Miyeon stopped for a moment, hands twisting around the handle of the bag as she looked around for her friend, pushing herself up onto her tiptoes to see if it would help.

"Hwang Miyeon, right?" Miyeon turned on the spot as she heard her name, arranging a less-searching-more-approachable expression on her face. The speaker was a boy, smiling down at her.

"I'm Song Hyunwoo." He introduced himself. "I'm in Class 2-3. We were friends in middle school, but I'm not sure if you remember."

"I.. think I do." Miyeon replied, looking thoughtful for a moment before catching his expression. "Sorry - a lot was happening and has happened since then, a lot of names and faces."

"No it's fine, I understand." Hyunwoo nodded. "I wasn't sure if you would. I remember you being really busy with those friends of yours.  And then you became a trainee."

"And then everything happened, I went to New York and now I'm back here." The Hwang girl mused. "Again, sorry for not recognising you, I'm pretty forgetful sometimes."

"Yet I didn't find myself forgetting you." Miyeon's gaze shot up to him, seeing him since slightly at his own words. "What I want to say.. and I'm not trying anymore cringy pick up lines that my friends told me would work, is that you're pretty memorable."

"You asked your friends for pick up lines?" Miyeon repeated, and Hyunwoo ran a hand through his dark hair, tips of his ears turning pink. "Rookie mistake - hey is that them, by any chance?"

Hyunwoo whipped around, so fast he almost stumbled over. Miyeon was pointing over to one of the archways that connected the courtyard to another walkway. Two boys were stood there, and when they saw the Song boy turn around they ducked behind the pillars.

"That.. would be them." Hyunwoo smiled, a dimple appearing as the corners of his lips turned upwards and the tips of his ears continued to turn pink.

"Now you're under pressure." The girl opposite commented, a similar smile blooming across her face. "And I think I know where you're going with this.. so why don't I give you my number, and we arrange to meet up in a place where your friends won't spy on you?"

"Perfect." Hyunwoo rushed to get his phone out of his inner-blazer pocket, fumbling slightly as he pulled it out, unlocked it and passed it to her.

She added her contact, a smiley face typed beside her name. "There." She passed it back. "I think your friends are-"

But the girl was cut off as she jumped out of her skin, an arm appearing around her shoulders. "Song Hyunwoo, I remember you." Of course, it was none other than Seojun, and Miyeon frowned as she pushed his arm off.

"Han Seojun. I didn't realise you and Miyeon were friends again - wasn't there a massive fallout?" Hyunwoo mirrored the cold attitude, embarrassment fading as he interacted with the other boy.

"Yes, but we've all made up now. Except Lee Suho." He added with a grumble, reaching up and flicking his hair out of his eyes.

"I'll go catch up with my friends." Hyunwoo said, beginning to walk away. "I'll text you, sort out that meeting, Miyeon."

Miyeon smiled as he walked away, and when he was out of earshot she twisted around to look up at Seojun. "What was that about?" She asked.

"Hm, I would say that he has a bit of crush on you. And has done for a while - since middle school, in fact." Seojun replied, and took Miyeon's shock at his words as a chance to pull the bag out of her hands. "You didn't know? He used to follow you around like a lost puppy at breaks."

"We were friends and just hanging out?" Miyeon let him take the bag, still taken aback by the interaction before Seojun had turned up.

"Doesn't mean he didn't follow you around like that." Seojun pulled the box open, a frown appearing on his face. "Why have you brought this back? I left it at your house for a reason."

"And that reason being?" Miyeon asked, as Seojun closed the box and passed it back to her, sliding the handle over her wrist and placing his arm around her shoulder once more, beginning to pull her towards the entrance to the staircase; their school day would be starting soon.

"In case I fell asleep there.. I got cold and was near your apartment - the cafe I used to work part-time at is pretty close, and now that Jugyeong's going to work there I might go by a couple of times." Seojun shrugged. "A few things. You can wear it if you want."

"It would be far too big." Miyeon deflected, but admittedly she had thought of doing so. "But Jugyeong finally can get a job? She's been exhausting herself looking for one."

"Yes, she does." Seojun looked rather proud of himself as he said it. "But then Suho came and dragged her away."

"So now we know that Lee Suho is jealous and overprotective and I'm pretty sure has fits every time he sees you with Jugyeong." Miyeon raised her eyebrows. "Scratch that, he just doesn't want you going near her."

"You can say that again." Seojun flicked hair out his eyes once more, hand falling off of Miyeon's shoulders as they climbed up the stairs. "But that's not going to stop me."

"Of course it won't." Miyeon shook her head, a soft smile appearing on her face as they passed another classroom, Hyunwoo being pushed around in his seat by his cheering friends.

Perhaps it was wrong for her to react to his words in that way, but considering what state Seojun was in when it came to Jugyeong, Miyeon knew there was no way anything would happen between them. She knew there never would be, they were best friends, it simply couldn't.

And so, she was going to try and get over it. Not only was Hyunwoo good looking, but she had known him for a while and he seemed rather sweet.

She just hoped that he wouldn't force himself to try and get out anymore pick up lines, courtesy of his friends.

❛ AUTHORS NOTE ━━ ok but really this is my last note but idk how to write them exchanging contacts bc of kakaotalk and idk how that works but i've been trying to introduce hyunwoo since the school festival?? so i think that's around chapter 40?? i had a whole introduction scene written but then i hated it and kept putting it off

also i don't have any specific faceclaim for him yet, maybe one of those extras that went viral or leo.wz idk but he's kinda got a lost puppy sorta sweet vibe but for now imagine him as who you want and give me suggestions :)