"You sure you want to miss the bonfire? It's the last night here before we all go back" Saehi prompts as she stares at me with a concerned look on her face.
"Yeah, I don't feel too good. I have an upset stomach" I lie.
I woke up feeling shitty today and my mood carried on till the evening. IÂ didn't want to put a damper on everyone else so I kept to myself all day.
Everyone was making the most of it since it was the last day of the trip and I didn't want anymore drama. And I didn't want to face any of the Royals.
Thankfully I avoided Yeonjun for the entire day. I just had to go through tonight and tomorrow I'll be on the bus back to my life.
And then I had to think of a plan to not bump into him for the rest of the school year. Simple.
Very simple.
I let out a groan involuntarily and it leads to Saehi taking a seat at the end of my bed.
"Okay, spill it. I can't let to mope around here all day. This is the last day of this trip and you need to enjoy. I will will not let the Royals ruin it for you" her tone holds a finality that tells me she is not moving anywhere until I spill.
"How do you know it has anything to do with the Royals?" I ask and sit up on my bed.
"oh please, for the time I have known you, it always has something to do with the Royals when it comes to you" she snorts.
I sit up a little straighter.
"Wow, I don't know whether I should take it as an insult or not" I quip and she shakes her head.
"It has nothing to do with you specifically. It's them. They have a habit of sucking in people into their drama. Trust me, I know" she says and forces a smile.
It leads to many questions in my head but before I can say anything, she holds her hand up, stopping me.
"Tell me, what happened. Whose butt do I need to kick?" she raises an eyebrow in challenge.
I honestly have no doubt that she can take on one of the Royals. From all the encounters I have witnessed, one thing is for sure, she can handle her own with them.
I wish I could be more like her and not get swayed away each time talk to one of them.
Maybe she was right, they were good at bringing people into their drama. Ever since I've known each of them, all I've been part of is drama. The latest being Yeonjun and Hyejin.
I look at Saehi, who is patiently waiting for me to spill the tea.
It would probably help if I did talk to her. It's not something that I could talk to San about. I am sure he wouldn't understand. And even though he is the one who told me to give Yeonjun a chance, I am sure this was not he meant.
He probably meant it as a friend.
Maybe she could have some insight onto what happened last night, or at least what could have happened if Hyejin didn't interrupt.
Was Yeonjun going to confess something to me? Did he like me? Did I like him?
Did he mean what he said? Or was he just jealous and didn't want me to be around Soobin?
Would Yeonjun have kissed me? Would I have kissed back? Would there be a kiss involved even?
Or maybe we would have just hugged, or maybe even hold hands.
I let out another groan.
Saehi just gives me a look that tells me she is not going to leave till I say her the real reason I holed up in my room.
"If I tell you, you have to promise me not to tell anyone. Not even San, at least not right now" I say and feel guilty for making her promise me this, given how good friends they are.
"I promise. This seems serious" she folds her legs and faces me on the bed.
"So... something happened last night. With Yeonjun" I wait for her reaction but she patiently stares at me but does not give anything away with her expression.
"I was out for a walk with Soobin. And we were just talking about a few things and sat at the beach when Yeonjun came in and dragged me away from him" I sigh. Just rehashing last night seems to make question a lot of things.
Saehi's eyes widened slightly, but she didn't interrupt. Instead, she leaned forward, clearly intrigued but staying quiet to let me continue. Her gaze was steady, and for a moment, I wished I could have even a fraction of her calm confidence.
"Dragged you away?" she finally asked, her tone careful, like she was piecing together something.
I nod.
"Okay, what exactly do you mean by 'dragged'? Did he say anything?" she question.
I nod again, swallowing as I remembered the intensity of the moment.
"Yeah. He was all... tense. Like, really tense. He grabbed my hand, told me it was getting late, and then just pulled me away. And I know it sounds weird, but he was... jealous, I think."
Saehi raised an eyebrow, clearly interested now.
"Jealous? Of Soobin?" she asks tentatively.
"Yeah, I think so," I replied, feeling the knot in my stomach tighten.
"Okay, did he say anything after you guys were alone?" she asks.
"Yeah, he babbled about how he felt like he would lose me if I was with Soobin, or something like that. It was very confusing. And I am not sure what I wanted him to say exactly" I feel embarrassed just thinking about my feelings.
There was no point of this.
He was already planned to be with someone else. Someone his family chose. And we were nothing.
"But it doesn't make any sense. Why would he be jealous? I mean, he doesn't care, right? It's not like we'reâwell, you know. And even if he did care, I'm not his to... to pull around like that."
Saehi took a moment to process before speaking, leaning back against the bedpost with a thoughtful expression.
"Okay, so he's jealous. Honestly, Yuri, it's not that hard to believe. Yeonjun's always been the type to act like nothing gets to him, but deep down... well, he's complicated." She sighed, running a hand through her hair.
"Did he explain why he pulled you away, apart from him not liking Soobin with you?" she questions.
I hesitated, recalling his words.
"He said he didn't like seeing me with Soobin. And then... I think he almost said something more, like he was going to confess something. But Hyejin showed up, and everything just got weird. We didn't get to finish talking."
Saehi groaned, throwing her hands up in frustration.
"Of course. Hyejin to the rescue, right?" She shook her head.
"But it sounds like Yeonjun was about to say something important. Do you think he was going to tell you he likes you?" she has a hopeful glint in her eyes.
My heart skipped a beat at the thought.
"I... I don't know. Maybe. But what if it was just because he doesn't like Soobin? What if it's just a territorial thing?" I felt stupid and immature just saying these words but I had to get it out of my system.
"Yuri, come on. That guy's got feelings for you. It's written all over him. Even if he doesn't want to admit it yet"Â Saehi let out a soft chuckle.
I stared at her, a bit taken aback.
"You really think so? He's never... I mean, we've neverâ"
"Yuri," she interrupted, her voice gentle but firm.
"He's not exactly the type to make grand gestures. At least from what I've known about him. But trust me, this whole pulling-you-away thing? That's not just 'territorial'. He cares. He's just... too proud or scared to admit it." she shrugs.
I didn't know what to say to that.
The idea of Yeonjun, cold and untouchable Yeonjun, actually liking meâit didn't feel real. But the way he'd looked at me last night, the way he'd held my hand like he didn't want to let go...
"Okay, but even if he does care, what does that mean for me? What am I supposed to do with that?" I said, my voice shaky,
Saehi shrugged, though her eyes were warm with understanding.
"That's the million-dollar question, isn't it? But first, you need to figure out what you want. Do you like him? Like, really like him? Or is this just you being caught up in all the drama with the Royals?"
Her question hung in the air, and I found myself at a loss for words.
Did I like Yeonjun?
It was a question I hadn't dared to ask myself. Sure, I'd always found him attractive, in that distant, unattainable way. But this? These feelings that had surfaced last night, the butterflies in my stomach, the way I'd felt drawn to him when he'd looked at me like that...
"I don't know," I admitted quietly.
"I don't know what I feel. Everything is just so... confusing and complicated. Why does everything with him has to be so complicated?"Â I ask frustrated.
Saehi gave me a sympathetic look.
"That's fair. Feelings are messy, especially when it comes to someone like Yeonjun. And believe it or not, things will only get more complicated if you let it get to you. You've got to sort it out, Yuri. Otherwise, you'll keep getting pulled into their drama."
I nodded, knowing she was right but not sure where to start.
"Do you think I should talk to him?" I asked after a moment.
Saehi didn't hesitate.
"Yes. But do it on your terms. Don't let him just waltz in and dictate how things go. If he likes you, he'll respect that. And if he doesn't... well, then he's not worth it."
I sighed, feeling the weight of the situation settle over me.
"I just don't want to make things worse. If he really is jealous, I don't want to get caught in some weird power struggle between him and Soobin."
It was the actual fear I was masking.
Hyejin was one thing. But what if this was just Yeonjun not wanting to share his toys. What if this was Yeonjun trying to keep Soobin away from me because he could bear that I would be friends with him?
Saehi gave me a small, reassuring smile.
"Don't worry about Soobin. Or Yeonjun. Focus on what you want. You've been through enough with these Royals. It's time you took control of the situation."
"Yeah, easier said than done," I muttered.
Saehi laughed softly.
"You've got this. Just remember, whatever happens, you have people who've got your back." She gave my hand a reassuring squeeze before standing up.
"Now, you sure you're going to miss the bonfire?" she held out a hand as an invitation.
I looked up at her, torn between hiding in my room and facing everything head-on.
"I don't know," I said honestly.
"Well, if you change your mind, I'll be there," she said with a wink.
"And if Yeonjun shows up, just remember what I said: Your terms, Yuri." she says pointing a finger at me.
I watched her leave, her words echoing in my mind.
Maybe it was time to face thingsâYeonjun, my feelings, everything.
But the question remained: was I ready for whatever might come next?
A/N: Hello lovely people! I said I would upload on Tuesday but I didn't. I wanted to write this chapter well. I hope I did it justice.
Let me know what you think. And what do you think will happen next?