Chapter 38
"I know your feelings for Yumi." Hyuk's expression did not change but Jia saw him wince. Her eyes narrowed dangerously.
"I will not apologize about my feelings but I respect you, Jia. You're her best friend." Hyuk's face is soft but there is a firmness in his voice.
"I will not like it if you apologize though. Yumi - to me is like a sister. I love her so much and if you hurt her... I will chase you to the end of the earth." Jia says she squinted because it was a half-truth.
"I won't," Hyuk muttered. There's a rare adoration on his face that Jia can't help but chuckle.
"I read your letter to her or was it a song? I'm sorry, I happened to read it. I know I invaded your privacy but I'm glad I did." Jia says, she runs her fingers to her hair while she feels the building tension of the next words she's about to say.
"I guess it's my clumsiness." He said playfully.
Jia looks at Hyuk for a long time. She feels pressure and fear but it's for Yumi. She needs to make sure that Yumi has someone by her side when she's gone. The thought flees a bitter taste in her mouth. Jia grimaced after thinking about it one more time before she constructed words carefully. It's dehydrating her all.
"Hyuk... I want to ask you a favor." Jia started, eyes were blank but still, her pupils were expressive. Hyuk looks at her with a puzzled expression. He nodded and listened carefully to her.
"I only have less than two months to live. I-I... I want you to take care of Yumi when I'm gone." Jia straightforward said in a low tone. She is ready for it. She is prepared but the lump in her heart hurts her so much that she snorted because of how much she despised the idea of leaving Yumi alone. Regardless, the risk of her telling Hyuk the truth is worth it. Like an assurance that life without her is peaceful, especially to the person, she treasures the most. It gives her satisfaction.
"What do you mean?" Hyuk muttered, wide eyes as if Jia told him something funny. His stare deepened, the realization hit him.
"Juno knows too, right?" Hyuk confirmed. Jia nodded her head.
"Promise me Hyuk. You'll be there for Yumi. I give you my blessing to love her."
Jia walks to the exit while Hyuk is beside her. She feels like floating, it was a surreal feeling when one of the burdens washed away from her. She smiled when the car that would fetch her stopped in front of them. She smiles looking at Hyuk then waves her hand before she goes inside.
Jia sighed. She hopes that Hyuk will be the best person for Yumi. She made sure that Hyuk feels a deep love for Yumi based on the letter. Also, the way Juno unconsciously told her about how thankful he was to Hyuk made her come to the decision that Yumi is in good hands.
Jia did not tell Hyuk the details. She's still not comfortable with her past. She was the villain of this story and she also hurt Yumi in the process. She doesn't know if Hyuk will also hate her because of it. Because Jia loathes herself. She couldn't forgive herself for hurting her only best friend.
The night is longer than Jia thought it was. She drew some layouts before falling asleep. Yumi also texted her while Juno kept talking in their group chat frying about the date. Jia sighed saying it went well and correcting him that it was not a date but a conversation because Jia has a favor to ask for Hyuk. Juno bought it when Hyuk confirmed her chat. Yejun just saw the group chat conversation while Yumi click a heart reaction to her messages. Penelope also joined the chat while she was at her part-time job. It was a long and random conversation.
The morning comes in a blink of an eye. Strangely enough, Jia feels heavy. The weather is too cold for her and she coughs several times before the maid looks at her with awe. Jia requested medicine before she eats the breakfast and thanked the cook afterward. Haru is nowhere to be found. He never speaks to Jia after the incident in Japan and Jia feels too scared seeing Haru reminding her of the conversation they had in his suit. If only Haru told her everything before it happened but the absurdity of it is trickling.
Jia reaches the school wearing her scarf, she hugs her bag and shivers to the cold wind floating around in the atmosphere letting some of her strand hair brushes her cheeks. She sighed.
"Jia! Good morning!" Yumi greeted her with a blush on her face. Jia raises her brow when Yumi clings her arm shyly.
"Hyuk asks me for a date. He told me about your conversation last night explaining that he asked for your blessing before he formally courted me." Yumi's voice is modest but her face looks soft with subtleness.
"Hmm, yup he did and I give him my blessing." Jia smiled mischievously. Her grin increased when Yumi's cheek turned rosy.
"I'm happy for you. You like him too, right?" Jia confirmed and Yumi is not surprised about her knowing. She just nodded her head. Jia pitches her cheeks because she looks precious. They laugh entering the classroom.
"So. Yejun's competition is next week?" Juno asked and received a groan from the members. He forgot it again!
"Yup! Sometimes I doubt that Hyuk is friends with you." Jia retorted while Hyuk laughed at the joke. Juno's big doe eyes shook from surprise and dramatically pointed his fingers to them.
"I knew it! You Jia Kim! What did you do to my best friend?! I cannot believe this! No one on my side anymore! Hyuk is not laughing at Jia's joke..." Juno looked like a crazy person while acting like he was seizing his breath. Jia scowled at him.
"Yah! Do you want to die?" Jia's piercing eyes made Juno surrender. His face is so funny that Jia looks like she was about to burst out laughing. This guy... Really.
"Yejun is practicing a piece. The school will be busy now. The festival is coming." Hyuk announced after a while.
"What festival?" Jia exclaimed. She was shocked that her school is having a festival. She forgot about it!
"Duh, Ms. Genius, the school festival is coming to us." Jia rolled her eyes because of the sarcasm.
"I don't remember anything though." Jia looks at her classmates. Penelope and Yumi ask for help.
"The class president said that we should do Romeo and Juliet. Penelope is Juliet and Yejun is Romeo but it might change because of Yejun's competition." Yumi explained. Her eyes narrowed darkly like she was thinking of something Jia would not like. She gulped.
"Jia dear, pay attention in class," Yumi said with a cold and strict voice. Jia feels terrified and shifts her stare to Juno who is happier than she was scolded. She sneers at him.
"Sorry, the weather is too cold. I don't know if I'll catch a cold." Jia says, giving pressure to her head. Juno came to her quickly.
"Are you okay?" Juno's voice is gentle. Hyuk is quick to look in her direction while Yumi comes to touch her temple.
"You should rest Jia. I'll excuse you to class. Go to the infirmary." She ordered and Jia had no say in Yumi's commanding tone.
Jia went to the clinic after the second period. She lay down in between the empty bed. Her head is throbbing widely and Jia is thankful for her decision and Yumi's scolding. She passed out from sleeping.
Jia wakes up because of the noise. She heard someone cry and her body tense up. Raising from the bed, Jia opens the curtain that divides the other bed.
"A-Are you okay?" Jia asked, the girl is shivering and moaning vehemently. She was in the lotus position facing the other side so Jia couldn't see her face.
The girl halted in crying and hauled her body to see Jia. Her face is full of tears while her uniform is crumpled and some of the buttons are missing. She has bruises on her arms and legs. Jia grimaces at the picture of the poor girl. She was the same girl who Jia found in an empty classroom. She purses her lips not sure what to say.
"I told you to mind your own business!" The girl shouts. Jia was startled by how deep her voice is and full of hatred towards her. She's about to speak when the door opens and Yejun arrives at the room. Their eyes met.
"How are you feeling?" Yejun walked to Jia and checked her temperature. Jia sees how much the girl's eyes change after Yejun comes in. The girl bit her lips, shifting her body in the corner.
"I'm fine but her." Jia is pointing at the little girl and Yejun gazes at the girl. He frowned after seeing how much the girl was injured.
"I think she needs medical help. Can you help her first? I am fine now, just a migraine. I'll ask for a tablet of Advil later." Jia smiled softly when Yejun nodded.
Yejun is not awkward when he helps the girl. He held her gently while calling for his driver. Jia knows that Yejun will go to the hospital too and she was thankful that the girl did not talk back to him. She was red when Yejun held her hand but Jia ignored her reaction. It's natural for her to have that kind of reaction because Yejun is good-looking. She sighed.
End of chapter 38.