stardust | park seonghwa - Chapter 27: Chapter 27

WOOYOUNG looks a little frozen and it's definitely not from the weather. He stiffens up next to me and it's a good thing we picked a spot closer to the back of the lecture hall. I have a feeling Wooyoung wouldn't stay quiet about what I'm going to confront him with but that doesn't explain why he's already so stiff about it.
So as the professor explains about metaphors and similes on the board, I nudge Wooyoung's foot with my own.
"Woo," I call in a whisper.
"What?" he replies, eyes straight ahead.
My lips jut out in a pout, frowning when Wooyoung doesn't turn his head like he always does.
I nudge him slightly with my knee but his attention (or at least, pretend attention) is still focused on the board. Seriously, he's usually crafting another weirdly engineered paper plane, can't he just pay me his attention for one small second?
"Wooyoung listen to me!" I whine, shaking his leg with my hand.
"Why are you even paying attention to the professor anyway, you never do that."
Wooyoung glances at me through his peripheral vision. "You can always talk after class," he reasons.
"But I need to go to the studio to continue my painting," I say.
"Tomorrow?"
"Sir, I don't have all week free, you know?" my hand carefully takes the arm Wooyoung's head was rested on so that he wont bang it on the table. The silver haired huffs, crossing his arms across his chest and tilts his head at me.
"Okay," he looks at me through the tops of his eyes.
I smile him, tight lipped. "Thank you."
With one last glance at the professor, I turn my body slightly to face him. Wooyoung looks like he'd rather be anywhere but here. Maybe he knows what I'm going to ask him? But I haven't really told anyone that so there was no way Wooyoung could know from somebody else.
That or maybe he has like, super telepathic powers or something.
"Okay," I swallow a bit of my saliva as I construct the sentences in my head.
I know I can always be straightforward with him and say 'hey Yeji came up to me sort your problems with her, coward-ass potato' or something but he seems a little out of it today. It's better to stay safe than sorry, right?
Then I give up on trying to approach this carefully. "Okay, to be honest, I don't really know how to start but..." I grit my teeth, "a few days ago—"
"—it's about Yeji, isn't it?" an exhale slips past Wooyoung's lips as he stares at me with an almost bored look.
When I don't say anything in reply, the boy rolls his eyes. "San told me you two had a talk but had no idea what it was all about," he tells me, "I knew she'd go to you."
I lick my lips, nodding slowly. So he knows.
"You should talk to her," I say.
"Why should I?"
"Why should you not?" I question him back, "Woo, what did she do? You two were getting along just fine."
Wooyoung looks at me with an 'are-you-for-real?' look.
Okay, maybe I wasn't expecting that and I swear it's not even my business, but I'm curious. Very curious to know what's up with him and why he's not giving her a chance to talk.
"You wanna know why?" I reply with a strong nod.
"Hyeshin, what's another thing that happened at that party?" he asks but sounding rhetoric as I already know what he's on about.
"Woo—"
"San told me about it, okay? After you left to Seonghwa hyung's place, he came back to get Yeosang and me," he interrupts me, brows knitted together.
"I don't appreciate that happening — you're my friend too, you know? Not one of my friends should be treated like that, especially since they've been told to back off, which she clearly didn't. It wasn't a nice move, people like her don't really need an explanation."
"Don't you think you're overreacting?" my sentence ending up sounding like a question said in a small voice, "I'm already over it, shouldn't you?"
"Still, Hyeshin, people like her... it's not worth it. Thank Lord San was there, what do you think would happen if he wasn't?"
I find myself snorting. "How would you know people like her?"
Wooyoung rolls his eyes, "how would you?"
Sighing exasperatedly, I spill something I know would catch him off-guard. "I would know because she and I had a thing."
As expected, I watch as his eyes shift a different colour — a dark, flaming green. He doesn't say anything for a while and all we could hear are the faint speaking of the professor at the front of the lecture hall. Wooyoung clenches his jaw, fist tightening on his thighs. This time, he's hard to read.
"What happened to me shouldn't come in between you and your soulmate," I break the silence and if I could draw daggers to prove my point to Wooyoung, I would. "You're lucky Yeji is willing to talk to you, she wouldn't usually. You found your star mate, Woo, your other half. You can literally die if you guys aren't on good terms."
Wooyoung scoffs loudly, drawing the attention of students closer-by. "Where the fuck did you get that idea?"
"It's logic; how can you play basketball with half a ball?"
"Whatever you're trying to get me to do, I've already made my mind up," he states strongly. He adjusts his posture on the chair, "what she did was wrong and if she did that to you, someone she's known and was comfortable with, you knows what she did to others?"
I really appreciate his care for me, I really do, but the jealousy in me takes over me. He should be grateful, for fuck's sake! Look at me, look at Yeosang — he clearly has it easy. Yeji was even ready to let him go if he didn't want anything after they talk. What was so hard?
"At least you found your soulmate!" I find myself blurting out. And I want to stop because honestly, a part of me agrees with what Wooyoung said but the words all come out before I can process them.
"If I were you, I would go straight to her but in reality what? Be thankful that you know who it is! Not everyone can have that!"
"Well that's your problem isn't it?"
The sentence seethes out of Wooyoung in sharp blades, his irises turning darker in colour. I flinch. My eyes widen. Not have I expected he would fire those at me and although I'd hate to admit how right he is, my stomach still churns with hurt.
Wooyoung's piercing expression falters a little but he keeps his chin held high.
I continue to eye him with disbelief, something blurry already clouding my vision but my shock still overcomes everything else. There's an incredibly suffocating pause in between us, I almost couldn't breathe.
I let out a bewildered splutter. "O-of course," I scoff, laughing a little pathetically with my jaw hanging low, "it's my problem. Don't worry about it."
So I turn back to face the front of the room, my teeth biting so hard into my lips I swear I can feel the metallic tang of blood on my tongue. I know Wooyoung can see me trying not to blink my eyes so that a tear wont escape, his stare burns the side of my head but I ignore him. My eyes roll upwards towards the ceiling and even though the choking feeling when you hold your cries are there, it fades away eventually.
He even tries to reach out for me, I can feel the apology in his gesture but he hurt me right. There.
Well, at least I tried.
When I walk out of the lecture hall, I didn't expect to run into San who looks like he had been waiting for someone — Wooyoung, maybe. He looks surprised to see me but comes over anyway, frowning at my frown, crouching a little lower to meet my eyes.
San puckers his lips in a very, very obvious pout when I don't tell him what's wrong. For that reason, I laugh, squishing his cheeks in between my palms and tell him that it's fine and that everything was great. He doesn't buy it, of course, but he relaxes a little at my smile.
"You told Wooyoung about Yeji?" although it stings a little to say Wooyoung's name, I still manage to say it without a waver in my voice.
"Maybe?" San cheekily answers, tone going higher at the end of his statement.
The taller male almost loses his balance when I have him in a loose headlock, pushing my knuckles against his forehead. "You naughty boy!" I screech with a hint of playfulness, ignoring the yelps of him saying sorry.
"Buy me boba," I say.
"Okay but you tell me what happened?"
Through the side of my eyes, I squint at him closely. I realise when Yeji had come to see me, I didn't tell San not to tell anyone so if I tell him now, it wouldn't be much of a harm right?
"Alright."
At several minutes past seven, as I lie in bed, someone knocks on my door.
I tilt my head in confusion as I scramble off the comfort of my mattress. There was nobody that I was expecting tonight. The only person I can think of was Yeosang but Yeosang never knocks, he'd always tell me to place my keys on the usual hidden spot outside so he could stroll right in. And plus, he's working a shift tonight so he was crossed off the list.
The person knocks again, a little louder this time. After checking my reflection briefly as I pass by it to the front door, I quickly straighten my shirt and fix my shorts.
"Coming!"
There on my doorstep was Park Seonghwa in his favourite lazy day pair of black Adidas tracksuits. He's gives me a wide toothy grin, so bright it was lighting up his eyes, almost like he was excited. My brows quirk up at the sight of his wind-tousled hair and his clenched hands make him look like a primary school ready for a school trip.
"Why are you here?" I ask him through the sides of my eyes.
"Taking you out?" he smoothly replies, making it sound like something obvious.
"Oh?"
"You looked a little less... smiley," Seonghwa says nonchalantly, walking right past me and grabs my coat from the hanger from behind the door. "So I'm gonna cheer you up!
"You wanna change your pants?" he asks as he hands me the piece of warm clothing.
Maybe my thoughtful hum was a little too long as he takes it upon himself to march further into the apartment and coming back with a pair of jeans I remember was hanging on the back of my chair and my phone on his other hand. He quickly slips my phone into his pocket and closes the door.
"Quick, change," he tells me, facing away from me.
I stare at him (well, his back more like) with wide eyes. "What!? Here?"
"Well I'm not looking, am I?" Seonghwa keeps his eyes straight ahead, "but if you wanted me to then you could just say so..."
As he turns back slowly, I hurriedly force him to turn away. "No!" I yelp.
Seonghwa giggles, "okay! Okay! Hurry up!"
Well, fuck.
Chanting 'he's not looking' over and over again to take my mind off it, I quickly change into the pair of jeans. "Don't look!" I screech even at the slightest shift of his weight.
"I'm not!"
"Don't move!!"
"Okay!!"
"I swear to God, Hwa, if you peek at the slightest..." I murmur under my breath.
Seonghwa lets out an audible "heheh" and I almost smack his butt.
Once I'm finished, complete with an obvious flush on my cheeks, I tap Seonghwa on the shoulder. He glances down. "Good," he mutters before hooking an arm around mine and we head out of the house.
I'm glad Seonghwa somewhat forced me into changing out of my shorts. The air inside his car is already as freezing as it is outside, the cold seeping through the fabric of my jeans. I pull my coat tighter around me as we wait for the heater to warm up.
"Alright, where are we going?" I ask after Seonghwa's made sure the back of his beloved car didn't bump into the huge wheelie bins outside. I lift my hands in front of the heater.
"Well..." Seonghwa switches the gear and the car rolls forward, "I was thinking about getting noodles... but we just had them a few days ago."
"So what?"
"It's not healthy!" he exclaims, "my mum used to tell me if you eat too much noodles, your intestines will get curly."
I scoff, "and you believe that?"
"Obviously!"
"That's no fun."
Seonghwa twists his face. "Yeah, whatever."
"And so, back to the topic, I thought well, I'll just have to make you do whatever comes to mind," he continues, shrugging.
"That is...?"
"You wanna visit Hongjoong at the KFC?"
A grin spreads on my face.
As usual, Hongjoong is at the counter, attending to customers. From the back of the line, I could see him pulling out a fake (but as equally as bright) smile when a man orders four buckets of original chicken, three cola drinks and four large fries.
I swear, I can almost see Hongjoong's face wash in relief when we get in front of the line. Seonghwa chuckles at his best friend's tired expression when the brunet flashes the man behind the counter a cheeky look.
"Yes?" Hongjoong's fingernails make tip-tapping sounds on the screen of the register.
"Chicken," Seonghwa says.
Hongjoong rolls his eyes, "yeah, what chicken, dumbass?"
"Nine bucket."
"Only nine!?" my hand smacks Seonghwa's arm.
"It's night time, apparently eating too much at night is bad," he reasons.
"I'll have five you have four then."
"What —no! I'm paying so I get five!" Seonghwa retorts.
I cross my arms, "then I'll pay!"
"You're not paying!"
"Then I want five!"
"But I'm pay—"
"— can you guys save your arguments later? My customers don't want to see a divorce," Hongjoong deadpans from behind the register.
"Whatever Hongjoong."
"Yeah and you can take it on the go."
"Sucks for you 'cause you wont have any company," I say teasingly, but Hongjoong gives me a stink-eye instead.
"I still have Beomgyu."
I'm surprised Hongjoong doesn't end up kicking us out. Well, not literally anyway. Apparently, there was a long line behind us that Beomgyu, Hongjoong's favourite child in this whole KFC business, had to push both of us out.
That's not really getting kicked out, right? It's simply getting dragged out by the lovely Beomgyu who was more of a sweetheart than Hongjoong can ever be. The young boy was muttering 'sorry' to us all the time and honestly, it was kinda cute.
"Sometimes I hate that little ass elf," Seonghwa mutters once we're back on the road. "We were fine at the table by the window."
"This smells so good," I inhale the scent of the food on my lap. Before I can fish a piece out, Seonghwa's hand grabs my wrist.
"Nu-uh, not yet," he tuts.
He keeps our hands in between us and doesn't let go, fingers interlaced.
Seonghwa only lets go to change gears and I take those chances to try and sneak a hand inside the bucket, but he's quick on his reflexes and grabs my hand before I can reach for it. He flashes me a playful look and I have to look away when he tightens his hold, feeling blood rush up my neck and higher and higher until it reaches my cheeks and the tips of my ears.
Well, fuck.
Seonghwa chuckles, tugging at my hand. "Why are you looking away?"
"Because!"
"Because what?" I hear him laugh again.
"It's a nice view outside, okay?" I try to reason but Seonghwa lets out an amused snort.
"It's dark," he deadpans, "you can only see the reflection of the radio light... or me?"
"Shut up!"
Seonghwa squeezes my hand before tickling my palm with his finger.
"Hey, have you tried picnicking in the dark before?" he asks me. He steers off the main road and I realise we've come to the parking lot of a local botanical park.
"No? That's creepy though."
The brunette tilts his head to the side. "True."
"Well... how about we un-creepy that?" Seonghwa parks the car under a streetlight and turns the engine off.
My eyes widen, "what? Here?"
"Come on, it'll be fun!" he exclaims, getting off the car with an excited hop. "Plus, you have me!"
Groaning, I follow in suit and brace myself for the cold air that is about to hit my face.
My arms hug the bucket of chicken, teeth chattering as I push the door close with my hips. Seonghwa shows up with a checkered picnic blanket then nods his head, signalling for me to follow him.
"Aren't you cold?" I ask, feeling glad that I'm the one carrying the bucket and feel the heat radiate through the cardboard. I eye his tracksuit jacket, grimacing slightly at how thin the material is.
"That, my darling, I've thought about," he states and swishes the picnic blanket elaborately over his shoulders, facing me with a boyish grin. "Smart?"
"Weirdo," but I can't help but let my heart swell at the sight.
The park was Edwardian style, majestic and elegant even under the moonlight. There are several garden lamps lining the footpath (I snort at some of the broken ones) and big oak trees. It's silent asides from the crunch of the gravel beneath our feet and when we come by a pond, Seonghwa lays out the blanket on the patch of grass.
We sit side by side, legs stretched out in front of us and taking in the chirping of crickets. There are no lights except for the lamps, a faint yellow glow illuminates Seonghwa's face as he makes a a really bad dad joke ("Hyeshin, what would you ask to know what sandwich San bought?" "What?" "Hehe, San-which?"). I facepalm as he doubles up in laughter.
Seonghwa giggles once again, swinging his half-eaten drumstick, "what do you call something that's black one second, then white the other, and black again and white again?"
"Oh God..."
"A penguin rolling down a hill!" he collapses on to the ground, rolling around as giggles come out of him.
"You're impossible," I utter, throwing my finished drumstick into the bucket.
"All of this comes with style, Shin," he nonchalantly says, throwing the drumstick bone into the bucket basketball style from where he lays. "But you feel better though, right?"
"Yeah I guess..." I send him a small smile, "thanks."
"Do you want to tell me why you're a little upset before?"
I do. I really do. But it feels hard enough telling San earlier. The topic hit a little close to home and telling Seonghwa is a little scary. Call me cowardly but the topic of star mates with Seonghwa is... I'm not ready yet.
"A-are we all done?" I say to change the topic, breaking the thick silence.
When Seonghwa nods, I quickly run over to a rubbish bin by a water tap. So after chucking the leftovers in the bin, I wash my hands.
I walk back to find Seonghwa wiping his hands with baby wipes. He grins when I frown at him.
"You know washing your hands are better than wiping them," I comment.
"Yeah but I'm too lazy and besides," he shoves his hand to my face, "it smells so good!"
Scrunching my face, I catch the faint smell of chemically made lavender and eucalyptus. Seonghwa grins. My hand takes his away from my face, lowering it down. "When we pass a tap later when we walk back, you're washing them."
"Yes mum..!"
I pinch the back of his hand out of annoyance. He almost yelps out of the park but that's okay, at least he's been warned.
"You know..." I begin, staring at the sky with branches and leaves framing my point of view, "I could've sworn it was a clear night before."
"Does it matter?" Seonghwa too looks at what I'm gazing at, "I think the moon looks better this way."
"It's literally almost non-existent," I retort.
"No it isn't," he points at a smudged looking yellow spot in the sky, "it's literally right there."
"I said almost."
"And I said it's —you can see it."
"You think it's going to—"
My words are cut off by a small, icy drop of liquid on my hand. Oh.
"—rain?"
"Nah," Seonghwa waves his hand, brushing it off, "it'll go away. The forecast said it's supposed to be a rain-less night."
"In fact, it's kinda hot in here," he continues, undoing his zipper and fans himself with his top, "I think I put too much chili sauce on my chicken."
I freeze when the man leans back to rest on one arm, his other hand still fanning himself. Maybe he's right, maybe it really is hot out here, maybe it isn't going to rain. But then again, I've lost count how many times I felt myself burn on this night alone.
Funny thing; most are caused by Seonghwa doing simple things. But he makes them all look like the movements were specifically made for him. It's unfair.
However, something stops me from staring at him longer. My head whips at the all the directions all around us and Seonghwa seems to feel it too. Splotches of water showers over us, leaving ugly wet patches on the blanket.
I groan, "you said it's not going to rain!" I flinch when a drop of water falls into my eye.
"Yeah well, the rainmaker gets what he wants," Seonghwa pouts at his now fallen wet hair, brushing them back from his face and gets up from his seat.
Apparently, the rainmaker does.
I grimace when the rain comes harder so I hastily pull myself to my feet using Seonghwa's hand. We quickly pick the blanket off the grass, stuffing it into a ball in my arms.
It's hard enough to see in the dark even if there are lamps, but they could only do so much. Add rain into the mix, it's hard to tell the difference between shadows and trees. Then I remember a bandstand not too far away, I could just make out the silhouettes of the structure in the shower.
"Come on," I say and pull Seonghwa behind me.
And so, we run.
To my surprise, I find myself letting out a small laugh as we cut through the downpour. Seonghwa is right behind me, my chest feels warm to hear him laugh too.
The bandstand that's not even far seems further away. But an illusion fills another one and maybe I'd like to run in the run in the rain for a little while longer if it's with Seonghwa.
After sprinting up the steps of the bandstand, Seonghwa and I burst into a fit of giggles. We stare at the wet-washed park in front of us, my eyes lingering at the spot by the lake he and I were just before.
"This was unplanned," Seonghwa says after a while, once our giggling has died down.
"Yeah, no shit."
"It's so cold..." my lips quiver to stop my teeth from chattering and twist the water out of my hair.
"Very," Seonghwa replies, equally as freezing.
"How are we going to get back?" I ask, "should we just run for it?"
He scoffs, "I don't want to turn my car into a swimming pool. Let's wait it out a little... we're both a little soaked."
So we both stand here, under the yellowish light encircling the ceiling with our clothes dripping with water. We only hear our breaths as we try to catch them back, puffs of warm air escaping our lips and the sounds of the crickets have now disappeared.
For some reason, when I glance at Seonghwa through the corner of my eyes, he looks ten times more beautiful. There's a faint smile gracing his lips, they're parted slightly, but a smile nonetheless. His hair is slicked back, except for a single strand sticking to his forehead. Water droplets decorate his cheeks and he wipes them off with the inside of his shirt.
Oh no.
My heartbeat jolts, again. I almost cry, tightening my grip around the wet picnic blanket.
The brunet must've felt my gaze on him as the next thing I know, his eyes meet mine. It takes me off-guard, so I quickly busy myself by padding over to a railing to hang the blanket over. I can still feel his stare at me but I ignore it, patting down the blanket lightly.
My fingers curl over the soft fabric when Seonghwa grabs a hold of my other hand, pulling me in closely. I inhale sharply and silently thank God I didn't embarrass myself by tripping over my own feet.
He's so close, very close, I can feel his warmth on my skin. Again, when I look into his eyes, they turn a dark shade of blue. So breathtaking.
Seonghwa doesn't move and keeps our forehead touching, so I do what my (obviously insane) current state of mind is telling me to and cup his face between my hands.  This time, he doesn't kiss me on the corner of my mouth.
My lips find his, our eyes fluttering close at the same time. His lips are cold and slightly chapped but welcoming all the same. It's almost like I could feel the light brushes of his eyelashes and I tremble under his touch.
It's a bit unconventional when we're both shivering from the cold, clothes wet and hands shaking. Still, Seonghwa presses me on to the railing, our bodies flushing closer and our mouths moving in an almost memorised rhythm. Even closer than I thought it could be.
Seonghwa lets out a content sigh, it sends my mark pulsing on my shoulder. But I come to love the feeling — it's so cold out here but he feels so warm.
When we tilt our heads to kiss deeper, I feel his hand that was resting on my cheek pull down my jaw a little. Holy shit, as tongues brush over each other's, I feel like I could scream and fly myself all the way to Neptune. My internal scream comes out as a sound I've never expected myself to hear, so my cheeks burn so, so hot when Seonghwa chuckles against my lips.
"Sneaky," my hand immediately grips his wrist when Seonghwa's hand travels down and lower, somehow making his way around my coat and sneaks a thumb under my shirt to rub circles on to the skin of my hipbones.
He grins, "I bet it all warmed you up though."
"How exactly?"
"Preserving body heat, baby," Seonghwa whispers. I would make a snarky comment if I could, but then before I could say them out loud, a gust of wind blows and with it comes the cold. Instinctively, I squish myself further into Seonghwa's embrace before he leans down again and our lips connect once more.
Preserving body heat.
Baby.
I gasp, pulling away a little from him but not far enough to get away from his arms. "Baby!?"
"Yes?"
I smack his chest. "I was not addressing you!" I cry, feeling another layer of blush creeping up my cheeks.
"But I was."
"It's just... not that, please," I sigh, feeling myself relaxing as Seonghwa brushes our noses together.
"Then what, Toe? You get? 'Cause you're 'Shin'?" Seonghwa laughs a little at his own joke.
"You're impossible."
"Alright, Cherry."
I feel a smile on my lips. "Now where did that come from?"
The boy shrugs, kissing me again.