Chapter 51

His POV

I am lost. She hasn't been coming to class for a week, her phone is turned off, her brother told me not to go near her for the time being.

"Let her breathe for now." He said as he pat me on the back.

It's been a week and the vacant seat beside me made me miss her presence even more. I know it's my fault  and it frustrates me that I don't know what to do, all I wanted was to be by her side but even that's impossible at this point.

I was startled when I saw a pair of familiar shoes near the door, my eyes slowly followed her body, from her shoes until I reached her face which I haven't seen for a long time. My heart almost leaped our of my chest, my grip on my book got tighter.

She's here.

I called her name but I didn't get to finish when she passed by me and walked to another seat. I closed my book and looked at her back, waiting for her to turn aroung. She talked to a girl and after hesitating the girl moved out of her chair and the once vacant seat that was for her, was occupied by another.

I knew I couldn't endure watching her talking to that guy, when she looked at his eyes for a couple of moments and that's when I turned around.

I miss her voice so much that even when she's talking to him, I smiled unconsciously.

It was later that day when the girl besides me asked if she can move to her friends seat, Irene let her and so Irene is now sitting next to me. I don't care about her beside me, as long as she keeps quiet so I can hear Sejeong's laughter at the back, that's fine.

I wish I could stay in this room for a long time to be in the same space as her but we had to finalize everything for the event and we have this assignment for our class, before leaving the room I turned to her and she's still sitting next to him.

I brought the pain in my chest until we reached the library.

There's a lot of students still inside.

"My justice to bring fourth..." she squinted her eyes when I handed her my tablet to read the assignment.  We must know the reference used for the poem, in my memory Irene loves literature, she would talk endlessly about the different artistic merits.

She should get our assignment done while I finalize our papers for the event, time is moving.

"You don't know?" My eyebrows furrowed when I noticed her confusion. She looked at me and shook her head, admitting she really doesn't.

"I'll just search on it." She took out her phone and went back and forth from my tablet and her phone, typing the words to look for the possible answer.

Is this a different reality? I've been observing her for months but her actions, the way she talks it really doesn't add up to the one in my memories.

The next day I saw Sejeong with a juicebox in her hands, I followed her with my eyes again until she placed the juicebox on his table, they talked and she looks so happy.

I couldn't help myself as my feet started making way to her, I stood behind her as they were talking. I asked her if we could talk and she said yes. I didn't know how to speak to her and what I should say first, after debating in my mind, I said I missed her. However it went downhill until she shot me a glare.

"You fell for her." She said  in a matter of fact. " So did you promise her forever yet?" My chest tightened as my eyebrows furrowed.

"I never fell out of love. I have never loved anyone as much as I love you, seeing you in pain hurts me-."

"You always say that you're hurt when I'm in pain, so all those times you hurt me until you broke me. Did you close your eyes?" A tear fell from her eyes and another one followed, until it all went out pouring.

If I could just cry for you, take your pain for you to feel peace, if only there was a way I wish I could.

"I just don't know how to take it away for you." I said defeated. My heart couldn't bear seeing her this way afterall.

"All I ever needed at that time was you but you weren't there. I'll never need you again. "

With her words and how she looked at me, I knew that I lost her.

I kept pondering on her words like a vinyl playing in repeat in my mind. I couldn't understand a word from the book I'm reading and that went on for the entire class.

"I know you don't want to talk to me but we're being called." Irene told me as she opened her messages, I sighed and nodded. We're almost done anyways, after this I can...

I can't really talk to her now after that, I forgot.

Before leaving, I stole a glance again. She's looking down reading a book, a sad smile crept on my face before turning around and went to the student council room.

The last couple of task to do is just to check the materials. We have some heavy equipment stored inside the room, this is to be transferred to the open field so I called the utilities and asked them to bring everything to the open field. While I was checking the materials that has been transferred we all heard someone fall, I stopped writing and turned.

Irene fell to the ground with a line of electric wire under her feet, I followed the wire and saw that she tripped on a plugged material while the utilities were checking them. I was about to go back to my business when one of the seniors asked me to take her to the clinic. Exhausted to argue I agreed and brought her to the clinic. As soon as she sat I turned around and was about to leave when she stopped me.

"The nurse isn't here yet." She said.

"So what." I replied. She then asked me to stay with her, I had the urge to rub my face out of frustration.

"How many times do I have to say 'no' for you to understand. I don't want you near me."

"Sehunie."

"Don't fucking push my buttons." I pointed, her eyes widened, the way she called me made my tummy turn, I despised it.

It's despicable.

"This is the last time I'm helping you."

"Why?!" She yelled.

Feeling someone taking over my mind I searched her face.

A gift she said? What a joke, it's the deity's punishment for her. Her face looks like her, but she's not.

"Why can't you love me still?" She said in a whisper, her eyes looking straight at me. I smirked, now I can finally confirm my suspicion.

"Because you will never be her." A part of my mind spoke, I watched her eyes turned red and I walked out of the clinic.

I went back to the room and finished checking the materials when someone from the room yelled a name.

"Yo Minnie, came here for me?" Minnie holding two bags she crinkled her nose and opened her mouth.

That bag.

"Ew no weirdo." She simply said, I dropped my things and went to her. She leaned back in surprise.

"What the-!"

"Where's Sejeong?" Her eyes furrowed and pointed to one direction with her mouth.

"She went to the clinic." I didn't let her finish and ran to the clinic.

She was there?! What happened? Did she got hurt? Fuck!

When I heard a cry echoing the hall my heart almost bursted out of my chest but when she started speaking my eyebrows met at the center, this is not Sejeong's voice. I walked slowly to the door.

"I thought I had a chance but I was just reminded how he could never look at me the way he looks at you. In this lifetime, when will I ever be happy?" Irene said.

"I can't feel sorry for you." Sejeong said. My eyes widened as I listened to them.

"I know." Irene replied. They went silent, I was about to go inside when Sejeong spoke.

"You made a mistake though." She paused and I heard her move.

"I'm not Irene."