Chapter 15

"Keep your enemies close"

Ha Na rushed home and went straight to the Cha family's house. As fast as her short legs could carry her, she ran to Jung Hwa's room but was stopped by Hakyeon and Namjoon who stood outside the closed door.

"What happened?" signed Ha Na and looked at both of them.

"I think it's better if she tell you about it herself," Hakyeon replied in sign language, "but I don't know if she'll talk to you."

"Is she in there?" Ha Na asked.

"Yes," signed Namjoon, "she sent us away, but maybe she'll let you in." Ha Na nodded and walked up to the door. Slowly she opened it and walked inside the dark room. Ha Na turned on the light and then took notice of the small figure laying in bed all crumbled up. As soon as the light were on, Jung Hwa reached for her blanket and dragged it over her body, disappearing beneath it. Ha Na let out a sigh and went over to sit on her bed. She put her hand on what she thought was her shoulder but quickly felt Jung Hwa pull away.

Ha Na was getting impatient by all this childish acting and quickly pulled off Jung Hwa's blanket, being met by a very displeased face.

"Give it back!" yelled Jung Hwa and Ha Na read it off her lips, but Ha Na just shook her head and threw her blanket on the ground. "Then turn off the lights!" Jung Hwa yelled again.

"Why? So you can cry alone in the darkness?" Ha Na asked in sign language and Jung Hwa became dead silent. She looked down at the floor and felt the tears stream from her eyes again. Ha Na moved closer to Jung Hwa and carefully placed her arms around her body. Ha Na felt the her body give in and Jung Hwa leaned against Ha Na while allowing her tears to fall uncontrollably.

After sitting for a while without talking, Jung Hwa pulled away from Ha Na and wiped away the rest of her tears and reached for a tissue to blow her nose.

"Now, will you please tell me what happened?" Ha Na signed and Jung Hwa looked down at the floor again. Without looking Ha Na in her eyes she signed:

"My boyfriend broke up with me."

Ha Na felt her heart sink when she read her signs. She was somehow relieved it wasn't anything worse, like "she got cancer" or "someone died". But at the same time Ha Na saw how much this affected Jung Hwa and she wanted to be there for her, but how could she do that when she never had a boyfriend of her own and hadn't ever felt the way Jung Hwa was feeling right now?

Not knowing what to do, Ha Na just placed her hand on Jung Hwa's arm and gently stroked her arm.

"You think I'm stupid, right?" Jung Hwa said while signing and Ha Na shook her head, "I know you think so! I wasn't even in love with him when we started dating, so why would I be sad that he broke up?"

"I wouldn't think anything like that!" signed Ha Na.

"But I am stupid... why am I always the one who ends up getting hurt?"

"I don't know..." signed Ha Na.

"I gave it my all to be a good girlfriend. I wanted to fall in love with him like he said he was in love with me. And I did... I fell in love with him, but apparently I wasn't how he expected I would be... Am I really that unlovable?"

"No you're not!" signed Ha Na, "I love you, Namjoon Oppa loves you and your brother loves you too!"

"Thank you," signed Jung Hwa, "but somehow, that still doesn't help me right now."

Suddenly, the door opened very slowly and Hakyeon and Namjoon stuck in their heads.

"Is it okay if we come inside now?" asked Namjoon and Ha Na looked at Jung Hwa. She nodded and then wiped away her tears again.

The young men walked inside her room and sat on the bed, Hakyeon on the other side of Jung Hwa and Namjoon next to Ha Na. The small bed had just enough room for all of them, but it gave a somehow cozy feeling and Jung Hwa felt her heart calming down.

"He is a real jerk for breaking up with you!" said Hakyeon.

"Yes, and he is going to regret it later," followed Namjoon, "but don't you dare take him back!"

"I won't," said Jung Hwa while signing, "I won't go back to him even if he beg on his knees!"

"Yes that is my sister!" said Hakyeon and gave her a tight hug.

Ha Na was about to say something when she felt her phone vibrate, so she discreetly checked it and saw a new message from Jimin.

"I will be right back," signed Ha Na and got up. They all nodded and after Ha Na left the room, Namjoon moved over, next to Jung Hwa and gently put his hand on hers.

Ha Na walked out in the hallway and opened her phone to see what Jimin wanted. It was a longer message then usual so it felt quite serious.

From: Park Jimin 🐨

Hi there, Noona... A problem has occurred. It seems that I have an exam on the day of the dance competition. The exam will end before the competition will begin, but I won't be able to reach the event hall in time, since I am one of the first dancers to go on stage. I will try talking to my professor, but I don't think I can do anything about it.

I just wanted to tell you so you can be prepared I might not be able to enter the competition anyway.

Ha Na read the message and then re-read it to make sure she understood it correctly. Her head was filled with all sorts of possible options but everytime she thought more deeply of one, she realized it wouldn't work.

She was devastated, mostly because she knew there would be talent scouts at that competition, Hakyeon had told her. But now he wouldn't be able to enter.

Ha Na saw the door open and Hakyeon appeared and walked up to Ha Na. He looked a bit worried and that didn't change when he saw the expression on her face.

"What is this now? Did something happen to you too?" asked Hakyeon in sign language.

"Not to me," replied Ha Na, "but something happened to Jimin."

"To Jimin?" asked Hakyeon suspiciously.

"Forget it, I am not going to tell you, because I know you don't like to talk about Jimin."

"No, tell me!" said Hakyeon, "I might not be a big fan of him, but if this thing that happened to him, affects you, then I want to know."

Ha Na thought about it for a while and then handed the phone to Hakyeon so he could read the message.

"What is with the koala emoji?" asked Hakyeon, but Ha Na just signed for him to focus.

Hakyeon read through it all and nodded as he understood the essence of the problem.

"I see why this would upset you, but as Jimin said, there is probably not much to do," signed Hakyeon.

"I know... but it still makes me sad."

"I understand," signed Hakyeon and gave her back the phone, "and you are allowed to be sad. But don't you want to go back to Jung Hwa for now? Then we can talk about this again later."

"Really? You will help me think of something?"

"I didn't say that," signed Hakyeon with a smile, "come on, Jung Hwa is waiting."

Once they entered the room again their eyes went to the sleeping figure laying in bed and Namjoon sitting next to her while stroking her back.

"Is she sleeping?" asked Hakyeon.

"Yes, not long after you left she laid down and fell asleep," replied Namjoon, "I think it has been tough on her, this breakup."

"It always is," said Hakyeon and sighed, "I wished she would find a guy who treats her better."

"Me too," signed Ha Na.

"Should we leave her be?" asked Hakyeon.

"You two can just go, I will stay a little while in case she wakes up and gets upset again," said Namjoon while signing.

"You sure?" asked Hakyeon, "I am her brother so shouldn't I stay?"

"We are all a family," signed Ha Na and Hakyeon had to agree with that.

"Then, come down later," said Hakyeon, "we will be chilling in the living room."

***

Jimin was sitting at his desk with all his school books and sign language documents in front of him, but he wasn't reading or studying. All he did was stare at the wall while letting out an occasional sigh once in a while.

"Hyung, you have been sighing since before, is something wrong?" asked Jungkook, who was lying on his bed with his camera in his hands, looking at the pictures he had taken with it so far.

"It is just.... I talked to my professor today and he couldn't move my exam, so I have to text Ha Na and tell her I can't be in the competition anyway."

"That is too bad..." said Jungkook, "and there is really nothing you can do about it?"

"I don't think so," said Jimin with another sigh. Jungkook looked at his friend and was saddened by what he saw. He put down his camera and stood up.

"Don't be sad, Tae will be home soon and then we will make sure to cheer you up!" said Jungkook and put his hand on Jimin's shoulder, "WE COULD GO BUY ICE CREAM!"

"I am not really in the mood for ice cream..."

"Oh... I see," said Jungkook, "then... what are you in the mood for?"

"I don't know, I think I just-"

Jimin was interrupted by a very loud knock on the door and Jungkook and Jimin looked at each other utterly confused.

"I will go open," Jungkook said as he was already standing. Jimin stayed in his chair and just looked at all his homework.

"Umm... Jimin," said Jungkook, "someone wants to speak with you."

"Me?" said Jimin and got up and went to the door, "who is here to see m- Hakyeon!" Jimin was startled when he saw Hakyeon standing in his doorway looking right at him. Jungkook just quietly backed up without disturbing them.

"Umm... do you want to come inside?" asked Jimin.

"Let us talk outside instead," Hakyeon said.

"Okay." Jimin walked out in the hall with Hakyeon and closed the door behind him. They walked outside without sharing one word or even a glance at each other.

"So..." said Jimin after they had been standing outside for a while without saying anything.

"I moved your spot," said Hakyeon.

"I am sorry," said Jimin, "I don't quite understand."

"At the competition," continued Hakyeon and rolled his eyes, "I moved your spot. You will be the last one to go on stage so you should be able to make it in spite of your exam."

Jimin was standing with eyes wider than the sky and his jar dropped to the ground. He had so many questions. How did Hakyeon know about his exam? How did he just move his spot? But the biggest question he had was, why?

"I... thank you," stuttered Jimin.

"No problem," said Hakyeon and was about to walk away.

"Wait!" yelled Jimin, "I don't know why you are helping me all of a sudden, but I want you to know that I am really grateful to you. Thank you!" Hakyeon turned around.

"Just do your best at the competition," said Hakyeon, "it is not fun to win without a bit of a challenge."

"I will put in all my effort, don't you worry," said Jimin with a smile, "be prepared for the fight of your life!"

"I can't wait."

When Jimin got back to his room, Jungkook was sitting on the edge of his bed, eagerly waiting for Jimin to return.

"What was that all about?" asked Jungkook while looking at Jimin with curiosity.

"I wont have to back out of the competition," said Jimin.

"Really?" said Jungkook and almost jumped up from his bed, "that is amazing! How?"

"Well Hakyeon-" Once again Jimin was interrupted, this time by his phone ringing. 

"Seriously, I can't seem to be left alone tonight," whispered Jimin before answering the call.

"Hello."

"Jimin, it  is your father," spoke Ha Jun over the phone.

"Oh, hi," said Jimin.

"How are things? Are your exams going alright?" Jimin sighed by the mention of exams.

"They are going fine, just like always."

"That is good then," said Ha Jun, "and your other interests aren't stressing your out or taking away the focus of your school?"

"If you are talking about my dance practice with Hoseok, then no it is not taking away my focus," said Jimin, trying to keep his anger in.

"That is good, I don't want you to overwork yourself."

"That is... nice."

There was a moment of silence.

"Jimin, son, I was thinking, when are you coming home?"

"I don't know, dad I can't think about stuff like that right now."

"No... no of course you can't," said Ha Jun, "well... study hard then!"

"Yes dad, goodbye."

Jimin put down his phone and looked at Jungkook who again had a worried look in his eyes. He didn't want his farther to ruin the good mood Jimin had, just a moment ago.

As the room was filled with silence, the door opened and a loud and energetic Taehyung entered the room.

"Yo, what is going on in here?" asked Taehyung and looked at the both of them. Jimin took a deep breath and pushed out all thoughts of his farther and exams and every other worry he had. Then he put on his brightest smile and said:

"Nothing, but me and Jungkook decided to go buy ice cream."

Hello everyone!

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Remember to stay warm and eat healthy and take care of yourself. Stay safe.

Also, don't forget to leave a comment down below.

Love, Annalise~