Lunch with Ten's friends on Wednesday was something new. They had brought up Byeol again, but for the first time, it wasn't related to Ten. Hendery wouldn't shut up at all about the previous evening and the possibilities he saw for Byeol and Taeyong. Taeyong kept getting agitated though and at one point, he stood on his chair in order to get Hendery to temporarily stop talking so he could say something.
"I'd like to make one thing clear: I don't like Byeol." He said firmly.
"You're a terrible liar, Taeyong," Doyoung said and Mark laughed loudly.
"Yeah, you totally didn't go all heart eyes over her last night," Ten said with a scoff.
"I didn't! I-I don't like her! Now, Ten on the other hand–" Taeyong started to say, pointing at his buddy with a smile.
"Nope, not having this conversation. We already know you like her, and I'm pretty sure she likes you back." Ten quickly saved himself and reverted the conversation back to Taeyong. He looked up at his flustered friend. "Get off that damn chair!"
The day went on pretty normally. He was walking to the dance studio at the end of the day when something on the ground caught his eye. He furrowed his eyebrows and walked closer to the lockers and bent down, inspecting the shards of translucent, pink and purple-tinted plastic. It looked very, very familiar... kinda like Byeol's clip.
Ten picked up one of the bigger pieces, which resembled the top of a wing, and examined it. It was definitely Byeol's clip. What was it doing there? And shattered? He stashed it in his pocket and continued to the dance studio.
Byeol grudgingly went home after last period ended. She felt her phone buzzing in her pocket and checked it... then quickly pocketed her phone again once she saw who it was. Nope, no words with him for a while.
When she finally reached her front door, Byeol was surprised to find it unlocked. She furrowed her eyebrows and slowly opened the door, looking around the living room. There was an open suitcase on the floor with clothes thrown all around. Byeol stepped inside and called, "Hello?"
A woman in her late thirties walked out of one of the bedrooms with a blazer in either hand, a stressed expression on her once-beautiful face.
"Mom?" Byeol was taken aback. Was the world finally taking pity on her? Did her mom come home from work while the sun was still out? Was she finally going to spend some time with her?
But then Byeol took note of the suitcase and rushed packing and her heart sank. It was the complete opposite.
"Byeolie!" Her mother smiled and threw her blazers on the pile of stuff in the suitcase. She gave Byeol a big hug and the small girl hugged her back lightly, still very confused.
"Mom, what are you doing here? What's with the packing?" She asked, taking off her backpack and jacket and closing the door behind her.
"Honey, I just got urgent news at work... they're saying I need to travel to Vancouver for a business trip..." She explained, looking at her daughter with sorrow.
"Oh, okay..." Was all Byeol could say. She had no energy in her to get mad or hurt or anything else. "H-How long are you going to be gone?"
Mrs. Choi took a while to respond. She took a deep breath and said, "Five days. I'll be back before your talent show next week," She added.
"You... you won't be here for–" Byeol started to say as realization dawned on her.
"I know, sweetie, and I'm so, so, sorry." Mrs. Choi cut her off, unable to hear the words. She hugged her daughter again, tightly. "I'm really sorry, but I promise I'll make up for it when I get back. We can go anywhere you want. You... you have that friend you dance with, right? You can call him over and anyone else you want–"
YOU ARE READING
Counting on Stars // NCT Ten
Fanfiction"It's just me, you, and the music." Byeol has moved schools again. It's normal. But just because things happen often doesn't make them easier. Throughout her difficult time adjusting to the new settings along with leaving so much behind, Byeol meets...
