He Knows {part 4}

Jinae : MWO? NIEL OPPA???



Nana : HAHAHA CHILLAX, JINAE. THE CAPSLOCK.



Jinae : IT IS NIEL OPPA? WTH. WTF. OMG. OOOOOMGGGGGGGGGG



Nana : what’s wrong with it ;_;



Jinae : OH MY GODDDDDDD OMG OMG OMG OMG UNBELIEVABLE~



Nana : aish, I shouldn’t have told you >.<



Jinae : hahaha it’s okay unnie



Nana : gosh I feel so embarrassed now. Aaaaaaaaakh T_T you are still keeping your promise, right?



Jinae : of course, my unnieeee



Nana : gomawo Jinae <3



Jinae : welcome unnie :D



Phew. Thank God her reaction is positive. I thought she would freak out or something…



They both got busy with their things until it was finally 12. Nana IM-ed Jinae, wished her a happy birthday, and finally went to bed with a relieved feeling.



~~~~~



A week went by, it was Friday and all the students were busy with their retaking tests and bad scores. Nana chilled by the basketball court, watching people running around for laps in order to complete their physical education score.



Hyerin came towards Nana with a tired face. “You ain’t going back to class?”



Nana looked around and saw Soyoung playing basketball with Eunji. “Nah, I guess I’ll stay for a while.”



Hyerin nodded and went back to class. Nana waited for Eunji and Soyoung to finish their mini game. After waiting for like, a minute, Nana got bored and texted Jinae saying that she hasn’t seen Niel today. Jinae told Nana to just text him.

Nana and Jinae’s conversation went for more than 10 minutes, and when Nana was just about to reply Jinae’s text, she saw Niel.



Niel walked all the way to school’s gate, as he went out of Nana’s sight, she decided to go back to class.



Nana was done texting Jinae. She walked slowly to her class. She arrived just when the class was about to hold a geography remedial. Nana sat beside Minji at the furthest row from the door.



“Hey Nana. Niel came to class and we talked about…”



Nana looked at Minji and raised her eyebrow. “What?”



“About.. you know…” Minji looked at Nana and had this sort of teasing face.



“What??”



Nana wasn’t pretending not to know anything. She really had no idea what Minji was talking about.



“Minji what are you trying to say?”



“We talked about you,” said Minji.



Nana stared in disbelief.



“Minji, Nana, could you both leave the class? You don’t need to take the remedial so you can wait outside,” said the teacher.



Nana nodded and dragged Minji out of class. They sat beside the class’s door and Nana urged Minji to tell everything.

“What? You talked about me? About what? Gosh, Minji how could you guys…”



Minji looked half happy half worried. “The point is he already knows about you.”



“Me? My.. what? WHAT?!” Nana started to freak out.



“Look, I don’t know the full story, okay. But Sunmi does. She was the one who planned this, unfortunately our plan was… failed because of… well you should ask Sunmi later,” Minji looked down to her food and started eating.



“Dammit. This is not good,” mumbled Nana.



~~~~~



Nana, Minji, Soyoung, and other classmates were gathering at Sunmi’s house, waiting for three thirty pm to go swimming. They were all chilling on Sunmi’s bed and listened to Sunmi’s story, after Nana forced Sunmi to explain the whole thing.



“Okay listen. The class was empty that time, only Kyungmi, Minji, and I were there. All of you were outside when Niel came to class…”



Sunmi paused. The girls kept listening.



“That was when I planned to try to get him close to you, Nana. I called Niel and said that I want to have a talk with him. So he sat down, and I asked him a few questions. First, I asked does he have someone in mind? Is there any girl he likes at this moment? He answered no…”



Sunmi looked at Nana. “Go on,” said Nana.



“So I offered him, I mentioned that I have a friend that could maybe.. well you now, I offered a matchmaking to him. He asked who was the girl I meant, he asked for clues. So I just said that he knows her, and she’s our friend. Niel got curious and had no idea. I left him for a while to go outside and give my assignment to our teacher. It didn’t even take me five minutes. I told him to wait. He waited. But as I entered the class, Kyungmi was already talking to him.”



Everyone looked at Sunmi. Nana had the most serious face.



“And,” Sunmi continued. “He already found out it was you, Nana. And I heard that Kyungmi said something about ‘if I didn’t say anything about Jinae, you wouldn’t know it was Nana, right?’ I looked at Minji and was confused why she didn’t hold Kyungmi off, turns out that Minji was busy with her stuff so unfortunately she couldn’t… well. Our plan failed.”



Sunmi looked at Minji. Minji nodded.



“We’re really sorry, Nana,” said Sunmi.



Nana shook her head. “It wasn’t your fault. Kyungmi said it. She broke her promise and told Niel EVERYTHING..”



Nana looked extremely pissed. The girls were hesitating to speak out a response.



“What are you going to do next?” asked Soyoung.



“I’m calling Jinae,” said Nana.



~~~~~



“What did Jinae say?”



Soyoung asked Nana as she arrived at the girls’ table. They were done with their swimming and were having dinner together.



“Jinae is so thoughtful. Damn she’s a nice girl I feel guilty to her. I’m scared that she’ll think that I’m close to her just because of Niel. It’s really not that. She said she would be angry to Kyungmi if she was in my place,” Nana sat down and started to eat her meal slowly.



“I would be pissed too if I were you,” said Sunmi.



“Yeah, me too,” said Dahae. “How could she tell your secrets when she already promised not too.”



Dahae was the newest friend to know, so was Sunhwa, Kyungmi’s best friend.



“Sunhwa,” Nana lifted her head. “You’re close with Kyungmi, I hope you don’t tell her anything about this…”



Sunhwa nodded. “I understand. I get pissed at her sometimes too. No, quite often, in fact.”



Nana smirked.



“I just realized that when I was still crushing on my ex, Kyungmi was the one who told him too! Damn she really can’t keep her mouth shut. She can’t hold secrets,” said Sunhwa, playing with her empty plate.



“I know right,” Nana let out a sigh. “Girls, if you have secrets don’t ever tell Kyungmi. It’s not fuckin’ safe and I don’t want any of you to feel just like what I am feeling now. So fuckin’ pissed.”



The girls looked at Nana.



“Aww Nana, have strength okay. Maybe something good will come out of this,” said Soyoung.



Sunmi nodded. Nana looked at them all and smiled.



“Thanks, girls. Now why don’t we talk about something else?”



~~~~~



Nana arrived at home and chilled at the living room with her older brother, Seungho. She went online while Seungho was playing with his phone on the sofa.



Nana turned and looked at Seungho. “Bro, can I tell you my story? Haven’t talked to you in like what.. a year?”



Seungho nodded. “Yeah what story do you have?”



Nana started babbling her whole fangirl life, how Teen Top debuted and she liked Daniel at the first sight, how she started being classmates with Niel who looks exactly like Daniel, how she turned out to like Niel because of Daniel, and how that feeling grew until now, which made her like Niel for himself, not because of other aspects.



“Well that’s a complicated story,” commented Seungho after Nana finished her story.



“Kyungmi told him everything,” sighed Nana. “I remember I told Sunhwa that usually every time I see Niel, I see Daniel in him. But now every time I watch Daniel in fancams and performances, he reminds me of Niel. Niel dominates my mind more than the real Daniel and I guess now I truly like him, not because of his looks or anything. Just because he is him.”



Seungho nodded. “Well, since he knows about you, and you know that he knows about you. I’m sure that he knows that you know that he knows.. get it?”



“Wha.. what...” Nana looked as if she was thinking hard. “Oh yeah I get it. We both know everything now.”



Seungho nodded again. “Exactly. But that’s not it. He knows about you from a friend, not from yourself. So it seems that he is still doubting the news and needs clarification..”



“What kind of clarification,” Nana looked confused.



“You see, Nana. When guys find out that a girl has a crush on him, he wants to find the truth about it. And the exact truth won’t be found by asking friends, but from the girl herself.”



“So?”



“Well, you need to talk to him,” said Seungho with ease.



“WHAT…” Nana freaked out.



“Yeah, you should explain what must be explained,” Seungho’s face looks as if nothing was bothering him.



Nana shook her head. “You’re crazy. He knows. He knows everything now, I can’t just pop out in front of him and suddenly say ‘HEYYYY NIEL you heard about it huh? Yup that’s right, I like you!’. No. You’re crazy.”



Seungho laughed. “Well you must talk to him anyway. Believe me. It would be better if you talk to him rather than you keep this situation going on forever and none of these problems would be clear.”



Nana paused for a while.



“Still. How am I supposed to talk to him? What should I say? And tomorrow is our school’s first day of sports competition,” Nana looked at her nametag and Niel’s.



Seungho grabbed the two nametags. “Just ask him what Kyungmi told him yesterday. Wonder how to make him talk to you alone? This,” Seungho picked up the nametags. “Just call him and say that you’re going to give him his nametag, then ask about it. Explain everything.”



“How should I say it? What if.. what if he responses badly and.. I mean..”



Nana paused and looked panicked.



“Don’t think about what to say. Just say the first sentence, which is what did Kyungmi say, then he would answer and the conversation would go on smoothly,” said Seungho confidently.



Nana kept silent.



“Besides I think he likes you too,” Seungho looked at Nana and gave a teasing smirk.



Nana scoffed. “Oh don’t be such a know-it-all. How could you conclude that, you don’t go to school with me.”



Seungho smiled and shrugged. “Well good luck anyway. Trust me, it’s better for you to talk. Or do you want to regret it the rest of your life for not talking to him? Do you wanna be like Eunji who’s like.. stuck to him and can’t forget him?”



Nana shook her head vigorously. “No I don’t want to be like Eunji. No, thank you.”



“Then be brave and talk to him.”



~~~~~



Nana held both her nametag and Niel’s. She was stuttering, shaking and trembling, whatever nervous people do.



“Sunmi, I really think this isn’t necessary,” said Nana, trying to be calm.



Sunmi looked at Nana deeply in the eyes. “Your brother is right, Nana. You should talk to him.”



“I should? I really should?”



Nana’s face was full of doubt.



“I’m sure it will be okay,” said Sunmi.



Nana breathed in and out. She looked blankly to the hall’s entrance. It was crowded, people walking back and forth preparing for the sports competition opening. Nana didn’t feel calm at all.



“No I think I should just give him this nametag and pretend nothing happened,” said Nana after she texted Seungho, asking whether she should talk to Niel or not.



Seungho replied instantly, in which Sunmi read the text too and gave Nana a pat on her back.



“See, guys don’t like if you pretend to know nothing. You should talk.”



~~~~~



Nana asked Soyoung, Minji, Hyerin, and everyone she could find at the hall about it. They all agreed with Seungho and told Nana to speak to Niel as well. Nana felt even more depressed.



“I just don’t feel it’s right,” said Nana to Hyerin.



“Better you tell him now. You don’t want any regrets, do you?”



“What if I regret telling him?”



Pause. Hyerin was thinking of a way to response to that question.



Suddenly it was time for the opening to start. Just minutes for it to start. Nana looked at the nametags.



“Should I go out now?” asked Nana. She looked far away to the place where Niel was sitting with his friends.



Hyerin nodded. “Hwaiting, Nana!”



“Text me if he has come out or not, okay. I’m going out now, and I’m gonna call him to go out. When he does, tell me,” said Nana. She stood up and hesitantly walked outside.



Hyerin nodded and waved at Nana as she left their seats.



Nana left the hall and walked outside to the empty parking lot. She met Sunmi there and pleaded Sunmi to accompany her until Niel comes. Sunmi nodded and tried to calm Nana down as far as she could.



Nana took out her phone and texted Niel to come out. Delivered, but no reply.



“He hasn’t replied,” Nana whispered. She dialed Niel’s number and waited for him to answer.



“Hello?” a well-known voice was heard from Nana’s phone.



“Niel could you go out now?”



“Why? I’m kinda busy over…”



“Your nametag,” said Nana. Snatching away Niel’s unfinished sentence.



“Oh okay, I’ll go out now.”



Nana shut her phone. She looked at Sunmi. Her face was extremely nervous and scared. Suddenly Hyerin texted her.



From : Hyerin

He just went out! Hwaiting, Nana!!



“Dammit your text just made me even nervous, Hyerin!” Nana spoke to herself.



Sunmi was being a bit annoying and teased Nana. Nana managed to laugh a bit and completely stopped when she saw Niel approaching her.



“Sunmi you can go now,” whispered Nana. Sunmi nodded and slowly left the place.



Nana’s heart was beating like crazy. She felt so lifeless. Her knees were trembling.



Niel’s face was different from usual. He didn’t look as cheerful as usual, as if something was bothering his mind. It made Nana felt even more uneasy.



Niel stretched out his hand even before he reached Nana, asking for his nametag. Nana hesitated to give the nametag. She was about to hand it over.



“Wait,” said Nana, pulling her hand back.



“What?” asked Niel.



“What did Kyungmi say to you?” asked Nana. Those words went out with lots of courage required.



Niel didn’t have a chance to answer. His phone rang and he had to answer the call.



Fuck. I’m standing here being nervous than ever and he’s talking on the phone, ignoring me? Beautiful.



Niel looked at Nana. Nana looked back. Niel shut his phone.



“Hurry and give me the nametag, I’m busy,” said Niel.



Those words just made Nana feel stomped, struck by a lightning in a bright day.



Nana slowly gave the nametag to Niel, feeling really hopeless.



“Thank you,” said Niel, slowly leaving the place.



“Wait… what did Kyungmi say to you?” asked Nana once again.



Niel looked uneasy. “What are you talking about.. I don’t know anything,” he said as he left Nana alone, and entered the hall.



Nana stayed there for a few seconds. She saw Sunmi not far from her place. She walked slowly towards Sunmi. And slowly, tears came running down her face.



To be continued....