XVI

"Johnny oppa and I got back together."

The words just echoed in Jaemin's ear, he was unsure if he heard correctly but from what he had just witnessed a while... maybe, he heard it right.

Jaemin shook his head. "I'm sorry, what?"

Ryujin felt even more nervous saying this to Jaemin because he looked like he was disappointed. "Oppa, I'm really sorry but Johnny oppa said —"

"So you knew?" Jaemin cut her sentence.

"Knew what?"

"Knew that he was back from Australia."

Ryujin nodded hesitantly. "Yes, I knew that he came home after he visited me at the diner and then we... we started getting in touch again."

"Why didn't you... tell me that you knew he was back? And that you two had been seeing each other?" Jae confronted.

"Because... because Johnny oppa told me to be quiet about it because he knew you would not want us to see each other, let alone have any interactions so... I-I got scared, I was scared of telling you." she explained and she sounded like crying.

Jaemin couldn't say anything as he was bewildered how the hell did they gotten back together.

"Oppa, I'm sorry... are you mad?" she stepped closer to Jaemin but he stood away from her.

"Since when Ryujin? Since when? When did you two made a comeback?" he sounded really disappointed.

"Just... a-a week ago." she explained.

After all those efforts to keep Ryujin away from the devil, John knows how to find his way back to her and it was the most devastating plot twist to Jaemin.

Jae thought Ryujin had no idea that Johnny was back but guess he was the fool all along 'cause the two had got back together without his knowledge. Jokes on him.

"Why?" Jaemin in dead serious tone.

"Why what?" Ryujin asked nervously.

Jaemin raised his voice. "Why did you return to him?"

"John said he changed." that was all she could mumble.

Jaemin became more furious with her shallow answer. "That's it?! And you trusted him because he said he's a changed person?! After everything he did to you, you still trust him?!" he half screamed at her.

It was made clear to Ryujin that Jaemin isn't disappointed with her. He was angry with her decision to get back with Johnny.

Ryujin started to form tears in her eyes. "Oppa, listen to me. He explained things to me and we talked about our mistakes and shortcomings and we want to be better for each other."

"He's not good enough for you! Can't you see that?!" Jaemin was just so pissed, he didn't realized he was already screaming at her.

Ryujin shivered as Jaemin looked at her fiercely. "Oppa, you don't understand..."

"I don't Ryujin, I really don't! I will never understand why you trusted that sh*thead to ruin your life again!" he was very pissed and the words just starts flowing out of his mouth.

"Oppa, it's not like that... he's not going to ruin our relationship again." she tried to explain to him and nake him see reasons.

"He's deceiving you with lies, can't you see that?! It's so easy for him to say that he's a changed man but he can't really prove it, Ryu! Trust me, I know him. Don't be fooled by Johnny, he's not good for you. Why can't you see that?!" Jaemin blurted out and he was so damn frustrated with everything.

Ryujin started to accumulate more tears in her eyes after Jaemin scolded her but she still tried to convince Jaemin. "Oppa, just give us another chance to prove that we're conpatible for each other. We're not doing anything wrong, we just want to —"

"Do you even fully know Johnny? How well do you Johnny? Huh? Do you know every single detail about him?!" Jaemin cut her sentence. He was in a state of breakdown, he wanted to expose Johnny's secrets right then and there but he was... in a state of confusion.

"I know him enough and I know that he loves me..." she said in almost a whisper.

Jaemin violently shook his head. "No, no... he doesn't love you Ryujin, open your eyes. I want you to realize that! He's tricking you!"

But Ryujin shook her head at Jaemin, she opposes him too. "No, don't say that oppa. I know Johnny oppa loves me, he told me that he loves me. Give us a chance to prove ourselves."

And Jaemin got super pissed with her answer and he suddenly pounded on the table making the plates fall from the table, hit the floor and then shatter into pieces.

"Ahh!" Ryujin yelped as she covered her ears.

"Preposterous, Ryujin! How can you still trust him and believe him after everything he did to you?! He hurt you so many times, he doesn't care about you 'cause he is d*mn selfish and you're still coming back to him. How stupid can you be?!" Jaemin snapped and went blunt and honest, the words he let go were very very very harsh and this made Ryujin tear up.

Ryujin started to weep right infront of him because of everything he said to her and when Jaemin saw Ryujin cry, he felt awful... In fact, he felt even worse than Johnny.

This was something he never wanted to do, he never wanted to see her sad, he didn't want to see her cry but most importantly, he didn't want to see her cry because of him.

He felt guilty, of course. He just yelled and threw harsh and rude words at her on her birthday which was supposed to be a happy day for her.

He panted as he watched her cry and his facial expression changed, he really felt horrible for making her cry.

"Ryu..." he took a step closer to her and gently grabbed her arm. "I... I'm —"

But Ryujin violently took her arms away from him and looked into Jaemin's eyes and said. "Call me stupid, call me dumb, call me anything you want oppa..." tears glistened on her cheeks as she spoke every word. "but I love Johnny oppa so much... I love him more than anything in the world, that reason alone is enough for me to stay. I don't care what you have to say about us, I will stay with him because I love him."

And Jaemin realized that... Johnny was right.

He has nothing against Johnny when it comes to Ryujin because she would choose Johnny no matter what, she would choose him more than anything, her heart belongs to Johnny and Jaemin has to live with that... even though, he himself felt his heart shatter into pieces when Ryujin slapped him with the truth.

Jaemin still wanted to say something, make Ryujin realize that she was so wrong for coming back to him, he wanted to expose Johnny, he wanted to make her stay away from Johnny and choose him instead 'cause if there's anyone who loves Ryujin sincerely, it was Jaemin.

But then again, convincing someone who is blinded by extreme love is hopeless so Jaemin didn't bother to say a word after that.

Jaemin turned his back at her, she was still sobbing and Jaemin wiped both hands on his face as he was so damn frustrated that time. His head hurts from all these, his eyes all wattery because he was so damn broken on the inside.

And then Jaemin decided to walk out, leaving Ryujin all alone. What was supposed to be a night to celebrate Ryujin's birthday and Jaemin's confession turned into a disaster that both Ryu and Jaemin didn't saw coming, all because of Johnny.

———

Jaemin drive all the way home, eyes full of tears, his cheeks stained with tears, his hand bleeding from being wounded by the shattered glasswares when he pounded the table.

The tingling pain in his wound was no match to the pain he was succumbing in his heart.

He almost got into an accident as he drove home as he could not see things clearly through his teary eyes. Jeno called him non-stop but he didn't had the will to answer the call as he was devastated and emotionally wrecked that time.

He finally arrived home and the moment he got there, he saw the bouquet of flowers just infront of their house that he ws suspposed to give to Ryujin that evening.

He cried even more as he stared at the flowers and at the heat of the moment, he took the bouquet of flower and violently hit the bouquet of flowers on the wall. "Argh!" he grunted, the petals scattered everywhere along with the excess blood from his wound snd he panted so heavily that time.

After releasing his anger out on the bouquet of flowers he started crying so bad and he ended up leaning his back on the wall and slowly sinking down to sit on the ground, infront of their door.

There he cried hysterically as he covered his face with his whole hands, no words could explain how hurt he heart was. The first girl he ever loved broke his heart and it felt so horrible.

But then help came when Jeno came running to their village, he ran from the shop all the way to Jaemin's home as he was worried about his bestfriend just leaving the flower shop with no update about his confession to Ryujin.

Jeno knew something bad had happened when he saw Johnny's car stop at the shop and enter the scene but he didn't know what really happened,

He followed Jaemin as soon as he can when he did not pick up his phone calls. Jeno spotted Jaemin infront of their house, looking oh-so-miserable.

"Jaemin? Jaemin!" he called out, running towards his bestfriend.

Jaemin, however, was still crying and he had his head down. Jeno kneeled right infront of him and he saw his bestfriend bleeding, blood stained his shirt, pants and it also dripped on their floor.

"Jaemin, you're bleeding. What happened?!" Jeno panicked but Jaemin never replied.

Jeno shook his body to get him to speak as he ws sso worried. "Bro, what happened? Tell me what happened? So I can help you, answer me please."

It was his first time seeing Jaemin like this, he looked very miserable and as a best friend, this was heartbreaking for Jeno as well.

"Bro, what happened? Tell me." Jeno pleaded as he tapoed his back gently.

Jaemin raised his head a little to meet Jeno's gaze, he couldn't see things clearly as his eyes were full of tears and Jaemin finally spoke... "It's over for me, Jeno. Johnny had already won Ryujin's heart."

———

Around 10:00 pm when Johnny areived home and noticed a mess infront of his house, petals scattered everywhere with blood dripped on the floor.

"What is this mess?" he murmured.

He kicked thhe petals away from his patch and entered his home, the lights were not turned on and the whole place was silent.

He entered like normal after his dinner date with Ryujin, switched on the lights and didn't mind about the trouble he caused earlier with Ryu & Jae.

He then heard some noises coming from Jaemin's room and so he furrowed his brows for a moment and then resumed to minding his own business.

And then Jaemin's door swung open and he saw Jamein getting out of his room, carrying all of his stuffs in 2 big bagpacks.

John tried to face him and waited for him to get down from stairs, their gazes met and John saw how swollen his eyes were. A piece of cloth was wrapping his wounded arms and he looked really miserable and Johnny loved the sight of him looking like this.

Jaemin paused for a while to look him in the eye but he didn't say a word and resumed to getting down from stairs. He went straught to the couch, sat there to put on his shoes and while he was busy tying his shoelaces Johnny went towards his direction and said... "Where are you headed, big boy? You're finally kicking yourself out of my house? It seems like you brought all of your belongings with you." teased Johnny but Jaemin knew better than to respond to him.

"You know, Ryujin and I were expecting you to join us for dinner but you were very rude to leave her behind crying, what kind of a gentleman are you? I thought you were mister-goody-two-shoes, is that your definition of a true man?" he teased him even more and Johnny really loved getting on his nerves.

Jaemin didn't replied and just minded his own business, he has had enough of their bullsh*ts.

"Why aren't you speaking to me, saint?" asked John fo him. Jaemin stood up, picking all of his belongings again and Johnny was still not finish teasing him until he looses his cool.

"Does it hurt, Jaemin? How does it feel to be not chosen? I wouldn't know 'cause Ryujin chose me. Enlighten me, help me understand how it feels to be dumped 'cause I'll never know." asked Johnny to him. Jaemin was really trembling in anger that time but he restricted his mouth from saying a word to him.

"Can't speak, huh? You think you're such a big boy trying to confess to her, hoping she'd feel the same but you forgot that her heart is trapped in the palm of my hand and she'll choose me over you and you'll never have a chance with her, never ever. She doesn't love you, Jaemin bear that in your mind. You're a hopeless case, she'll never love you, I am the one she loves, you have nothing against me. So brave of you to confess to her." said Johnny to Jaemin and Jaemin knew he was right so what's the point of arguing with him?

Jaemin sighed and he turned around to face and Jaemin said. "I don't care, you can have her. Keep her to yourself. I give up, you win." said Jaemin to end the argument.

Johnny chuckled tauntingly at his reply and said. "You speak as if, you've given her up for me when she's mine from the very beginning. I also want to clear that I don't love her, never will I ever love her. I'm not in it for romance, I'm in it for the thrill of having an affair and to see you miserable. Oh, it excites me."

Johnny walked closer and closer to Jaemin and said. "I don't care about Ryujin, I don't love her. I got back with her so you would know your place. All I want is to see you crumble into pieces, that's my main goal here."

Jaemin rolled his eyes and turned his back at him, he was done with this petty conversation and he just wanted to leave.

But before he could exit John's place, Johnny said... "Remember this, Jaemin. I will do anything to ruin your life. You will never be happy when I am around."

———

For the following weeks, Jaemin stayed at Jeno's place 'cause he was very very upset with both Johnny and Ryujin and he couldn't stomach living with Johnny so he had to move.

Ryujin, however, still tried to communicate with Jaemin. She did not want to loose her friend, who was there for her when she was at her all time low, so she tried her best to reconcile with him but Jaemin went cold, he ignored her. Never responding to any calls or texts, she receives from her. He didn't want to see her after what happened, he was extremely hurt.

5 days later...

Jaemin went back to the flower shop after days of skipping work. By the time, he got inside the shop, his eyes immediately landed on the person working at the shop that time, Ryujin.

Their gaze met the moment he entered the place, Ryujin seemed to be surprised to see him back and it seems like she felt sorry for him but Jaemin immediately looked away and made his way to the counter placing there an envelope.

Ryujin approached him even though she was not sure if Jaemin would talk to her. Jaemin did not glance upon her, however.

"O-oppa?" Ryujin took courage to speak with him.

Still, Jaemin ignored him and went on with his agenda that day.

"Oppa? A-are you still mad at m-me? I'm s-sorry, I'm so sorry, I made you upset." said Ryujin. Jaemin still afted like he didn't hear or see her.

"O-oppa, can w-we please talk? I don't want to loose our friendship because of my relationship with your brother, c-can we please talk about this? Please, I'm begging you oppa." she sounded desperate that time so Jae had to reply to her.

Jae glance at her and calmly said. "What is there to talk about Ryujin? You already explained to me everything."

"Oppa, please... I know you are against us getting back together but this time, we can prove to you that our relationship would be sturdy." Ryujin explained.

How can a relationship be sturdy when one is obviously married and cheating on his wife? That's just insane and Jaemin knew that Ryujin didn't know what she was believing in.

Jaemin shook his head. "You don't need to explain things to me, Ryujin. I am so... over this conversation, I don't want anything to do with this anymore."

Ryujin felt sad when Jaemin just ditched her explanation and that he had given up on their friendship because of her decision to be with Johnny.

Then Jaemin patted the envelope he left at the desk. "Here, kindly give this our boss once he checks in at the flower shop today. My resgination letter is inside for him to read."

Ryujin's eyes widened at his reminder. "Y-you're... resigning?" you could see that there was sadness in her eyes the moment she asked that.

Jaemin nodded as he fixed his bag. "The new school year is fast approaching, I can't juggle study and work. I need to focus on my study so I quit."

Upon Jaemin saying that he just left the flower shop with no good byes to Ryujin. At this point, Jaemin's soft heart for Ryujin turned stone cold as he was really upset with her.

He quit his job because he could not bare seeing Ryujin after that incident and he was really trying to get his mind off her but every single day that passes by makes him miss her more but he just had to let go of the feeling he has for her because like Johnny said... Ryujin will never love him.

———

Jaemin had not been himself lately, he felt like trash during those days. He really tried his best to get over it and to move on... move on from what? There was nothing between him and Ryu but it felt she had just dettached himself from her life.

Also, he really felt awful for staying at Jeno's place for too long but his Jeno's family made him feel welcome.

One night, Jisoo called Jaemin to deliver a very exciting news. It's been a while since they last spoke to each other and if there's anyone who is clueless around here, it's Jisoo.

Jisoo has no idea about what's really going on between John & Jae. She is at ease knowing that everything is going well, well in fact, things are f*cked up right now.

"By the way,