Chapter 71: Cold Shoulder

*Ava*

I saw Sou jump up the second the bell rang, and he was out the door in a flash.

Sehun was still in his seat, eyes on the floor, like he was embarrassed or something.

"Everything cool?" I asked.

He met my gaze with a strained smile. "Totally."

I crossed my arms. "Yeah, right. I wasn't born yesterday. Even if I was, I'm pretty sure baby me could see through that kind of lame lie."

Sehun let out a laugh. "Can babies even tell when someone's lying?"

I hummed, thinking it over. Could they?

I snapped back, "Hold up, you're deflecting!"

He sighed, gathering up his stuff. "Don't sweat it." He paused, looking down. "Just...try not to bug Sou too much."

I tilted my head. Was Sehun hinting that Sou was in a bad mood again? Why though? Sure, Sou could be a pain, but he wasn't usually moody for no reason. Something was up, but what?

"If you're worried about Sou, I can talk to him," Sayuri offered, smiling.

I grinned back at her. "Nah, it's cool. He'll get over it."

"You sure?" Kai chimed in, his brow furrowed.

My smile faded. Turns out, everyone was concerned about Sou. What was going on with him?

I glanced back at Sehun's empty seat. Weird. What were those two hiding?

"I'm gonna head out," I decided.

"Okay, take care," Sayuri responded.

I shot her a quick smile, gave her a peck on the cheek, and took off. Maybe I could still catch Sou.

I couldn't help but smile when I spotted Sou outside as soon as I glanced outside.

I bolted from the school building, scanning the spot where I'd seen him, but he was already gone. Guess I was being a little too hopeful thinking he'd still be around. Sou always had been a quick and slippery little booger.

"Sou!" I called out, even though I knew it was useless. He'd probably already taken off on his bike or something. 

I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. I guess I'd just have to wait until tomorrow to find out what was going on. 

"Hey, Ava!" 

I turned around to see Sekin jogging up to me. 

"You okay?" he asked, a worried expression on his face. 

"Uh, yeah," I replied, a little taken aback by his sudden concern. "Why wouldn't I be?" 

He shrugged, scratching the back of his head. "Just... You know, with the whole Sou thing." 

I frowned. "So, even you noticed, huh?"

Sekin nodded, his expression serious. "Yeah, he seemed pretty upset. I thought maybe you knew what was going on." 

I sighed, shaking my head. "I wish I did. But don't worry, I'll figure it out." 

Sekin gave me a small smile, patting my shoulder. "I know you will. You always do." 

I couldn't help but chuckle. "Thanks, Sekin. I appreciate it." 

"No problem," he replied. "Just...be careful, okay? Try not to upset him by being pushy."

I put my hands on my hips, a tad miffed that he had called me pushy. Still, he had a point. Sometimes I was a little too headstrong.

"I will take it easy on the guy, I promise."

With that, I turned and headed for Sou's place.

I paced my steps, letting the worry settle in my stomach. I wasn't sure what I'd find at Sou's place, but I was hoping it would lead to some answers.

Even at my slower pace, I reached Sou's house in no time. It was a familiar sight, its paint slightly faded from years of weather. I'd been here countless times, but I felt a sense of unease as I walked up to the door.I

I straightened up as Sou's mom opened it. She was a tall woman with kind eyes and a welcoming smile. But today, her smile seemed a bit forced.

"Hey, Ava. What brings you here?"

"Hey, Mrs. Citrine," I greeted. "Is Sou home yet?"

She shook her head, the lines in her forehead deepening. "I'm afraid not, Ava. He hasn't come home yet. Is something wrong? Didn't you see each other at school."

I hesitated, not wanting to worry her. "Oh, it's nothing. We just... missed each other at school today. I mean, I saw him, but we didn't really talk."

She gave me a knowing look. "You're a good friend, Ava. Don't worry too much. Sou... he has his moments."

So, she had picked up her son's moodiness too. Well, of course she would've. Zetsuna was the most tuned to her children's emotions. Her sons couldn't hide stuff from her for long.

I nodded, feeling a bit relieved. "Thanks, Mrs. Citrine. I'll just catch him later then."

With that, I turned and headed back to my place. Whatever was going on, I was determined to get to the bottom of it. After all, that's what friends do, right? Although, could I even call myself his friend? I had slept with his boyfriend.

My eyes widened and my body began to tremble. What if he found out? No, if that were the case, he would've surely approached me. Right?

Maybe he didn't want to confront me in fear of exploding violently on me. The thought made my heart sink. I'd messed up, big time. I never intended to hurt Sou. It was just... one thing led to another and before we knew it, Sehun and I were...

I shook my head. Now was not the time to get lost in my thoughts. I had to figure out how to fix this, how to make it right. I owed Sou that much. 

My remained a mind a whirl of thoughts and emotions as I took out my house key. I needed a plan, a way to talk to Sou about this without hurting him further. 

Once inside, I headed straight for my room. Maybe some alone time would help me figure things out.

As I flopped onto my bed, my eyes landed on the picture frame on my bedside table. It was an old picture of Sou and me, taken when we were just kids. We were grinning widely, our clothes muddy from playing in the rain. His smile was genuine, his eyes bright with the innocence of childhood.

I felt a pang in my chest. He deserved to be happy, to not have his heart broken by his best friend and his boyfriend.

I picked up the frame, tracing my finger over the younger version of Sou's face. "I'm sorry, Sou," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "I'll make this right. I promise."

But how? How could I make up for my betrayal? Concert tickets weren't enough. I couldn't imagine what could make up for it. To even think I could was callous of me...