2nd Death - Jiho's Death

In our early teens, Daniel got a girlfriend really fast. He never introduced her to me or Eunhee, but I figured girlfriends are not friends, so maybe that's why.

But what exactly is a girlfriend, if it's not like a friend? Is it because you kiss your girlfriend but not your friends?

If so... does that mean I want Eunhee to be my girlfriend because of that? I always knew I loved her, but if I go the distance to confess, does that mean we stop being friends?

Sure, I knew that I wanted to confess to Eunhee. I also felt that if I did, everything would be alright. But looking at Daniel, I then started to question it, considering every girlfriend he had, and he had quite the variety, was never close to us in terms of friendship.

Confused, I turned to the only person I could trust with this dilemma, telling him I want to confess to her that I love her, but not stop being her friend.

He had to know something.

Considering his experience and his knowledge with girls, he'd definitely know.

He knew about everything, after all.

But despite my best of hopes...

... He told me to wait.

"Daniel."

"I... I'm into Eunhee... W-... What should I do?" He murmured.

"What should you do...? Hm... Wait a while." He hesitantly said after showing a contemplative gaze.

"Wait...?" Jiho murmured skeptically as he looked at Daniel.

"Look, you can confess if you want; but honestly, I wouldn't rush it if I were you," Daniel said, leaning back with a casual shrug, unable to meet Jiho's earnest gaze. "Y-you know how she is—confessing out of the blue might just make things awkward. Maybe give it a little time. We can figure out the best way to approach it together. What do you think?"

He seemed really concerned and somewhat conflicted when I came to him with that. At the time, I figured he was just worried for me and our dynamics.

"But... I really want to," I murmured, looking down. "Isn't there a way to... I don't know... get both?"

"Dude. I've been with many girls, so I know. If you just run and confess, you ruin what you have. Besides, what if she doesn't want you that way?" Daniel pressed.

He was the older brother I never had, but I felt conflicted when I heard him say that. I don't know how to explain it, but every time I looked into her eyes, I felt... I felt that it would be okay if I just spilled it. But more than anything, I needed this wise older brother of mine's approval that it's the right thing to do. He was knowledgeable about everything, so if he says something I disagree with, he's usually right.

Despite that, I really wanted it.

"But... Daniel... I... I really want to," Jiho said, looking at Daniel, his eyes earnest. Daniel immediately snapped his head away from Jiho.

"Ugh... fine. Do it. But wait for the right moment if you want to keep both your friendship and... have her," he said.

"The right... moment?" I asked.

"Yeah. That perfect moment where everything's in place and it just flows from the start. You'll know when."

I took his word for it. It's Daniel, so he must be right about this. He had lots of girlfriends, so he must be right about this.

I kept telling myself he must be right, but the more I looked at Eunhee, the more I saw how pretty she became day by day, I felt as if I died a little inside by keeping it to myself and waiting for that moment he was talking about. And I could see it in her eyes, as if she was waiting for something. But Daniel's words reverberated stronger.

Today, I could keep it to myself no longer, despite his advice. I had to ask her out. So, I took her to the roof.

Only to get my heart broken twice over as she rejected me, telling me she was already going out with him.

'What.'

The word echoed in Jiho's mind over and over again as his body went on autopilot, walking down from the roof several minutes after Eunhee left.

"So, she told him, huh?" A student's voice echoed from somewhere in the hallway as Jiho walked with his head down, his eyes wide open with shock.

"Must have," Another one replied, "Look at that twink's expression. I rejected lots of guys, so I know 100% the look. Tsk, too bad my phone's not on me to take this as reference. It's the most obvious one yet."

"He's just a "nice guy" wannabe. Probably clung to her only for the hope of sex like everyone else." Another girl nodded.

What?

"How the fuck can you be so close to Eunhee and Daniel for so long and not notice it, lol. They're practically a fairytale couple."

"Ugh, finally. It was getting exhausting. I only kept it a secret because Daniel asked me to," Another girl said as Jiho headed for his classroom.

WHAT?

Jiho then opened the door to his classroom, and walked straight to Daniel's table, out of breath and pale.

"What... Why..." Jiho started as he stood next to Daniel.

"Jiho? What's up? Look like you've seen a ghost," Daniel said, acting as if Eunhee didn't just say that to him. As if whatever happened on the roof was just a dream.

I wanted to believe it. I wanted to believe I had just woken up from a dream, and sit and laugh with my best friend.

"Why... Why did you take Eunhee away from me?" Daniel called out... Just as Eunhee opened the door to the classroom after following Jiho.

"Take her away from you...?" Daniel called loudly as he visibly frowned his eyebrow after a swift glance to Eunhee, a tiny smirk hiding in his lips... And a slight twitch of bitterness.

'Haah... I guess this is it then,' He sighed internally.

'Well... Like I said. Too late to back down...' Daniel thought as he looked at Jiho's shocked expression.

'Sorry about this, man. I'll make it up to you somehow.' Daniel resolved to himself. 'I'm... Really sorry.'

"What, is she some object you can do as you like with?" Daniel said. Earning a few nods from the classmates who sat nearby.

"W-what..? T-that's not what I said...! Y-you said that you'd—" Jiho started. Daniel clicked his tongue.

"What, manipulate her for you? Yeah. I just nodded along so you'd shut up about it. I hoped that if you vent it out to someone, you'd just forget about it," He muttered as he abruptly got up.

'Sheesh... Jiho. Come on, you can't be that naive blurring that shit in front of the whole class! You can't seriously not see what's happening right now, right?' Daniel thought in disbelief, somewhat hoping Jiho would catch on to lessen the shock.

"Manipulate... Me...?" Eunhee murmured to herself in disbelief as she appeared at the entrance to the classroom, overhearing the two.

"Creep," The girl's eyes contorted in disgust as they looked at Jiho.

"Whoa. Showing your true colors, eh, squirt!?" A male student spurted out.

"I was right about him. Just a closeted FREAK." They said.

Jiho stepped back as he looked up at the towering Daniel.

"W-what... Manipulate... I-... I didn't...!" Jiho murmured, hearing everyone around talk, glancing backward to see a row of students...

... One of which included Eunhee, who had the face of disappointment as she looked away, avoiding his gaze.

'What... I... Eunhee... We know each other...!! I would never do..!!' Jiho thought in his turmoil.

"No, You face ME." Daniel let out, violently flipping Jiho to him.

And as he held his frail body, that he handled woth care out of fear of breaking it so many times, and for the first time in his life, violently flipped Jiho to his direction, he couldn't help but think...

'Is she really worth it?'

"I defended you through school and highschool, because I seriously believed a decent person would come out of you. But just now, you come to me saying crap like that!?" He said as he slapped his face.

'Doesn't matter.' Daniel thought. 'I'm... far, far too late to back down.'

Jiho's mind went blank as his body froze, his head remained tilted sideways from Daniel's slap.

It was so swift. He could feel everyone's disgusted gaze, including Eunhee's disappointed one. It has to be a dream, or another elaborate prank by Daniel and Eunhee and some of Daniel's friends. Some terrible nightmare he has to wake up from. Surely, he's just one second away from Daniel laughing at his face, joking about how Jiho bought it so easily.

Because the slap wasn't that hard.

Jiho could tell. Daniel wasn't really trying to physically injure him.

It has to be just a cruel prank, that Jiho will scold Daniel later on.

"She's your friend, damn it...!" Daniel murmured as he clicked his tongue.

But Daniel kept talking. Daniel kept saying things that pierced through to Jiho's ears no matter how hard he tried to shut it out.. He could feel the shadow of his tall figure looming over himself, his cheek still somewhat reeling from his slap, the strain placed on his neck from it tilting sideways too fast...

... And he could make out Eunhee's quiet hicks from the back, as if she was holding back her tears.

He knew how that sounded better than anyone. He knew how she sounded when she was happy... And when she was sad.

And that's when he realized...

... That this was real.

And his first coherent thought was 'Ah... She's... I'm... I hate hearing her cry... I'm... Sorry... I..'

"I... Uh... Ah..." Jiho stuttered. His heartrate elevated.

"Stuttering? Now? What, you thought I'd just take it lying down without doing anything about it again?" Daniel said.

"Jesus, what a coward that Jiho," Another student said, struggling not to spit in his direction.

"I honestly thought that you were better than this. Better than me. But it's high-time we stopped pretending, Jiho." Daniel said, as Jiho's mind went blank, frozen from fear as Daniel towered over him...

... And then went past him.

"Never meet me, or even try to get close to Eunhee ever again," He said as he approached Eunhee, gently guiding her outside the classroom as she looked down, holding back her tears.

Jiho fought against every instinct in his body and turned around, shouting, "E-EUNHEE!" He called out.

"What are you doing, stop talking to her, freak!" A girl that was seated next to him let out.

Eunhee then stopped in place, as she was embraced by Daniel.

She tried turning around, but Daniel gently laid his palm on her cheek, halting her movements as he looked deep into her eyes.

Jiho watched. Watched them. It was as if they could communicate telepathically. Only between the two of them. It was only then he realized how far away he's actually standing from Eunhee and Daniel.

It was then Eunhee turned back forward, as Daniel took it upon himself to face Jiho.

"Jiho," His voice turned fierce, "This is your final warning. If you don't listen... I'll seriously hurt you. Because you've hurt both me and Eunhee for far too long," He said as the two turned around and left the classroom, as Jiho choked on his words.

'... Sorry, man.' Daniel's lip twitched as he left the classroom with Eunhee, 'But I'm serious... That serious about her.'

'I... I'll... I'll find a way to make up with you somehow... And... Haha... I could introduce you to someone. That will... That will fix it. For sure.' Daniel's mind scrambled as he looked around, suddenly feeling his heart plummet, his skin growing cold.

... Yet it was Eunhee's touch that warmed him up again.

'We'll be friends again.' He tried to resolve, '...I-It was just a lovetap anyway,' He shook his head lightly. 'You've had tougher hits than those, right...?'

Yet Daniel could not buy his own arguments. Feeling emptiness in his excuses, yet still wielding them as a shield.

Eunhee looked at Daniel's twitch as they walked, mistaking it as grieving over the friend he thought he knew...

... And gently tightened her grip around his palm.

"It will be okay," She assured. "We can just... Pretend it was all some make-believe act... Right...?" She murmured, her voice shaking as she swallowed her tears, "Until we'll understand..." her voice trailed off, as Daniel returned her tightened grip and the two walked through the school hallways. "Why... Why did he do it..." She concluded, with Daniel reluctantly nodding.

A few minutes later, as Jiho stood in the middle of the classroom, laughed at and mocked, their voice drowned into a constant ringing noise...

He abruptly, yet quietly left.