〘CHAPTER 2〙
The next morning at school, the group was buzzing with excitement about the party at Minu's house that night.
The halls were filled with chatter and every chance they got, someone brought up the upcoming celebration.
"Tonight's going to be amazing!" Dom beamed, slinging his arm around Jay's shoulder "Your house is literally the best place for a party, backyard is huge and the vibe is always perfect".
"As long as we don't burn the food like last time" Yuna joked, nudging Shelly playfully.
The memory of their failed barbecue attempt made them both chuckle.
"Hey, that wasn't my fault!" Dom defended himself "Vinny distracted me while I was flipping the patties".
"Sure, sure~" Yuna teased "This time, let's just make sure we don't turn the steak into charcoal".
After school, Yuna planned to go to the hospital to pick up Minu, Dom and Jay immediately offered to come along to help.
"Three people to pick up one guy?" Minu teased through the Video Call, eyebrow arched "What, do you think I need a security or just super fragile?".
"No~ but you do need an entourage to carry you out like a dramatic prince" Dom grinned mischievously.
Jay teased, eyebrows raised "We could even throw flower petals while carrying you, imagine the grand exit!".
Minu rolled his eyes but couldn't help chuckling "Yeah, yeah. Just get here soon, I'm ready to leave".
Meanwhile, Shelly and Mia had another important task - buying ingredients for the party.
After the final school bell rang, they made their way to the grocery store, scanning the aisles for supplies. The aisles were crowded with shoppers, making it difficult to maneuver through them.
"Alright~" Mia said, holding up a shopping list "Big-juicy cuts of meat, fresh fruit piled high and plenty of cold drinks".
Shelly picked up a juicy watermelon and placed it in the cart "That's a start".
As they reached the beverage section, Mia suddenly paused, her eyes gleaming as she pointed at a pack of beer cans "Should we buy beer for the boys? I bet Dom and Vinny would love it".
Shelly chuckled, shaking her head "Probably not, Mia. Let's just drink soda, we don't need anyone getting too wild tonight".
Mia sighed dramatically but agreed.
Once they finished shopping, they stepped outside and Mia glanced at the food receipt "Have we bought enough yet?" She asked.
"I think we've got everything. Let's hurry back, I've got a feeling it's going to rain soon" Shelly said, eyeing the dark clouds creeping across the sky.
Mia looked up as the sun disappeared behind the incoming storm, she said to Shelly "Then let's run home fast!!".
By the time they reached Minu's house, the sky had fully darkened.
As they stepped through the front door, drenched from the light drizzle that had started, they found the others already there.
"Jeez, I thought you two got caught in the rain" June said with a sigh of relief "What took you guys so long?".
Mia handed the food bag to Yuna "Sorry, the store was way more crowded than we expected".
"And we had to wait ages just to get the bill" Shelly added as she took off her coat.
"Lucky you both made it in time" Dom muttered, staring out the window. Raindrops pattered against the glass "Looks like we can't barbecue outside anymore".
Minu clapped his hands together "It's okay! We can still grill the meat inside".
"That's right! Stop being moody" Vinny said, playfully patting Dom's shoulder.
"Alright then~" Dom declared with a grin "Ladies, you're on kitchen duty. Gents, set the table. Time to kick off this party!"
The house erupted into movement as they all got to work, setting the stage for an unforgettable night.
Despite the rain, the party was just beginning.
〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜
The party was alive with chatter and laughter, the sizzling sound of grilled meat filling the air with an irresistible aroma.
Plates clinked, drinks were poured and cheerful banter bounced from one corner of the room to another.
The atmosphere was warm, lively and filled with a sense of togetherness.
Well - everyone was enjoying themselves except for one person.
Dom sat stiffly at the table, arms crossed and a deep frown carved into his face.
His eyes darted between the couples around him, all happily sharing their food, feeding each other playful bites and giggling over inside jokes.
Dom sat with his arms crossed, frowning at the sight before him "Can you guys stop feeding each other?" He grumbled, watching the couples happily share bites of food.
June laughed at Dom's reaction, his eyes twinkling with amusement "Are you jealous of them?".
"Of course I am! Look at you guys, all sickeningly cute and in love. Meanwhile, I'm just here - alone, single and starving for affection" Dom let out a dramatic groan, throwing his head back.
Minu chuckled and pointed at Yuna "If you're that jealous, go on a date with my sister".
Everyone turned to Yuna - who was calmly eating, completely unbothered by the sudden attention.
She finished chewing her food, slowly lifted her gaze to meet their expectant stares and blinked once.
"No, thanks" She said flatly, before promptly returning to her plate as if nothing had happened.
The group erupted into laughter at her blunt rejection, while Dom clutched his chest in mock agony "Yuna~ that was way too fast! At least pretend to think about it!".
He sighed dramatically before turning to Vinny - who was seated beside him.
Without hesitation, he leaned his head onto Vinny's shoulder with an exaggerated sigh "At least I still have you~ right, my dear Vinny? You'd never abandon me, would you?".
Vinny barely spared him a glance before shrugging him off with ease "Dream alone, I'm not like you".
The room fell silent for a brief moment.
June's sharp eyes narrowed, suspicion creeping into her expression "Wait a minute... what do you mean not like you?".
The red hair took a casual sip of his drink before setting it down "I have a girlfriend".
A wave of shock spread through the group.
Minu let out an impressed whistle, leaning back in his chair "Damn~ you've been hiding it well, buddy. Never would've guessed" While Dom's mouth hung open in betrayal "Vinny!! You absolute traitor!! You were supposed to suffer with me!".
Shelly tilted her head "I'm curious~ who is she? Do we know her?".
The rest of the group nodded in agreement, their curiosity piqued, even Yuna momentarily paused her eating to glance Vinny's way.
Vinny chuckled lightly at their reactions, shaking his head.
"Relax~ I'll introduce her to you guys one day" He promised with a small smile.
As the conversation carried on, the energy in the room only grew livelier.
The night continued with more laughter, teasing and promises of future meetings but one thing was certain.
Vinny's mysterious girlfriend had just become the hottest topic of the night.
〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜
After the party had ended and the remnants of snacks with drinks were scattered across the living room, the group found themselves restless.
In a bid to keep the night alive, they settled on a game of Truth or Dare.
The dares had been outrageous - everything from dancing ridiculously on the table to chugging down bizarre smoothie concoctions.
But as expected, the truths were even worse, forcing the players to reveal their darkest secrets or most embarrassing moments.
Dom groaned, clutching his stomach with a look of pure misery "God! This smoothie is horrible!" He whined, his face twisted in disgust.
"You have to swallow it!" Minu laughed, urging him on.
The others burst into laughter, watching as Dom struggled to force the vile drink down his throat.
He eventually gulped it down, his face contorting like he had just ingested poison.
"I hate you all!" He muttered, slamming the cup down.
June still giggling, reached for the bottle in the center of the circle and gave it a spin. It twirled rapidly before slowing to a stop, pointing straight at Minu.
"Truth or Dare, Minu?" June asked, grinning.
Minu sighed dramatically, leaning back on his hands "Truth, obviously. I'm not an idiot".
June exchanged a mischievous glance with Yuna before a slow smirk spread across his face.
"Alright~ Minu" June began, his voice dripping with mischief "What did you lie to Yuna about?".
Minu stiffened, his eyes darting to his dear sister "Uh..." He gulped "When I was a kid, I broke her favorite porcelain doll and blamed it on the dog".
Yuna's eyes widened before narrowing into slits "I knew it was you!!" She shrieked, launching herself at him.
Before he could escape, she pinched his waist hard, making him yelp.
"Ow! Ow! Okay, okay, I'm sorry!" Minu laughed, trying to push her away as she continued to poke and prod him.
The group erupted into laughter, the energy of the game growing more chaotic.
They continued spinning the bottle, each turn unveiling more embarrassing stories and ridiculous confessions.
One by one, they fell victim to the game's cruelty and eventually, the bottle came to a halt in front of Jay Jo.
Vinny's lips curled into a sly grin as he leaned forward "Well, well, well~ looks like it's your turn. Choose, Eunuch".
Jay sighed, running a hand through his hair "Truth..." He muttered, already regretting it.
Dom and Minu exchanged wicked glances makes Jay feel bad, Vinny leaned forward eagerly "How much do you like Shelly?".
Yuna and Mia burst out teasing Shelly, Minu and Dom high five with Vinny made Jay certain that these three were playing tricks on him.
He looked over at June with a suspicious look.
"Don't look at me like that!" June held up his hands defensively "I didn't know anything!".
Jay felt speechless and thought to himself "He's definitely involved in this".
"Answer quickly~ Eunuch" Dom tease.
Jay glancing at Shelly - who was waiting for his answer with blushing cheeks. His own face grew warm, he really doesn't know how to say it like his mouth is glued.
But just then, the phone rang - interrupting this awkward situation.
"Oops, it's my phone" Mia picked up the call and after a brief conversation, she sighed "Sorry guys, I have to go home. My mom just scolded me".
Jay internally sighed in relief, saved by the bell.
June checked the time on his phone and stretched "Well, I guess that means we should head home too, it's getting late".
The group groaned, clearly not wanting the night to end but one by one, they got up, gathering their things.
Jay snuck one last glance at Shelly - catching her eyes just before she looked away, her cheeks still flushed.
As they left the house, Jay sighed to himself, knowing full well that he had only delayed the inevitable.
This wasn't over.
〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜
Everyone said goodbye to each others and returned home. Jay and Shelly lagged behind, walking side by side in silence.
Honestly, Shelly was quite disappointed when she didn't hear Jay's answer.
It's not like she's never heard it before, that time at the airport he said it once and it was so sweet that it melted her heart.
She just wants to heard it again, not necessarily in front of their friends or anyone.
Just her.
Shelly shook her head slightly, she shouldn't think so much.
It's just a game and both of them are dating now so this is already enough for her, Shelly smiled and continued walking forward.
As for Jay, he was still thinking about Vinny's earlier question. He's never good at expressing his feelings, so when Vinny asked him that question he paused for a moment.
Liking and dating Shelly has given him a lot of new emotions, every moment in Jay's memory has her existence.
And no matter what happens to him, she's always be there - always trust him in everything.
Gently comfort him when he is desperate.
Encourage him with warm hugs.
Shelly's like the sun in Jay's painting and without the ray of her sunshine his painting will never be complete.
From the first meeting to the kiss at the airport, every time he's with her it's so warm and strangely sweet.
Even though Jay wants to denied it at first, he still feels it's right.
And when he thought he had lost her at the airport, he felt like someone ripped his heart out.
"You lost it!" A voice appeared and whispered in Jay's head "You have lost your most precious thing!".
He desperately clenched the necklace he was wearing, cursing himself for being an idiot for letting her go.
The worst thing is that he doesn't have a chance to say he likes her anymore.
But now that they're a couple, Jay wants Shelly to understand his feelings for her are true and he doesn't want to hide it.
Not anymore.
"I like you" Jay said clearly, no hesitation in his voice.
Shelly stopped walking and looked back at him "What did you just say?".
Jay repeated gently, his voice low - enough to make her blush all over again "I like you... like, a lot. More than I probably should admit".
Jay's answer really touched her, who would have thought that such a cheesy sentence but from her boyfriend was so sweet.
"Finally!" She laughed, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug "I've been waiting for that".
Jay leaned in, voice soft "Sorry I didn't say it earlier".
"It's okay~ you said it now, didn't you?" She pulled back just enough to meet his eyes, her grin gentle and bright.
She leaned in and kissed her boyfriend's cheek "Well I like you too~ more than you know".
The two wrapped their arms around each other again, letting the steady rhythm of their heartbeats speak the words they didn't need to say.
They smiled, holding on just a little longer.
Jay realized that when it's real, when you really like someone - it's one of the most amazing feelings in the world.
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Here's the next chapter, enjoy it guys🌹
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