〘CHAPTER 6〙
Shelly sat cross legged on her bed, laptop balanced on a pillow in front of her.
The screen flickered slightly as the signal adjusted and then her mother's face appeared - slightly pixelated but still achingly familiar.
Her long hair was tied back in a loose bun, a few wisps framing her face.
The background was the old family kitchen in London, a place that smelled like cinnamon and home.
"Shelly?" Her mother's voice rang out through the speakers, soft and affectionate "Sweetheart, can you hear me?".
"I can hear you, Mom" Shelly replied with a smile "A bit blurry but still as gorgeous as ever~".
Her mother chuckled "Always the charmer~ even through bad internet".
The laugh faded into a pause and then her mother's expression turned softer, more tentative "Don't you miss me and Daddy?" She asked, her voice dipping into something more vulnerable.
Shelly felt a pang in her chest, of course she did.
She missed them terribly - her father's corny jokes, her mother's warm hugs, the Sunday family dinners. But she also felt like she was exactly where she was meant to be right now.
"Of course I do, Mom~" She answered gently, her voice almost a whisper "But like I said, I really can't go back right now".
Her mother sighed and brushed a strand of hair from her face, her daughter was really stubborn "I guess there's something or someone special keeping you there, huh?".
The blonde girl lowered her gaze for a moment, her lips curving into a shy smile.
Even with an ocean between them, her mother still understood her best.
Her mother smiled knowingly "Even from here, I can tell. Your whole face changes when you think about him".
"Mom~" Shelly groaned, half embarrassed and half touched.
"Alright, alright~ I won't force you anymore" Her mother relented with a soft laugh "But you do realize your Daddy's going to bring this up again, right? He's been sulking ever since you missed our Video dinner last week".
Shelly didn't need to be told, she knew exactly how her father would react.
He loved her deeply, sometimes overwhelmingly so much like her grandfather. And while she cherished that love, his overreactions sometimes made her feel suffocated.
Shelly let out a guilty sigh, running a hand through her hair "I know.... please talk to him for me, okay?".
"Anything for you, sweetie~" Her mother said, added with a teasing lilt "But you do need to think seriously about what I said! You're turning eighteen soon, university applications, your future, all of it - it's time to make decisions".
"I know, Mom... let's talk about it later, okay? I promise I'm not running from it" She sighed, her heart feeling heavier.
Her mother looked at her for a long, quiet moment, then nodded "Okay, later. But not too much later, understand?".
"Understood~ Ma'am" Shelly said with a playful salute.
They continued their conversation for a while longer before Shelly finally ended the call. She let out a long, weary sigh as she collapsed onto her bed, staring up at the ceiling.
Recently her parents are urging her to come back to England, that's why her mother called just now to talk about this.
The thought of leaving Korea gnawed at her, she did miss her parents, her friends back in England and even the familiarity of her old life.
But still, she wasn't ready to leave yet.
Not now.
This place has attached to her so much, so many beautiful memories here that she can't bear to leave this place for a moment.
It became special to her, like she belongs here.
Shelly also plans to convince her parents to let her settle in Korea when she goes to university, she still wants to live here with her grandpa and her friends.
"Besides... I can't leave him" Shelly thought.
Nick sat at the dining table, silently observing his niece.
From the moment he got home, he had noticed the shift in her demeanor. Usually, Shelly would greet him with a bright smile and chatter about her day.
But tonight, she was different. She quietly prepared dinner, setting the table without her usual enthusiasm.
The silence between them was thick with unspoken thoughts.
He asked, finally set his chopsticks down "Is something bothering you?".
Shelly looked up, momentarily caught off guard "It's nothing, Grandpa".
Nick's sharp gaze remained on her, his years of wisdom allowing him to see right through her "Your parents told you to come back, didn't they?".
"You knew?" Shelly's eyes widened slightly.
He nodded and told her that her parents had called him a long time ago and asked him to convince her to go back.
A pang of guilt washed over her, she knew her parents had been worried but hearing that they had reached out to her grandfather too made her feel worse.
"Your parents are right!" Nick said firmly "It's time for you to go back".
"But Grandpa~" Shelly's voice softened, her eyes pleading as she reached for his hand "I don't want to go back yet, I still want to be here with you".
Nick frowned "Oh really? With me or with that boy?".
"Grandpa~ he's very important to me and you know that!" Shelly pouted "Please~ Grandpa".
Nick sighed deeply, staring at his niece. She was using her adorable tricks on him again, the same way she always did when she wanted something.
And the worst part? It worked every single time.
As always.
He wanted to be strict, he wanted to remind her of her responsibilities, of the life that was waiting for her back in England.
But when he looked at her - the hopeful glimmer in her eyes, the genuine love she had for this place, he couldn't bring himself to say no.
He was happy to have his little princess by his side but he also knew that besides him, what was the biggest reason why Shelly wanted to stay here.
As much as he disliked Jay Jo for stealing his precious niece, he couldn't deny that the boy made her happy.
And that happiness was something he would never take away from her.
So he promised her that he'll accept to this relationship but that doesn't mean he'll like it.
And honestly, he really didn't want to be away from his little princess either.
"Okay, okay" Nick surrendered to her sparkling eyes "I'll talk to your parents later".
Shelly's face lit up and she threw her arms around him "You're the best, Grandpa!".
"Don't make me regret it" He warned, though his voice was thick with affection "And that boy Jay - if he breaks your heart, I'm not just going to chop him into pieces, I'm going to marinate him first".
"You're such a softie inside~ Grandpa" Shelly giggled and hugged him tighter, resting her head on his shoulder.
Nick shook his head with a small smile, this girl would be the end of him.
〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜
Lately something about Yuna had felt off, Dom couldn't quite put his finger on it but he knew it wasn't his imagination.
At first, it was just little things. She stopped greeting him in the mornings, if he happened to approach, she'd find an excuse - any excuse to walk away.
She wouldn't meet his eyes anymore, the smile that once seemed to appear so naturally around him had vanished like smoke in the wind.
Dom tried to shrug it off at first "Maybe she's tired, maybe something's going on at home or school, it's probably just a coincidence" He told himself but the more it happened, the harder it became to pretend everything was okay.
But later on, both Jay and Shelly felt that Yuna had a problem and she's trying to hide it.
Shelly tried asking her but she just said she didn't want to talk about it, that makes him doubt if he did something to make Yuna angry.
So today Dom decided to go find Mia to ask what happened to Yuna, she's closer to Yuna than anyone.
If something happens to the brown hair girl, Mia's definitely the one who knows the reason.
When it's time for a break, Dom refuses to go with Jay and Shelly to buy food. He took out his phone, texted Mia while waited for her in front of the classroom.
To Mia🍓:
"Hey, can we talk for a bit? Just you and me, waiting outside the classroom".
From Mia🍓:
"Sure! Be right there~".
He stood outside, nervously shifting his weight from one foot to the other.
It wasn't long before he saw Mia skipping down the hallway, her usual sunny smile lighting up her face.
"Hey~" She said cheerfully "You're looking for me?".
"Yeah! Actually I want to ask you something, it starts with..." Dom wasted no time and fired off a barrage of questions that startled Mia a bit.
"Whoa, whoa~ slow down!" Mia laughed gently, raising her hands like she was trying to calm a frantic puppy "Take a breath, Dom".
"I'm sorry, I just... this has been driving me crazy" Dom ran a hand through his hair in frustration.
"She's not mad at you, Dom" She said between chuckles.
Dom's frustration was evident "Are you sure? Because from where I'm standing, it really feels like she is".
Mia tilted her head, observing him "The reason Yuna's avoiding you isn't because she's angry, it's because she's confused".
"Confused?? Confused about what?" Dom blinked.
Mia hesitated, unsure if she should reveal too much.
Then after a brief pause, she asked "Dom... who was the girl you were talking to in front of the classroom that day?".
"That girl? She just came to get autographs from our Humming Bird Crew" Dom furrowed his brows, clearly trying to remember "Me, Jay and Shelly all signed for her".
Mia nodded, as if something had just clicked "So that's it... Yuna probably misunderstood you".
"Misunderstood?" Dom repeated, feeling more lost than ever "Gosh, Mia! What are you talking about?".
Mia sighed looking at her friend, she really wanted to tell Dom that Yuna was also.
But she can't and don't want to, she wants both of them to be able to say it.
Not her.
"You just need to know that Yuna's not angry with you at all" She explained.
Dom looked at his friend in disbelief "So what do you mean by misunderstood?".
Mia tried to find the right words to make him understand, she was silent for a while and decided to use this way.
She gave him suggests "Dom, think about it. She misunderstood you in that way... can't you guess?"
Dom froze, his mind suddenly swirling with possibilities.
The realization hovered just out of reach, yet something inside him told him he already knew the answer.
"Just think about it carefully!" Mia patted him on the shoulder "I'm going back to class now, see you later".
And with that, she walked away, leaving Dom standing there, deep in thought.
"Sorry, Dom... you have to figure it out for yourself" Mia thought.
Dom didn't move, he stood there, staring down the hallway.
Mia's words echoing in his head, her hints, Yuna's silence, the girl from last week "It couldn't be, right?".
But what if it was?
What if Yuna...?
He swallowed hard, heart suddenly pounding in his chest.
Returning to the classroom, he couldn't concentrate on what the teacher said and only Mia's words remained in Dom's mind.
He wasn't sure about the possibility he was thinking about.
But... could it be?
Could it be that what he hoped for the most has actually come true.
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