Go, August, Go! FS2 ENGLISH

fourteen: thank you

"It was him!" someone yelled with conviction. My lips parted as I watched the fascination on their faces. It scared me to imagine them pulling out their phones to document everything the scene like how reporters on the news did to August when he was arrested. Fortunately, the IHM student, especially the ones at the party weren't like that. They were thrilled, yes. Their eyes were glinting with insult, disgust, and hatred against August but they were not someone to share random things on the internet.

Besides, who else was often being feasted by the media but them? The likes of us. Their attention was mainly on the tragedy around the corporate world and their children, if not the success of each empire.

The crowd was moving toward August. I got lost in the group. Hyoshin and Yuna were silently watching the unfolding scene. It would take more of it for Hyoshin to realize what this was all about. If he found this could be part of his game, too, I feared the worse.

I was literally trembling with fear as I looked around for something that could help me with the situation. All I saw was the food and drinks spread on the table and the cake. Without giving my plan a second thought, I walked to the cake and glared at it. Gritting my teeth hard as I pushed the table down. The tower cake fell on the floor with defeaning silence but the clatter of breaking glasses, plates, and silverware was piercing that silence.

It has unmistakably taken everyone's attention away from August. They gaped at the mess I created. Yuna and Hyoshin's lips parted.

"W-Why…?" Yuna trailed off as her eyes scanned the cake and the table I just turned upside down. She blinked as her gaze returned to me. "What's wrong with you?"

"What happened, Roxette?" the girl from the locker asked and stomped towards me but halted at the mess. "No one hasn't touched the cake, yet! What has gotten into you?"

I gulped and peeked at the tall person behind them. August was still there. I saw the surprise in his wild blue eyes. I shook my head and faced the other tables again. I had managed to turn another two down before I stopped as some of the students tried to touch me. I reflected the irritation embedded in their expressions like they were all made of one face. I was ready to scream at them when I caught an image running towards the exit. The IHM coat was familiar. It was Hyoshin. I searched for August but he was nowhere in sight.

It instantly sent me at ease. He's safe from this humiliation and judgment.

"What? Where's Hyoshin?" a guy asked after following my gaze. Everyone began to look for him. The others noticed August's missing presence, too, but most were curious about where Hyoshin went.

Yuna's face was sour while she tried to look for him, too. But he was gone. And when a sudden thought occurred to me, my heart skipped a beat. My eyes were wide towards the exit, thinking Hyoshin went after August.

My feet were about to follow them when Yuna spoke.

"I guess the party ends here," she coldly announced, addressing everyone who stared at her in disbelief. "We're all gathered here to celebrate with Hyoshin. He just left. There's no reason for us to stay."

"What? Why don't you call him and ask where he is?"

"Right? It could be urgent and he'll be back?"

Yuna raised her brow. "You all can stay if you want. But I'm saying that the party ends here. I'll also make an announcement to let your parents know."

Everyone groaned in frustration. They could do nothing about it. I almost smiled at Yuna's plan when she turned to me. Her eyes dangerously squinted into a slit.

"What's with this mess, Roxette? If you hate to be here so much, you should have left."

I snorted and rolled my eyes. "Yeah? I knew you wanted to leave, too. I just gave you the easiest way out."

"And Hyoshin took that as a chance to escape this party, too."

"Did you just admit how a mess this party already is without 'my' mess? Who celebrant would want to wish to escape his party so bad? And you prepared it for him but you're not enjoying it at all."

"Don't make up excuses now, Roxette. Why did you do that? Really?"

Frustrated, I grabbed her arm and dragged her out of the shop, throwing one last apologetic glance at Wax and Lauren who were out of their counter. The cold breeze smacked me straight on the face. I was nearly off balance when Yuna drastically got her hand off my hold.

"What's happening with you?" she complained and fixed her hair. On the driveway, their car pulled at the sight of her. There were the others, too, as the people soon exited the shop, throwing a disappointed and irritated look at my way.

"Why? You don't want to look for Hyoshin?" I asked back and looked around. Not for Hyoshin but for August. None of them was around. Dread was rising in my stomach. Hyoshin could do all the absurd and horrible things whenever he wished.

"What? Why would I look for him?"

I blinked at incredulous look on her face. "Well… He could be somewhere else?..." In the corner of my eyes, a group of men in tuxedos approached us. I instantly recognized them as Hyoshin's guards.

They all bowed their heads to us but the leader, who I remembered named, Craig, faced Yuna.

"Miss Abella." He glanced past us and towards the shop, frowning as he found none that interested him before proceeding to his question. "I don't see Young Master Shin. Is he still inside?"

The tension built up between the four of them. They were towering with their physique tone and broad. But the tension was evident on their stiffening frames as they failed to get a sight of Hyoshin. I almost reflected on that and searched for that d*mn guy without my spot. Still, his guards patiently waited for Yuna's reply.

"He left the party. Please, let his Dad knows about it."

"He left?" It was a statement that sounded like a question. Obviously, none of them noticed that.

"The key's with him, Craig," one of them announced. Craig spun around them with the widest eyes I had ever seen. He turned back to us almost instantly to bow before giving out firm orders to begin their search for Hyoshin.

This was not surprising at all. This was Hyoshin's one of many habits. Even the students who witnessed it hardly cared anymore, although they were always in awe of Hyoshin's courage and stubbornness. If there was anything who gaped at their presence and the way they sprinted like thunders, it was the people walking past the street, wondering the overdressed people coming out of the shop.

I rolled my eyes and was about to follow the guards when Yuna grabbed my arm.

"Where are you going?" She was totally clueless! I expected her to be smarter! Couldn't she tell? I wanted to find Hyoshin and make sure he was not thinking of adding August to his games!

But I bit my lower lip as I couldn't spill that to her. "Sandro's not here yet. I'll call him later."

"There's our car. I can drive you home."

I frowned. We had never driven one another home. I couldn't remember ever getting to their car, neither had I ever been in theirs.

"I'll call Sandro," I said with finality. She raised a suspicious brow but I didn't look away. Shortly, she sighed and faced the waiting vehicle.

"Whatever," she muttered. "I won't post an announcement. You can come home whenever you want. I don't really care." With that, she walked towards the car. The driver quickly stepped out to open the door for her.

I had no time to even scoff at her. I just turned around and left the irritated eyes on me to find August. I circled the triangle garden but saw no image of him through the hundreds of tiny street lights draped over crowds of trees and flower beds. There were also too many people occupying the benches and tables—even the outdoor tables of restaurants around were occupied. I realized then it was only past dinner and people were in the area with their family and loved ones to unwind before facing yet another hectic weekdays. Some of them were even taking pictures near the wishing fountain, which was also surrounded by beautiful different lights. It was mesmerizing. I hadn't realized how beautiful the place was until that moment.

After a few minutes of being lost to the sea of people and the lights seeing neither August nor Hyoshin, I realized the latter must have really escaped his guards. He indeed took that opportunity to leave. It should be easy for his guards to find him if he was around with August, if he stepped out after him.

It felt like a weight was pulled out of my shoulders. August must have gone somewhere else. Good for him. I did that scene to help him leave anyway. I didn't care about Hyoshin. As long as he went his own way, I didn't want to know where else he went.

I took the closest bench after a man and a woman who couldn't seem to get their arms off each other left. My body was heavy with exhaustion. It was when I leaned on the seat that I remembered of the books I had left. I had to go back to the shop and apologize to Wax and Lauren for the mess. I had no other choice earlier. It turned out well. But I had to come back there and apologize.

I also had to inform Sandro, or he would be mad at me again. Sighing, I closed my eyes and looked up to the sky to take gentle deep breaths. Yet, all I saw was sparkling blue eyes glaring at me. It was clear on his face. He assumed I brought everyone there to see him. The shock in his eyes as though I had betrayed him was like a dagger twisting deeper down my chest.

I could care less, considering we were still strangers to each other. However, it wasn't easy to shake off the feeling. His look of betrayal was as much as the feeling of pain I felt when I saw that look on him.

"You're here."

The voice startled me I almost fell down on the chair! I would have fallen face flat had I not stopped myself from jumping too much.

It was August. The face I had been vividly seeing even with my eyes closed was in front of me. He materialized like he heard me summoning him.

My lips parted but my throat was dried. Not a single word came out.

His eyes penetrated me. He was magnificent with all the lights on his background, turning himself to be nothing but a silhouette before me. When I caught the way he hardly worked his jaw, I rose from my seat in panic.

"L-Look, this is a misunderstanding, okay? I didn't bring them there to… to expose you. I know you want your privacy after that news report about you. I may have wronged you but I will not purposely do stupid things like that again, okay? Believe me; I didn't tell them to come here. I didn't know they'd be there, really! I didn't do this!"

"I didn't say you did," was his simple answer and I was left speechless again. I gulped the stone in my throat. "I knew what you did. I—"

"I said I didn't do it!" I shouted and closed my eyes in frustration. Of course, he wouldn't believe me! “I came with my books! I came to study. I do know about the party but I didn't—"

"Thank you…"

I stiffened and found his eyes again. He sounded sincere and gentle.

“...I know what you did, why you did it for: to help me get out of there before any of them could get a picture of me or realize I am working there. Thank you."

My lips parted but they trembled at the first attempt to speak. "I…yeah, I did that. That's why I did that. It's great that you understand and—wait, what?" I gaped in disbelief. Did he just thank me? With the sincerest voice I had ever heard?