After getting a note from the office, and avoiding Jackson's attempts of starting a conversation, Yejin made it up the stairwell and to the classroom in one piece. Upon opening the door, all eyes were on her, which is exactly what she didn't want. The teacher looked at her and the class kept silent as she walked across the room and handed over the note before making way to her seat in the back corner. Once she started walking down the row, whispers started as Jackson entered right after. 

        "Are they together?"

        "I thought he was just joking yesterday,"

        "My friend told me she saw them making out in the parking lot,"

        Yejin did her best to keep her head down while taking the last few steps to her seat. She did her best to not seem effected by any of their words. It wasn't such a horrible rumor, but it was still untrue and made the girl feel uncomfortable. For people to assume such a thing so fast with no evidence was stupid in her opinion, especially with how different the two were. Maybe hearing people say these things will push Jackson away from her once and for all. The girl pulled out her books and did her best to focus on the teacher's lecture, and not about the boy she was secretly wanting to take a peak at, just to see what his reaction was to what their classmates were saying. After class, Yejin could feel eyes on her but ignored them and doodled in the margins as always. Luckily, Jackson didn't come and bother her. However, other kids did.

        "Hey girl, how did Jackson manage to get you to talk?" some boy in the row next to her said.

        "I bet she did something weird and forced him to be friends with her," a girl a few seats in front of her said.

        "You are both idiots, didn't you hear the bet he made with his crew yesterday? He had to ask her out, and if she said no, he had to pay them each ten bucks. He lost, but I don't know why he's still hanging around her," A girl from a few rows over said.

        Yejin got lost in her thoughts when she heard this one. It was true, so true that it made feel Yejin a little better to know that someone else saw through the lies and took what was happening for face value. The bell for lunch rang and students started getting up and forming into their little groups before heading out the door. As usual, Yejin forgot to get money for lunch. She was near starving at this point, so she pulled her bag onto her desk and started checking all of the pockets and pouches in hopes of finding enough money to buy something, even if it was just a candy bar. The kids continued to clear out and Yejin continued to not find a single cent in her bag. The girl decided to get up and walk around, despite wanting to sit at her desk and take a nap. She left her backpack like everyone else and walked into the empty hallway. Letting her eyes wander around the interior and not thinking of anything in particular, she enjoyed the peace of being alone. Not caring about checking the time and having left her phone in the classroom, she was surprised when the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch.

        The girl walked to the end of the hall where her classroom was and attempted to walk through the doorway like the rest of her class was currently doing. She was at the end of the crowd of people squishing themselves in when someone stood a little too close. Not caring enough to look at who was beside her until she heard them speak up.

        "Yejin," the person said. The girl hated how her initial reaction was to look when someone called her name. Beside her was Jackson, a small smile resting on his face. She felt nervous and a little scared at what would happen next.

        "I finally know your name, haha," he said with a loud short laugh that was shocking since it sounded so nasal compared to his normal voice. After that he let the small smile grow a bit softer as he looked ahead of them as the crowd was dispersing into the room. Yejin scrunched her face at this and went back to pretending she didn't hear people's conversations, some of which included her name.

        "She's so shy around him," a girl said to her friend with mild disgust.

        "I think it's cute. I wish I had a boyfriend," the friend said.

        "Do you think being a mute is what guys find attractive now?" another girl said as she looked at Yejin with a squint in her eyes as if she was searching for something.

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