Jiyong was the one to show Yuri the way to school from their now-shared home.

First he pointed out the bus route, but offered some information she didn’t really know what to do with: that he preferred to walk it to school, because there was a ‘secret’ way that he took.

It was more of an invite than anything.

So Yuri walked alongside him, ignoring the urge to tell him that he looked so handsome in his uniform – even if it wasn’t worn properly; the tie was undone, the collar uneven, even the top buttons of his shirt weren’t in place. She on the hand wore her school uniform smartly. All the folds of her school skirt were neat and crease-free. Yuri fixed her knee socks as she matched her steps with his, noticing how Jiyong wasn’t speaking too much.

“Why do you call this a secretive route?” Jiyong glanced sideways at Yuri, who was having some trouble holding her full bag. It was practically half her size.

He snickered softly. “Because this area is quiet – not a lot of people walk down these streets especially.” Gesturing to the open air, Yuri realised that he was right as no one was in sight and the only thing in the distance she could see was the tree lined path. As they walked, some turns became apparent… Other than that it was quite isolated.

Jiyong was sharing something with her. Even if it was only a way to school.

Internally, Yuri cringed. Gods, this was just someone she was temporarily living with.

There was no need to think of him as that good-looking.

“Something on your mind?” he asked quietly, pulling out a cigarette from his back pocket without looking. Yuri’s brow creased. She didn’t know he was a smoker… Although, now that she thought about it, it wasn’t exactly surprising or anything. “Want one, or something?”

“No! Of course not.” Shaking her head in protest, Yuri her lips. “Why do you smoke?”

“Why do you ask silly questions?”

She huffed in response.

Jiyong’s thumb swiped down his lighter until a flame flickered up, slightly assaulted by the wind. After the first inhale, she tried to not watch him as he breathed out the stream of smoke; tried not to pay attention to the fact that she was inhaling his second-hand smoke.

Tried to ignore the fact that they were sharing the same… Smell.

This was the problem with Yuri: she was fond of romance novels. She liked the happy endings, and the trial and error couples had to go through before they found that happy ending. She fell in love with their love, and though not the most obvious hopeless romantic… She was a little hopeless when it came to love. Yuri had never had a boyfriend, nor had she been kissed. And ? Of course she would be saving herself till marriage.

Yuri found herself attracted to people all the time, though. Strangers on trains and other forms of public transport – she’d catch their eye once, and that would be it. Immediately she’d wonder about what their hand would feel like in hers, what their lips would feel like—

What would Jiyong’s lips feel like?

“Yoon Yuri, let me get something clear.” Jiyong’s voice was rough, completely thick with authority. He turned to her, eyes dark; obscured by something she couldn’t quite figure out. Yuri looked at him expectantly. “I don’t want you telling anyone that we now… Live together. You’re the new girl. Only today will we walk to school together, understand?”

Oh.

Oh.

“Um… Yes, Jiyong.” Her voice sounded much smaller compared to his. Halfway through his cigarette now, she stopped when he did to finish it off at the end of the path: watching how with every one of his inhales the stick blazed red around the ash. Finally, when his contact with death was over he discarded it with a throw, then cleared his throat as she fell in step with him again.

Yuri wondered about his words. He was the popular guy; she was aware of it – but would it be really that embarrassing if it was discovered that she was living at his house for a short while?

She sighed softly.

Jiyong grabbed her wrist as soon as their school was in sight. “Now get lost. You know the route.”

Fingers uncurling from her wrist, Yuri gulped and quickly rushed away from him while Jiyong hollered over to some of his friends that were waiting for him. The entrance grounds were packed with chattering students as everyone went inside the school and to their respective registration rooms. Yuri remembered the way to hers and dragged her feet along, frowning – she was half-aware of the whispers around her as she walked, but wasn’t all too sure why.

She could, however, guess that it was something to do with Jiyong.

“Hmmph.” Pushing the door open to her registration room, Yuri found her desk and sat silently, but sat up straight. Why was Jiyong like that out of nowhere? Get lost?

Gosh, how rude!

“Psst.”

Instinctively, Yuri turned to face whoever wanted her attention. It was the girl behind her, Yun Nara. Nara was a pretty girl with rosy cheeks and a short haircut. “Yeah?”

“Is it true?”

Yuri blinked. “… Is what true?”

“That Dragon walked with you to the gates?”

Her lip pursed in confusion. Dragon? “Who…?”

“Kwon Jiyong, of course! Everyone calls him Dragon, though.”

“.. Oh! Uh. I,” Jiyong’s words echoed in her mind from just before, “I… Didn’t mean to. I recognised him from his uniform, and I got lost on my way here. He said I can walk with him.”

That was good, right?

Nara looked at Yuri, puzzled. “Really? Dragon did that? He’s not the type of guy that does that.”

Yuri shrugged. “Maybe he just took pity on me.”

Nara grinned. “No offence – but maybe. Anyway,” offering her hand, Nara tilted her head. “I’m Yun Nara.”

“I’m Yoon Yuri!” Yuri beamed, happy to shake her hand.

“Still getting used to this school, huh? It takes a while to know the ins and outs – it is pretty big.”

“Yeah…” Yuri made a face. “It’s really confusing.”

“Show me your schedule! I can show you around to any classes we have together.”

Nodding, Yuri passed over the paper that showed all her timetabled lessons. With a red pen, Nara marked Yuri’s common lessons with her in her own schedule. “We have so many together!”

“Thank god someone can show me around, then.”

“Absolutely.”

The bell rang then, and their registration teacher came in with the clipboard. Marking everyone’s names in, Yuri turned around when Nara called her name again. The second bell went to signify the start of lessons.

“C’mon, Yuri. We have Chemistry first. And guess what? Dragon does too!”

Yuri’s eyes lit up momentarily as she got up, allowing Nara to grab her hand excitedly. Lessons with Jiyong…

This was her second day at school, and already she was finding herself falling into a certain group – this wasn’t good. A group of girls dying over a guy?

Really?

Jiyong had made it clear that he wasn’t exactly fond of her. Actually, she wasn’t sure. Maybe he was just indifferent.

“Uh, yeah. Let’s go.”

 

*

He hadn’t spared her a single glance in Chemistry.

Even when the teacher made her stand up in the front of the classroom and introduce herself and made her recite some trivial things about herself that only a third of the students bothered listening to, Jiyong was too busy at the back of the classroom talking with a gorgeous girl… Or, rather, whispering. She’d noticed that the popular and attractive people mostly sat at the back of each classroom, almost as though they were too good to be there. Yuri was learning quite a lot about this school very quickly.

It was hard to not observe the person you were attracted to.

This was becoming a problem.

Thankfully, her next few lessons were ones that Jiyong weren’t in as well, so she enjoyed speaking to new people and getting a feel for the curriculum. She’d even asked every teacher for extra learning material since she’d missed out on at least half of the term – it wasn’t the most convenient of times to have to start a new school.

Yuri was pointed to the appropriate textbooks each time and advised to read around the subject, which she happily informed her teachers that she would certainly do.

And that brought her to lunch.

The dining hall was large, tables stretched at two ends, while in the middle there were rounder tables. There were two canteens, on either side of the hall, and after grabbing some food with Nara, they both navigated their way around the hall until they found the one where Nara’s friends all sat at. Yuri rested her tray on the table and situated her chopsticks between her fingers as she started eating. One of the boys seemed to be completely taken with her.

“Sun Kyung!” Nara said. “Are you an animal? Do you need to look at her like that?”

Kyung swallowed. “Never in my life… Have I seen a girl so beautiful.”

Yuri lost her appetite.

Almost comically, her chopsticks slipped out of her fingers as she stared back at Kyung who may as well have had hearts for eyes. He was good-looking, too. His jaw was strong but his gaze was soft, giving off a friendly persona. Yuri simply decided to take this chance to make another friend. “Hello, Sun Kyung.” She bowed her head with a smile. “I’m Yoon Yuri.”

“I know! I know…!” Having found the stomach to eat some more, Yuri waited for him to go on between her chews. “You’re the new girl. But also a thief.”

Appetite lost again.

The chopsticks dropped on the table once more, as Yuri asked, “Huh?”

“You stole my heart.”

Oh.

Resuming her eating, Nara giggled beside her. Yuri turned with a smile. “Is he always so dramatic?”

“Even more than this, Yoon Yuri. Even more than this.”

Yuri shook her head as Kyung went on to proclaim his immediate love, bringing a smile to her face.

All the while, Jiyong watched her from the table in the centre of the hall.

 

Yuri was late.

There was no getting around it.

Block 4, classroom 122 was where her lesson after lunch would be. Of all things, it had to be Korean History – the one subject she’d always enjoyed. Yuri wasn’t the most practical of people when it came to studying especially, but memory-based subjects she tried her hardest to excel in. Why did there have to be so many stairs, though? Yuri hopped up the steps two or three at a time, risking falling very badly with each daring jump.

Half a minute later, her legs had succeeded in the great challenge of getting to her classroom.

Oh god, though.

Oh god.

It suddenly felt incredibly daunting to just be standing there in front of classroom 122.

The teacher’s voice inside was harsh, and low, and boomed through as if he was shouting at the class rather than teaching them.

Her fist knocked against the door feebly.

“GET INSIDE!” Yuri heard.

Oh no.

The door she gently pushed forward before managing to get her feet inside. Bowing in apology, Yuri looked at the teacher: an old, balding man with a cane in his hand that looked like it was for… Violence rather than an aid to his walking.

“And who might you be?”

“Yoon Yuri,” she said quietly.

“And why might you be so late to my lesson?”

Yuri had a feeling Korean History wouldn’t be so fun – or her favourite subject – any longer.

“No answer? Fine. Kwon Jiyong, sit up!” Yuri’s head snapped towards Jiyong.

Another class together?

“You sit with him,” the teacher said. “And if you are late one more time to my lessons, then be ready to face the consequences.”

He waved his hand towards the seat next to Jiyong, and Yuri hurried over, sitting beside him – Jiyong still didn’t look at her.

Fine, thought Yuri. He could at least be polite, couldn’t he? But clearly he was incapable of even something like that. She shook her head and pulled her notebook out, immediately scribbling down word for word what their teacher was discussing; her fast fingers filled the first few pages easily.

When the lesson had ended and when school was dismissed, Yuri watched Jiyong leave the classroom and hook an arm around a girl’s waist.

She clicked her tongue, shrugging before approaching the teacher, hoping he wasn’t still irritated at her.

Like she had all day, she asked for the appropriate learning materials, which made him look at her in surprise. Writing down some names of textbooks that she had to buy, Yuri nodded before leaving.

Once outside, she began to exit the gates. Holding her phone to her ear, Yuri smiled when her dad picked up.

“Dad, I’m on my way back now.”

“Are you sure you know the way? Do you need me to come drive and get y—”

Yuri laughed, moving through the streets before she found the ‘secret’ path back to Jiyong’s home. “No, Dad. Your legs will hurt if you drive. Don’t worry about me, I won’t be too long.”

“Are you sure?”

“Always,” Yuri said. Her smile was suddenly sad. Her dad… Oh, she’d do anything for him. He was getting old, Yoon Hong was. And his legs were weakening slowly. All she wanted to do was make something out of herself – make him proud. She hoped his health would spare him for some time more. “What have you been doing all day, Dad?”

As he told her about how he was catching up with Jiyong’s own father and working out how they’d get out of their financial mess, suddenly Yuri was aware that she wasn’t the only one on the path.

It dawned on her when there were shadows she could see from the corner of her eye.

“Dad,” Yuri began, “I’ll see you in a few minutes, okay? My phone is dying. See you soon!” The lie slipped from her lips as though it didn’t kill her to tell him something that wasn’t even remotely true.

At that moment, three tall figures came from behind and started to walk slowly in her direction.

Yuri sped up.

So did they.

Think, Yuri! Think!

She inhaled deeply and then suddenly broke into a full sprint. The men behind her all yelled something at once before they jolted after her, but Yuri was… Simply faster.

There was a time in her life when she was deeply sad. Angry. So hurt. And all she could do was run, as if she was running from her emotions – her speed didn’t just come out of nowhere. Her legs carried her as if her life depended on it, and frankly… Maybe it did. She didn’t know when she lost them, but she did know that she was simply safe when she knocked into someone.

Something familiar.

Jiyong.

Now off the secret path, Yuri realised she was back in the area where Jiyong lived. He had simply been standing there when she blindly ran into him.

Yuri looked at him, at once relieved and embarrassed. Getting off him immediately, she bowed in apology. (She was doing that a lot, wasn’t she?)

“I’m so sorry, Jiyong!” Again she bowed, before standing.

Jiyong looked at her.

Worried.

“What the hell just happened back there? Were you running away from someone?”

Jiyong stepped forward, noting her wild eyes; her heated, crimson cheeks. She was out of breath. She had to have been escaping something. But why?

How could she tell him, though?

“I hate being lied to.”

Yuri had learned her lesson. “Um… There were men. Running after me. On that… Route that you showed me this morning.”

Jiyong’s jaw twitched.

He was sure that they were gone by now, since they’d lost trail of her.

“Are you okay?”

Yuri nodded immediately.

Yes, she was. She was her own hero. She was… Okay. It was scary, but she wasn’t at all harmed. Still, Jiyong placed his hand under her chin and lifted it up so he could read her eyes. Probably he was looking for a lie there, somewhere, or even a half-truth. But he saw nothing except fierce pride that she’d escaped something like that. Only God knew what those men intended to do with her if they did catch her.

“Come on, let’s go.”

Obediently she walked with him.

But she couldn’t help but ask, “Jiyong… Why were you standing there?”

Jiyong looked ahead.

“Waiting for you.”

As she fell silent, he spoke again. “I will show you a different route to school tomorrow, Yoon Yuri. There’s been a high level of crime in this town lately – targeting schoolgirls like you. We’re not going to risk you walking alone, anymore.”

There was something else in that: not that she wouldn’t be walking alone any longer, but that Yuri would now be walking with him.

She nodded.

Jiyong stopped her again. Now he touched her shoulder.

“Are you sure you’re alright?”

Yuri breathed deeply. “Yes. I am.”

And so they walked again, and once at his house, it was Yuri that grabbed his wrist.

Before they entered, she asked of him, “Please don’t tell my father, Jiyong.”

He frowned at her. Angrily. “Why?”

“He’ll… Worry. Worry too much. Please, Jiyong. It’s all I’m going to ask of you.”

Jaw twitching once more, he said, “Fine,” and unlocked the front door before letting her go inside.

Yuri immediately went over to greet her father who’d been waiting for her, while Jiyong simply went upstairs.

It was true: the crime rate was rising in the town. Unspeakable things were happening to schoolgirls.

Yuri…

At the top of the stairs, he turned. He heard her lovely laughter at something her father said. She did seem okay. But shouldn’t she have been shaken?

He wouldn’t allow anything to happen to her.

It was decided now.

 

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Author's note: Thank you for the views, subscribes, and few comments so far! I really appreciate it all. When I get some more comments regarding this chapter, I will update again. I really hope you enjoyed this second chapter. Once more, thanks so much! See you again in chapter 3. <333