[CONTENTID1]By Your Side[/CONTENTID1]
[CONTENTID2]Part 2[/CONTENTID2]

[CONTENTID3]

As Daehyun lay on his blow up mattress that night, he looked over to Youngjae who was currently asleep on the bed. She was a girl, his friend, and was getting beaten up and threatened by someone twice her size; of course he was going to let her have his bed. He saw that she was actually sleeping pretty peacefully, which was surprising to him. He had half expected her to have some trouble falling asleep on a count of how her last few weeks had been, but he just assumed she felt comforted knowing she had a friend with her. Looking back up at the ceiling, he started to think back to the previous week and all of the red flags that he should have picked on.

 

Red Flag #1: Youngjae made excuses not to eat lunch in the lunchroom

 

Flashback:

 

Packing up his books after math class, Daehyun looked towards Youngjae who sat beside him.

     
    “Man, I’m starving. That bell couldn’t have taken any longer to ring. Let’s head to lunch quick, we want to be close to the front of the line so they don’t run out of kimchi jjigae like last time.

    “Yeah, kimchi jjigae are quite a hot commodity. But I’m not going to the lunchroom today, sorry.” Youngjae apologized.

 

    “Where are you going?”

    
    “Um, I have to go to the computer lab and work on some stuff for yearbook committee.”

 

This was usually Youngjae’s excuse as neither Daehyun or Jongup were on the yearbook committee and it was usually easy to get away with saying that was where she was.

 

    “You missed lunch yesterday to do that.”

 

    “Yeah, well….I didn’t finish. So I have to go again today.” Another lie.

 

    “Okay, but finish up so you can eat lunch tomorrow. I’m getting really sick of just eating with Jongup and Zelo. Yesterday when you weren’t there, Jongup tried to get me to sniff his lunchmeat to see if it was expired.”

 

    “Disgusting! Was it?”

 

    “Yes!” He shouted.

 

Youngjae laughed. “I promise. Tomorrow I’ll be at lunch.”

 

    “You’re so busy all of a sudden.”

 

    “I know. I’m sorry. I just have a lot on my plate right now. I’m not trying to ditch you on purpose.”

 

Seeing the look on her face that she was truly sorry, Daehyun decided not to push it. “I understand. See ya later.”

 

    “Better hurry. You wouldn’t want to miss out on the kimchi jjigae.”

 

Looking back on the situation, he knew she was just trying to avoid Taeyon. He wasn’t sure where she went during lunch period, maybe it actually was the computer lab, but Daehyun doubted it.

 

Red Flag #2: Youngjae kept blowing him off after school because he had a lot of homework.

 

Flashback:

 

    “Hey, you want to go to the cafe today? I hear the ice-cream there is really good especially the chocolate mint.”

 

    “No thank. I’m not very fond of chocolate mint.”

 

    “Who cares, we’ve gotta get it.”

 

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