-Hee Jin’s POV-

So far, my week had been going smoothly. After the trip to Sehun sunbae’s rest house in Uijeongbu, I haven’t gotten the chance to see Aerin unnie and the rest of the guys. That had been a very pleasant trip except for its latter parts when unnie asked me to help her ‘get rid’ of Chan Yeol sunbae and Sehun sunbae, both of whom were after her in a romantic way. She had been miserable since then and when I tried calling her, I’ve only managed to reach her answering machine. She wouldn’t even answer my messages. I guess she was really depressed about the matter. If she was, I wondered how the two boys were fairing. As far as I’ve noticed, the older of the two boys was distraught since hearing what she had to say, all of which were lies. Maybe he’ll come around one day, but that wasn’t anytime soon.

I was walking towards the private study room at the fourth floor of the school building, deciding to finish my school work before I went home, when my phone suddenly rang inside my pocket. Thinking that it was my aunt, asking about my whereabouts, I took it out and read the message, but then it turned out to be from Kai. I found myself smiling as I opened the message.

Hey~! ^^ >>Jong In-ssi

It was the first time he would text me since getting my number last Sunday before they dropped me off to my house. I continued walking as I sent him a response.

Hi, Jong In~! >>Hee Jin

How are you? I haven’t seen you in a while. >>Jong In-ssi

I bit my lower lip as I opened the door to the study room, thinking of what to say to him. I set down my things and sat down by the window.

I’m A-Okay. I’ve been busy though. How about you? >>Hee Jin

Fine, I guess. Where are you right now? >>Jong In-ssi

Doing my homework at the study room. TT.TT ke ke >>Hee Jin

It was taking him a while to answer so I decided to begin doing my Algebra homework. This should be easy. I only had two problems to solve. It was a good thing our teacher wasn’t in the mood to make our lives a living hell by giving ten problems this time. I’ve finished my first problem and glanced at the watch. Not even fifteen minutes had passed so I continued on the second problem which was on quadratic equations. I was in the middle of regrouping the rather complicated problem when the door to the study room suddenly opened.

I didn’t bother looking up. “I’m just about to finish. I –” I stopped in mid-sentence when I saw who the person who entered was. “Chan Yeol sunbae?”

He paced slowly in front of the board as if he was in deep thought. His eyes were smaller than usual and he looked very tired. I can definitely say that he had been stressing over unnie. Poor thing. I just wished I could help him, but I couldn’t possibly divulge unnie’s secret to him. Though he was hurting, it was none of my business. All I could do is to feel sorry for him and Sehun sunbae, too.

I tried to smile at him. He’s usually pleasant. “Are you going to study, too?” I asked him and he shook his head which meant just one thing.

“We need to talk,” he said seriously, meeting my gaze after a while.

I frowned. “Hmm. What is it all about?” I tried as much as I could to sound convincingly innocent about the matter.

He sneered. “You have to ask?” he spat, bitterness in his tone.

I frowned, keeping up with my act. He’s starting to creep me out. “W-what do you mean?”

“It’s Aerin, damn it! Are you going to tell me or what?” he snarled, glaring at me. His breathing caught. “I’m not even supposed to be asking you this, but you’re the only on who can help me.”

“Help you? How?” I quickly picked up my phone and dialed Kai’s number.

Chan Yeol sunbae stood just a couple of meters away from me, his tall frame foreboding as he leaned against one of the chairs. “Don’t act as if you don’t know anything, Hee Jin-ssi. I don’t want us to be enemies, but if you continue denying it, I’m afraid that’s what we’re going to be.”

I scoffed in disbelief more than derision. What is he all about? “Sunbae, I don’t want that to happen either and I won’t lie to you any longer. I know what Aerin unnie had done, but I understand her enough to keep my word. She has her reasons and it’s not mine to tell.”

He shook his head and my eyes were fixated on him. When he turned away, I quickly glanced at my phone on top of the table. Kai wasn’t picking up yet. “You don’t know what she had done!”

I flinched inwardly as his deep voice boomed across the room. I tried to keep my equanimity despite of the fact that I wanted to just tell him already. I feel really bad for him. “I might not understand the damage she had done to