(2) Sunggyu’s thoughts

Finally fed up with the rumours, Sunggyu snapped, “Okay, seriously who the hell is this chick?”

Woohyun snickered. “Poor hung – he has a girlfriend and doesn’t even know who she is!”

~~~~

As a result of Sunggyu’s laziness, the rumours had spread and circulated throughout the school to the point that everyone knew that Kim Sunggyu had dumped Tiffany Hwang on Valentine’s Day by kissing his new girlfriend in front of her. With no denial from Sunggyu, it seemed that his ‘girlfriend’s lies were accepted as the truth.

Despite the scandal, Sunggyu had barely seen his new girlfriend, and he was getting annoyed by it.

(3) Sunggyu bullies Krystal

“Oppa! Oppa!” Sunggyu turned around and groaned. It was the annoying girl again, the junior who kept calling herself his girlfriend. Sure, many of the fangirls called him their boyfriend, but this time, everyone seemed to believe this girl. He didn’t even know her name. “Is it okay if my friends I sit with you today?”

Before Sunggyu could reject the idea, seven girls plus his so-called girlfriend made themselves at home, chattering and giggling amongst themselves. Sunggyu, Woohyun, Sungyeol and L all exchanged confused glances at the new seating arrangement, but before Sunggyu could kick them out, the girl interrupted, standing up and bowing to the boys.

 “Hello! My name is Krystal Jung, and these are my friends, Choi Jinri, Seo Joohyun, Park Sunyoung, Park Miyeon, Son Naeun, Yoon Bomi and Lee Jieun, but Jinri prefers Sulli, and Sunyoung prefers Luna, and we call Miyeon Serri. Sometimes Jieun calls herself IU, but it’s only sometimes and…” The girl’s chatter flew in one ear and out the other, and Sunggyu couldn’t put up with it any longer.

“Excuse me, who do you think you are?” Sunggyu made sure his voice was loud. He didn’t want the girl and her giggly friends bothering him any longer, and public humiliation would guarantee that.

The girl – Krystal – stopped mid-sentence and looked up at him innocently. “I’m your girlfriend, oppa.”

“No, you’re not.” Sunggyu rolled his eyes. “I don’t have a girlfriend. I broke up with one this morning, and I’m perfectly happy being single now. I don’t have a girlfriend.”

“What are you talking about?” The question came from one of Krystal’s friends – Sulli? Serri? Whatever her name was. “You kissed Krystal this morning! You dumped Tiffany for her!”

Understanding dawned on Sunggyu, and he realised that this was the reason why everyone believed the girlfriend rumours. It would take a lot of bullying to make sure Krystal wouldn’t bother him again.

“Look, whatever happened this morning was a mistake,” Sunggyu said firmly. “I only kissed you to get rid of Tiffany, and it worked surprisingly well. Now she’s never going to bother me again, and I want you to do the same, okay? Don’t ever come near me again.”

“But, oppa…” Krystal’s voice took on a whining tone.

“Don’t say anything,” Sunggyu snarled. “You’re so pathetic; you’re just making up rumours because you want me to be your boyfriend so badly. You pretend to be American just like Tiffany, but you fail miserably. I don’t want you – hell, I don’t want anyone as my girlfriend. Got it?” Sunggyu raised his voice at the end to make sure everyone heard.

Krystal burst into tears and fled.

~~~~

“Krystal, it’s okay, you can come out now,” Sulli said softly, trying to coax Krystal from the stall. “We have to go to class now, remember? Come on.”

Finally, the door unlocked and with a tearstained face, Krystal emerged. She gave a small, shaky smile to Luna and Sulli, wordlessly rinsing her face. She reapplied her makeup heavier than normal, and without her usual bubbly smile, Krystal looked dark and serious.

 “Krystal!”

She stopped in the middle of the hallway, frozen in that spot, and out of the shadows, Kim Sunggyu approached her