To all the people that subscribed and the person to comment, thank you all so much. It really meant a lot and made me want to update faster. Sorry for any grammar mistakes, and hope that 2 chapter is even better than the first! Enjoy~.

~You’re in my way stupid, what are you saying~

                Another regular day with my parents yelling at me to hurry up.

                “Next time set your alarm”, my mother nagged as I took my lunch and was slipping my shoes on.

                “I did”, I grumbled to myself checking the time only to see that I had plenty of time to get to school. “It’s not like I’m going to be late.”

                “What’d you say?” My mother snapped as I just grabbed an apple and quickly left.

                “Later dad”, I managed to say before I closed the door.

                “If only she was more like Ae-Cha.”

                “Now, now; Min-Hee isn’t perfect.”

                I biked all the way to school even avoiding those annoying guys I’d usually see. It was also strange though since it’s been awhile since they missed a chance to bug me before school. I just kept cycling trying to dismiss my now broken routine and focus on what I promised myself I’d do today. This day was my chance to become friends with Ren, whether I was nervous or not.

 I strolled up to the bike rack thinking of ways to ask him while locking up my bike. “It’s only a simple question!” I said becoming a bit frustrated over thinking things again.

                I soon entered the building hearing the girls fan girl again. I took a small peek at what usually caused the ruckus only to be surprised by what I saw. The pack of queenkas with their leader, Myuung-Soo wasn’t anything special, but NU’EST appeared to have one member than yesterday. Most people had thought that 2^nd year Seung Cheol would be the next member once Aron had graduated, or even this year seemed promising, but the tough band leader was nowhere to be seen. I didn’t expect that he would become popular overnight or anything, but somehow the gang had found out about the new kid already.

                “So that must be why he was with them yesterday”, I thought to myself seeing Ren walk confidently alongside NU’EST as if he had been with them from the start.

                “Isn’t that the new kid from yesterday, Choi Minki”? The girls gossiped already fanning over him.

                “Shh! I heard if you call him by his real name he’ll beat you up personally. You got to say Ren!”

                “I even heard he challenged Seung Cheol on who’d be the next member, and he won!”

                Even though I usually didn’t care about this kind of stuff, I was curious about the Ren that joined NU’EST. I wanted to know why, and how?

                I started to realized that the populars where heading my way making wonder if                Ren would notice me. What if he had completely forgotten I existed, or maybe Myung-Soo got into his head and told him not to associate with a geek? Wanting to see if anything had changed between us, I made eye contact with him as I waved hoping he had seen me despite the giant crowd of girls.

                All I got was a look of acknowledgement. “Hi”, he mouthed to me before earning a harsh glare from Myung-Soo. I cringed away once she directed a mean look my way and decided to just meet up with Ren in class. Maybe then he could explain why he was with NU’EST.

                Heading inside, I waited for him the entire period, but he never showed. “Where’s Ren”, I wondered going over my notes while also preparing for the next lesson.

                “Ya! How come Min-Hee gets seated with Ren?”  I heard some of my classmates complain which even continued all the way till the end of the next class. “It’s bad if he gets grouped with someone like her. I bet she promised to let him copy the quiz tomorrow if he would talk to her.”

                It was like that the entire time until Ren had finally showed up. I could tell the effects of being a NU’EST member was already taking affect for not even the teacher questioned him on his tardiness. He would just calmly enter as if he didn’t miss a class, and would take his seat next to mine. Once he sat down I tried to greet him and maybe ask why he was late, but he ignored me the entire period.

                “Jerk”, I thought to myself as the lunch bell soon rang. Seeing that Ren must not be in the mood to talk, I decided to eat with the chess members since I had told Yoseob I would yesterday. Besides, I still had plenty of time to ask him about considering me a friend later.

                “Ah Min-Hee wait”, I heard him call out right when I was about to leave the already empty classroom.

                I sighed turning to face him still a little mad at the silent treatment he had given me, “What?” I said still at the door.

                “About not talking to you”, he began as I listened to his explanation curious for the reason, yet I had a sinking feeling I knew where this was heading. “Yesterday NU’EST confronted me saying I should join them, and I agreed, but I had to fight this other guy.”

                “Why would you want to pick a fight especially with Seung Cheol just to join some infamous school gang?” I interrupted crossing my arms.

                I saw that he was about to protest, but he kept explaining instead of answering my question. “I won, but I felt really bad,” he added as if trying to make it seem like he didn’t even have a choice; he did, he could’ve just walked away instead of giving in. “Then they told me I was one of them and to meet up tomorrow. At first I thought I could avoid them, but the 1^st years found me and I was dragged through the school by them along with the queekas; they mentioned it was just to show that I was an official member. I saw you in the crowd”, he then smiled as if that was supposed to make me feel happy to be noticed; it did in some way, but I still felt a bit betrayed. “However, Myung-Soo said I wasn’t supposed to talk to you or else-“.

                “Or else what”? I interrupted again mad at the fact that Myung-Soo was messing up my life even if it wasn’t direct, she had still managed a way; that girl always did even way back then.

                “She said she would start picking on you again so I thought I should just wait until we were alone to talk, that’s why.” He finished.

                It made me happy that he cared about me, but he went about it the wrong way. Myung-Soo had once threatened Yoseob not to hang out with me or else she would’ve had the chess club guys “destroyed”. That didn’t even make the boy flinch and instead he told the others who then started hanging around me more to defend me in case Myung-Soo tried another tactic to single me out again.

That was when I found out Myung-Soo was nothing but words and no action without her posy to back her up. That day she also started to let up on the bullying whenever the chess club guys were around; it made me laugh at the fact she might’ve been scared at them.

“I can take care of myself; and there’s no reason for you to be scared of Myung-Soo, she’s only looks, no brains at all”, I said, “Besides, you’re now a member of NU’EST, so at least act like you know how to be mean and stand up to others.” I added opening my lunch as something soon came to mind.

“I just didn’t want you to think I was treating you that way for no reason, but they really said I have to maintain an image from now on so I-“

I took out an apple from my bag and tossed it at him knowing he probably didn’t bring a lunch. “I got it”, I began as he caught the snack with ease although a bit confused, “Hanging out with losers is a big ‘no-no’, so don’t worry about having to talk to me”, I said my eyes becoming blurry; in the end I guess making friends was impossible.

 “Ne, Min-Hee”, Ren was about to say, but I don’t think I could hold my feelings in any longer so I exited the classroom, “I was wondering if we could still be…friends”. By the time he finished his sentence I thought I would never hear, I had long gone; if only he had said the one thing I couldn’t say sooner.

Once I was out the door, I started running to the one place filled with people who understood me, the chess clubroom. Not worrying about the confused stares from the 2^nd years or the curses from the seniors I occasionally had run into, I made it to the door. At first the tears had already been running down my cheeks making my knocks on the door weak and quiet. I tried to knock louder hoping someone would hear me, or could they not be here?

“Is someone there?” I heard a voice from inside ask which I immediately recognized as Gi Kwang’s voice.

                “Yah, those brain-less members from NU’EST trying to get rid of us again”, I heard another voice laugh; it was one of the 3^rd year chess club members, Doo-joon.

                “Hey it’s me, Min-Hee!” I shouted frustrated that they didn’t bother to answer the door the first time. “Open the door you gu-“, my voice cracked from the constant sobbing making me remember why I was crying in the first place which only brought a new wave of tears.

                Realizing who it was, Yoseob jumped out of his seat and quickly opened the door. “Min-Hee?” He questioned confused as to why I was in tears.

                “Hey Yoseob, I showed up for lunch”, I tried to smile, but it only made him more distressed and I was swiftly taken inside with the door immediately shut.

                “Okay, talk”, Yoseob ordered sitting right next to me with the other members huddled around to hear my explanation.

                “It was just me overestimating; I got too emotional”, was all I said looking down so as to not see everyones’ worried expressions. I was glad I came here, but I felt pathetic for complaining to them.

                “Min-Hee never estimates”, Gi Kwang spoke up handing me a box of tissues, “and I’m sure she doesn’t cry about things that don’t mean anything”.

                “It’s okay to tell us Min-Hee”, Hyunseung, another 3^rd year said clearing up the chess equipment. “Was it Myung-Soo again?”

                I shook my head disagreeing. “Not her.”

                Yoseob then locked eyes with me as if able to read my mind. “That new kid you mentioned yesterday”, he said as I nodded in agreement.

                “New kid”? JunHyung, a 2^nd year, wondered.

                “Ren who’s in my class; We only met yesterday, and I thought we could be friends, but then the next day, he told me that because he joined NU’EST, he can’t talk to me in public. It made me feel really mad and…hurt”, I clarified hesitating on the last part afraid to admit that I had let that guy get to me.

                “I knew it”, Yoseob hissed clenching his fist, “I thought I told you that outsiders were a waste of breath!”

                I flinched at his sudden raise of tone. Yoseob was always the cute, happy member of the group, and we rarely see him ever get mad at anything. I also knew that he considered anyone who looked down on geeks “outsiders”, like how the popular kids thought of us; he thought the same of them.

                “But Ren’s different”, I protested not knowing why I didn’t think of him the same as Yoseob. I was nice to Ren, yet in the end the nerd was taken advantage of and later casted to the side. “He said it was to keep an image as a NU’EST member”. I felt myself choke up again wondering why it had hurt to be dismissed by Ren that I faulted his new image. Why did I ever have that hope of being friends?

                “No he’s not! He’s a part of them now, and you better realize it now or never!”

                “Hey Yoseob, calm down”, Dongwoon, the youngest 2^nd year said also not used to an angry Yoseob.

                “Then never”, I murmured deciding to stick to my mission I was so determined to do today.

                “N-no, you’re just going to get hurt again”, he stuttered baffled by my childish way of believing in people until I really did get hurt.

                I looked up at Yoseob now with a clear mind set on one thing. “Today”, I said with my eyes b with determination, “If he says no, then I’ll give up…forever”, I added having everything planned out in my head.

                The bell then rang, and I got up feeling slightly better, but still knew something wasn’t perfect. I may have been set on making friends with Ren; however I think Yoseob might be mad at me. I said goodbye to everyone before leaving, pausing to see if Yoseob would say bye in the cheerful way he’d always do. Instead, his back was faced towards me with a scowl on his usually adorable face.

                “He must hate me.” I thought to myself while walking back to class, “Or is it my decision?”

                Once I reached my class, my eyes were drawn to Ren’s seat only to see it empty. Hoping my eyes didn’t appear to red, I took my seat right when the teacher had entered. The class had soon ended with the next one already starting, right before it ended though, Ren came in. All the girls squealed obvious to the bandages wrapped around his hands and a small cut on his cheek.

                “Did he get into another fight?” I wondered as Ren sat down next to me.

                “Yes, but I’m fine”, he whispered pulling out his notebook once again managing to make out what I was thinking;

                “Why you“; I began however I also knew the reason why he was whispering in the first place; it sure wasn’t because the teacher was here. “I mean, whatever”, I whispered back deciding to preoccupy myself by taking notes.

                We stayed silent until school had ended. Making sure no one else was in the class room, I prepared myself for my master plan. “Ren”, I said catching the boy before he could leave, “I need to ask you something”, I stated.

                “Me too”, he admitted, “but I’m busy today, so can we wait until tomorrow?”

                “No”. I said flatly for I wasn’t even going to wait another second. “I know being seen with me must be shameful to your kind of people, but I want to make something clear between us and it has to be now or never.”

                He stared at me emotionlessly making me nervous despite my overconfident outburst. “I don’t feel shameful to hang out with you, and because of what you said earlier, I’m not going to let other people affect what I feel about you”.

 I felt my heart skip a beat at his words with such a pure, determine expression now. “I-I just wanted to be…f-fr-frien-“.

                “Did you forget the rules already”? That callous tone of a voice I knew too well chided from the doorway interrupting me.

                “Myung-Soo”, I uttered glaring at the she-devil waltzing her way towards us.

                She only gave me a scoff before turning her attention to Ren. “I thought I made it clear that hanging out with losers is a don’t unless its to mess with them. Be thankful I caught you before this geek finished…such a hopeless proposal”, she said directing her mean words to at me.

                “It wasn’t hopeless”, Ren spoke up looking at me, “Matter of fact, I wanted to ask her the same thing.”

                I looked up at Ren with disbelief written across my face. “You knew?”

                “It wasn’t hard to guess even through your horrible stuttering”, he smirked.

                “Don’t you remember what I told you?” Myung-Soo said talking about the threat she had given Ren about planning to bully me.

                “So, are you actually going to do it? Maybe I should spill the beans to your precious JR; I’m sure he’d like to hear about your threats towards his new group mate”, Ren sneered enjoying the priceless look on Myung-Soo’s face more than I had.

                Having no more to say, she left with me slightly laughing at her.

                “That was awesome”, I said once the beaten bully had long gone. “How’d you know how to shut her up like that, Ren?”

                “You’re my friend, so I didn’t hold back”, he said smiling a bit at me.

                I smiled back seeing that we were starting to be friends. “Then since it appears we’re friends, want to hang out with me at the chess club?” I suggested despite the fact that invitation wasn’t as appealing as I intended it to be.

                Sadly I received an apologetic look. “Sorry, I’m supposed to meet up with NU’EST; apparently there’s this new gang, Tempest, that JR is planning to take care of”, he said as another knock was heard followed by the door opening.

                “I thought leader made it clear to show up on time for the meeting?” Baekho, a member of N’EST, barked stomping over to yank Ren over to the doorway completely ignoring me. “This is why I hate newbies; come on everyone’s waiting on you!”

                “I got caught up in something”, Ren grumbled being lead out the door, “See you later Min-Hee!”

                I waved to my new friend, “Bye Ren.”