I rested my hand on his shoulder before he can even press those dirty lips on my girl’s. The moment I did, he turned his back to me.

“Who dare disturbs me-“

He was cut off when my fist landed on his face. He fell hard on the floor.

“What the! Who the hell are you?!” he asked, still on the ground.

“You don’t dare lay a finger on my girl!” I hissed. I walked towards him and kicked him on the stomach. He grunted.

I turned my back to walk towards Dara when a hand stopped me by the shoulder. I turned around but immediately dodged the upcoming punch from the ert’s gang. When I was able to dodge, another one was about to meet my face when I caught his fist midair and twisted it until it snapped. I kicked him on his back as he landed flat on top of the erted man’s body.

I turned to the other one and also landed a punch on his face and a kick on his stomach.

When I thought they were done, I was wrong. The erted man, who I presume to be the boss, stood up and was about to fight with me. I was quick enough to pull one bottle from a table and break it. I aimed it to his face.

“You want a piece of me?!” I hissed.

He just stood there, frighteningly staring at the broken bottle right in front of his face.

I backed away towards where Dara is and hugged her close to my chest with my free arm. “If you don’t want to face hell earlier, you won’t ever think of laying a finger on my girl.”

I settled myself beside Dara the moment we arrived in my unit. Ever since I fetched her from the club, she never uttered a word; she never even tried to open a conversation. Neither did I.

“Is there something you want to tell me?” I started, not wanting to be suffocated by the awkward silence enveloping us.

“I…I’m sorry, Ji,” she said, sobbing. Then she started crying.

“Why did you do that? Why are you working at that freaky place?” I reprimanded.

“I had to. I’m…broke. So, I looked for a work,” she explained, not meeting my eyes.

“But, why there? Why not on a café? Or a restaurant? Or better yet, why not tell me about this so I could help you?” I asked hysterically.

“I…I thought it wasn’t that kind of place. Then, when it finally dawned on me, Kwanghee just offered me a higher wage. He was pleading me to continue working there because I’m his luck that brought that many customers. I couldn’t just say no seeing him pleading and begging on his knees.”

I stopped asking for a while, silent for a while. This girl is really something. She wants to help someone even though she knows it’s a very dangerous place especially when someone from school would see her.

“Why didn’t you tell me, then?” I asked, voice softening.

“I don’t want to bother you,” she said quietly.

I narrowed my eyes. “How would you be a bother? You are my girlfriend.”

“I don’t want you to worry, especially now that examinations are almost approaching,” she said, stealing a glance at me, but immediately looked down again.

That stopped me. She’s more worried of me than herself. She does not want me to be disturbed; she would rather have this kind of job than telling me about it. But there’s something she needs to know. But I don’t know if I can already tell her about it. It might shock her or it may make things worse.

“Why are you working anyway?” I asked.

“I’m sorry I lied to you, Ji…” she said. “Actually Yang Sunseng-nim didn’t give me my exam slip not because of that dream, but because I wasn’t able to pay my tuition fees.”

I stared at her. She still has her head bowed down, refusing to meet my gaze.

“You could have told me,” I offered. “Rather than working there.”

“I can’t. This is my problem. I can’t drag you into this. I won’t forgive myself if I do that.”

“Dara…” I called, willing her to look at me. I cupped her face and made her look at me. “I already consider you as my other half. Whatever you’re going through, tell me. You will not be a bother to me because you’re the most important person in my life. From now on, tell me everything that bothers you, alright?”

She nodded a little and then a smile crept on my lips. I wiped the tears off her face.

“Now, you have to explain to me about Youngbae.”

She stiffened. “There’s nothing between us, I swear Jiyong! I’m not cheating on you!”

“Then why did he walk in a while ago saying that he missed you and that he’ll see you tonight?” I crossed my arms over my chest.

“Ji… he’s nothing to me anymore, I swear! Please don’t think of things like those.”

I raised my brow.

“He saw me last night on the club and he threatened me that he’ll tell on me and he’ll make sure that I’ll be humiliated in front of the whole school like I did to him. So, he asked me to just sit with him last night and he promised to keep quiet about it.”

I suddenly became thoughtful. That jerk is too much already. Tomorrow let him pray for one last night and I’ll make sure that he’ll be sent to hell earlier than Lucifer planned. I’ll make sure every bone working in his body will break into pieces until he can’t stand anymore, until he will be-

“Are you breaking up with me now, Ji?” Dara asked, interrupting the plan forming in my mind.

I stared at her and I chuckled. That seemed to shock her. I pulled her to me and let her head rest on my chest.

“Why would I break up with you? I can’t even live a day without you,” I said. I pulled away and stared at her eyes. “I love you. That’s more important than all of these. No one can break us apart. This is just a part of the challenge to give spices on our relationship. So, remember that I won’t let that happen. I can’t let you go. I want you for myself only. Promise me, no secrets from now on, okay?”

A tear fell from the corner of her eyes as she nodded.

“Don’t cry anymore, baby,” I whispered, wiping the tear away with my thumb. I grabbed her hand which she kept on clasping on her chest and I kissed it. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” she said, a smile forming on her lips.

A chain fell from her hand and I stared at it curiously. “What is this?”

She opened her palm, showing the locket I gave her a few months ago. “This is for luck.”

“For luck?”

She nodded. “I was afraid you would break up with me already so while we were talking, I was also silently praying with this locket that you wouldn’t.”

A smile formed on my lips and I couldn’t take it anymore. I hugged her tighter this time. “You are so adorably cute. Could I just keep you in my pocket?”

“Ugh, Ji! Let go!” she complained.

“Oops, sorry,” I said timidly. “Did I break your bones?” I ruffled her hair. “Now, go and change your clothes. We’re going to return them tomorrow morning.”

“Ji… I’ll continue working there…” she said.

“No, you’re not,” I said firmly.

“Ji… I still did not collect enough money to cover the balance I have. I still need…” she trailed off.

“How much?” I asked.

She shook her head.

“Tell me,” I said, with my authoritative tone.

She shook her hand again.

“Dara… what did we just talk about?”

She looked down. “50,000 Won.”

“We’ll pay that tomorrow. So, don’t worry. I don’t want you to work on that club anymore.”

“But…”

“No buts,” I said, pressing my finger on her lips. “I don’t want you to work there anymore. Okay?”

She nodded and then nibbled on my finger.

“Bad Ssantokki!” I said as we laughed. Much better.

“Ji?” Dara’s voice entered my ears. I was about to sleep had it not been for her calling. I’m not complaining though. I don’t really mind.

“Hmmm?”

“Are you keeping something from me?” she asked suddenly.

I opened my eyes and looked down at Dara. She was fiddling with my locket, hanging on my neck, which contains her picture. She opened it and then got her own locket and opened it too. She put them together and smiled at them as she stared at both of our pictures together. When she did not hear any response from me, she looked up at me.

“Why are you asking that?” I asked.

“Youngbae’s words kept on repeating in my mind,” she said. “About you not going to get into the honor roll anymore. Is it true?”

I pursed my lips. I didn’t know how to tell her. She might misunderstand and blame herself. It’s the least I want right now. I don’t want her to be worried about me.

“That’s nonsense,” I said, instead. “Sleep now, Ssantokki,” I said, kissing her lips and tightening my arm around her.

I’ll tell her if the time comes. Just not now.

DARA’S POV

Eyes were on me. People were whispering to each other. I felt Jiyong’s hand tightening on my shoulder as he pulled me closer towards him. I looked up at him and he smiled down at me, reassuring me that everything’s fine. But I can’t stay still, my heart was beating fast. I knew there was something wrong. And I was right.

“Well, is it true?” Yang Sunseng-nim asked me.

“Sunseng-nim, let me please explain.”

“Just yes or no, Miss Park. I’m asking you a simple question.”

I nodded as I looked down.

Several gasps were heard. I looked around at the mortified faces of the teachers present. I clenched my fists and looked down at my lap as I waited for what they’ll say next.

“So… Miss Park…” the Principal, Mister Noh, trailed off.

I looked up and met the glare of the principal.

“You know the sanction.”

“Sir, please let me explain things.”

“Whatever your explanation is, what you did was wrong. You are still a minor and working at a place like that is not right. And I guess you really cannot-“

“Principal, let us not jump into conclusions right away,” Yang Sunseng-nim interrupted. My head snapped to him. “I know Miss Park. I don’t think she can do such thing. Let us talk for a while about this case.”

“There was clearly a picture sent, Mister Yang,” the principal said. He then turned to me. “Does this picture look familiar to you?”

I creased my brow as I saw a customer trying to kiss me. And it looked like I wanted to be kissed too. But I remembered clearly what happened during that time. He was telling me there was some dirt on my hair. That was when he leaned his head closer. Thinking that he will just remove the dirt, I let him. But when I felt his hot breath on my neck, I immediately stood up and left before I could even hit him with the tray.

The picture was deceiving. It showed me wanting to be kissed, my head bent to show him my neck and his face was too disgustingly close to my bare skin.

I was about to explain the situation when Yang Sunseng-nim stood up. “The picture can be deceiving. How can you be sure? That might be photoshopped or something. We still have to investigate further on the case, Principal.”

I stared at my homeroom teacher in awe. I was surprised seeing him trying to save me from the situation.

“Very well,” the Principal said. “We’ll call you if we need you, Miss Park. We’ll investigate on this first. In the meantime, you can’t come to school. Stay at home.”

I bowed and stood from my seat. The moment I stepped out of the office, a pair of arms enveloped me in a warm embrace. Realizing who it was, I let the tears I have been holding back for a long time gush out. I heard whispers around us.

“What a !”

“A will always be a .”

“I knew it. It was true. She is a e.”

“Don’t listen to them,” Jiyong’s reassuring voice entered my ears, overpowering the disgusting gossips surrounding us. “I don’t believe anything they’re saying. We’ll get through this together.”

“T-take me home, Ji,” I said, sobbing.

“I will,” he said.

JIYONG’S POV

It hurts me seeing her like this. After she explained to me the situation, she asked me to go back to school and just leave her alone. I didn’t want to. I wanted to stay with her, but she just wanted to be alone. So I gave her the privacy.

I closed the door behind me, a plan forming in my head. Youngbae is going to pay for this.

I arrived at Dara’s apartment in no time. I know she will get mad at me for trespassing but I have to. I wasn’t able to step further because a dozen mails met me on the doorstep. I scanned through them and saw the same return addresses. Thinking they were important things, I grabbed them and opened the door.

It wasn’t locked. Maybe it was, but because the door looked like it needs fixing, it wasn’t locked. I stepped in and a small apartment unit met me. It was simple and clean. I didn’t understand why she does not want me to be here. It feels cozy in here.

I went into the coffee table and placed the unread mails on it. Then, I tried looking for some evidences of Dara being broke inside the house. It didn’t take me long though. I saw yellow stickers on the appliances. I read one of them and it says that the appliances are to be confiscated as payment for the unpaid rent. I took one of them off the television and looked for more evidences.

Getting frustrated every minute, I dropped myself on the floor. I accidentally knocked the trash can on the process. Mails spilled out. My brow creased seeing the same return addresses as the mails I picked a while ago. But I wanted to respect Dara’s privacy but decided against it, so I took one and pocketed it, so I could show and ask Dara about it later. Thinking that I might find more evidences from it though, I spilled the other contents of the trash can. It did not contain much, except for mails. Then, when I reached the end, another mail which was different from the previous ones caught my eye. There was a seal of a bank on the top left of the envelope. I picked it up but it was stuck. Then, I found out that a gum made it stuck on the bottom of it. I opened the envelope and saw the content. A smile formed on my lips.

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*poster credits to ephrael