It was 22nd Feburary 2008.

I was by the rooftop with my friends. That was where we always hangout. Hyukjae would smuggle food and drinks pass the student leaders which we referred as the nerdheads. 

"I got pass that nerdhead so easily, it wasn't fun," he came in with bags of food. I took what I ordered while the rest snatched among each other about who was going to eat those. We started talking about the new girl that came recently. Hyukjae likes her. I thought she looked scary, she looked like she could hit the out of me ever since I saw her kick Taecyeon in the face.

Sungmin was dreaming about Sunny so deeply that he was speaking his thoughts verbally. I had to slap his head to wake that fella up.

Everyone was falling in love while I hang around thinking about my dreams. I wanted to pursue them, that was my first priority.

I did not care if I had a crush or not. I did not care if I was a fun person then. I already have thousands of problems to handle. School, homework, waking up at six o'clock in the morning, and the worse of all, bullying.

She was called, Kwon Yuri. They called her, 'The Goddess of Goddesses', which I don't understand why they call her that because from what I have seen and have been through, she seems more like a witch. She was a senior, two years older than me. It getting picked on when you are just a junior. I wasn't a nerd, why me? For whatever reason, I was pulled to the back gates of our school and that was where I got my bruises from. 

I can't believe that she brings a baseball bat just to smack the hell out of me! But me, Lee Donghae, would never get hit to death. I don't know why but I never will. 

"Hey, guys," Heechul, a senior of ours, "I just did something wicked," he sat next to us. At first, he was going crazy about kissing Jessica, one of the hottest girls in his cohort and followed by getting a kiss from Gyuri, one of the most y girls in our school. Then, this was when the real story we want to hear.

"Remember who punched me in the face?"

Hyukjae was faster than me, "Kwon Yuri." Gosh, I seriously hate that name to the core.

"I smashed her locker today!"

We all clapped, especially me, I was happy like it was raining cookies. 

"I smashed her books, I tore some of the pages off because, " he pulled out pieces of paper from his pocket and passing it to us, "She has a crush," Sungmin laughed and passed me the paper as Heechul went on, "The best part of it was, she likes a nerd!"

Choi Siwon, that guy who is the chairman of my class. He wasn't really a nerdhead until he hanged out with them. He looked like one already. And I can't believe Yuri likes younger boys. Wow, and such a nerdhead. This was going to be big and exciting. We'll see how she would cope with that rumor. That means... Bullying days will be over? Nice.

"Hyung-"

"Let me continue," he was always like that, "Donghae, remember that you suggested me to put some pencil leads and shavings? I did. I stole some glitter from the arts room, and along with some paper, glue, water and paint. You guys should have joined me, it was so fun," Heechul patted on our backs. I did not care about that fugly locker that she has, I wanna know what he was going to do with this piece of evidence.

I love Choi Siwon. He is such a cutie. No one will get in my way. 

I shall confess to him.

That first line already let me feel sorry for our Siwon. That poor nerdhead, I am sure he would be harrassed for a long time. When it comes to Yuri, it is really a long long time. 

"Hyung, what are you going to do with this," I returned him the paper. Heechul looked at it and gave a small laugh. It took him a few seconds before he answered, "I am obviously going to spread this around my cohort, then it is your turn to spread it your cohort."

He gave us a mischievious laugh. He imitated Yuri's voice and started repeating the lines on the paper. I felt great, because it was payback time. Finally, Kwon Yuri, you shall die.

I laughed along with the boys. Heechul told us that he was going to get the paper laminated and stuff. He left in a blink of an eye and he also left us with boredom. 

"Yah, Kim Heechul!"

We heard as we picked up our rubbish. It was Yuri, for sure. We all knew that voice. Heechul was shouting in pain, what did Yuri do? I popped my head out through the door gap, the other two did the same. We saw Heechul being pulled by the ear as Yuri scolded the hell out of him. I was praying that she wouldn't find the paper.

"Where is it?"

"What 'where is it?'?"

"Urgh, Kim Heechul! Hand it out, you !"

We just watched the show. Hyukjae and Sungmin laughed a little while I cursed Yuri. I loved cursing, on her. In the midst of enjoying the show, someone's fingers pulled my ear. Her (I assumed because of her long nails) nails pierce harshly onto my ear lobe as I shouted in pain. 

"What are you doing here, idiot?!"

Kim Hyuna and Hyorin, another two witches that put our school into a spell. They were part of Yuri's bullying on me. I can't believe Dasom were following them now. She was a nice girl in my cohort. I admit that I liked her in the past. That wasn't my point anyway.

"Let me go, you ,": I screamed, Yuri turned back and pulled Heechul along. We were screwed, doubled screwed. Those two ran away, leaving me and Heechul here in the this state. Those cowards. Pfft.

Yuri pushed Heechul onto the floor, "I will settle it with you later, now, scram!"

I was triple screwed, and more. I was alone. I was more of angry than afraid. I was no longer afraid of them.

"Kid, you haven't pay up!"

"I have no money," I shouted. I saw Dasom jump a little but it didn't matter to me. How I wished I could spit right on to their faces, including Dasom if she is in this. Yuri walked towards me and pulled my collar up, making me look at her.

"Get them from your mother then," she pushed me off my legs, making me fall onto the floor hard. They squatted down around me, except for Dasom, "I heard that your mum comes around every Wednesday," Hyuna pinched my chin, "We can get it from her-"

"Don't you even think about it!"

"Oh, young boy is afraid that his mummy will get hurt," they laughed. I couldn't let them touch my mum, she has nothing to do with this.  Hyorin pulled me by the ear again, "See you after school, kid," she twisted my ear lobe as I held back the pain within me. 

"The discipline master is here!"

Yuri gave me a kick before running off with the other two witches. I sat back up, ignoring the pain in the stomach. I adjusted my hair. I must have looked horrible. I gotta go after those two idiots who left me here, until I heard someone call me.

"Donghae," I heard the sounds of the rubber soles rubbing against floor. Dasom came running to him, "Are you okay?" She dared to ask me when she watched me get bullied. I ignored her but I just stood there.  She's my first crush anyway.

"You watch me get bullied, fun eh," I walked off with her following. I was obviously late for class but I guess I should skip all of them. Who wants to study after being bullied? I feel like right now, and I have Dasom pestering me. But it was alright. I just couldn't understand why she had to follow those idiotic es. "Ani, Donghae-ssi-"

"So do you pity me now?"

"No, I just want to help you in any way I-"

"Just stay away from them, okay? They aren't going to help you. They may treat you like a friend but," I turned and looked at her in the eyes, "in the end, when you are in deep trouble, they will turn away and run. Do you understand me," I put my two hands on the each side of her shoulders. She looked deep into my eyes, her eyes sparkled as the sun shone. She leaned in, touching my lips with hers. I should've pushing her out but something didn't want me to do so. I shut my eyes, enjoying the sweet taste in . My hands moved up her sides, pulling her closer, deepening our kiss. How I wished it lasted longer, she had to attend her physics class. 

I felt like I was floating in the air. I swore that I wasn't going to wash my mouth. My thoughts were all about her, until the discipline master dragged me to his office. 

"An hour of detention," that was when I started paying attention. Things started playing in my mind. Detentions were only on Wednesdays. Umma will be in danger, those es can do anything. 

"But Mister Choi, I can't. I have something-"

"No excuses, Mister Lee," I was sent out of the office and was not allowed to skip detention. I wanted to give Umma a call, but Mister Choi had to take it away until he sees me at 1PM. How was I going to tell Umma? 

I wasn't able to pay attention during lessons and I got quite a few scoldings for that. I really felt like running out of the class and get home before school ends. I can't let Umma know about my life in school. 

"Hyukjae," I whispered to him, "is there any way to get out of detention with Mister Choi's permission?"

He was half-asleep. I could have punched, to wake him up, and for running away earlier. I shook him lightly and he lifted his head up, turning to me, "Yes?" I rolled my eyes, he was really asleep. After repeating my question, his mouth went to an 'O' shape, as if he had an idea, "It is impossible."

"What? Nothing?"

"Unless it is something emergency," he paused for a while to yawn, "like family stuff. Or you fainted or something."

"Oh my god," I cursed as I hit my head on the table. I literally forgotten that Madam Kristen was watching on me. She screamed at me and I started listening to the lessons until the end of the school day.

I was rushing to Mister Choi's office, wanting to get to my phone as soon as possible. Yuri's words ran through my mind. She could do anything, I meant it. Anything. Umma has a serious case of asthma. It has been getting better but any scare can trigger it. I can't let them touch her, or any of my family. I did not care if I will get scoldings from Appa for not telling him. 

"Mister Choi," I panted as I knocked on the door, "Ca-ca-can I come in?"

He nodded as he looked at me. I reached out for my phone to call Umma, until he stopped me. He tried pulling my phone out of my hands. I felt like screaming at him.

"Not until detention ends," he pulled my phone out of my hands. I protested, "My umma is waiting for me at the gates now, I have to tell her to leave because," I did not know why I paused, "Because.. I have detention-"

"I will tell her myself," he picked up the phone of his office. He flipped through his files to find Umma's number. My feet couldn't stop jumping on my toes, he should quicken his finding skills.

"Madam, I am the discipline master, Mister Choi. Your son, Lee Donghae is held up for detention and he wants me to inform ypu to get home first,"  he looked at me as he said. I tried to get to the phone so that I could talk to Umma personally. Just if Mister Choi fastened his speech, then I could have talked to her earlier. And nothing would have happened.

I ran out of the office with Mister Choi. Umma was screaming half-way in the call. I can't let something bad happen to her.

"Umma," I whispered to myself, hoping nothing bad has happened.

The way there seemed so far, the more I ran, the more further it felt.

I heard screaming for help as I got closer to the school gates.

I saw three of them, around my mother. They were pulling her bag away from her. They were obviously stronger.  

Then, the horror of my life. I watch Umma fall to the floor. She was running out of breath. The witches ran away, laughing. I was brought to tears. Umma kept holding my hands, "Do-Dong-Dong-Donghae-Hae," she shaked her grip, "In-in-in-hal-haler,"

They took some money. They took the lunch she cooked for me. And they took her inhaler. 

I did not know what to do. 

"Umma, hang in there, Mister Choi is getting the ambulance," my tears fell onto her cheeks as I looked at her. She struggled to voice out, I told her to not to. 

"Everything's gon-gon-gonna be fine, Umma," I wasn't even sure if it was going to. Everything went too fast. I was afraid. Her breathing became more heavier. I heard the sound of the ambulance, hope was here. 

"Umma," I turned and saw the ambulance from far. I turned back and saw her breathless. Then she stopped breathing. It stopped. Her grip loosened. Her eyes shut. I screamed, hoping that she will wake up. I thought Umma was going to die, for me. 

"Umma, no, no, no, wake up! Umma ah! Breathe, please, breathe! Don't go," I shouted as I shaked her hand. As soon as the paramedics came to us, everything went black out. 

Donghae was reminded of the worst memories in life. He clenched his fists as he teared up. He squatted at the bus stop. All alone. The rain started picking up its own pace and it became more heavier. He hid his face in his hands. The bus came, picking up the crying boy. He sat right at the back, so no one would see how sad he was. 

"This is," he whispered to himself, "Something Yoona doesn't know."

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