Dae Myung's POV

Okay. I have no idea what the hell is wrong with me. Remember Sang Hee? Her playing on the piano? Yeah, her. I've been coming back everyday to listen to her play after I eat for the past days. Why? I have no idea. But the only logical explanation I can give is this: I just like listening to her playing. Is that weird? Yeah it is. Good thing no one knows about this. Not even her.

Back in class, during a break, Sang Hee is seated right in front of me. Someone taps my shoulder. I turn around. It's this random girl I'm supposed to be friends with.

"Hey, Dae Myung," she slyly said. "I'm bored. Why don't we have some fun with Sang Hee?"

What?

"Nah, not today," I replied, a bit uneasy.

"What? Usually, you'd always be the first to propose the idea," she then said, surprised. "This isn't like you."

Since when did you know how I act like?

"I just don't feel like it today," I said, a bit annoyed.

"Aw, come on~. It's not like it takes great effort to tease someone. You should be an expert by now," she insisted.

"Personally, you're way more suited for this than I am," I replied coldly.

"You're no fun," she said, disappointed. She then turned to other people around. "Hey guys, can you believe it? Dae Myung doesn't want to tease Sang Hee today."

You're not serious.

"What? Dae Myung, out of all people?"

"Him, being nice? No way."

Well, this is nice to hear.

"Fine, guys, fine. I'll a bit," I said, regretting it as soon as those words left my mouth.

"Great, I knew you just couldn't resist teasing her!" my friend said, clapping her hands. "Alright, time to enjoy the show!"

I turned and looked at Sang Hee, hesitant. After hearing her play, it felt like I had no right to . But I couldn't disappoint them. I didn't want to arouse any suspicions either. I couldn't turn back now, so I blocked off all the warnings my conscience was giving me.

I didn't know how to exactly, until I saw someone put a piece of cruched paper on my desk. I looked at the person who gave it to me; they give me a wink then point out Sang Hee. Oh god. Am I supposed to throw this on her?

I take it with an unsure hand, crush it a bit then throw it at her back. It lands and bounces off with a light sound, but I swear, it sounded horrible. The worse was that someone else threw another crunched paper ball at her back, which was followed by a third one.

I hear some people laughing around me, but it all seemed faraway. She turned slowly, as if in fear, and looked at me with pain-filled eyes. Guilt took ahold of me and I didn't move, frozen. We just stared at each other, unsure, awkward. The others stopped laughing, suddenly aware of the unusual atmosphere.

She then turned around, but before she did, what I saw in her eyes wasn't hate, but pure sadness. It striked me somewhere inside; I was feeling so guilty and confused.

Why is it that this was the moment where I'm feeling this? Why not before?

I was fine, teasing her before.

I hated feeling bad for her. I hated feeling guilty. I just wanted to run away from the responsibility that was required from the hurt I had been spreading all along. I just wanted to remain blind to it, just like I had always done.

The bell rang and our History teacher walked in soon after, asking us to open our books at a certain page I didn't hear. I looked at Sang Hee right in front of me; she seemed more like a vulnerable and innocent person now. And I felt guilt pierce through me sharply, not letting go this time.

[Mood Song]: No Other [Piano cover by keudae] - Super Junior:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiNqnFOSdTw

The bell rang for lunchtime.

Everyone started to get up, but someone caught my eye. Caught everyone's eye actually.

Sang Hee got up quickly without taking her lunch, and walked out of the classroom, which she never did usually. I felt bad, incredibly so; it tugged at me relentlessly, and made me want to hide somewhere out of shame.

And that's when I knew I couldn't avoid the guilt that was consuming me now.

My friends shrugged it off, then made their way towards the cafeteria. When they saw I wasn't moving, they looked at me with surprise. I told them I had something to do. They left after looking at me with weird expressions. I waited patiently for them to all leave, feeling uneasy and awkward. I was confused on why I was doing this, but I couldn't refuse the actions my conscience demanded.

After everyone left, I got up and went next to Sang Hee's desk. I opened her bag and took out her lunch. I think I have a pretty good idea where she is now. As I saw her partitions, I hesitated a bit, then took them too.

As I walked towards the music room, uncertainty caught me and froze me in my steps.

Wait, what am I doing? I'm the one who made her feel that way. Wouldn't it get worse if she saw me?

I think about going back and put away her things. I think about just trying to forget what I did. I think about not caring like I always do. I think about shrugging it off like a coward.

But...

I start walking again towards the music room.

Sang Hee's POV

I don't get why. I don't get why they always tease me like this. I never did anything to them. Nothing at all. And yet...

They even started to throw paper at me. It's not like I wanted to be with them. I couldn't choose what school I would be attending when I moved here. I couldn't choose anything. I couldn't have avoided this, even if I would've somehow known this would be happening to me. It's like I was fated to endure this.

But there was just no justification to all this trial I was going through.

I didn't want to think about anything. I didn't want to think about anyone.

But my thoughts lingered back to Jonghyun, desperately clinging unto the memory of him.

I usually looked up to him to comfort myself, but the striking pain of his rejection stabbed at my heart.

The flow of my tears worsened. The piano felt like it was watching me, silent and calm. I held my legs close to me, forehead against my knees, as I sat against the wall in the music room. No one wanted me. Not even Jonghyun, the one person I looked up to. The mere realization of that shattered my heart.

 I didn't want to go back to class, not after all that. I begin thinking about ways to get out of here, about hiding in the bathroom for the rest of the day, about staying in here until the end of the day.

My stomach growled, but I didn't want to go back and get my lunch.

Too bad... I don't want to go back...

Suddenly, I heard the door opening. I stiffened; my heart started pounding loudly, out of fear. What was I going to say if it was a teacher? I didn't want to get in trouble, nor did I want others to see me crying. I waited and waited for what seemed like an eternity. Then I felt something being pressed against my arm. I raised my head and saw my lunch.

It took a while for me to realize this person was helping me, so as I took my lunch, I look up to see who was being so kind to me.

No way. No way...

"What are you doing here?!" I screamed at him, shocked, and backed away.

"I... just came here to bring you your lunch," he said hesitantly and awkwardly. "I also... brought these." He showed me my partitions. What was he doing with those?!

"Why don't you just leave me alone?! Did you come here to tease me even more?! Wasn't throwing paper at me enough already...?" At the last words, my voice quivered. I felt my throat getting dry and coarse, like a knot was forming itself. I could feel tears forming themselves.

Dae Myung didn't seem like usual though. He didn't have that arrogant look in his eyes. He looked more solemn, humble, understanding. Kind, even... He actually seemed hurt by what I was saying. For some reason, it made me soften up a little, but I didn't want to give in so easily.

"Why is everyone like this to me? What's so wrong with me...?" I said in a whisper. I felt tears streaming down my cheeks, slowly.

"It's not you, Sang Hee... It really isn't," he said hesitantly.

"Then why...?" I said, my voice trembling.

He looked away and sighed. He seemed to be searching for the right words; he seemed really uneasy and uncomfortable. To be honest, I was still scared of him, but some part of me kept on telling me he was sincere. I knew it was only a feeling though.

"It just started off as a joke. But then... they actually found it... fun, you know," he said, a hint of guilt in his voice. "I didn't really think much of it at first. I had... other things to worry about."

I could feel my frustration and anger rise as he talked.

They were doing this to me just because they thought it was fun?

I didn't say anything and just looked at him, waiting, anger boiling inside of me. After a while, he looked right into my eyes and only then, I could see the guilt he felt. It troubled me.

"I know it's pretty late for this but... I'm sorry," he whispered. "I know I shouldn't have started this in the first place... and I really regret it."

"What made you change your mind so easily...?" I asked, doubtful.

"I heard you play. And you're amazing at it," he said simply.

What?

He heard me play all along?

"Well, that's a bit sneaky..."

"It's not like I could've warned you though. The first time was an accident. But the other times... I liked listening to you. And it's like I realized you had feelings, a heart. Which I must've broken a lot of times..."

I couldn't say anything. The words he said seemed to be genuine, like he truly meant everything he was saying. And I found myself to start believing them. But something inside me didn't want to be tricked, wanted to make him pay for everything he did to me.

"But if you did, why the hell would you throw that paper at me?" I said, both unsure and still a bit frustrated.

He didn't reply for a moment. The worse was that I was starting to feel bad for making him feel this way.

God do I hate being so nice sometimes.

"Because... I'm a coward. I guess I just wanted to meet their expectations...," he said, looking away. He then sighed, and stared straight into my eyes. "Look, I'm really sorry. I know I shouldn't have done that. It's not much after everything, but I'll defend you all the next times."

I didn't know if I wanted to forgive him. I didn't know if I was still angry. I didn't know if I believed him. I didn't know why I was so lenient towards him, after everything he had done in the first place. The only thing I knew was that I wanted to be alone today.

So I walked over to him and got ahold of my partitions he had in hand, which he let go. I looked up to him, and saw sincerity.

At least, that's what it seemed to be.

"I'm sorry, but I just want to be alone today," I said simply.

He looked at me at first with a surprised look, then nodded. He took ahold of the doorknob, looked at me one last time in an apologetic way then left. "Sorry." I heard him whisper.

I only have a faint memory of how I survived the afternoon and the next morning. The only thing I could remember was that it happened quickly, and that my whole body was trembling everytime I entered the classroom. It felt like their stares were burning through my whole body, and that the air had gotten thick.

It was now with extreme relief that the bell for lunchtime rang. I went back into my sanctuary and sat, glad to be alone.

If being alone means to be safe from getting hurt, then loneliness doesn't sound so bad...

As soon as I thought that, I knew it wasn't true. I hated being lonely. I wanted to experience the solid friendship seen in movies and in books. And I could gladly say I did have one. I had Stephy as a best friend. An extremely comprehensive and loyal one too. And so, I closed my lunch and, overwhelmed with a feeling of intense gratitude, I sent her a text.

"Stephyyyyy~! You know what? Thank you so much for always being there for me. I'm really glad to call you my best friend. ~

-Sang Hee"

A reply soon appeared 2 minutes later. It baffles my mind how she always has her cellphone on.

"WHOA WHERE DOES THIS COME FROM?! But no problem~

You're an awesome best friend too Sang Hee! <3

- Stephy <3 ~"

I smiled, then put my cellphone back in my skirt's pocket. I wasn't that alone; Stephy would always be there for me. That thought gave me courage and seemed to make the fear fade away. At least, for an instant.

Until I heard the door open.

My heart started beating fast and I froze in place, as if I could somehow be unnoticed like that. But curiosity made me turn around and look at the person who was standing there, lunch in hand.

"Dae Myung... What are you doing here?" I asked, uncertain of how I should feel.

He walked over and sat, leaning against the piano. "Checking up on you," he answered simply. He then opened his lunch, which was surprising, because I heard he usually ate at the cafeteria.

An awkward silence hovered over us. I stared at the piano keys, not knowing how to act in his presence. Wasn't he someone I should be afraid of? I was really confused by the sudden change in his behavior and I felt compelled to be cautious.

"Hey, play something," he said while readying his chopsticks. "I like hearing you play on the piano."

I looked at him, a bit doubtful, but decided to go along with it.

Better than having this awkward silence I guess...

I placed my hands on the keys and glanced one last look at him. The light shone on him from the window; he seemed different somehow. More... handsome, actually.

Was this the reason why he was so popular?

Oh wait, this is Dae Myung, one of the popular guys, not some random person.

I decided to brush it off, finding it futile to dwell on it any longer. I cleared my head of everything and played, then drowned in the familiar melody of No Other.

Jonghyun's POV

"I used to be bullied when I was in middle school and high school," a female guest said during the filming of Strong Heart, tears in her eyes. "I couldn't understand why they were being like this to me. But now, I know it was because they didn't understand me and thought I was weird."

I looked around at everyone else; they were all listening to her calmly. Kang Ho Dong and Lee Seung Gi had now worn serious expressions. It was understandable, because bullying is an important issue that can affect anyone.

"I remember going into the bathroom during lunchtime to avoid them. I was scared every night of going to sleep, of having to wake up and be obligated to go to school again." she continued.

As I listened, I started to feel compassion for her. I wouldn't have known what to do, if I was in her situation. What really affected me was the thought that there were so many other students who were living the exact same situation she was describing, right at this moment.

"But I had a dream. A dream to become an actress. Even though their comments hurt me, somewhere inside me, I always knew I just needed to put effort in to succeed, because I was worth something. And so, I practiced every night, memorizing texts, trying to imagine the character's feelings. I also watched a lot of shows and movies."

I could understand having a passion for something so great you could spend hours on it. I remember when I had bought a guitar and played it in the attic for hours and hours, in fear my parents would find out. When Umma did find out though, she was actually understanding and paid guitar lessons for me. I sighed interiorly as her absence only seemed even more noticeable.

I miss you Umma...

"Then, one day, I decided I wasn't going to let them bully me like that. I wanted to prove them wrong. So I sent my application to an acting agency. After a couple of interviews and auditions, I was finally chosen. And it was by then that I knew I was worth more than most of them. I didn't care anymore about what they thought. I soon got parts as an extra, which then became secondary parts. About 2 years later, I graduated High School and got a first role. It took me so long to improve my self-esteem, but it was all worth it."

Everyone, as she ended, started clapping loudly. I was really inspired by her story and I hope that, when this will air, many other students will have the courage to persevere and attain their dreams.

Hm... Maybe I should ask to sponsor an anti-bullying campaign or something.

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Woot~! I'm basically done with exams, so I'll probably concentrate on my story alot more this summer! -cheers-

Were you guys surprised that this chapter's picture wasn't Jonghyun? It's Dae Myung! He's a cutie, isn't he? -nods- I found the picture on Google and the person on it (the real one xD) is named Lee Tae Gyun. He's a pretty popular Ulzzang, according to the blog I read. ~

I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! Sang Hee's finally trying to stand up against her bully! What a relief. ~ But Dae Myung is starting to seem more soft than before, right? Ah, the miracle that is piano. <3

Thank you guys for reading and supporting! ^^ If you have suggestions, don't hesitate to comment! I'm also searching for reviews so I can improve my story~.