Dara’s P.O.V

Fair is foul and foul is fair; hover through the fog and filthy air

Fair is foul and foul is fair; hover through the fog and filthy air

I watched the scenery as we pass by: a row of townhouses with their house number only being their differences. Mom chose this shortcut specifically because it’s much more peaceful and hassle-free than the highway, plus much safer. The subdivision only accepts cars with their sticker, and since Mom has one (from Bom), she uses the privilege of the shortcut. Bom’s house is located in the secluded area, far from the townhouses.

Fair is foul and foul is fair; hover through the fog and filthy air

I read the line again. Reading Renaissance period books has been my hobby ever since I borrowed a Shakespearean book from Bom’s library. The book was already covered with dust, and inevitably untouched when I first saw it. Bom said, without a beat, that I can have it when I asked her if I can borrow it, but because I don’t like receiving too much from her, I insisted on borrowing it. She gave in easily, but gave no due date for the book. That was better than receiving it.

The book was entitled Macbeth. I didn’t know I will actually read it when I swore when I was in high school to not read it. My English teacher clearly warned us about the gore, the emphasis on blood and the uality in the book. Since then, I swore to never read it, due to my sensitivity with that kind of themes, but I ended up like this: I read it in the end, and enjoyed it nonetheless.

“We’re here, Sandara.” My mom announced, and pulled into the curb near our department’s building. I closed the book, and reached out to her to kiss her cheek. After the kiss, my mom patted my head, smiling and said, “Remember to resist and avoid.”

I was about to ask why when suddenly, it popped in my mind. I cried again for three nights with no sleep or eat after the field trip because my mind kept on replaying the call conversation I had with Jiyong. I don’t even know why, and I was devastated.

I got out of the car, settled myself on the pavement and waved as my mom made a turn towards the exit gate. There’s a sudden stir of feeling of dread, nervousness even, inside of me but I tried to push it off. This is not the time.

I went inside the building while hugging the book close to my chest. There were a lot of students in the hallway, maybe because it has been a complete three days since the last day of the field trip. Some of the students would usually take an absent after the trip, and it takes a day for three days. I don’t take an absent, so I don’t know what it would be like.

There were punches, slaps, shouts and even kisses everywhere. I try my best to dodge everything, except for the kisses since they are shared through the lips, and find Bom, who’s probably waiting for me somewhere.

I hugged the book tighter to my chest, and instantly found Bom casually leaning on the lockers with Top in front of her. My face brightened up, and I ran up towards them but before I knew it, I bumped into someone and fell on the ground.

“Oops,” Someone with a familiar voice said.

I looked up, still wincing and the pain grew deeper, but emotionally. My mouth went sandpaper-dry, but I managed to croak out, “Jiyong.”

“Oh.” The smile on his face faded, and was replaced by a frown. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t looking to where I was going.”

“Come on, Ji!” I saw one of his cool friends that I’m not close with, Taeyang, said and wrapped his long muscular arm around my ex-boyfriend’s shoulders. “Let’s go to the court and go for some hoops!”

Jiyong laughed dryly, his face turned to Taeyang, but I could see his eyes are directed at me. “Sure, bro. Let me just help my girlfriend up.”

My heart skipped a bit with the title, but nevertheless I kept my cool. Jiyong reached for my hand, which I half-heartedly gave and he pulled me up, hastily holding my waist with his free hand to support me as I stand. Some of the bystanders whispered, while some ignored us and continued to do what they were doing.

“You look great,” Taeyang told me, ruffling the top of my head as he smile, down at me.

“Do you want me to walk you to your classroom first?” Jiyong asked as he wraps his jacket around me, and for the first time since we dated, I pushed it back to him with force. He frowned, which didn’t remain unnoticed by me and I quickly answer, “I can do it by myself. You can play basketball now, if you want.”

“Okay.” He answered, heaving a sigh. “Bye, babe.”

I was about to continue to walk when he grabbed my wrist, turned me towards him and kissed my forehead. This was, in my peripheral vision, didn’t remain unnoticed by Bom, and I again, mentally slap myself for being so much of a stupid person I am. This clearly doesn’t do well on my moving on process.

Jiyong pulled out, and smiled before he ran towards the gymnasium with Taeyang to play basketball, while I stayed rooted to my spot, his lips still lingering on my forehead. The force left an irremovable mark in my forehead, but especially in my heart.

“So, I visited this large architecture that the citizens love—“

“It’s London’s Big Ben.” I interrupted, now murdering my pasta for lunch. Apparently, Donghae enrolled here at school to pester our lives with his non-stop babbling instead of helping his father with their expanding business.

“Either way, it was huge.” Donghae finished, swallowing down his food.

“I don’t know, but it would be better if Dara was the one who went to London than you. She’d be a better tourist, and the money spent was spent nicely.” Bom said, waving her cob of corn in the air while talking.

“Donghae is just lost for words because the site was just too beautiful.” Top suggested, taking a sip from his milk tea.

Donghae glared at Top, but since the latter is not affected by any glare aside from Bom, he just shrugged and continued to tap something on his phone. Maybe he’s searching the next episode for the show he’s watching, Hello Counselor, a new variety show that he watches to spend his time.

Donghae suddenly stood up, hastily that he accidentally blocked and bumped someone who was walking through the space beside him. Swiftly, I also stood up, intending to help the man who fell but was stopped when I heard shouts, wild shouts.

“Yah! Are you messing with us?!”

“You should apologize, !”

As panic surged through me, I quickly turned to Top, who, in my relief, stood behind me and was already analyzing the situation. I turned back to the man Donghae recently bumped, and my eyes widened. It was Eunhyuk, a member of the wildest group here at school, Super Junior.

Eunhyuk stood up and patted his legs, dusting off the crumbs that fell on his pants after his impact with the floor. He looked less intimidating than his friends, but nevertheless you can never be too sure with those mischievous eyes of his.

“I should’ve walked to the much wider space.” Eunhyuk said, monotonous. “I wasn’t informed that there are clumsy, accident-prone students here.” His eyes darted at Donghae, moving slowly.

Donghae gritted his teeth. “Watch your mouth—“

“We’re sorry.”  Top interrupted, before Donghae could make anything worse. “That was an accident, and Donghae doesn’t have eyes on his back to see you.”

“Even so,” I heard another voice, and I saw someone coming from behind Eunhyuk. It was the rest of Super Junior, and the one who talked just now was Siwon. And it didn’t remain unnoticed by me that the girls around us squealed. Now, we’re in trouble. Siwon continued, “It is still unworthy of you to cross a member of us.”

Eunhyuk rolled his eyes, “Can I now order again and eat?”

“Not before this new guy over here pays for it.” Heechul said with an evil gleam in his eyes, and for a moment, I preferred Super Junior being wild.

Donghae clenched and unclenched his fists repeatedly seven times before he finally decided to keep it clenched. His fists reddened, and that’s when I realize what he was planning to do. Before I could stop him, Donghae already had released his waiting fist, and it flew straight to Eunghyuk’s left cheek. I grimaced.

Eunhyuk cupped his beaten cheek, and spoke, “That wasn’t entirely nice.”

Top stepped forward, but Bom stopped him. “Wait,” She told him, and I felt Top relaxed.

I thought it was over, that one punch is enough. But I was wrong, as always. There were shouts, too many shouts around me and I watch as Super Junior attacked Donghae. I was glad that Donghae learned martial arts, or he’d be beaten up into pulp in just a second with Super Junior’s number. The other students in the cafeteria circled on us, and either screamed, “Fight! Fight!” or “Don’t ruin their handsome faces!”

I rolled my eyes for a moment.

Top told me to stay with Bom, and tried to stop the fight but ended up getting a punch from Shindong. Bom shouted a battle cry, and charged, slapping Shindong painfully on the cheek.

I’m good at listening and staying put, because I won’t do well on fights. I’m better off watching them do their battle cries and in praying for my friends’ safety as they stop the fight.

“Just what are you doing woman?!” I heard Leeteuk shout out, and immediately, my attention went to him. He was holding a fork, and it was directed… at Bom!

I didn’t waste any more time and jumped. And without contemplation or analyzing of the problem, I shielded Bom from the fork, spread my arms and closed my eyes as I waited for the impact. In my mind, I can hear Jiyong’s voice, “You’re playing hero again! How many times I’ve told you to be selfish sometimes?! Forget about them! What about me?”

I waited, but nothing came except for a harsh breathing. Slowly, I opened my eyes and saw Jiyong, his hand gripping Leeteuk’s wrist, stopping him from stabbing me. “Why can’t you understand those simple words, huh?” He asked me, and that’s when I realized that when I heard his voice a while ago, it wasn’t in my mind. It was really him talking beside me.

“Jiyong-sshi!” Leeteuk exclaimed and tried to remove his hand from Jiyong’s grip, but it was too strong. Sharply, Jiyong turned his head at Leeteuk and asked, “Yes?”

“N-Nothing!” Leeteuk amended, but Jiyong wasn’t in the mood to make amends.

Then, it was war again, with me now in the middle of the fight. One fist almost hit me on my left cheek, but I moved my head backwards, so it went straight to Jiyong’s right cheek instead. I grimaced.

Jiyong didn’t let that person run without his revenge, so he quickly ran towards that person, just across me, and grabbed that person’s collar, who I recognize as Kibum. Kibum muttered something, an apology I think, before Jiyong punched him on the face.

“Jiyong!” I shouted, but he didn’t hear me. “Stop this in an instant!”

“Ms. Park is right.” Someone said directly behind me, and the fighting instantly stopped. Kibum, who was now pinned down on the floor by Jiyong, shouted, “Principal!”, and with that, Jiyong turned his head towards the back with an anxious face.

“All of you, in my office, now.” Principal Song said, and turned his back at us.

He’ll save me when I’m the damsel in distress