I began the walk home, slowly, to ensure I didn't hurt myself anymore than I already was. It was just another day of this dreaded school, another day having to explain to my teachers that I 'fell down the stairs' or it was a 'sports injury.'

I just hoped Himchan's friend wasn't at my house. My older brother, who went to college down the street, had adopted a best friend that had a knack for checking on me. It was nice and all, for him to care about me as much as he cared about Himchan.

But I didn't want to have to lie to him again, too.

Since he was really the only one who ever noticed the bruises and the cuts.

But my luck has never been the best. Yongguk was there as soon as I opened the door. He rushed over to me, thumb running over the new forming bruise under my right eye. "I doubt this could happen while you're falling or playing sports. You're not even on a sports team, Jae-yah." He whispered.

"I'm fine, hyung." I mumbled, pushing past him and to my room. It was never that easy to get away from him, as he followed me down the hall and into my room.

"Jae-yah, I just want to help." He whispered, sitting on the bed next to me.

"It's nothing." I muttered, pulling out my books and starting on my homework. I focused on the papers, not noticing he had moved until he was standing on my side of the bed, his fingers going through my hair. He was looking down at my papers, pointing at a grammar error in my essay. "Thanks." I mumbled.

"Of course, I know you're better at Math than grammar." He chuckled, and I actually relaxed, enjoying the feeling of his fingers combing through my long blonde hair. He was keeping it out of my eyes at least.

"Where's Himchan-hyung?" I asked.

"He's still in class. I only have two periods today but he has four." He explained, and I sighed.

That means I was stuck with him for two hours until Himchan kept him preoccupied.

I finished my paper, with him standing and pointing at my paper when something was spelled wrong or I had bad punctuation. When I was finished, I did what I would normally do, curl up and take a nap before dinner. I closed my eyes, feeling his thumb run over my bruise.

"It hurts, doesn't it?" He whispered, and I shrugged. He was about to take off my scarf, but I put my hand over it. It was cold outside, and I took full advantage of the protection.

He really didn't need to see what was underneath it.

"The heat's on, you don't need a scarf." He said with a chuckle.

"It's cozy." I mumbled. "It was halmeoni's." It was true. This was my grandmother's, and she did die of cancer.

But this guy always knew when I was hiding things.

He forced the scarf off, gasping as the marks I knew he was seeing. Two hand-prints around my neck, when Jihyo picked me up and slammed me against the gym floor, almost choking me to death before Kaesong, his lackey, pulled him off of me and muttering something about not wanting him to go to jail.

"Who did this to you, Jae-yah?" He asked, running his fingers soothingly across the marks.

"Just some punk." I muttered, knowing if I told him then I would just get more hell from Jihyo later.

"Who ing did this to you, Jae?" He asked again, his voice more aggressive. It scared me, actually. He was never anything but gentle and caring with me.

"You'll only make it worse, hyung!" I shouted, tears forming in my eyes. "I have a life, and there's nothing you can do to fix it!" I screamed, putting my head in my hands. Even he should know that Appa did give a damn about me and Himchan. He was never here, just came enough to pay the bills and leave some money on the counter for us to eat. Ever since Umma left, he just never really came around.

If it wasn't for Himchan and Yongguk taking care of me, I'd have nothing.

I cried softly to myself, only to feel his arms come around me. "It was that guy, Jihyo, wasn't it?" He whispered, and I was taken aback.

How the hell did he know Jihyo?

"H-How?" I hiccuped out, and he just sighed.

"I saw how scared you were when he walked you home from school that one day. I knew he wasn't friends with you." He mumbled, sliding my hair out of my face. "I won't make it worse, I promise."

"T-Thanks." I sighed, wiping my eyes.

Yongguk insisted on walking me to school the next morning, claiming he didn't have class for another hour. It was nice, having someone with me, but something was bothering me inside my gut. Something was telling me I should force him back to the house.

We got to the school, and I started to head off to my locker, wondering why Yongguk was still walking with me. "You can go now." I mumbled to him, only to see Jihyo coming this way.

"Hyung don't-!" I whispered harshly, but was too late.

"Ah, Jihyo-ssi. Nice to see you." Yongguk smiled. "I just wanted to thank you for walking Youngjae home that day."

"Sure, anything for my little princess." Jihyo said with a smirk, and I just cringed, hating that nickname with a passion.

"Can I talk to you outside? I have some questions about how he's doing in school." Yongguk asked, and I gulped, knowing this wasn't going to end well.

I followed them as they went outside, hiding behind the doorway. It was the back of the school, where all the fights happened, because there were no cameras, and all the teachers hung in the front.

Yongguk just sighed. "I want to know where these marks are coming from."

"He's a clumsy princess, he falls." Jihyo chuckled.

"Hand-prints aren't caused by falling, Jihyo-ssi." Yongguk growled out. "Now look, Youngjae-yah is off limits. You touch him again, and I'll kill you. I've been to jail before and I have no problem heading back."

I gulped, tears forming in my eyes from fear. You told me you wouldn't make it worse, hyung.

"We just had a little scrap. He's my princess. He knows I wouldn't hurt him unless I was just so mad I couldn't stop myself. He's mine, you know?" Jihyo said cockily, and I felt vomit forming in my throat.

"Yoo Youngjae does not belong to you and he never will, all right?" Yongguk growled. "So keep your filthy hands off him or I'll kill you."

"Boss?!"

I turned, seeing Kaesong calling out for Jihyo. He saw me and looked towards the back doors, and I nodded, as if to tell him Jihyo was outside. Kaesong I had no problem with. He just stuck by Jihyo because Jihyo saved him from the last bully that was here, the senior class that was before ours.

Kaesong stood on the other side of the doors, looking out at the scene. "Doesn't he hang with your brother?" He whispered.

"Yeah." I mumbled, sighing.

"Is he gonna hurt Jihyo?" He asked softly.

"I hope not." I muttered.

"I understand." I heard Jihyo say, and Yongguk walked through the doors. I grabbed his arm, stopping him from leaving.

"What did you just do?" I whispered.

"Stopping someone from hurting you." He said, continuing to walk away, inevitably dragging me with him.

"Stop!" I yelled, and he did, turning to me.

"I'm going to be late for class." He sighed.

"You should've just left things alone!" I shouted. "I told you my life's just and there's nothing anybody can do! You're not even my friend you're Himchan's, so why the are you caring about me?!"

I saw his eyes lower in sadness and I immediately felt guilty for whatever I said to upset him. He pulled me close, and I just pouted. "Youngjae-yah, have you not understood why yet?" He whispered.

"No, I'm not good at anything but math." I mumbled.

"I love you, JaeJae." He whispered, rubbing my back softly.

I just froze, my eyes struck open, things finally clicking together in my mind. "H-Hyung, y-you..."

"So I can't bear the thought of someone hurting you, all right?" He whispered.

I just slung my arms around him, burying my face in his shoulder. Everything made sense now. The reason why Yongguk holding me felt so comforting, the reason I felt so guilty hiding things from him, the reason I always felt this fuzzy feeling in my chest whenever he'd look after me.

I was in love with my brother's best friend.

"I love you, too, hyung." I muttered, and he just sighed, kissing the top of my head.

"Good." He chuckled, kissing my forehead before letting me go. "I'll see you at 3, okay? I'll be here to get you."

"Okay." I smiled, waving at him as he left.

I had a feeling my life would be a lot better now.

THE END.