Listen to: Monsta X - Steal Your Heart

UPDATED: 200116

I woke up. I went to school, and the whispers were different from usual. Mom didn't tell me, but I knew that the news of my father's exoneration was out. TV announced it last night.

My locker had a note on it.

'You and your father supposed to be dead instead'

My desk had its share, as expected. There were different scrapes, with ugly handwriting in red color.

Threats. Curses. Everything one could think of.

I also noticed the teachers altered treatment. Some were strangely speaking too nicely to me, and others were clearly avoiding me. However, Mr. Kim was definitely not one of them, even though I hoped he would be avoiding me. The only exception that he wasn't smiling the moment he stepped into the class, where the smile usually never leave his face.

After doing the daily greeting and taking the attendance, he started giving back our tests, with some comments and back head slapping for some students. When he gave me mine, he wasn't looking at me, but I was okay with it.

"You didn't do well this time, Daran."

I was confused at his comment, because I got 100 out of 100. I don't understand where I precisely didn't do well after snatching a full mark.

He pointed at a sentence in one of the questions. "This, you weren't good at, Daran. Do better next time."

I looked at the sentence, trying to understand why he pointed at it.

'Be careful,'

That what he pointed at.

I don't get what he was trying to do exactly.

.

It was Korean language where Mrs. Yoon keeps talking about bull making her classes the best for naps. But for me, and especially today, I didn't sleep.

I was thinking about last night and the other days.

I didn't see Hyungwon today, or I would've spoke to him and took some information out of him.

It's still ringing in my head. I couldn't get it out of my head even if I wanted to. I am only 17 yet I have so many problems and things to keep me awake at night.

It stole the sleep from my eyes all night. I stay awake thinking and thinking of various scenarios, but I am getting no answers, and I am not listening to Mrs. Yoon's boring lessons too.

What game he played with my mother so she let him in so easily, I wondered. What type of persuasion he used against my invincible mom so she broke the house's rule by letting a stranger inside, I wondered.

Oh, that, especially that, made me sleepless for a few nights. What is it? What this something I know nothing about?

It annoys me. It annoys me. It annoys me.

What does he mean by that? What is it they are not telling me? Is it the same thing they were talking about in their room? If it's a yes, then how he knew about it, something I don't even know about?

So many question my head almost explode, but no satisfying answers.

I must talk to Hyungwon, but he was missing today.

.

It was funny to be walking in the halls of my school in search of a certain face, after realizing that I have never done that for a while. I felt normal, but the likes of me, at least in the time being, are far, far away from being normal.

But this feeling I am feeling is strange.

The feelings I get when I am looking for Hyungwon in the classes, labs, garden and every space in our school.

It is like it's been a long since I wanted to do something.

When I finally had my eyes on his distinguished long hair from a window, a group of freshmen girls stopped me. I figured out they all like Hyungwon, as one of them asked me if I was dating him.

"NO!"

I didn't mean to look or sound completely disgusted by the idea, but from where did this girl reach this conclusion, I wondered. Another one asked me to explain our relationship and for the first time in my high school life, I wanted to laugh like a witch. A loud, creepy laughter where everyone hear it no matter where he is.

This is so funny.