Credits: MR. LEE'S

Is it a crime, to fight, for what is mine?
-Tupac Shakur-

04| The Devil’s Pranks


I had never been one who’d crave for attention.

In fact, I really detest people who’d do all sorts of things just to get other people’s attention. Some would climb up towers, jump off buildings, or swim in the frozen sea just for some attention. But me, I’d rather be unknown than to be known as the crazy attention-seeker.

Trust me when I said that I didn’t crave for any attention when I had declared war against Choi SeungHyun.
I guess the attention comes naturally since it involves him.
After all, he was the kingka; he attracts attention like the honey attracts bees.

Like I said, I didn’t ask for it but all eyes were on me when I confronted SeungHyun.

For once, I was the centre of attention but it was not something that I had asked for.

It all happened when I was driven by my boiling anger after I had crumpled the notice in my fist. I was even more infuriated when I saw other notices, similar to the one that MinYoung had shown me just now, posted at various spots all over school . I saw how people gasped at me when they saw me marching towards SeungHyun who was lounging near the main notice board; he was laughing at something with his kingka friends. He was leaning against the wall, his backpack hung off one shoulder as he stuffed one of his hands inside his pocket.

The sight of him looking so happy further enraged me.

“Bommie, what’re you trying to do?” I heard MinYoung asked as she tried to catch up with my fast strides.

I had forgotten that she was tailing me. She was probably taken aback by my 180 degree turn of behaviour. Not only her, even I was surprised that I had it in me to fight for my rights. Maybe the new Bom is emerging. Maybe this is my time to show people what I’m capable of.

“YAH CHOI SEUNGHYUN-!!” I yelled and added, “CHOI SEUNGHYUN-SHI!”

Damn it! I was so used to being polite. I should’ve just dropped the formality.

I saw him paused in the middle of his laugh as he cocked his head to look at me in amusement like he had been expecting my appearance. 

Argh, I am freaking pissed! 
I badly wanted to shove some corns inside his mouth and make him die of choking. I wanted to slap him across the face and make him cry like a wuss. I badly wanted to distort his face for posting that horrendous picture of mine.

I stopped and held up my balled up fists with fire in my eyes. I was a girl ready for battle.

His eyes practically lit up as he flashed me his infamous smirk. “Hey, corn girl! Have you seen the notice?” he grinned.

Oh, he didn’t just do that!

Invisible steams were coming out from my nose and ears. 

I marched towards him and his friends. All along the way, I heard the whispers of other students.
 

“Hey, isn’t that the girl whom Oppa is looking for?”
“Is she here to apologize?”
“I wonder what she did.”
“Yesterday she said Oppa kissed her.”
“She must be insane.”
 

I flashed them my most infuriated look; they all pretended to look elsewhere.

MinYoung catch hold of my left elbow but I shrugged her off. I was determined to get this over with. I was going to fight for myself.

What? Just because he is a kingka, he thinks I can be bullied like I didn’t matter?
He was wrong!

When I was in front of him, I glared up at him with slit eyes.
He grinned down at me like he couldn’t see how pissed I was.

“Why are you all wet? Was it raining this morning?” he asked.

I ignored him as I continued to glare at him. “I refuse to be bullied,” I said quietly. I didn't know why my voice was coming out soft and timid.

“What? Did you just say something? I swear I heard you mumbled something,” he said, “Did you guys hear it?” he turned to ask to his friends.
“Yeah, I heard she said something about bully,” HeeChul said.
“No, no!” JiYong chirped in, “I swear she said I refuse to be silly.”
“Definitely not! I clearly heard her say ‘I refuse to be Billy’,” it was TaeYang’s turn to chirp in.
“Who the heck is Billy?” HeeChul asked.
“Don’t know,” TaeYang said, “Must be someone weird like her.”
“I also hate the name,” JiYong pouted, “He sounds like a sheep. You know, the clone sheep?”
“That’s Dolly, you idiot,” SeungHyun scolded him.

Seriously, they are the KingKas of this school?
It’s official. My school is filled with dorks.

I was getting really frustrated.
I was thinking maybe I wasn’t scary enough. Maybe I need to yell a bit more just to get my point across their thick brains.

“I said, I refuse to be bullied!!!!” I yelled at the top of my lungs.

There.
That should get the message across.
That should tell him that I’m not someone whom he can easily bully.
That should make him realise that Park Bom is not someone to mess with.

“See, I told you she said something about bully, not Billy you moron!” HeeChul said.
“Pftt.. Billy, bully. Who wouldn’t mishear?” TaeYang defended himself, “At least I didn’t mistaken Billy with Dolly.”
“Hey!” JiYong protested, “That’s not cool, man! It was just a simple mistake. I’m only human.”

I fought back the strong urge to strangle their necks. Again, they were completely ignoring my serious demand for justice.

“WILL YOU JUST STOP TALKING AND LISTEN TO ME?!” I yelled, “Err.. I mean, please?”

That got their attention. They all stopped talking immediately and turned to look at me.
SeungHyun stepped forward, folding his arms in front of his chest as he looked down at me.

“Are you here to apologize, corn girl?” he asked as he came nearer.
“No way! I didn’t do anything wrong so why should I apologize?!!” I said loudly. “If anything, you’re the one who should apologize to me. You posted my embarrassing picture for everyone to see. You stu-stupid son of a- a-...”

Just say b1tch, Bom. Say it! Son of a b1tch! He definitely deserves to be cursed!

“You-you son of a- of a-... COW!” I yelled.

I watched in annoyance as the kingkas roared with laughter.

“Son of a cow?” HeeChul laughed, wiping the tears from his eyes, “Man, that’s hilarious.”
“She should’ve said son of Billy,” TaeYang chortled, “It would’ve made it even more hilarious.”
“Oh, just shut up about your Billy,” JiYong chuckled.
“Bwahahaha,” SeungHyun laughed, “Aigoo, my stomach,” he said, holding his stomach.

“YAH! THIS IS NOT FUNNY!!!” I yelled, stomping my feet to the ground like a five year old.

The kingkas were still laughing like crazy. Even Micky who had only been watching had joined in to laugh. And I thought he was the normal one out of them.

“Bommie, people are watching,” MinYoung said from behind me, “Let’s end this now and go back to class, shall we?”

“I have not finished!” I said, shutting her off. I turned to glare at SeungHyun. I didn’t even bother to notice that all around us, a crowd had started to form; watching intently and listening to every word.

“You think I’m easily bullied, Choi SeungHyun?” I asked with fire in my eyes, “Because of you and your stupid notice, I’m soaking wet now. Apparently, your delusional fangirls wanted to teach me a lesson. I did nothing wrong! I don’t deserve this kind of treatment! It’s you who need to apologize to me.”

SeungHyun looked taken aback by my sudden outburst. “The fangirls did this?” he asked with concern in his eyes. If I wasn’t reminded by the evil lurking inside his soul, I would’ve thought that he was genuinely concerned about me.

“Don’t pretend to be nice, SeungHyun-shi!” I quipped angrily.
“But I am nice!” he said, winking at me.

He did NOT just wink at me!

And I was nearly fooled by his concerned look. This boy got acting talent, I must say. Plus, he definitely had the looks too. He would be a popular actor one day.

“Look,” he said, breaking my train of thoughts, “If anything, you should be thankful to me. I didn’t state in the notice what you did last night. If I did, you won’t even be alive at this moment,” he ended his ridiculous statement with an annoying smirk.

What the heck is this alien talking about?
I should be thankful??
He is definitely out of his mind.

“Yah!” I yelled, “I already told you that it was just acting. Don’t try to justify what you did to me. You stole my customers and you make your fangirls hate me. You make my life miserable, SeungHyun-shi!”

I thought my chest was about to burst with rage.

SeungHyun didn’t look at all perturbed by my fury. If anything, he looked slightly amused by my rant; like I was just some comedian telling jokes.

“This can end right now,” SeungHyun said.
“Really? You agree to leave me alone?” I asked with my hopes up high.
SeungHyun nodded. “If you agree to take responsibility, this can all end right here, right now,” he grinned.

I groaned loudly.
Here he goes again, talking about some stupid responsibility. Well, the only responsibility I will agree to take would be to shove some corns up his a.ss.

“Will you just stop with the stupid responsibility? I already told you that I did nothing wrong!” I yelled my frustration. This is really getting old.

“Hmm... I can’t leave you alone then,” he said, “until you agree to take the responsibility.”

Argh!!!
I looked up to the sky as I scrunch my hair with my fingers.

Why God, why?
What did I ever do?
Why do you send someone like him into my life?
Do you really want to see me go out of my mind?

“Bommie, let’s go. Just let it be,” MinYoung said as she tugged at my arm.
“Yeah, you should follow what your friend says, corn girl. She’s the smart one,” SeungHyun said, flashing me a smug smile, “You don’t want to dig your grave deeper by going against me.”

I balled up my fists. I couldn’t take it anymore.
I had decided to fight him even though I knew it would be a battle I would most likely lose in a day. After all, Choi SeungHyun is a kingka with many followers. However, this fact won’t deter my decision. I would show him what I’m capable of.

“Choi SeungHyun,” I said, pointing at him with my index finger, “I hereby declare war against you!”

With that being said, I stomped off, marching towards my class with my head held up high. I may be average, I may be unpopular but one thing for sure, I will fight for myself; even if it means going against the most popular guy in school.

Like I said, I had never craved for attention but my name was already on everyone’s lips.

I was already known as the girl who has declared war against Choi SeungHyun.

*********

“Did you hear the buzz going around school, Bommie?” MinYoung asked during lunch break at the cafeteria. 

I had changed into my PE clothes which I had stored in my locker while waiting for my uniform to dry. I had hung it at the classroom by the window, hoping that the sunray will dry it faster. I was mocked and ridiculed because I was wearing PE clothes but I pretended to be oblivious.

“About what?” I as