Chapter 4

Packing in some punch

 “Why are you guys hand in hand?” Jihyun asked Doojoon and Jiyoon.  She had just returned from the toilet and noticed the pair walking down the corridor.  Jihyun wondered what the two of them had been up to.  They had already missed half a period of class.

Jiyoon turned around and saw Jihyun looking curiously at the both of them. Doojoon and herself were walking back to the classroom, hand in hand since Jiyoon refused to tell Doojoon what happened. 

“Doojoon is being an idiot.  Ignore him.”

Jihyun couldn’t help but laugh. “Just to tell you, you guys totally look like a couple when you do that.” 

“And why exactly are Jiyoon and this guy are acting like a couple?” 

This question came from a guy who had also noticed them in the corridor and walked towards them, without taking his eyes off Jiyoon. 

That guy was Dongwoon.  Jiyoon’s boyfriend. 

Jiyoon froze.  Not because she was holding Doojoon’s hand, but because she didn’t want to face him, yet.  Doojoon felt Jiyoon’s grip on his hand tighten and he knew she was uncomfortable.  And he felt the need to protect her, to take her away where nothing would harm her. 

Doojoon looked displeased at the sight of Dongwoon.  He had been dating Jiyoon since last year.  Everyone was surprised at how he was able to make Jiyoon smile so gently and he became someone who was able to bring a different side to Jiyoon.  Things he thought he would be incapable of doing. 

Yet, this Dongwoon ruined it all.  As if Jiyoon wasn’t enough, he couldn’t keep his hands off other girls.  That’s when Doojoon realised he was just a sweet talking player.  In no way did he deserve Jiyoon at all. 

But what stung him most was that Jiyoon didn’t think so. 

Doojoon was sure Jiyoon could see the same bad things he saw Dongwoon doing, but she always believed his lies. 

Until today. 

He figured she probably realised something, but she kept denying all this time and it was keeping her in a bad mood. 

“Jiyoon, why aren’t you answering me?”  Dongwoon asked.  He neither appeared angry or surprised; he just kept his eyes on Jiyoon, waiting for her answer.

But Jiyoon didn’t answer his question; instead she asked him a question back.

“Why did you say that – that girl was your girlfriend?” 

She couldn’t even bring herself to say her name.  

“No, no Jiyoon.  Where did you hear that from?”  He innocently replied.  “Come on, Jiyoon if you’re just trying to get back at me for that.  You’ve got it all wrong.  I wouldn’t ever do that do you.”

Then he reached out to take her hand from Doojoon.  But Doojoon let go of Jiyoon’s hand and immediately stood in front of Jiyoon. 

Dongwoon smirked at the sight of Doojoon trying to block him from Jiyoon.  He didn’t say anything but his conceited expression aimed at Doojoon said it all.

An expression saying, that no matter how Doojoon tried to come in between them, Jiyoon would always come back to him. 

“Move over punk.”

And that was the last straw.  Doojoon don’t know what happened but his built-up anger on this douche bag finally exploded. 

He gave him a good punch in his face.  Dongwoon looked back, slightly shocked, slightly amused.

“Oh, so you aren’t so calm and cool all the time after all.”  He mocked, as he felt the burn of his cheek from the punch. 

After taking the punch from Doojoon, he retaliated by handing a punch back to his face.  Dongwoon was slimmer in size compared to Doojoon, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to put up a good fight.  The force of his punch made Doojoon lose his balance, but he wasn’t going to back down just yet. 

Doojoon thought that maybe, he wasn’t as angry with Dongwoon as he was at himself. He could have stopped Jiyoon earlier, instead of watching on the sidelines.  Every time he saw Jiyoon’s disappointed face, there was so much he wanted to say but he swallowed all those words, and just watched on silently.  

He hated himself for hesitating.  In a way, he felt like he was worst than Dongwoon.

Doojoon stood back up and rushed towards Dongwoon in an attempt to punch him again.  He wasn’t thinking anymore, he just wanted to take out all of frustration on this idiot boyfriend of Jiyoon’s.

This time though, Dongwoon was ready for it and dodged him.  He then maneuvered his foot behind Doojoon’s leg, and pushed him onto the ground. 

But before he could do anything, Jiyoon interrupted.  She couldn’t stand watching anymore. 

“STOP!”  Jiyoon shouted.  “Don’t hurt him, Dongwoon.” 

“Did you think I was fighting against you, Jiyoon?”  He looked at her carefully.  “I was fighting for you, fighting to get you back.  But I guess to you, I’m just the bad guy now.” 

He always had this power over her, making her speechless, powerless and guilt-ridden. 

Why does he always blackmail me? Jiyoon asked herself.   He always made her feel that if she didn’t believe his words, she would be the one hurting him.

Jihyun looked at Jiyoon.  And she hated how Dongwoon had been able to manipulate her like this, so she wasn’t about to let him get the upper hand. 

“And why do you always play victim?  Why do you always make it seem that only Jiyoon has done you wrong, and you’re the perfect boyfriend?” 

“I don’t-“

But Jihyun wasn’t done yet.  As she looked at him with her piercing brown eyes, she asked him, “And you always try to emphasize everything you have done for her.   But do you remember everything that she did for you?  Or does that mean nothing to you?” 

This time he didn’t say anything.

But then, he turned to Jiyoon.  “I don’t want to hear what she has to say.  I want to hear what you have to say.