“You played a really great game,” Sunyoung congratulated me with a smile. It was Wednesday and gym class had just ended. We’d played basketball, which was one of my specialties courtesy of Yongguk and the boys, and I’d impressed some of my classmates and my teacher, who had been significantly nicer to me since I’d joined the cool crowd.

I returned her smile. “Thanks. I played a lot growing up.”

“Ugh, not me,” Krystal piped up. “I wish shopping was a class instead of gym. I’d get a much better grade, I’m sure.”

I laughed, but then stopped when I pulled open my locker.

“Is everything okay, Narae?” Amber asked, noticing my sudden change in expression.

I frowned, eyebrows knitting together. “Someone has been in my locker,” I said. “I left my bag hanging on the hook, but now it’s on the bottom.”

Krystal shrugged. “Maybe it just fell?” she suggested.

But I doubted it. I reached for my bag, ping it and checking the contents. Nothing seemed to be missing, but neither did anything seem to be added. I rifled through my books and notebooks then, and that’s when I noticed it.

It was my notes for my last class of the day, calculus. They were all still there, but they were completely illegible now. Every inch had been scribbled on in bright red ink. Such terrible things were written there, calling me every name in the book and then some. There were even threats.

“Jeez,” Amber in her breath, looking over my shoulder. “Who on earth would do something like that?”

“I think I know,” I grimaced, and then, taking my notebook with me, I marched over to where Jessica was getting dressed with her clones. “Stay away from my school stuff!” I snapped at her.

To her credit, she looked genuinely confused – and a little disbelieving that I was directly addressing her. “Excuse me?” she repeated haughtily.

I held up my notebook so she could see the slurs and threats scrawled all over my meticulous notes. “Look, if you mess with me, whatever. But don’t ing mess with my academics.”

Jessica crossed her arms, looking amused. “I didn’t do that,” she answered. “But, considering how many people in this school hate you, it could’ve been anyway. If you find out who, let me know. I’d like to give them my thanks.”

“Don’t lie,” I snarled. “You’re the only one in this class who would go this far.”

Her smirk only widened. “I didn’t do it. Wish I could take credit for it, but it wasn’t me.”

I returned to my friends, confused. Jessica had never denied bullying me before, and it was strange that she was suddenly doing so. Unless she really hadn’t been the one to destroy my notes. But if it wasn’t Jessica or one of her bimbos, then who on earth had done it?

“I’m sure it was Jessica and she’s just lying about it,” Jonghyun said as he was giving me a ride home after school that day.

I slouched low in my seat, knees up against the dashboard. “But why would she lie about it? She likes taking credit for being mean to me and getting under my skin.”

“Maybe she knows that she’ll get under your skin more if she denies it,” my boyfriend suggested.

I hmphed thoughtfully, but I still wasn’t sure. In my opinion, Jessica wasn’t intelligent enough to think of that. But I didn’t have any other idea of who could have done it. 

I was still fuming about the destruction of my calculus notes – though Qian, who was also in that class, let me copy her notes – by the time Friday rolled around.

Jonghyun, who could pick up on my moods pretty easily by now, called me out on it at lunchtime. “Quit brooding,” he suggested. “It’s over and done with, and there’s nothing you can do about it now. There’s a carnival in town, so let’s go tonight. It’ll be fun and it’ll get your mind off things.”

“Ooh, I love carnivals!” Qian exclaimed.

“Me too!” Jinki agreed. “Mind if I tag along?”

“Oh, me too! I want to go too!” Krystal exclaimed.

Jonghyun groaned. “Guys, this was sort of a date.”

“It’s okay,” I laughed, laying my hand on his thigh underneath the table. “Everyone should come. It’ll be fun.”

So, once school ended, we all parted ways and went home to change clothes and to grab something quick to eat, and then we all met up again at the carnival.

“What should we ride first?” Minho asked, looking wistfully at the roller coaster and then to the tilt-a-whirl.

Jonghyun wrapped an arm around my waist. “Let’s let Narae choose what to ride first.”

“Why does she get to choose?” Jinri asked sulkily, arms folded over a yellow blouse that showed quite a bit of her midriff. “Is she special or something?”

Jonghyun looked like he was going to retort, so I stepped in before a scene could unfold. “It’s okay,” I assured him. “Jinri can choose the first ride. I don’t mind.” I gave her a level look as I said it, silently conveying that she wasn’t going to get under my skin no matter how big of a she was.

Jinri quickly looked away, a faint blush dusting her cheeks. “I want to ride the giant swing first. Let’s go.”

When we got to the giant swing, we saw that the seats were made for three people. When Jonghyun sat down in the middle seat of our section, Jinri quickly sat down on the other side of him. If he noticed, he didn’t say anything, but I definitely noticed. She was a sneaky little thing.

“Why were you holding my hand?” Jonghyun demanded when we got off the ride, automatically stepping away from Jinri.

She blushed cutely. “I was scared, oppa,” she said. “I guess I just grabbed it without thinking.”

I rolled my eyes to myself. She was as transparent as a window.

After the giant swing, we rode the tilt-a-whirl and the roller coaster. Then we bought snacks from the concession stand and settled down at one of the picnic tables to enjoy the treats. Of course Jinri squeezed herself in on the other side of Jonghyun, between him and Jinki, who grumbled at being squished out to the end when there was plenty of room for Jinri on the other side. She only elbowed him and batted her eyelashes at Jonghyun.

For the most part, my boyfriend seemed totally oblivious to Jinri’s attentions. I supposed they had been going on for so long that he had learned to tune them out. I wasn’t really jealous, per se – if Jonghyun had been interested in her, he would’ve agreed to date her ages ago – but she was getting sincerely annoying.

“Man, Jinri doesn’t know when to let up,” I grumbled when we were back in the car, the giant purple dragon Jonghyun had won for me nestled happily in my lap.

He chuckled, pulling away from the carnival to his house – we had sort of come to an unspoken agreement that I spent the weekends at his place; no one was home to notice if I didn’t come back and nobody at Jonghyun’s house could comment on it. “She’s been that way for ages. I don’t even notice it anymore.” He winked in my direction. “Does it make you jealous?”

“No,” I answered honestly. “But I would be happier if she finally got it through her head that you and her aren’t going to happen.” Then I paused. “Why did you never date her?”

He shrugged. “She’s not my type.”

“What is your type?” I pressed.

Another wink in my direction. “You.”

I rolled my eyes and playfully slapped him on the arm. “Cheesy,” I accused.

His grin only widened. “You like it.”

I didn’t deny it. 

Short chapter is short. Sorry guys. 

<3