The young man threw one ball after another against the gym wall. His face filled with frustration. He was angry that he couldn’t protect Dara; he couldn’t even protect the girl he likes.

Flashes of what happened a few weeks ago at school made him threw the ball even harder. The taunting, the whisperings as Dara walked down the hall, the students’ sneer and malicious rumors…and the school’s lack of support really put him in a foul mood.

Bom stood at the sideline shaking her head at Taeyang as he continues to torture himself.

“I’m leaving Taeyang. You’re really pathetic you know that?” Bom chided and turned to leave but stopped when Taeyang shouted,

“Wait!”

He walked up to her and shoved his hands in his back pocket, his feet shifting awkwardly. He hesitated as if he did not really want to know the truth but had to ask for the sake of his sanity. He glanced at the ground, his eyes avoiding hers.

“Bom…is she really pregnant?” Taeyang asked holding his breath.

Bom felt her heart constricted; she wanted to cry for her friend...for both Taeyang and Dara. Taeyang, the boy Dara had loved all through middle school and high school finally took notice of her…and it was too late.

“Yes, she really is pregnant.” Bom said sadly. Taeyang took the news calmly but Bom noticed his hands balling up into fists, it was clenched so hard Bom fear he might injured himself. For a moment Bom thought Taeyang was going to cry. His eyes brimmed with unshed tears, but he conveniently sneezed hard, then he wiped his eyes and nose with his sweaty t-shirt.

“I didn’t know she have a boyfriend.” He said to himself. Nonchalantly as if the news didn’t hurt him at all, he chuckled,

“If I had known she already had a boyfriend I wouldn’t have made a fool of myself by giving her the couple rings.”

Bom scowled at him and hissed,

“You really are a fool! You think if Dara really had a boyfriend she wouldn’t already introduce you to him? You were her protector! Even now she still really likes you…” Bom, covered and turned away from Taeyang. She said too much, she cursed at herself for having such a loose mouth.

Taeyang felt his face heat up as his hand involuntarily touched the rings still in his pocket. When Bom gave him the couple rings and told him Dara said she couldn’t be with hi