It has been a week later that I realize what exactly has been stirring my gut with uneasiness: the exams, they're coming up.

     “Just reminding you guys, your final is next month, start studying now!”

     The class groans.

     Our teacher smirks and walks out the door like some kind of evil witch fulfilling her spell in tormenting young and innocent children.

     I let out a sigh, louder than I expected.

     The whispers come back.

     “Poor Saehee. She must have such a hard time. She'll probably murder the test.”

     “Or maybe even burn the school down.”

     “Guys, it's alright. She'll just cry about it to her gangster daddy.”

     The class starts giggling.

     “Seriously, these guys-” Daehyun mutters as he gets up from his seat, anger rising him in until I pull him back down.

     “If you do something like last time, I will kill you.”

     It turns silent once again.

     “Guys! Did you hear that? Saehee says she's going to kill Daehyun, take cover!”

     Everyone gives me hideous looksuntil the teacher comes back, and my classmates go back to their “innocent” side.

++

     “I just can't those kids any longer! They're so immature, it's pissing me off.” Daehyun mumbles with the amount of food in his mouth.

     “Just leave it,” I sigh as a lean on my elbow, poking my food. Youngjae notices and takes my spoon to scoop the curry.

     “Eat. You barely eat anymore,” He says, holding the spoon in front of my mouth.

     The smell disgusts me, and I lean back. Youngjae then shoves it into my mouth, forcing me to chew.

     “He's right, Saehee. You're getting skinnier by the second.”

     “Thanks,” I mumble, “makes me feel so much better.”

     “Don't speak with your mouth full.” Daehyun orders.

     “Yes, princess.” I roll my eyes.

     I continue to slowly chew until tow kids come our way, making my eyebrows lift up, sort of in shock that they actually have the guts to come up to me.

     Jongup and Zelo.

     “Well, well, well,” Daehyun starts, “If it isn't--"

     Youngjae shoves a huge amount of rice into Daehyun's mouth, silencing him at once.

     Their greeting was different this time. The bow at a ninety degree angle. When they got back up, they put their hands together and their heads were facing down at the ground, as if they were mortified.

     “We apologize for what we did the other day. Please, just don't tell our boss what we tried to do.” Zelo requested.

     I smirk. It's amazing how thier attitude towards me changes so quickly. First they act as if they were greater than me, but now they're finally acting as proper subordinates.

     “Fine, I'll forgive you guys. I mean, your boss must mean that much to you, for you to actually apologize yourselves.”

     Jongup looks up, "So does that mean your going to make an alliance with us?"

     “Hm, I'm fifty-fifty right now. Why'd you guys try to take my money? You guys seem to have enough yourselves.”

     The hope in Jongup's eyes disappear, but he doesn't hesitate to ignore my question, and looks me straight in the eyes.

     “Our group is going downhill, we're loosing a lot of money because of the amount of loans our boss borrowed. That's why we're planning an alliance with you guys so we can have some of your money.”

     Daehyun scoffs as he rolls his eyes, and Youngjae lets out a deep breathe, feeling used. They want us for our money?

     I wanted to ask much more. What were they going to do with the money? Or are they did they loose so much that they need money for food, their rent, etc? But before I could ask anything, the bell rings and we had to go back to class.

     Zelo gives a frustrated look of defeat on his face, “We answered your question, now don't tell our boss about what we did.”

     He turn his back and starts walking coolly with his hands in his pockets. Jongup looks back at Zelo, and quickly bows once more before catching up with Zelo, scolding him that it was disrespectful to leave like that.

++
 

     The rest of they day at school was different from other days. Usually the kids don't care what I do, but today while the teachers were teaching, my classmates looked back, and occasionally added some snickers to their faces.

     Immature bastards

    Particularly two girls wouldn't stop making faces at me. They sat one seat in front and to the left of me. They were the ones who snickered the most. I try rolling my eyes at them to shoo them away, but it wouldn't work. They snicker, and look front to laugh about it between themselves.

     Soon after the last bell of the day rang, and I started to pack my stuff.

     I hear Youngjae's voice, a little too close from where he usually sits. I look up and see him approaching the two girls.

     “Hey.”

     “Hey,” they respond.

     “What are your names?”

     One girl answer, “I'm Somi, this is Eunhae.”

     What is he doing?

     “Are you close with Saehee?”

     “Psh, no way. Why would we even talk to that loser?”

     He's not doing what I think he is...

     Youngjae gives a nod, “Since you barely know her, it'd be great if you stop bothering her.”

     “Why would you care about what we do to Saehee? Do you like her or something?”

     “Yea, I do.”

     My heart almost explodes.

     The girls look at each other with surprised faces, then they both smirk.

     “Prove it then. Go to her and give her a kiss or something.”

     Youngjae rolls his eyes and glares at them, “The reason I wanted to talk to you guys wasn't so I could prove that I like Saehee.”

     The two girls shrug. “Well we didn't really want to talk to you either.”

     They turn back until Youngjae stops them by grabbing Somi's wrists.

     “Ow why the are you grabbing my wrists so hard for? Let go!”

     He ignores her, “You were the one who said that Saehee can cry to her 'gangster daddy', right? You want to know something?”

     I know Youngjae usually has no expression, and I've seen him get a little irritated by Daehyun's presence, but this is the first time I've seen him furious. The glare in his eyes is stronger than ever. He holds Somi's wrists even harder that it starts shaking. She becomes frightened by the great amount of strength on Youngjae's hand.

     “Saehee has no 'gangster daddy' to cry to. He died last week. Go to her mom? Her mom died two years ago. She's living by herself, but still managing her life.”

     Well, that's not entirely true.

     I look at Somi and see a guilty look on her face. The same expression on Eunhae as well.

     Youngjae lets go as Somi rotates her wrists in pain.

     “I'm warning you. If you do anything more to Saehee, I might to even worse to you. Grabbing your wrists was nothing.”

     Youngjae grabs his bag and starts walking, “Make sure to apologize on your way out. Not to me, to Saehee.”

++

     Yongguk came to pick us up. It was silent in the car, until Yongguk broke the silence.

     “So how was-”

     “You didn't have to do that.” I direct to Youngjae.

     “Yes, I did.”

     Daehyun was sitting in the front, Youngjae and I sitting a seat apart.

     “No you didn't. You know I can handle things on my own.” I argue.

     “No, you can't.”

     Youngjae's sudden remark surprises me. Is he that mad? I look at his face, and it seems as if he was still cooling off from a while ago. Knowing myself I should let him calm down a bit, but I wasn't so calm myself either. I usually hate it when people don't understand how I feel.

     “Yes I can! You should know that these kinds of things don't bother me.”

     “If you could handle it on your own, then these kids wouldn't be bothering you! You know you hate it, you know you want it to stop. News flash Saehee, the only way to stop the kids from doing that is to give them a little punch! They see you as some kind of prey. If I haven't told those chicks off for you today, they wouldn't have stopped bothering you until we graduate! Wake up and realize that you can't solve these kind of problems by just staying silent!”

     You know what turned silent after? The car. I had nothing to say, and everyone else was surprised by our argument.

     “Tough day at school, huh..” Yongguk whispers.

     I look out the window, hiding what was about to come.

     Everything I've held in so far.

     The sadness, the pain, the anxiety.

     I couldn't help but let out tiny sniffs as my tears started to uncontrollably fall.