God damn, Dongwoon. What the hell was that?  He guiltily thought to himself, sulking into his seat slowly so his other classmates wouldn’t see him. Hopefully, the devious look that was put onto his face could convince the rest of his classmates that he was still feeling cool, though really he wasn’t on the inside. In fact, he felt as if he had the worse situation here. The classroom had heard what just happened. Now it was just up for their judgment to decipher what would happen.

I just made a girl, cry..

Cry.

ing cry.

“Good job, Dongwoonie.” A girl’s sweet voice echoed through his ears, an arm crossing over to his arms, ravelling the two together secretly. He uncomfortably moved around the seat, hoping that the professor wouldn’t catch Ye-jin out of her desk.

Biting down his lower lip, he griefly asked her, “Was that really the right thing to do?”

Surprised at the question itself, Ye-Jin frowned at his purity conscience “Of course. It’s just a joke, she just took it too far.” She justified, her arms now untangling themselves from his arm, leaving a barren feeling upon Dongwoon’s arms.

Looking down, "If you're sure.." Dongwoon regretfully said, feeling a bit bitter from his actions.

Seeing the slight regrets, she continued her "aegyo act".

Pushing a finger onto his cheeks she said, "I'm sure, why are you acting like this?" Her eyebrows then rose, "Did you actually like talking to her, Woonie?" She asked jokingly, scoffing at her own humor.

It wasn’t light-humor.

This question, stood for the final crush of the slight friendship between So-Hyun and Dongwoon.

The slight spark was set into the rain, destroying it.

He cut the friendship’s string.

"Of course not, I just feel bad for her. That's all." He said, smirking at his own thoughts about how kind he treated her.

"Good." Ye-Jin declared, returning to her own desk, focussing on the chalkboard where the teacher continued to scribble down test prepping skills for their end-exams.

~~

A joke.

Those words still stung So-Hyun as she slumped down against the lockers, tears now streaming out of her eyes like a river. The past hour was a nightmare. Why, why today, did this all have to happen on? She was having the most perfect day, before..they.. ruined it.  The kind gentle boy she had reconciled with yesterday had soon became the villain So-Hyun had recalled on enrollment day. The villain who messed with her feelings so easily.

Damn it.

Feeling as if there was no purpose in being here, the crying girl quickly crawled desperately to the bathrooms in case a staff worker would find the dazed girl sprawled over the floors. She already didn’t want to cause a further distraction than she already was. Entering the empty washroom, she quickly stood upon her feet, staring at the unknown person who was trapped within the reflections. The reflection was someone else. A weaker person, who allowed others to travel to their own deep feelings. The reflection was a vulnerable yet a gullible clone of So-Hyun. It was pathetic. Wrathing her hands through her curled hair, she continued crying relentlessly in hopes of comfort from the reflection, but it was just a mirrored image of herself.

Her looks were degraded heavily as her eyeliner was smeared along her eyes along with the mascara she had applied this morning.

school.

people.

I hate this.

Turning on the water faucet in the bathroom sinks, she dunked plentiful amounts of water onto her face, cleansing the heavily layered face. Rubbing the water gently around her cheeks, she continued crying though now it didn't matter to her physical appearance.

~

Death appeared behind her, emotionless. Though she couldn't see him, she felt as if she wanted to reach his final destination.

I’m sorry, he thought, vanishing into the specks of the bathrooms.

He didn’t know the true feelings of sorrow. He had never felt feelings at all before.

~

“So-Hyun-ah? Are you in there?” Doojoon called out, after finding the girl who looked similar to So-Hyun’s figurine crawl towards the bathroom doors. He was simply delivering an errand for his teacher, but whenever he saw the familiar voice cry out, he couldn’t just resume his job.

Panickedly after hearing the male’s voice, she backed herself up against the bathroom stall, hiding within the small stalls where her breaths were held for long amounts of time.

No, no, I’m not in here. He can’t talk to me. Not now.

She bit her lower lip, hoping that the boy would just soon leave her in isolation. The boy, was surely not idiotic though as he knew the girl’s memorable curled locks belonged to So-Hyun,

“I know you’re in there, So-Hyun.”

Damn it.

“Do you just wanna talk?” He asked timidly, not wanting to peek his head inside the girl’s bathroom despite the hallways being empty. Manners. They were important. His mother had teached him some sense after his primary school days.

So-Hyun still pressing herself tightly against the walls, refused to let any noise come out of herself, breathing deeply in once again.

“Don’t make me come in!” Doojoon threatened sternly, though he wouldn’t really do it. Little embarrassing talks like these usually always triggered So-Hyun to blabber once again, after she vowed to never talk to him. He learned that the difficult way.

This time, had worked as the past times,

“NO! ANI!” So-Hyun yelled out painfully, crouching over her knees that had been propped up to her chest now. The same comfortable position she would put herself into at the bench in the park.

Doojoon chuckled to himself, realizing how gullible the girl was. He gently requested, “Well, come out so we can talk.”

“No.” She plainly said, tears still muffling her words at times.

He was truly worried, and this behavior from her wouldn’t be accepted.

“Come on!” Doojoon pleaded, now sitting against the walls which were parallel to the bathroom alleyways.

God damn, he won’t give up. So-Hyun thought to herself, groaning as the persistent boy continued to pester her,,

“I said no, leave me alone!” So-Hyun yelled now, her voice louder than before.

He was sick of it. He didn’t want to see the girl to be in pain, any longer,

“We can go do whatever, just come out and talk to me! We can get ice cream, even! I just need to sign us out…” He offered, saying the last part to the offer quietly as he had never done anything rebellious in school before. But, this scene, was not a scene he would like to encounter again.

Ice cream? .

No, So-Hyun.

Don’t do it, you’re a mess right now.

~

“Arasso.” She gave in, slowly opening the bathroom doors before turning on the faucet water again to do a last rinse-up. Feeling a bit more refreshed but still broken down, she walked out the doors to find Doojoon  slumped against the lockers as she was a few minutes ago, staring casually at her. Offering a hand to the boy, she helped pull the heavy-weighted male up with all her strength, and as soon as he was on both feet, he was given a large hug immediately by the shorter girl who was forced to stand on her tip-toes.

“Omo, why?” He asked confusedly, though still hugging the girl back.

So-Hyun remained silent for a bit, before finally answering him, “For being there for me.”

A grin could be felt against her shoulders.

~

The bench felt strange. It felt empty, without the children playfully toying around with each other, without the moonlight gleaming against the lakes that laid near the park. Though the pedestrians were still busily walking around, the park was filled with...adults now. They weren’t playing around of course, but simply just relaxing. Some couples were positioned onto picnic layouts, eating lunch with each other happily while others just sat on the grass, shoulders wrapped around each other, eyesights fading into the blazing sun. The bench though, had remained empty, as if the spirits above had made sure no one sat there.

“You wanna hang out here?’ Doojoon asked puzzled, scratching the back of his head, ruffling his spiked up hair in a messily manner.

So-Hyun blushed at the request, “Yeah.” She timidly said, looking down at her shoes which had been stained with white shavings from the clean floors she had crawled on. Her school jacket had also been needing to be ironed after she fell down onto the floor, body sprawled comfortably as if the floor was her new bed. It didn’t matter though, no adults were paying any attention to the two ditching students.

Doojoon though, didn’t mind the girl’s request, as he tried his best to cheer up his friend, “Alright, works with me.”

He pulled her down besides him, where she just continued staring down at her feet. Realizing that she was still quiet, he interrupted her mid-thoughts, stating a quote she had told him the same day, “Hey, don’t be sad, be glad.”

He grinned lopsidedly.

She didn’t smile back at the witty quotes.

Another period of silence came by, leaving the threatening space between them awkward.

“What happened, So-Hyun?” He asked seriously now, his eyes narrowed at the young girl. She couldn’t usher a prominent word out of though, so she just continued shaking her head.

“Nothing.” She plainly explained, hoping that would end the conversation. This wouldn’t be the case though as they already journeyed far out to the park though, which remained a lengthy amount of minutes away from the school.

Doojoon persistently staying stubborn, continued to nag at the girl, “Well, it has to be something, if you were crying in the bathrooms. It also has to be something if I took the caring thoughts to bring you out here. I deserve to know, ya know!” He justifyingly said, making better sense to the girl.

She realized this was true, and soon after another long period of silence, she gave in to the handsome but yet trustworthy boy unlike Dongwoon who had tricked her and left her in oblivion.

“Well..”

~

“And so I ended up at the bathrooms, crying.” So-Hyun admittedly said, feeling the tears stained on her cheeks being overcoated by new flows of tears.

Doojoon was completely shocked, “Who did this? Ye-Jin? That’s it?” He asked, his fists clenching into tight pulsages.

No, she’s not the only one. But So-Hyun decided to save the trouble for her friend whose anger was clearly shown upon his face, the reddening anger surprising her, “Yeah, that’s it. Don’t do anything though, please.” She pleaded. This scene had taken an entire mile, and she didn’t want to continue it any further, but knowing the Doojoon she’d knew for month, she knew that he would get revenge. Revenge just for her.

Of course, not contradicting her theory, Doojoon quickly arose from the seat, his fists now slamming into the palms of his hands, “No! I can’t just let you get bullied like that. How long has it been happening?”

That question, even she couldn’t answer herself. So-hyun never counted the days, these events occurred one, because they happened so commonly, there was no point.

“So-hyun. How long has it been happening?” He asked defiantly again, his arms crossed over his chest in an orderly manner.

Uh.

“I-I..don’t know..” She confessed, tears now streaming down her cheeks again.

Doojoon cringed at the scene, realizing how hostile he had become towards the girl. After realizing his ordering words, he knew she needed support.

I need to stop. I’m not making it any better by just yelling at her.

Heaving a deep amount of air, Doojoon sat back onto the bench now, with a more calmed aura around him, “Nevermind, it doesn’t matter. Just, don’t worry too much over it, okay? Her words are pathetic.”

Pathetic, just like she was for falling for Dongwoon’s words so easily.

“I know.” So-hyun said, wiping the tears from her eyes that continued to form endlessly. She really did know that the cruel words Ye-Jin submitted were pointless, but yet they got to her somehow and someway.

Doojoon’s expression became more solemn, “Seriously, if she does it again. You have to tell me. You don’t deserve her hatred.”

“Arasso.” She said, not objecting towards the boy’s requests.

His calming words made it so easy, but it was much harder than it sounded.

“Arasso.” He repeated back towards her.

Her eyes were tired. She was tired, herself, of this long day. They sat for hours, not realizing the time was going by so quickly. But times like these, where there was no talk but just silence, were the best times at the moment for her. She was glad she had a support system. Someone to lean against, someone to care for her, someone to listen to her, it was appreciative.

Closing her eyes, So-hyun leaned her head on top of his shoulder, quickly drifting off into light slumber, to pass the time even more quicklier.

What about Dongwoon? It’s his fault, really Doojoon-ah.

She didn’t tell Doojoon though, as she knew the two boys had a tight relationship.

I’m sorry.

~