She was pulled away, forcing her to stand on her own two feet, which was a hard task for Yoojin to do because she felt as if all of her strength washed away, gone, like her soul. Three teachers came, two shooed the students off, they took the phones of the students who was videoing the whole thing, forcing it to be confiscated. The witnesses are all told to go to the principal’s office afterschool to answer questions but Yoojin knows that none would open up their mouth.

One teacher, whom Yoojin saw roam around the 1^st years, held her elbow, asking her if she was alright, if she needed to see the nurse but all Yoojin cared about was how, or when Haneul and Sara disappeared.

 Seohee winked at the girl, her breath smelt like the same gum favour that Sara always ate, then she walked away as if she had nothing to do about the situation.

That was the first time she ever got bullied after so many people, and it was the last. She was told to go to places where students won’t see them, hear them, where no teachers would know and Yoojin obeyed to Sara, going to where she was told to go, does what she was told to do.

Her friends were threatened. Sara wasn’t scared to touch them because even with all of them combined, no one could ever bring Sara down. Maybe Mark can, but Sara never fails to remind Yoojin what she would do to the boy and Yoojin would take a bullet for the boy just so he won’t get hurt.

Bambam was walking beside her. He was grasping his jaw, snapping it back and forth. Yoojin didn’t even notice that her childhood best friend was hurt until she finally looked up and saw the scratches and bruises that he had on his face. Yoojin bit her lip trying to think of ways to stand up to Sara and tell her to not touch anyone else but her. “What happened?” Yoojin raised her hand to touch his face and he let her.

“I broke it off with Sara” Bambam whispered. If Yoojin didn’t know any better, she thought that he was talking about a relationship. The last time she checked, Sara liked Mark and well Bambam liked Yoojin, she was sure that the two didn’t date each other.

“Our friendship I mean” Bambam said, reading her face, “or whatever that was”

He sat down on the staircase that they passed and Yoojin followed suit, sitting a few flight under. A group of students walked passed them, talking about exams and studying. Right, it was nearing the end of school, and within a matter of time school would start once again and they would be seniors, some of the members of the group of friends would be in college.

It was all too fast, but Yoojin wasn’t even sure that she would be coming back, heck even spending the last few weeks that the school offered.

“We made a plan, Sara and I, to break you and Mark off. You know, ‘cause we’re selfish souls and can’t take seeing the ones we have feelings for be with someone else” Bambam told her, Yoojin felt herself blush, but the feeling of betrayal was starting to build.

“I realised how stupid it was, and it made me sound really sad and desperate. So I told Sara I wasn’t in the plan anymore, I told her that it wasn’t a good idea, and that I’m not her ‘friend’ anymore”

He pointed at the cut across his cheeks, “she slapped me and told me I was useless. She looked furious, I mean we grew close and all and I’m leaving her side”

“And she always had huge trust issues” Yoojin added.

“And don’t forget her fear of losing people, that’s why she’s a maniac when Mark didn’t like her anymore. The girl is just obsessed. She just want comfort, or warmth, whatever” Bambam sighed, tapping his knee, “I don’t understand Sara”

Yoojin pointed at his jaw, “If she just scratched you then why are you all bruised up and crap”

“I fell down”

Yoojin arched her brow and Bambam gave in, “alright. Dad came, don’t ask me why, and just dumped his anger on me. You know that my dad is abusive”

Yoojin nodded slowly, giving him a small smile. Bambam didn’t see it and was staring at her wrist, his brows furrowed and he looked like he was thinking hard about something. There was a feeling in Yoojin stomach that she couldn’t describe when Bambam pulled her wrist and her sleeve rode up, showing the marks when Seohee stepped on her yesterday.

“What the actual hell?!” Bambam breathe, eyes scanned Yoojin’s face, looking for answer and the girl didn’t say anything – Bambam got his answer.

“Yoojin-”

“I can take care of myself” the girl pulled away, standing up. Bambam already knew and she was sure he was going to lecture her, like the way he did when she was bullied last time.

“For god sake Yoojin—”

“I can take care of myself Bambam” the girl repeated, more firmly this time.

“Just don’t say anything Bam, to anyone. Forget what you saw and let me be. I’ll handle everything by myself. I’m fine”

“That’s what you said last time didn’t you? And I had to give you a wake-up call and made you freaking cry”

The memory of New Years Eve was still fresh on Yoojin’s mind, even if it was nearing the end of February. The memory of the two of them sitting on the swing and Bambam giving her a lecture – Yoojin remembers that too. Then her mind drifted to the kiss.

That night someone was watching her, someone was always watching her and Sara was behind it. Whoever the person that captured the photo of them together was close by, and that person was a professional because Yoojin didn’t see anyone strange that night, or in the house where photos of her cleaning. Sara had a lot of tricks up her sleeve, and Yoojin is admitting that she’s too much of a wuss to know what else she was thinking of doing.

“Yeah, you remember don’t you?” Bambam kept going, not noticing that Yoojin wasn’t really listening as she was already walking away.

 “Mark is a big boy if you haven’t noticed Yoojin. He can take care of himself as well. We all can, so stop being a superhero and saving our lives by taking the blame” Bambam practically screamed at Yoojin, who had her eyes closed, trying her best to tune him out.

“We can also take care of ourselves Yoojin”

Yoojin turned to a corner and ran. Bambam’s words bounced of her and she didn’t process it in her mind, she didn’t need too. Because nothing can change her mind, nothing can snap her back to reality and she didn’t need anyone to.

☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺

Mr and Mrs Tuan were sitting in their office at their home. Only the sounds of typing on the keyboards, paper’s shuffling and their breathing echoed through the room. There were so many paper works and the first thing on Mr Tuan’s mind was to get rid of everything, to finish everything so it would be clear, even if he knew that more would be coming in.

 Then he thought about it, why was there so many paper works, why was he trying so hard on dealing with company stuff when he didn’t need too. He didn’t need the companies he was trying hard to bring back into his names as well. He didn’t need that much money, he never wanted the money, he just… well, Mr Tuan really don’t know what he wanted, he didn’t even know how it became like this.

The end result won’t be so bad, yes some workers would be fired or they would continue to work, the only thing difference was the whole management and ownership of the business. He could hold responsibility of lost jobs and help the workers who will get fired back to their feet in a flash, he could… he could just let the company be in someone else’s palm.

 He had worked for so many years on building the companies the way it stood now, but it was like a child – you will have to let it go free for someone else to make it even stronger and better.

Mr Tuan looked at his wife who stood up and made herself coffee. He cleared his throat, not knowing where to start, because guilt was swallowing him, the guilt of letting his greed take over him and made him blind.

“Honey…” he started, his wife swivelled on her heels and faced her husband.

She placed the cup she made, “I know. I know what you’re thinking”

“And…” Mr Tuan gulped, scared on how his wife would deal with it, if she felt the same way as he did. The smile that the lady gave him reassured his heart and that’s when he knew he married the right woman.

“We don’t need the companies, I know. I know what you’re thinking and I think that it’s right. Let’s just let the companies fall onto those people’s hands, they look like they will take care of it pretty well” She sat down on the seat in front of the man’s desk.

“That means we don’t need the Li’s either…” The lady trailed off, looking at the bare walls of the room, “that means Mark can get what he wants. Be with Yoojin and not Sara”

Mr Tuan took a sip of the hot liquid, slightly burning his tongue but he let it burn, it was like a punishment. A punishment for not even realising his son’s true feelings, for not realising that he hated the idea yet they still forced him into it. Mr Tuan acted so carelessly, just frantically saving his company when in reality it didn’t need saving. He was so caught up on that that he even threw his son onto the problem, not caring what he said.

“Mark’s going to be ecstatic” Mr Tuan beamed, already imagining his son’s face after they break the news to him.

“Sara not so much, but we can handle that” Mrs Tuan added.

Mr Tuan sighed for a long time, feeling like burden was lifting off his shoulder and he could sit back properly now without having to be so tensed with problems that have already been solved.

“you know… what we’re doing the company now is making us happy” Mr Tuan pointed out, as if it was the weirdest thing that he had ever felt, “I mean we’re letting it go free and we’re smiling, we’re feeling relieved”

His wife urged him to go on, knowing that he wasn’t finish with his speech and he did, “I just… I just don’t know if we’ll feel the same when Mark gets married”

“Oh please” Mrs Tuan grinned slyly at her husband, “I bet ya we’ll feel the exact same thing, or maybe even jumping up with joy. You’ll be smiling till the sides of your lips hurts”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Don’t you remember what I said over dinner before we left to go to America? When Mark nearly killed me for saying it last year?”

Mr Tuan laughed at the memory, finally sharing the smile with his wife. The lady almost giggled at the memory, she never knew that she was a future teller. Guess she found her specialty now.

“Yoojin will be the one that Mark will be looking at with so much love and passion as she walks down the red-carpeted aisle in her beautiful wedding dress” Mrs Tuan repeated what she said that night in a dreamy voice, “I trust Yoojin. I know she will make my son happy”

Yoojin was mumbling coos onto Shiro’s fur who whimpered back at her. The two looked like they were communicating, somehow.

Mark sat down next to Yoojin, caressing the puppy’s fur in one hand and the other was over the head of the couch. Shiro looked up at him and Yoojin dropped the puppy on his lap and for the first time Shiro stayed. The puppy even gave Mark a look, a look that asked him to be picked up and Mark fell for the puppy’s charm and held it close to his body.

Yoojin smiled at the scene, Shiro wasn’t yelping for help, he wasn’t making a mess, scratching and pushing he’s way out of Mark’s arms, Shiro wasn’t looking over the boy’s shoulder to the girl, asking to be taken away. Shiro did none of that, Shiro simply… did nothing.

The puppy just stayed being hugged, not making a noise or giving Yoojin a second glance. He simply snuggled more onto Mark, he’s ears on Mark’s chest. Yoojin figured that he liked the sound of Mark’s heartbeat. She couldn’t the puppy, she liked it too.

 Mark’s heartbeat felt special, it sounded different, if that was even possible. There was just something about it that made it different. It so loud and clear, it rammed on a normal pace but it just seems so pure, too good to be true.

“He likes you now” Yoojin said softly, Shiro was falling asleep due to Mark’s humming.

“Yeah, finally” The boy grinned.

“I can leave him to you in peace now. I won’t need to worry about Shiro crying if I’m gone. I’m sure Shiro likes your company as he liked mine”

“What do you mean? Are you going somewhere?” Mark asked.

Yoojin shook her head; even if in her mind the real answer was ‘yeah, maybe I am’

Yoojin was allegedly at the library, which meant the group was in their original state. Thirteen people but with one missing it looked empty.

 At the cafeteria people looked at them, but as if something magical happened, none of the members were picked on, bullied and called names. Bambam was the only one who knows the reason why, but he doesn’t know how long it will take until it won’t be just him that knows.

“Guys…” Mark called out. Twelve pair of eyes immediately fell on him after hearing the tone of his voice. Mark barely sounded… scared.

“I think something’s up with Yoojin” Mark told his friends; not noticing that one pair of eyes looked away in guilt – guilt of hiding something. “Like yesterday, she seemed so sad, she didn’t seem like herself. You know, always hyper and alive”

“Oh so are you saying that she’s not a person anymore?” Jackson tried to joke but no one laughed and the boy pouted at his fail attempt.

“Funny Wang. But you know what I mean. She was acting like she did during winter break” Mark sighed.

The group nodded, understanding what he meant. The Yoojin that was shown during winter break did feel like another person, like a stranger. She was smiling, she looked like she was having a good time but anyone could tell that all in honesty, everything was fake, everything was forced and no one knows what’s forcing her. Or who. With the exception of one, once again.

“Do you think she’s being bullied once again?” Jeongyeon looked over at the group of girls that Sara was sitting next to. No one had confirmed who placed the photo’s up, no one knows who did it but the group just knows that Sara was one who did it. Call it gut feeling or whatever, but no matter how many times Sara swore it wasn’t her, no one in the group of friends believed her, or will believe her.

“No way, that was two weeks ago. She just got poured with juice by that…. Hyena” Jisoo commented. Hyena was what she called Seohee, she always laughed out loud, annoying the crap out of everyone and breaking other’s ear drums but no one dares tell her how ugly her laugh was. Seohee was pretty indeed, her laugh was just the biggest flaw in her, oh, and her personality.

“Yeah, Seohee apologised for it anyway” Youngjae said, shotting Jisoo a look.

“Maybe, maybe they weren’t finish. Maybe that was just a start” JB suggested.

“So what you’re saying is she’s still getting bullied?” Nayeon asked the co-leader who shrugged at her question, repeating ‘maybe’ one more time.

The group looked at one another with the possibility. Mark felt his throat went dry and he reached for water and Yugyeom kindly gave him some. His heart raced. He was begging that the possibility was wrong, that their theory wasn’t right. He hoped that the hypothesis, stayed as a hypothesis. But there was such a big chance that the hypothesis was a fact.

“But how? We see Yoojin and she looks fine. She sounds fine and Sara is always here, at the caf…” Nayeon’s sentenced stopped short when they all remembered that Sara doesn’t need to be at that place, she hires people, and she has connection – like the pictures.

 Nayeon gulped when Sara and her eyes met. Sara flashed the girl a smile, a smile that told her that whatever she was thinking in her mind was right. Sara looked over at the girl who stood up, looking around in a hurry, clutching her stomach as if she was having diarrhoea or something. Nayeon remembered that the girl who was running had the same shoes as Sara, and Sara hated sharing stuff with people and having the same clothes as her and wearing it at the same time is equivalent to sharing.

 Nayeon didn’t need to ask because she knows that whatever that girl ate was bad and Sara was the one who was behind it. Sara was scary indeed.

“No way…” Yugyeom gasped, quickly taking his phone out of his pocket to call the girl that was supposed to be at the library, that needed to be at the library.

Bambam watched as panic grew and whispered quietly to himself, “Sometimes there are things that are happening that no one knows of. You can never be sure what goes behind closed doors”

But Mark heard it. Mark heard everything. Mark stood up and grabbed the boy’s collar, lifting him up his seat and smashed his body against the nearest wall, his anger taking over him. “Tell me everything that you know Bambam. Everything”

Bambam took a gasp of breath, feeling like his spine was smashed, like his body was broken. Mark’s forced wasn’t anything that anyone could do ease if he was mad. The look in Mark’s eyes were filled with fire, his knuckles were white as he clutched Bambam’s shirt on his throat, making the victim gasp for air, for oxygen. Mark didn’t let him and pushed deeper and Bambam knew that he can’t hide anything anymore.

Author's Note:

Oh my god, I've written this fanfic for over a year now and i must admit I was expecting this to be done before it hit the 1st year anniversary mark, but as time go pass i realised it's pretty much like rocket science. Stories can't be written with a snap of a finger and i learnt that... haha

Thanks to all my beautiful readers who sticked by me from begining to end. All of you mean so much to me, even if i havent really spoken to everyone. I'm just really thankful for all your support. I love you all so much, you guys hold a special meaning in my heart trust me *winks* Special thanks to my commentors, especially the ones that usual users, you guys give me life haha. Oh and upvoters, you all deserve a big cuddle~

All in all, I love you~~~~