BEFORE

The rain poured down heavily outside. She was staring at her worn out pink shoes when her teacher announced what had happened with grief and sadness in her voice. The other kids gasped, some stayed quiet, some even didn't quite understand what was happening.

But she did understand. And she wasn't sad at all. In fact, she was glad that he didn't come to school that day, and the following week, and the following week after. He didn't come to school ever again. 

A small smile appeared on her face. 

AFTER

Joeun watched as her fingers shook terribly, the sensation finally taking over her body. The burns on her neck, and on her ankles started to dissipate without her registering any pain. She leaned back on the wall and tried to catch her breath. The healing process drained her energy entirely. Her vision blurred, and she flopped to the ground with a dull thud. 

"Joeun ah!" Kyungsoo cried out when he finally found her. He stormed towards Joeun, panic circling his throat.

Her body was ice cold when he held her. Kyungsoo desperately tapped her cheeks, as fear filled his eyes. "Joeun ah, can you hear me?" 

When she didn't respond, Kyungsoo scooped her in his arms and held her tightly against his chest. He knew that he needed to bring her home quickly. It wouldn't be much of a use to bring Joeun to the hospital, because she wasn't in pain. She was drained out of her power. 

Joeun tried to open her eyes. They were swollen, and her world rocked around her. Somehow, she was warm, but her body was curled up. 

"Joeun?" Kyungsoo asked. Her head was rested on his shoulder in the crook between his neck and his ear. 

"Kyungsoo ya," Joeun whispered.

"I'm here." 

"I'm s-sorry." she breathed, barely finding enough energy to utter the words.

Kyungsoo didn't say anything, but only held her tighter. 

A few days passed since the incident, and Joeun felt something strange for the first time when she walked to her locker. She couldn't figure it out at first, but then it hit her. The hallway was abnormally quiet. There was no noise, no loud, obnoxious curses, no gossiping, nothing at all. There was only silence. 

When she turned around, all the students were staring at her.

Like a criminal in the open. Like a prey being observed by a predator that was ready to attack. 

And above all, she felt like she was being watched. The same creeping, watchful feeling escorted her to class. She just couldn't shake it. 

Joeun tucked her books tightly to her chest, ignoring the incessant whispers that erupted when she entered her Algebra II class. She was already used to the whole unwanted attention, and learned better to ignore it. Unfortunately, the gossip about the quiet girl who courageously rescued a delinquent were hot news to the student body, as impossible as it might be. 

Joeun sunk in her seat and tried to hide her face in her curls. She sneaked a peek towards Jongin's table, but it was still unoccupied. Her heart dropped. She didn't even realize that she hoping to see Jongin again until it was too late. Cursing at herself, she tried to block any thoughts of him whatsoever.

Immediately, a strong, flowery, almost nauseous perfume flared her nostrils the moment she smelled it; followed by fake laughter that sounded strained and high-pitched. 

Great. Here comes Trouble. 

"Well, well, if it isn't Supergirl." Her voice was condescending and sounded horribly fake to Joeun's ears that she cringed. 

Joeun knew it was aiming directly towards her but she ignored it. 

"Yah, are you freaking deaf?" She challenged her pointedly, and Joeun gripped her pen a little too tight. 

"What do you want, Ha-ra?", Joeun said through controlled patience that was slowly thinning. 

"How considerate of you to ask me what I want, Joeun-ah. You know what I want." Ha-ra smirked knowingly behind the rims of her coffee cup. 

"No, I don't." 

Ha-ra giggled, but a shadow lurked behind her eyes. "Don't you think it's completely surreal that she just had the intention to be a hero and save my boyfriend?" Ha-ra turned to the whole class, as if asking them to inspect Joeun as the lab rat. 

"I don't see why that's a problem." Joeun lifted her brows, trying so hard not to let her voice break. 

"No?" she smirked knowingly, and gave her a devilish stare. "Well I am thankful that you risked your life for him, that I almost wanted to hug you. But just wanted to leave a little reminder. You better back off." 

Joeun scoffed, not believing what she just heard. "Do you really think that I might steal your boyfriend? Are you really that childish?" 

"What did you just call me?" Ha-ra's hand crushed her coffee cup. Joeun almost expected her to start to claw her fingers at her but then a deep voice cut the silence. 

"That's enough, Ha-ra." 

Joeun would know that voice anywhere. Jongin was standing in the middle of the pathway made by their classmates, looking bored. Joeun's breath caught in as his stare cut through hers. She couldn't make of what his expression meant, but a sliver of hope appeared in her thoughts. Maybe it was a warning look. Maybe he meant to defend her.  

"Jongin," Ha-ra gasped but then quickly gained her composure. Joeun almost rolled her eyes when she went up to Jongin and clung herself to him. 

"Hey," Jongin said flatly, but his eyes never left Joeun. 

The air started to feel heavier when Jongin took Ha-ra's hands, his stare piercing Joeun. Suddenly, his lips curved into a sly smile. "She won't steal me, babe. She's no good for me." 

Joeun's heart stopped beating. went dry, and she felt like her chest was pressed down with a huge rock. 

She's no good for me. 

Aftter a pause, he added."As much as I'm grateful that you saved my life, I'd like you to not act like we're friends. Because I don't do people like you." Jongin said calmly to Joeun, who was evidently dumbfounded and speechless. 

His words were like a knife, piercing straight through her heart. It wasn't a physical pain, but a deeper ache that ripped her apart from the inside. Joeun knew she shouldn't expect anything at all from Kim Jongin, even if she did save his life.

Because Kim Jongin were only two things. Cold, and heartless. 

"Thanks." Joeun blurted out, and all eyes were on her again. She bit back the tears that threatened to fall, and swallowed the ache. Joeun stood up, and locked her eyes with Jongin's. He appeared tired beneath the bad boy facade, with evident dark circles and chapped lips. His hair was more rumpled than before; bedroom hair, now that Joeun noticed it. He was still beautiful in her eyes. But what was the use of beauty if you only step on other people? 

"Thank you," she forced a smile. "For saying all those things to me. And for making me realize what a big jerk you are, Kim Jongin. I hope sometime in the future, someone will be there to help you in difficult times when you are in need the most, and I truly hope you will treat them better than the way you treated me." 

Jongin's face changed entirely, but she didn't want to stay here any longer. She grabbed all her things and stormed out of the class, didn't even care about the consequences of cutting Algebra class for the first time in her life. 

Rubbing away the tears harshly with the sleeves of her shirt, Joeun walked away quickly, trying to get away from all of it. She passed the lockers, and turned to a corner where all the school's certificates were hung and the trophies were located. Joeun wasn't quite sure where she was heading since it was still class period, and she was the only one roaming around. 

Suddenly she bumped into a mass of figure, and stumbled backwards. 

He looked as surprised as she was. "Sorry, I didn't see you." The tall guy let out a small chuckle, and ran his fingers through his highlighted brown hair. His eyes turned into crescents when he laughed. 

"What are you doing out here?" Sehun acted nonchalant, pretended not to know Joeun. "You shouldn't be here, you know."

"So are you." 

"Ha. Well, I guess we're even." He crossed his arms. Frowning, Sehun leaned his face closer to her. "Are you...crying?" 

She fumbled to wipe her tears again, feeling ridiculous. "No, I'm just allergic." 

"To what?" 

"Are you always the curious type?" 

"Can't help it." he shrugged. 

Joeun narrowed her eyes at him. "You look really fishy." 

"I don't remember being a fish." 

"Ha-ha." she managed to crack a smile.

Sehun watched her for a while. Then his lips curved into a playful grin. "Since we're both badasses for skipping class, I want to show you something. Nothing dangerous, promise." 

Her forehead creased in response. "Haven't you heard of the saying, never trust strangers?" 

"Oh, there's no need to worry about that. We've got plenty of time to be less of a stranger to each other." he grinned cheekily. 

Joeun contemplated for a moment. "Just to put it here: I know karate." I could break a few limbs of his, she thought. 

"And I know how to make a girl smile." he admitted proudly. "If I do anything funny you could always use pepper spray on me. I'm allergic to them. See? I'm already telling you stuffs about me that most people don't know." 

"What a milestone we've reached." she rolled her eyes at his sense of simplicity. "Why are you even trying so hard?" 

Sehun feigned like he was offended. "Why wouldn't I? A damsel in distress was crying in the hallways of this ancient walls of the place where they force people to pay attention and write notes on crap no one even bothers about. I mean like, where art thou, would you ever use such things like functions in your life? It's practically useless. So we both know this is my calling as a marvelous knight in shining armour." 

"First of all, I've never met a guy who talks Shakespeare and algebra in one sentence. And secondly, you're weird." 

"Nah, I'm just good looking." 

Jongin watched silently as Joeun chuckled softly at what Sehun was saying. He felt his hopes tumbling down in a sickening crash. He was about to apologize, to say he was sorry, and to thank her for everything. He never meant to say all those things to Joeun. He only wanted Ha-ra to stop picking on Joeun, and for everyone to leave her alone once they assumed he didn't care about her.

"Idiot," he whispered finally to himself, leaning his forehead against the wall.