Episode 17: Being a boyfriend..

 

“We’re glad to welcome the very son of Mr. Kim who decided to join our class!”

 

The teacher was smiling exaggeratedly as she patted Jin on the shoulder. He looked as nonchalant as always and just bowed his head slightly.

 

I heard Minho mumbling some curses and I sighed.

 

But to think of it, Jin really is someone exceptional; for him to get such recognition and treatment from everyone. I mean…

 

I looked around me and everyone looked excited especially the girls.

 

“Where would you like to seat Mr. Kim?” the teacher asked.

 

He looked my way, and our eyes awkwardly met that I quickly lowered my head and sunk into my seat.

 

“Next to my girlfriend”

 

I jerked.

 

W-Why me?!

 

“Huh? G-Girlfriend?” the teacher was surprised.

 

I couldn’t bring myself to look up so I pretended to be writing something in my notebook until I heard the chair of the desk beside mine getting pulled back.

 

He really…

 

I secretly peeked at my side, to see Jin looking my way.

 

“Oh, haha, you really have a good sense of humor, haha” the teacher was speaking in a forced cheerful tone.

 

Yeah indeed, who would’ve believed that I was the girlfriend of “Mr. Kim”

 

I shrugged, how annoying.

 

“Ok then everyone! Open your textbooks, I hope you’re prepared for the test”

 

“T-Test?!” all of us yelled at the same time.

 

What test?!

 

“Haha, just as you heard!” the teacher sounded as excited as ever “Now clear your desks!”

 

It’s ok… it’s ok Jin…

 

I took a deep breathe.

 

You can do it!

 

I clenched my fists and nodded at myself.

_______________________________

 

The teacher gathered the papers as the bell rang.

 

My head fell on the desk. I squeezed my eyes shut.

 

What have I done to myself?! 

 

I couldn’t concentrate at all: Every time I tried to write something, I recalled what Minho did. And as I look to my side to forget it, I open my eyes to see Jin, to remember what happened last night with him.

 

Yes, if I tend to keep attending this class from now on, I’m bound to fail.

 

“Jin!”

 

I raised my head to find Minho looking down at me with a wide grin:

 

“How was the test?”

 

I slumped my face against the desk:

 

“Don’t ask” I said in a murmur.

 

“Haha, weird, you don’t look like the kind to lack brains now do you?” he was laughing, although trying not make it obvious.

 

“Yeah, yeah just stop forcing yourself and say it already” I started to get up, pouting.

 

“You know” he placed his palm on the desk and leaned toward me, making us facing each other. “When you act this way it only makes me-“

 

But before he could finish his statement, I got pulled strongly by the arm, then to find Jin standing before me and facing Minho in my stead:

 

“Restrain yourself, she’s mine you know?” Pointed Jin in an irritated yet somehow serious tone, squeezing his grip on my arm and causing my cheek to blush.

 

“H-His?” I hid my face behind his broad back and mumbled to myself.

 

“Oh ho ho, so the boyfriend now is acting all protective” Minho scoffed.

 

Oh no… I knew this was going to happen oh God!

 

“Listen up you shameless piece of crap…” and I could only glimpse Jin clutching the collar of Minho, pulling him closer to him “Go find someone else… she already has me” but Minho only grinned.

 

“Darn…” I found myself stepping in between them. “S-Stop fighting! What will you do if a teacher passes by?! You’ll both get in trouble!” I pushed each of them away from the other… or at least I tried.

 

“Humph, I’m dying to see the headmaster’s son get in such situation haha” Minho only kept joking and Jin on the other hand, gritted his teeth.

 

“Whatever” he grabbed my hand that was on Minho’s chest “Let’s go” I blinked at him.

 

“Not so fast” Minho grabbed my shoulder. “Jin and I have a project that needs to be done” his grin deepened as he looked at Jin.

 

“Consider it canceled…” Jin dragged me by the hand. “I’ll never allow her to work with someone like you”

 

“J-Jin” he was guiding me to the door, I glanced back at Minho who winked at me and smiled.

 

I sighed in relief.

 

Thank God he wasn’t angry… but still… I raised my gaze but couldn’t see Jin’s expression.

 

Oh no… I have a feeling that he really is pissed off.

__________________________

(Jin’s POV)

 

I won’t allow this to pass by peacefully, I am so angry and I feel that my blood is boiling in my veins.

 

Jin isn’t willing to understand that fox’s true intentions… and I’m fed up with that!

 

I can’t take it anymore,

 

“W-Where are we going?” she phrased in a shaking voice.

 

I halted as we reached a dark corner, then spun around and pushed her against the wall.

 

“Why can’t you understand what I’m saying? Are you retarded? Can’t you see how much I’m…” I exhaled and shut my eyes before looking at her straightly in the eyes.

 

“How many times should I tell you that Minho and I didn’t-“ she yelled but then stopped mid-sentence, gaping for some reason.

 

“Listen up… I’m already done with your foolishness!” I shook her shoulders “When you agreed to be my girlfriend, you agreed to stop looking at other guys!”

 

“B-But we’re only acting! I-It’s not true!” she protested “W-Why are you this angry then? Didn’t we-”

 

“I’m going crazy because of you!” I shouted, and her eyes widened “Do you truly think that I’m doing this just because we’re pretending?”

 

My heart was racing, I no longer cared even though she looked left and right and said:

 

“C-Calm down, students might-“

 

“I DON’T GIVE A DAMN!” she twitched “So listen… I don’t want to see you go near Minho anymore, you get it?”

 

“B-But… probably it won’t be possible now that we’re…”

 

Why can’t she just consent to my requests without arguing? Argh!

 

“… that project is really” she was still speaking but I kissed her, in a way to silence her completely.

 

She tried to fight back but I stopped her and she was powerless by the time our lips parted.

 

With this, even if she pretends that she knows nothing, she’ll be forced to understand how I really feel about her.

 

“I’m your boyfriend… and I’m not just saying it” I cupped her face with my palms and her cheeks felt so hot. “Don’t run away from me anymore, and look me in the eyes” I raised her face, but I gasped to see…

 

“Y-You…” I was utterly surprised, she had tearful eyes.

 

She pressed on my chest with her clenched fists as if to shove me away. I reluctantly backed off, still staring at her in shock.

 

“W-Why are you crying now?”

 

I was very confused. Why does she have to cry every time I see her? Why does she make me feel… this pain in my heart?

 

“It’s not… a big… deal” she raised her voice despite that her sobbing stopped her from speaking properly she started to wipe her tears.

 

I made her cry… this time, it’s because of me that she’s…

 

I clenched my fist.

 

I spun around promptly and sprinted toward the door.

 

Although I tried to protect her and stop Minho from hurting her… I was the one who hurt her eventually.

 

Maybe I failed… I truly did…

 

I was lost in my own thoughts, walking around and not knowing where I was heading.

 

I couldn’t stop picturing her tearful face in my mind, I was in the elevator with some other female students, they spoke to me and even surrounded me, but I didn’t react.

 

I never showed my affection to any girl before, and despite the fake image I tried to keep all these years, everything collapsed now.

 

“What’s the point of being called a prince… if I can’t even make the girl I like happy?”

 

I stared at the floor, as students kept getting in and out from the elevator and I just remained there, leaning against the wall.

 

This never happened to me before… I never felt such grief or distress, nothing seemed to affect my high self-confidence so far.

 

I found myself in the rooftop, and there weren’t many people in here.

 

Jin, get a hold of yourself… It’s not your fault that she’s always crying when she’s with you…

 

Then why is she only smiling when she’s with that guy?

 

Maybe in the end, the one that she needs to stay away from is no one else but me.

 

I dropped my head. My heart is clouded, and so was the sky.

 

I saw raindrops that shortly turned into showers of rain. Everyone were rushing to get inside and not to get wet, except for me.

 

I must pay the price for hurting her, even though I’m truly in love with her.

 

Soon enough, I found myself drenched wet, and the rain didn’t even cease.

 

The heavens must’ve pitied me.

 

If Minho was to see me like this, I wonder what will be his reaction. I smiled hollowly.

 

I remained like that enough to start to feel the numbness in my limbs. I looked at the sky.

 

“Yes… Kim Hyun Jin… you lost!” I shouted “You lost to that bastard! Just give it up already!”

 

“JIN!”

 

Huh? This voice…

 

I thought I might be imagining things since it was raining heavily.

 

“JIIIN!!”

 

“No way” I heard it again.

 

I must’ve caught a fever.

 

“YOU IDIOT!”

 

I turned back slightly, to see someone running my way but my vision was slightly fogged so I couldn’t make up their features.

 

“Why are you doing this?!”

 

This girl…

 

She grabbed my sleeve:

 

“If you end up with a cold, I might not forgive you!” she yelled.

 

What’s happening?

 

“How useless! Now don’t be stubborn damn it!” she dragged me by the hand in a rush until we reached the indoors.

 

“What are you? A kid?” she sighed “To allow yourself to get wet like this…”

 

I was looking at her in disbelief, however she clicked her tongue and shook her head.

 

“Now how unprincely, how can you deceive the girls who see you as their perfect prince?” she smiled “But at least, I didn’t get as wet as you did”

 

My body felt so warm, seeing how she acted.

 

“I guess I have to be the cool guy now” she took off her jacket, “Remember that time you told me to give you my sweater?” she then removed her sweater, and I found myself more stunned than before.

 

She stood on the tips of her toes and reached up at my head, to make me wear the sweater. At that time, I came back to my senses.

 

"I'll see for myself if an athelet is heathier than the other people or not"

 

“H-Hey!” her warm fingers brushed against my face as she slipped the piece of clothing on my body. “A-Are you out of your mind?!”

 

“Yeah, yeah, you can scold me later Mr. Kim, now cooperate with me a bit! My arms are aching from being stretched like this!”

 

“Now this…” I couldn’t bring myself to look at her, I closed my eyes blushing slightly “Aren’t you embarrassed?! Taking off your clothes in front of-“

 

“My boyfriend?”

 

“H-Huh?”

 

“Stop acting like an old man and hurry up” I couldn’t believe my ears. “And besides, I’m not completely so don’t worry”

 

I gritted my teeth, I mean, this is it!

 

“Oh?” she was surprised. I removed the sweater and quickly wrapped her with it, I then opened my eyes and screamed:

 

“How airheaded can a girl be?!” I was very shaken.

 

“What?! Is this how you thank me for showing concern toward you?”

 

I sighed exaggeratedly:

 

“Yes I am! Now cover yourself quickly!”

 

I’m certain, she really doesn’t give a damn about being a girl… either that or that she doesn’t see me as a man.

 

I faced the wall and cleared my throat.

 

Seriously, to lower her guard down just and get undressed in front of me…

 

“There, there, I’m done, you can stop blaming yourself” she uttered with a careless voice.

 

I looked back at her, more like glared.

 

“Let’s go back” she started to walk ahead of me.

 

***To be continued