"Aren't you going to fight back?"

"Like hell I will. I'm not you" I smirked dusting my shirt off from the grass. Being a new kid, with no friends, I am the perfect victim to be bullied. They didn't take my money or beat me up. They're just mentally hurting me which I don't really mind, why? Because I'm used to this. They're mad at me because the other guys find me attractive and tend to walk me to the gate, class or openly ask me out. I never really mind about it, not that I said yes.

"Listen Wu Areum, you're just a . I bet you open your legs to every guys out there and pretend to be innocent at school huh?"

"Done talking?" I stood up, trying to walk away when one of them pull my hair. 

"Shut that mouth of yours b****h!"

I fell back down to the grass on my bottom, my white shirt covered with dirt. Kris will make a fuss about this again. " Can't you people do something that don't leave dirt on my shirt? My brother is going to get mad about this" I complaint while looking at them.

"Then we'll help you clean" she took her bottle cap off and poured the content on my head. Great, I smelled like mango juice and grass now.

I changed and walked back to the classroom after PE. I looked at my desk to see a tall boy going through my stuff.

"You must be Kim Jongin"

He turned to look at me and hand me my notebook. "I bet you are Wu Areum" he smiled and he looked perfectly fine. I mean isn't he supposed to be pale, sick, coughing and dying? But here his skin is handsomely tanned, his usher lips are full with colours and his hair is surprisingly blonde. A sick kid rebelling huh?

"You're back?"

"Just picking up some stuff, I'll come back tomorrow. Nice meeting you" he reached out his hand for me to shake. I unconciously soften at his warm greetings and shook his hand. 

"You can use this desk till the end of the day, tomorrow you can have your own desk. I already told Mrs. Ahn that I'll be here tomorrow"

"Good then" 

"By the way, you smell like mango juice" he softly chuckled before walking out. I pull a strand of my hair and sniff it. "Well, guess I need to shampoo my hair this evening"

Kris was not home when I came back, I guess he's staying out late with some women out there. I made my own dinner and did some cleaning before washing the piling laundry. Kris must have been real busy that he can't even do his part. I made my way to his bedroom looking for any dirty clothes to see a box of cigarettes hidden under his bed. He knew how much I hate the idea of him smoking that thing. I threw it in the trash can along with a lighter.

That was when I saw our family picture that has been torn in the bin. He only tore my parents face but not me and him. I wonder why my ever calm and gentle brother did that. I bet he knew something about Mama.

I woke up feeling a bit warmer than last night. Kris slept beside me on my bed, he must have felt guilty to accompany me sleeping. It has been 2 days since I last saw him. Of course he felt bad about it. I kissed the top of his head and pull the cover up to his chest before climbing down the bed and get ready for school.

I left a note saying that he's forgiven and walked to school. My desk have arrived and so I placed my things at my new desk as fast as I can before that boy come. I'm always the earliest because I love it when I'm alone in the classroom, I can easily do my homework without anyone coming over to my desk and bother me. Not long after that, I heard the door open and here came the blonde boy from yesterday.

"Hey Areum"

"Hey" I answered half-heartedly. 

"I'm always first and now I have a competitor I guess" he sat on his chair, crossing his long legs. He rested his head on his desk and turned to face me on his right side. " Want to hear some music?"

"What kind of music?" Somehow this guy managed to make me talk more than a sentence, who is he? 

"Do you listen to some unknown but talented singer out there?"

"If their music is great" he played some music on his cellphone before closing his eyes and fell in a deep slumber. I was busy finishing my essay while listening to his playlist. This guy is something else.

"May I have a seat?"

"If you don't mind sitting with a weirdo with no friends and a so called " I drunk my banana milk, eyeing his moves as he sat across me. He pushed his milk to my direction.

"You can have mine, I hate banana milk"

"Thank you" I gulped it down earning a look from him before he chuckled softly, am I that silly to him? "Don't you have friends?"

"When you rarely come to school, people tend to forget you,ignore you. I'm fine with it, they think my disease is contagious and I just can't be more grateful for that" he mixed his rice with the fried egg before digging in. 

"Is it contagious?" I have to stay alive for my brother though, Kris can't even find his socks without me.

"It's not, you'll be fine. Don't worry"

From then onwards, I have a friend to have lunch with and we listen to his playlist everyday before anyone came. I have to admit, I was happy.