Philocaly:

My textbook lands on the ground slamming the cold and hard linoleum floors. 

"Oh sorry," Hyesu apologizes as she picks up my math textbook from the ground placing it back onto my desk. I lightly nod my head to confirm I've heard her and a small grin to acknowledge that I've accepted her apology. She smiles back but soon her expression has darkened and the light in her eyes has dimmed, shock written all over her face. Her gaze turns towards my arms until she slowly turns on the pads of her feet and walks away.

I decide to return my concentration back to my studying, my eyes tracing each paragraph of the textbook with intense focus until my ears perk up at the hushed discussion shared between my two female classmates.

"Have you seen Mingyu?" Hyesu asks.

"Who?" Hyojin replies.

"You know! Kim Mingyu, that jerk who's always at the top of the class."

"Oh,  Mr. Smartass, what about him?"

"He's cut himself." 

"Really? I doubt that, the guy has everything and his life seems amazing, smarts, looks and everything."

"You can't judge based on that."

My gaze lowers down, just like how my self-esteem has always been. I pull down the sleeves on my uniform to cover the exposed cuts caked with blood. I release a loud sigh, getting ready to study after the interruption until the door opens and the teacher heads inside the classroom, slamming his clipboard onto his desk, desperate for the students' attention.

"PLEASE QUIET DOWN, IT'S TIME FOR CLASS TO START!" he shouts and the class answers in silence.

"Before, I take attendance. I'd like to introduce you to a new transfer student." Whispers scatter all the way back from the classroom down to the front near the teacher.

"DID I GIVE YOU PERMISSION TO SPEAK?" he scolds once more.

Everyone in the room quiets down, and the volume inside the classroom is so low that you could hear a pin drop.

Mr. Hong clears his throat before he introduces the student.

"Class 24, I'd like you to welcome Jeon Wonwoo.." 

A boy with a sharp brown eyes enters the room, his appearance is as cold as ice and unwelcoming. Compared to my height, he's short. I shouldn't be quick to judge because he flashes a white smile changing my mind about the first judgement I had made. He bows the regular 180 degrees and he rises up with a grin drawn across his flawless complexion.

"Hello, my name is Jeon Wonwoo and I am very glad to become a part of your school!" 

The class cheers in reply.

"Please, feel free to sit at any empty seat." 

And out of sheer luck, he chooses the seat next to me. 

"Hi, I'm Wonwoo." he introduces. He holds out his hand toward me, I stare blankly at it. I roll my eyes and turn my head around to face the window, ignoring him and shutting out completely.

The teacher takes the morning attendance like he said he would but then again, I'm not really sure that's what he did.

---

My back crashes into the brick wall followed by my falling onto the asphalt sending a surge of pain throughout my whole body. John (the insanely muscular jock who reigns over the school including class no. 24) grabs my shirt tightly and pushes me into the hard wall repeatedly.

"You told me, that my money was coming today..." he hisses through clenched teeth.

"I sincerely apologize, I have no money. Considering out of all the many other boys we have in our class, you know that I am the one who lives off of working for myself. So you decide to target me for the money that even I can barely live off of." I reply.

"You little . That ly mom of yours never taught her son manners." 

He holds up his clenched fist punching my cheek and just because of that one blow, I drop to the ground, motionless, like a marionette doll being controlled by its puppetmaster. He kicks at my side, slowly ramming his foot further to create an aggravating pain. My body is hot with sweat and the metallic taste of blood floods my mouth.

All I can remember is, I closed my eyes and the darkness creeped in.

---

I awake to the sound of high-pitched beeping of what sounds like medical equipment. I blink my eyes multiple times and the strong smell of medicinal chemicals hit my nose. 

I attempt to sit up and an excruciating pain in my side causes me to wince and I lie back down shutting my eyes tightly.

"Doctor, the patient is awake." a nurse informs-- I'm assuming --the doctor.

"Hey Mingyu, are you okay?" Okay, that's creepy. The Wonwoo-kid is hovering over me with those thin eyes of his.

"Were you able to gain contact from a guardian or a parent?" the doctor asks as he walks in and the nurse looks cautious as if what she is about to tell the doctor is dangerous and she steals a glimpse at me and speaks softly to the doctor covering his ear with her right hand. 

The doctor stiffens and I know exactly what she said.

"Oh, that's unfortunate." he mutters under his breath.

The doctor analyzes my body telling me it's okay and before he leaves, he murmurs a few words to Wonwoo which I'm unable to perceive then he and the nurse dismiss themselves leaving Wonwoo and I alone in the room. I peer over at him and notice a purple bruise beside his lips. I bring my hand up slowly to the injury and he shows a grimace of pain and I pull my hand back carefully.

"Oh, this? It's no problem really. It's just a bruise, it will heal." he tries to reassure. 

"I want to introduce myself again." he says lightly.

I stare at his hand for awhile and at first I'm hesitant but eventually I shake his hand.

"I'm Mingyu." 

"I heard you were really smart! Our classmates told me that--" 

"Can you just leave the room for now?" I interrupt him.

He looks shocked as he stands up slowly from his chair.

"I will see you tomorrow I guess." he whispers a fond adieu. 

Once I'm sure that I am alone tears begin to pool in my eyes and spill down my cheeks soaking the pillow beneath myself.

I don't understand why I just can't let anybody talk to me, but there is only one thing I can be sure of: I'm alone, in a room, all by myself.