A N D

“What a stupid lamb.”

Eight Years Ago

‘Ew, nerdy Irene is strutting down the hallway with her ugly pigtails,’ mocked Jungyeon. Her whole gang of girls surrounded her.

Joohyun tried to ignore Jungyeon, clutching her books closer to her chest and walking pass them. The bell had rung a minute ago. The corridor was almost empty.

‘Whoa-ho! Where do you think you’re going?’ Jungyeon hollered teasingly. Joohyun cringed. It’s coming. She just knows it. Jungyeon is in a bad mood today. She is going to do something. Something unpleasant.

Before Joohyun could blink, she was being dragged into the girl’s bathroom on the fourth floor, where it’s deserted most of the time for its popular rumour of being haunted or what not.

Jungyeon pushed Joohyun onto the ground, right beside the sinks. Joohyun heard the distant shut of the bathroom door. I need to get out of here, she thought. Joohyun started panicking.

Just as Joohyun stood up, she felt a hard slap across her face. Joohyun fell back onto the floor. It stings. Stings so much that her eyes water as she whimpered.

‘You weakling!’ Jungyeon shrieked, and she cackled evilly – almost wickedly. Joohyun looked up at the smirks and cheers from the other girls. She hates them.

‘I heard that Sehun’s next target is you, Joohyun. Can you believe it, girls?’ Jungyeon scoffed, as the rest hooted and shook their heads in fury. The tears welling Joohyun’s eyes flow freely down her ruddy cheeks.

‘S-stop it,’ Joohyun mumbled in a brittle voice, a mixture of fear and bravery fighting inside her. ‘There’s n-no way that Sehu–’

Another slap across her face. Joohyun felt her temple hit the sink. She felt the warmness of her left cheek, it felt almost raw. No doubt there will be a red patch there. A hand gripped her locks of hair, forcing her head towards Jungyeon’s face.

‘How dare you!’ Jungyeon screeched, her face screwed up in absolute rage. Her pimples seemed to be popping from the amount of heat and anger exuding from her. ‘How dare you speak of his name?! Who do you think you are? You’re nothing, you ugly !’

Joohyun felt fresh tears carving new tracks down her cheeks. She cupped her abused cheek, it stings even more in her palm.

‘I really despise people like you!’ Jungyeon screamed in her face. ‘So weak! Never know how to defend themselves! Always seeking pity from people like some pathetic !’

Joohyun felt a gut-wrenching blow in her stomach. She screamed in agony. A sharp pain hits her in the torso again, aching like a thousand pins and needles poking it. Joohyun’s vision begins to blur with splotches of black and white. Joohyun whimpered and cowered in pain, hugging her stomach.

Joohyun felt an excruciating kick onto her shin. She felt a burning sensation on her right ankle as it was pressed into the ground. Joohyun screamed again. She out momentarily from the agonizing pain she was being afflicted upon.

Then, as though a miracle had happened, the blows and kicks stopped abruptly. Joohyun drank in the silence through every pore, soothed by its meditative quality.

‘Get out!’ A familiar voice shouted madly, voice taut.

‘B-but, S-Sehun–’ Jungyeon said in a strangled voice.

‘Now!’ Sehun’s furious voice bellowed and echoed in the bathroom.

‘You’ll regret this, Sehun,’ Jungyeon replied with utter malice.

‘Make me,’ Sehun challenged.

‘Oh, you will,’ Jungyeon threw down the gauntlet.

Joohyun hears screeching noises of shoes against linoleum as the girls scurried out the bathroom. And once again, silence gnawed at her insides. Silence hung in the air like the suspended moment before a falling glass shatters on the ground.

Footsteps close in on Joohyun’s lying form beside the sink. She felt Sehun bend over as he gingerly helped her up. Joohyun looked at him through half-lidded eyes, her face tear-stained. His eyebrows furrowed in concern and crossness.

‘Are you okay?’ Sehun asked sharply. ‘Joohyun.’ He caressed her burning cheek. ‘I’m bringing you to the sickbay.’

Before Joohyun could utter a word, Sehun carried her up bridal style. His hands supporting her back and knees. Joohyun felt her right ankle jiggled uselessly. With her head cradled into Sehun’s neck, Joohyun could smell his familiar musky scent. Sehun hurried down a flight of stairs.

‘Sorry,’ Sehun murmured, his husky voice dipped in remorse. ‘I sh