I sauntered into my first class, expecting the daily routine that I have grown accustomed to. Which meant plopping myself down on my seat and reading a book in peacefully until the lecturer reaches the class. Nonetheless, I was wrong.

          My legal entrance into the classroom was portrayed as intrusive to the people in the room. I received amused, disgusted and even baleful looks casted by my classmates, eyeing my reaction and my actions. I blinked, questioning their sanity. As I walked towards my seat, I understood the whole fuss.

          I took in the sight of an empty spot where my seat and desk were removed. I scoffed under my breath, noticing that they were all still staring at me. The peculiar looks they gave showed their inquisitive hearts of watching how I would react. I managed my breath calmly in attempt to pacify the growing anxiety in me. I could hear snickers from the people around me where their mumbling and whispering formed buzzing in my ears.

          The feeling of anxiety was pumping through my veins. I felt extremely self-conscious from the looks they were throwing me. Anger was simmering in me and I felt irritated by their childish stuns. Yet, I managed a stoic expression.

          “Look who let the dog in!” Naeun laughed as she sauntered towards me.

          I turned to face her, embracing myself to meet eyes with her group of friends. However, it was Jongin’s helpless eyes that were staring back at me, a look that I despised ever since the first bullying incident. Brushing it off, I balled my fist up at the sight of their hands interlocked.

          “If it’s not the infamous poodle, Yoon Haera. Why don’t you bark for me?”

          As soon as she finished her sentence, I was attacked by eggs which were thrown by my classmates. Even people not belonging to my first class were watching the scene through the windows. Alongside the disgusting raw stench of liquid that was staining my prestigious white uniform, there were crushed papers thrown at me. I glanced at one of them, which wrote, “You’re so ugly that my eyes hurt.”

          I clenched my teeth, breaking the painful eye contact I had with Jongin before staring at Naeun boldly. “I am deeply inquisitive about your intentions. Care to unfold the mystery behind your barbarian actions? It’s unlike you.” I uttered softly, scowling at her.

          “Wonderful. You must be feigning bold to possess the ability of retorting back at me like this,” she scoffed before turning to her side to look at Jongin. “Must’ve been hard on you for putting up with her crap, baby.”

          I felt my heart drop in ache when I heard the endearment she gave him. There were many queries running through my mind of which I dismissed them all. I was a naïve girl. I was foolish enough to be swayed by Jongin’s pleads; I was foolish enough to forgive him. I was foolish as .

          I mustered the courage to stare at Jongin coldly in the eye. His eyes soften and the strong exterior he built faltered a little when he saw how unfeeling I looked. I was tired of his bipolar behavior. I was tired of being fooled.

          “You bet,” Jongin chuckled scornfully. “I didn’t have the chance to break it to her that I was tired of her, but I guess it suffices now. She sticks out like a sore thumb. Man, you don’t know how embarrassing it was to swallow my pride each time I'm out with her, showering her with compliments that don't mean a thing."

          I scoffed at his words.

          Before I could form a reply, Naeun nudged Jongin which made him – without any further hesitation – swiftly take a plastic bottle on the ground filled with pale yellow liquid, and pour it over my head. I wrinkled my nose at the stench of it, realizing that the liquid was fish oil.

          I was soiled with all sorts of dirty substances on me and my pride was crushed once again by the insults. Nonetheless, all that does not weigh more than half of the heavy feeling in my heart. It was the heartbreaking fact that Jongin was the one behind this deed, not Naeun.

          With fish oil dripping from my skirt to the ground, staining it with grease, I only had a question for Jongin.

          Why did he bother begging for my forgiveness if he knew he was going to humiliate me the next day?