Chapter 7: Trouble

All Chorong could do was to embrace the crying child tightly, crying would make things better for her. As she recalled last night where Eunji and Naeun were out, she remembered that Namjoo was not as lively as she was usually. In fact, that night Namjoo was the first to head into her room and she did not finish her meal. Chorong blamed herself for not noticing Namjoo's sudden change in behavior, apologizing to Namjoo that she was not there for her.

"Why are you apologizing unnie?" sobbed Namjoo.

"It's my fault for noticing it sooner Namjoo-ah, you must've been suffering alone while I was so concerned over Naeun's problems."

"No unnie, I should've mustered the courage to tell you my worries before it got worse."

"Take your time Namjoo-ya, explain to me everything once you are ready." smiled Chorong, while wiping her tears with her fingers. She had wondered how long Namjoo had hid her troubles from not just her but from everyone who lived under the same roof. Suddenly, the door opened. It was Hayoung, who came in to see whether Namjoo was awake, only to realise the whole situation.

"Unnie...." said Hayoung as she went straight to Namjoo's side, holding onto her hands.

"Hayoung, did you know anything about this? You go to the same school so was there anything suspicious?" asked Chorong as she showed her the bits of papers torn on the desk.

"No...Namjoo was always cheerful and in a happy mood whenever I was with her during breaks. But whoever wrote that, they won't be able to write ever again." said Hayoung as a fire inside her boiled. Although she was the youngest, she was very protective of her unnies. 

"Wait, Hayoung-ah! Where are you going?" asked Chorong as Hayoung suddenly ran out of the room, taking the pieces of paper with her.

"I'm going to school to find whoever did this!" But it was too late for Chorong to stop her. The maknae was fast, and dissapeared in sight. With worry, she immediately went to wake up the two older girls, Eunji and Bomi where she told them everything that happened.

"Wait, Hayoung went already?" said Eunji, immediately wide awake at the sudden situation.

"Left like the wind. I'm worried she's going to make some trouble at school." sighed Chorong.

"I'll go. We can't have everyone going so I'll go with Namjoo." said Eunji, who began to dress herself.

"Alright. Please text us if anything happens." said Chorong, believing in Eunji.

Before leaving with Namjoo, Eunji took a peek into Naeun's room and smiled. It has been a long time since Naeun managed to fall into a deep sleep without any worries.

"Are you alright, Namjoo-ya?" asked Eunji as the two walked towards the bus stop.

"I'm okay, i found those letters from my locker. But i think there's a whole misunderstanding to this."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm actually really good friends with Sungjae but he's really popular in school. Girls just crowd around him and whenever I hang out with him, I can already feel the stares." 

"Does Sungjae know about this?"

"He does. In fact, he's trying his best to avoid me. Nowadays, we just meet up secretly." sighed Namjoo.

"But Namjoo...it's not good to run away from this. You need to tell everyone that there is a misunderstanding." said Eunji, after learning from Naeun's situation.

"I know....but I just can't unnie. And what's more, I'm concerned about Hayoung."

"Me too. Who knows what that maknae will do."

~X~

The school Namjoo and Hayoung went was SOPA High School, it was a prestigious school where only the most intelligent and talented ones would go. For Hayoung, she was supposed to come here to attend her dance club. But, anger clouded her mind as she walked into the school with heavy steps. She headed straight for Namjoo's classroom on the third floor, where there were a bunch of girls sitting around.

"Which one of you are Kim Namjoo's classmates?" asked Hayoung, hiding the pieces of paper in her pocket.

"Do you have a right to ask that junior? What are you even do here on the senior's floor? You're not allowed here, get out." asked a girl, who walked towards her.

"I said, which one of you are Kim Namjoo's classmates." said Hayoung sternly, refusing to answer their questions.

"Wow, are you ignoring your senior huh?! I said you're not allowed here so get out!" yelled another girl, who shoved Hayoung. But she refused to budged.

With anger, Hayoung threw the pieces of paper directly at the girls.

"You're the ones who did this didn't you?" said Hayoung, her eyes boiling with rage.

"Oh this? Please, don't you agree with us too? She doesn't deserve any right to be hanging out with Sungjae oppa."

"That's right, he's supposed to be mine!"

One by one, the girls crowded around Hayoung like hyenas. But strangely, she was still taller than all of them.

"What? Are you looking down on us just because you're a little bit taller?" asked another girl, intimidated.

Hayoung stared at all the girls surrounding her. She wasn't afraid, all that mattered was that these girls harmed her unnie and made her cry. Suddenly, Hayoung grabbed a table and started to go on a rampage. The other girls were startled at her behaviour, and started to fight. It was indeed a huge mess in the classroom, girls tried to pull Hayoung's shirt and hair while being pushed to the side due to Hayoung's powerful force. There were screams that echoed the hallway. Something had to be done.

"Hayoung! Hayoung! Stop!" yelled two girls who suddenly ran into the classroom, holding Hayoung back. It was her two best friends, Joy and Yerin who heard of the noise upstairs.

"Let go! I'm not done with them!" shouted Hayoung as her face started to bleed.

At that moment, a group of students entered the classroom halting the whole fight. One boy who stood out, was Sungjae. He looked at Hayoung with a frown, he knew about Hayoung from Namjoo. He pulled Hayoung away from the crowd, bringing her to the back of the school were no one was. Together with her friends Joy and Yerin, the four of them were left alone.

"Sungjae oppa, you know what they did to Namjoo right?" asked Hayoung, catching her breath.

"I know. It is horrible what they've done." sighed Sungjae.

"Then, why aren't you doing anything?!"

There was only silence.

"Hayoung-ah, did you know you've just gotten yourself into a deep trouble?" asked Yerin with worry. Hayoung nodded.

"Do you know you are at risk of getting expelled?" asked Joy with worry. Hayoung again, simply nodded. She knew what she going into, but school didn't matter because they hurt Namjoo, her unnie whom she loved a lot.

"Hayoung. From here onwards, let me handle everything. I don't know what the principal is going to say to you but, you've done your part for now. It's my turn to do mine." said Sungjae slowly and carefully. He understood that it was his own fault, it was him who brought harm to his friends. 

"Break their hands oppa."

"You've been playing too many games. Now look at you, you've gotten so violent." sighed Sungjae.

"True, I always see her playing games on her phone during break time." said Yerin.

"We will take her to the sick bay first so you do what you need to do Sungjae oppa." said Joy as the two girls helped Hayoung to stand up. Her body was covered with bruises and a part of her head was bleeding.

~X~

At the sick bay, there were students crowded outside of hearing what has happened. For Hayoung, her image didn't really matter anymore. Her days of being a good student loved by teachers was now all shattered away. But yet, she was glad that her friends were there for even despite what she has done.

"Thanks guys..." smiled Hayoung while the nurse tended her wounds.

"What for?" asked Yerin.

"For staying with me even though I will probably be called a monster from now on." 

"Hayoung, don't conclude everything so fast." said Joy, as she patted her back.

"That's right. Did you not hear what people were saying outside? They said you looked so cool fighting with those girls!" smiled Yerin.

"Don't lie Yerin-ah, everyone's going to find me scary now." 

Yerin sighed as Hayoung didn't believe her words. At that moment, Eunji and Namjoo had arrived the school. They were surprised at the huge crowd at the sick bay. But what made Namjoo uncomfortable was the sudden whisperings behind her backs "Isn't that Namjoo?" "Sungjae's boyfriend?" "Omg" "Don't tell me that fight was her doing?"

Eunji tightened the grip on Namjoo's hand and glared at the other students. The students made way for them, after being scared by Eunji's scary glare.

"Looks like Hayoung did something here.." whispered Eunji.

"I'm worried.." whispered Namjoo in reply as they arrived at the sick bay. The two unnies gasped at what Hayoung has become, plasters and bandages were wrapped all over her body.

"Oh! Unnie!" said Hayoung as she broke into a grin, glad that her unnies came.

"Hayoung-ah...what have you done?" said Namjoo with worry.

"You rascal, I can't believe you did this to yourself." sighed Eunji, crossing her arms.

"Namjoo unnie, you don't have to worry anymore! Sungjae oppa said he will solve this problem by himself!"

"Sungjae said that?"

"Yup!" nodded Hayoung with a smile. From the eyes of the unnies, Hayoung looked like a happy dog despite being hurt. The unnies couldn't scold her, they couldn't nag her either because she was too innocent. 

"Where did Sungjae go?" asked Namjoo.

"Not sure...." after hearing Hayoung's reply, Namjoo immediately left the sick bay searching for him. She had told Eunji not to follow her and stay with Hayoung instead.

"Oh, I forgot to introduce them to you unnie!" said Hayoung as she pulled Joy and Yerin towards her side. The girls introduced themselves to Eunji, in which Hayoung told to her unnie how great friends they were.

"S-stop saying that Hayoung-ah!" saying Yerin, embarrassed at Hayoung's compliments.

"That's right....stop it~" said Joy, avoiding eye-contact with Eunji who beared a motherly smile.

During the past when it was only Hayoung and Eunji living in the dorm, Eunji had always worried whether Hayoung would be able to make friends. When she first came into the dorm, there was shy girl who was small enough to be cuddled who barely talked. Eunji grew up with Hayoung, watching how she became much, much taller than her and how her personality has developed over the years. Eunji could only feel proud, like a mother watching her daughter grow up.

In the midst, there was a knock on the door. It was Hayoung, Joy and Yerin's homeroom teacher who came in. Immediately, the three stood up, greeted and bowed where Hayoung almost fell halfway because of her injuries.

"Hayoung. Almost everyone in the whole school knows what happened today, do you know that?" asked the teacher.

"Yes, I understand."

"And you know that doing such act won't end so well."

"I know."

"Please, come to the principal office now. Joy and Yerin can help you on the way. He's waiting for you."

Hayoung gulped at the word of "principal." She's never been there before, and only heard rumours that he was a scary person. But she knew what she did wrong, and accepted her doings. With a deep breath, Hayoung took a step forward with help from her friends. Before leaving the room, she saw Eunji mouthing the word "You can do it" which resulted in her smiling.

It didn't matter anymore. Hayoung didn't mind getting expelled from the school, she could survive by taking in part-time jobs in her whole life. Despite being at a young age, she was mature and had already thought everything out before hand. Soon, they had arrived at the front of the principal's office.

"Ready to do this, Hayoung-ah?" asked Yerin in worry. 

"Go ahead." smiled Hayoung, who was not afraid.

Joy carefully knocked on the door, in which a voice from inside replied "Come in."

[END OF CHAPTER 7]

A/N: So remember not to mess with the maknae ;) What will happen in the principal's office? Where is Namjoo going? Thank you for reading and subscribing, it gives me motivation seeing the number of subscribers continue to rise! I'll work hard and have the next chapter soon! :)