TAKOYAKI MAN.

 

Startled, Jiyong was walking when he felt an arm put around his shoulder as he paced towards the exit gate of their school. He saw Sandara smiling goofily at his side when he turns to her. He hissed at her while giving her deadly glares. He removed her arms around him.

 

"Hello!" she waves at him with stupid smile on her face. He frowns back. She is thinking something stupid again?

 

He ignored her and continued his pace. The way she looks is very suspicious. He doesn’t like the way she looks.

 

Jiyong wasn’t distant enough when Sandara stops him. She clings to him so suddenly that makes him jerk back.

 

"Hands off," he said to her. He once again removed her grip on his arms. But to no avail, Sandara stubbornly clings to him. "What the hell is your problem? Stop clinging to me," he peeved stated.

 

"I heard what you did before for Top and Bommie. You’re actually nice, aren’t you?" instead Sandara said.

 

"And so?" he snobs as he tries to keep their distance.

 

Sandara moves in front of him with wide smile and twinkling eyes. Oh no! This is not good. He is surely won’t like whatever the latter will spout next. The insanity!

 

He frowns at her again.

 

"What?"

 

"I'm happy with what you did, Jiyongie. So I’m inviting you to come with me," she said and drags him abruptly. He didn’t have the chance to move since she ran with him while she holds his hand.

 

"God woman! Where are you taking me? And release me," he asked.

 

"You will like where we going. Don't worry," she responded. She laughs merrily and just holds him still.

 

In record time, they reach near the temple garden where there is a takoyaki stand.

 

"Tadah! Surprise! I will treat you your favorite food, takoyaki. Booyah!" Sandara cheered and finally released him as she walks closer to the stand.

 

Unknowingly, he broke into tiny smile but wiped it off before she can see it. He joins her while keeping his hands inside his side pockets. There is an evident curiosity in her eyes as she watched the ahjussi vendor cooking.

 

"Your order will there shortly pretty miss. Can you wait for a little while? There are a lot of customers today and my assistant wasn’t here yet. That kid is still at school, maybe," the vendor apologized to her.

 

"It’s alright. We are willing to wait, right Jiyongie?" Sandara smiled to him.

 

Jiyong just nodded casually. "It's fine."

 

"See? So take your time, ahjussi. For the love of takoyaki, Jiyongie and I will wait so just we could eat!" Then she laughs out loud after.

 

The ahjussi just gave them a warm smile and beamed when he noticed their uniform.

 

"Your uniform is familiar. Are you, perhaps, studying at Gakuen High?" he asked.

 

"Neh, ahjussi!" Sandara answered enthusiastically.

 

"Really?! My assistant is also studying there. You were schoolmates."

 

"Wow! Nice! We might know him. What’s his name?"

 

The ahjussi vendor was about to answer when the assistant he was talking about arrived, panting and almost out of breath from running, probably.

 

"Oh he’s here!"

 

"I’m sorry I’m late, ahjussi. I did something in the school," the new comer bowed in apology.

 

Sandara turned around and was totally surprise when she met the latter.

 

"Daesung-ah?!" Sandara exclaims surprisingly with wide eyes.

 

The latter stilled and looked at her. His small eyes widen when he recognized them.

 

"Jiyong hyung, Dara noona?!" Daesung exclaims.

 

 

***

 

"Here's your special takoyaki ala Daesungie!" He gave Sandara and Jiyong each cartoon container of takoyaki. He winks at them with his signature eye smile. He already changed into a white shirt and he also wore an apron with a paper headband 'Happy Eating Takoyaki Yum'.

 

"Thanks!" Sandara smiles at him and gets the 2 sets of takoyaki. She gave one to Jiyong who is silently waiting in the chair in front of the stall.

 

"No problem! What were you doing here, by the way?" Daesung asked while preparing another set of takoyaki. "Are you on a date?"

 

Sandara coughs and merely choked with Daesung’s question.

 

"What? Of course not! I was just treating Jiyong as his reward. Nothing more! Don’t think otherwise, Daesung," she denied.

 

Daesung chuckles a little as he glances at them interchangeably. Jiyong ignored them beside Sandara, eating his own takoyaki. If he didn’t know them, he would really think they were dating. They actually looked like one.

 

"I didn't know you’re working part-time, Daesung," Jiyong finally spoke up and ask.

 

"I need to. I’m the only one who can rely on our home," he answered.

 

Daesung is orphaned child with his two twin sisters. His parents died 2 years ago because of too much working. His family has a huge debt to a group of loan shark. Day and night, his parents work beyond limitation just to pay for their debts. He was left to take care of his seven years old sisters after they passed away. He took the responsibility of providing their needs as he study and work at the same time. But it’s not the only problem. He also carried the obligation of paying their debts to the loan sharks.

 

That why he almost didn’t sleep just to earn enough money.

 

"My sisters, Rebisco and Febisco, were growing. They have needs I should provide and save. And I can’t even buy them new things for their school," he said somberly.

 

"You have sisters, Daesung?" Sandara asked.

 

"Yeah. Twins," he responded.

 

"Really? That's Nice."

 

"Hmm… Anyway, you were not really dating?" he teased them.

 

"Aish! No!" Sandara rolls her eyes at him exaggeratedly. Daesung chuckled at her.

 

"I'm going," Jiyong suddenly announced as he is ready to leave.

 

"Huh? Wait a minute?!" she quickly comes after him. She glanced back at Daesung and raised her fist. "FIGHTING!"

 

Daesung chuckles and raised both of his fist back. "FIGHTING!"

 

***

 

"Haist!" Sandara lets out a deep sigh upon opening her locker and found out a pile of souvenirs inside. As expected, Jiyong’s fangirls haven’t stopped sending gifts and letters through her. It was really a wonder how come they manage to open her locker when it was locked in the first place? And she didn’t forget to latch it before going home.

 

"This is so redundant. Jiyong isn’t even accepting these stuffs and throws it away. It’s only a waste," she whispered to herself while walking towards the stairs. She still carried the items even though she knew what will happen at the end.

 

She has turned to the hallway when she heard some voices. She stopped and peeks behind the wall.

 

"I-I’m q-quitting. I-I cannot do what you are ordering me," a familiar voice of a girl stammered nervously.

 

Sandara stretches her neck more to have a better view of the girl. She knew it! That voice is really familiar. It was Minzy.

 

"WHAT?! Are you going against us?!" a male’s voice growls and held Minzy by the collar of her blouse uniform. The other boys around them were just silently watching. "Do you want to be hurt?"

 

Minzy widens her eyes in fear and shook her head.

 

"P-Please, have mercy on me,” she pleaded.

 

"Then do what I asked you to do!" the guy who seems to be the leader of the gang yelled.

 

And it dawned at her. Minzy was familiar to the first time she saw her because she had seen her from before. She was the same freshman who she saw being bullied. And it is happening again. She was being bullied by the same group of boys.

 

She didn’t think twice and came out from her hidings. She won't allow them bully her friend. Minzy looked really scared.

 

"Hey! What are you doing to her?!" she bellowed to them as she joins them.

 

"Who—" the leader stops when he recognized her.

 

"Boss, she was Kwon Jiyong’s muse," one of his gang mates whispered to him.

 

The leader hissed at him. "I know! Come on. Let’s get out of here," the leader said and gave Minzy a last threatening glare.

 

Sandara followed them by gaze. She memorized each of their faces.

 

"Are you alright, Minzy-ah?" she turned to Minzy. The latter nodded and fixes her disheveled uniform. "Who are they? Are they bullying you? What they want from you?" she asked her simultaneously.

 

"Um...unnie..." Minzy hesitates to answer.

 

"Come on, you can tell me. How can I help you if you won’t help me? What they want you to do that it seems against your will?"

 

"U-um... t-they wanted me to... fraud the votes on the upcoming election... f-for School Council," she lied. Minzy is one of the election committee for School Council.

 

"Why?" she frowns. From what she knew, gangs don’t care about school affairs much like officers election. It’s sounded strange and new.

 

"One of Kiseop’s girlfriends is candidate for year representative. He wanted her to win," she explained.

 

Sandara a brow and contemplates for a while.

 

"This isn't the first time, unnie. They have been bullying me ever since. They asking me a lot of things I don’t want to do and threatening me to hurt if I refuse. Unnie, I don’t like it," she admitted.

 

"Don't worry. I’ll try to do something about it so that they won’t bully you anymore. Okay?" Then she gave her a reassuring smile.

 

Minzy nodded and thanked her.

 

"Don't thank me yet. I haven’t done anything," she said while adjusting the things she was carrying. "Aish! So heavy," she mumbles her complaints.

 

Minzy noticed it and asked, "What are those unnie? It’s many."

 

"Ah... this? It’s all for Jail from his fangirls. You know what, I’m really curious on how they can open my locker? It’s really strange, right?"

 

Minzy just gave her a tiny smile.

 

"Your locks must be broken, unnie?"

 

"No. It is perfectly working. I have the hunch that someone knows how to pick a lock only can do it. Who it might be?" she thought. "Anyway, I’ll go ahead. I still have a class. Ciao!"

 

She said goodbye and left. Minzy just followed her by gaze and utter a simple bye.

 

 

***

 

Sandara dropped the souvenirs on top of Jiyong’s table and seats on her eat as she face the. Jiyong just looked at the items that she plummeted and back at her, this time with a frown.

 

"I told you. Just throws these away. Why are you still carrying it to here? You’re just wasting your effort," Jiyong stated with an irritated tone.

 

"Never mind it. I have a question to ask. Actually, it's a favor. Do you know Kiseop?" she asked instead.

 

"Who?" Jiyong frowns more.

 

"His name is Kiseop. I saw him bullying Minzy on the way here. Not just once but twice!"

 

"Kiseop? As in, the leader of Cross Bone?" Seungri butts in without them knowing that he is listening to their conversation.

 

Sandara turns to him and nods.

 

"You know him?"

 

"Of course! I know everything. There is no information get pass at me," he boasted with wide grin in his face.

 

"Shut up, Seungri. Everybody knows Kiseop and his gang," Youngbae chirps.

 

Seungri pouted and slumps his shoulder defeated.

 

"Buzz kill," he muttered.

 

Everyone ignores him though.

 

"Back to the topic. So, who is that guy?" Sandara asked again.

 

"He is a well-known bully. In the entire Gakuen, their gang was known as the bullies, threatening other innocent students who are weaker than them. I think, 3E is their section," Daesung answered.

 

"Cross Bone is their gang. They are not really fighting with the other gangs. They only know how to bully," Top added.

 

"What a coward," she remarked. That’s why they are after Minzy because they knew the latter won’t fight back. "Jiyongie, help me, please? Minzy is scared of them. They are threatening her to do something she doesn’t like."

 

"No. It's none of my business," he bluntly refused.

 

"But she's my friend!" she protested but he was unfazed at all.

 

'Aish! This guy is really made of stone!' she thought to herself as she counts from one to three to calm herself. As much as she wanted to clobber him because of his rough personality, she can’t. She still needs his help.

 

She stared at him long and hard.

 

"What?" Jiyong taunts her.

 

They shared a staring battle.

 

Sandara slowly puffed her cheeks and looked at him with the most pitiful eyes she could muster. Then she curls her left fist beside her cheeks and moves it up and down like a golden fortune cat usually displayed in stores. She blinks simultaneously. This is her super aegyo attack!

 

Let’s see if his heart won’t melt and change his mind.

 

"You look stupid," he said bluntly and stood up to leave.

 

It's as if there's static interruption sounded on the background making her stop. She can't believe it! There's no doubt. Jiyong topped her list of most annoying person. He is definitely heartless! Her lethal aegyo attack doesn’t even have any effect to him.

 

Sandara glares at his back.

 

"Jerk!"

 

 

***

 

Daesung was about to leave for his part-time job when he heard his name being called.

 

"Mr. Kang! Mr. Kang! Wait?!"

 

He glanced back and saw their Physics teacher coming after him.

 

"Ms. Yoon," he bows at him respectfully.

 

"Good thing you’re here. Can you do me a favor?"

 

"Okay," he shrugs.

 

"Good. Can you put it my table in the faculty room?" She handed him a stack of test papers.

 

"Thank you, Mr. Kang. I’m sorry if I disturb you for bringing this. I am already late with the meeting in the conference room."

 

"It's okay, Miss."

 

She rewarded him a smile and thanked for the last time before. Daesung turns around and walked away as well.

 

***

 

Jiyong was walking lazily towards the lockers area when he heard some noises. He stopped and hides behind the pillar. Eavesdropping isn't his thing. But it’s the only thing to do right now.

 

"Faster! Open it! You are so slow!" he heard a girl hissed.

 

"N-Neh," someone spluttered.

 

Jiyong furrows his brows together. What are these girls doing in front of Sandara's locker? And then he realized, they are the one sending gifts and picks on Sandara’s locker.

 

"H-Here...S-Sunbae," they successfully opened Dara's locker.

 

"Very good! Step aside!" The girl shoved the other to the side and put the items inside the locker.

 

Jiyong waited until the girls left except the girl who picks on Sandara’s locker. He appears from hiding just in time the girl was about to leave.

 

"So, you're the mystery person picking Sandara's locker?"

 

He saw the girl stiffens. He smirks and shoves his hands inside his pocket as he leans beside the pillar.

 

The girl turns around and widens her eyes. Fear is evident in her eyes. He heard her gasp for air nervously.

 

He is aware of his effect to the people he comes across. And he doesn't care. Not even a bit.

 

"So tell me, why you are doing this?" he said sternly while eyeing her coldly.

 

"S-Sunbae...nim..."

 

+

Okay. That's it for now. Leave your comments juseyo?

- CAMILLE.