I don’t want to go.

I need to go.

But I don’t want to.

But I have to.

It would be better if I just stayed hidden.

Nothing would change if you did that.

I would be safe.

You would be a coward.

I shook my head. My brain had been arguing with itself for the past hour, and as a result, I was left with a massive headache. “I’m being ridiculous…” I muttered, “I’m going.” I nodded finally. Yes. There wasn’t any point in not going. Besides, if I didn’t show up, those girls from before would just think they scared me off- I mean, yeah, the did scare me off, but it’s not like I should show that… I have to be strong. For Astro. For father. For me.

“Jangmi-ah?” Eunwoo’s voice called from outside my bedroom door, “Are you ready?”

Slinging my backpack over my shoulder, I smiled and swung the door open, “Yeah.”

“Are you sure you want to go today?” he asked, frowning.

I nodded, “Yeah.” That was a lie. I don’t want to go. I changed my mind. I don’t want to go to school. You can’t make me. I’ll just stay in my room and study and-

“Do you want to grab something to eat on the way?” he held the front door open, “There’s a really good bakery just around the street corner.”

I nodded, then hesitated, “Won’t that cost a lot-?”

He shook his head, smiling, “Don’t worry about it. I stop by there every morning.”

I stared down at my feet and followed him down the stairs to the Apartment Complex’s exit. It still seemed a little surreal… this whole situation. It seemed only like yesterday when my father was my only friend. Everything changed once I met him… as cliche as it sounded, it was true. He was my first in a lot of things… the first to actually talk to me like a person, the first to actually befriend me, the first to spend time with me outside of school, the first to listen to what I had to say, the first to love me… It never bothered me before, being small and invisible, but with him… I didn’t want to go back. I couldn’t go back.

“Did you sleep well?” he smiled down at me.

I nodded, “Yeah- d-did you?”

He looked up at the sky, “Of course. Who wouldn’t when an angel is by their side?”

Blood rushed to my face, “That’s cheesy…” I muttered but couldn’t help but smile.

“Ah!” he then grabbed my hand, “We’re here.” Dragging me inside the shop, he laced his fingers with mine.

I couldn’t help but burn red at all the stares we were receiving from all the bystanders. Blood was pounding in my ears, and everything seemed ten times brighter. I couldn’t focus at all.

“Jangmi-ah,” Eunwoo squeezed my hand, “What do you want to eat?”

I looked up anxiously, “I-I… um…”

He smiled then turned to the lady working at the cash register, “One chocolate and one blueberry muffin please.”

My shoulders relaxed. “Thank you,” I whispered.

He smiled, rubbing his thumb across the back of my hand, “Don’t worry. I’ve got you.”

After we received our muffins and paid, we left the shop in silence.

“Wow…” he looked up after taking a bite of his chocolate muffin, “This is really good!”

I stared at him, smiling.

“Here! Try it!” shoving the muffin to my mouth, he forced me to take a bite.

My eyes widened, then I nodded, “That’s really good.”

“Try yours!” he nodded to the blueberry muffin I held in my palms.

Raising it to my mouth, I took a bite, “It’s really good too-”

Leaning over, he took a bit out my muffin that I was still holding to my mouth. He stared into my eyes as I stood frozen in my place. Pulling back slowly, he nodded, “That’s really good too.”

My face was on fire at that point.

“So they’re really dating?”

“Yeah… Eunwoo confirmed it yesterday…”

“Aish… she’s so lucky!”

“Should I be her friend?”

“She doesn’t talk much… does she not like people?”

“She might just be really shy…”

“I see why he likes her…”

“Yeah… she’s so cute and small…”

I smiled a little as I sat down in my spot next to Rocky.

“Well that’s an improvement from yesterday,” Rocky shook his head.

I nodded. My heart raced after listening to each comment… maybe today won’t be as bad as I thought…

“Oh! The girls from yesterday,” he turned to me, grinning, “Guess who got them suspended?”

I frowned, “What?”

“This Oppa!” he pointed to himself smugly, “I guess it helps when you’re the Chief of Education’s son.”

My eyes widened, “Y-you’re-?”

“Yeah, didn’t you know,” he shrugged, “What are you? Have you been living under a rock?”

I sunk lower in my seat, muttering under my breath.

“Oh! You’re free after school, right?” Rocky smiled, “We should grab something to eat!”

“With the rest of Astro?” I asked.

He nodded, “Yeah. To celebrate your new relationship!”

I blushed a little, “It’s not that big of a deal-”

“Yes, it is!” he pressed on, “Eunwoo Hyung never pays attention to anyone- let alone girls. The only reason he was dating Sunghwi from before was because their parents had arranged it, but-”

I looked up, “What?”

“Hmm… I thought you knew that too?” he stared at me curiously, “Sunghwi is the daughter of a famous CEO and so Eunwoo. Their dads wanted them to try it out, but she cheated, so he was finally able to break things off-”

Ah… so that’s why he has such nice things… I nodded slowly. How could I have been so stupid? Maybe I really was living under a rock…

“-none of us liked her to begin with. She was always ordering us around and asking for money and presents. It was such a relief when he finally broke up with her,” smiling, he turned to look at me, “So this is your first time hearing all of this?”

I nodded.

“Ah…” he looked away, “That’s probably why he liked you so much…”

I frowned, “What do you mean?”

The corners of his lips curved upwards sadly, “Having so much wealth and responsibility… it’s hard for people to not look at him like a god. All he’s ever wanted was to be treated just like everyone else… not a god, but a person. You were the first to ever give him that.”