“Jesus, Jisoo. You look terrible,” Jihye exclaimed in shock the next morning.

If she could strangle Jihye for being an insensitive , she would have. Hyungwon was the only thing preventing her from lunging at her and throttling her senseless.

“Hey babe, why don’t you go ahead? I have to talk to Jisoo about something,” He calmly told her, but Jisoo could find the subtlest hint of annoyance in his tone.

Had she mentioned that she loved Hyungwon? Because she totally loved him to pieces.

Jisoo watched as confusion washed over Jihye’s face before she nodded her head and made her way to her own seat.

“What’s the conversation topic about today, turtle?” Jisoo smiled up at him with as much happiness as she could muster, which wasn’t much, but she was hoping he was so blinded by love that he wouldn’t notice. “You.” He looked at her with nothing but worry in his eyes. “What’s going on with you? You look like hell, yet again.”

Jisoo tried to force back the happenings of yesterday from her mind and stay present.

“Yeah? Well, I feel like it,” She retorted as her smile faded. There was no point in lying to him, Hyungwon would see right through it.

She looked to the side and observed as the new kid, Minhyuk, strolled into the classroom. He had the same hoodie on, but a different mask today. This time his mask had the shape of a bear’s face on it.

Well, that’s adorable Jisoo thought.

Hyungwon huffed, “Is it your parents again?”

Jisoo gave him a knowing glance and looked back at Minhyuk, only to be startled by his once again piercing gaze. She flinched and looked back quickly towards Hyungwon who bent down to her level. “Do you want to come over this weekend? Have a sleepover? It’ll be just the two of us, just like old times. You can tell me all about it.”

Jisoo felt her heart speed up at the sudden proximity and the promise of good times. “Yeah, sure,” She replied while nodding.

“Okay, deal.” Hyungwon blinded her with his radiant smile as he got up and left.

Jisoo sighed into her hands. She missed him so much. Missed being in his presence all the time, missed his melodious laugh flowing through her ears. She took her gaze over to Jihye who was laughing at something Hyungwon had just told her and felt her heart clench.

She must be some sort of masochist at this point, with all the staring she did. It only did her harm.

Jisoo cleared and got out her literature book, hoping that at least for today she’d be spared of having to deal with Jackson Wang.

How very wrong she was.

“Hey. Hey. HEY! Princess!”

Fourth-period physical education today consisted of doing whatever the students wanted.

Therefore, Jisoo had chosen to walk around the school’s track, alone. She had been successful for all of five minutes until Jackson had spotted her across the field. He had run over to her like a bolt of lightning.

“What’s up?” She asked him nonchalantly. Jisoo didn’t even have the energy to be annoyed at him today. “Nothing much,” He walked in stride with her as he continued, “I’m just doing my buddies a favor and asking everybody I know if they want some DPH.”

DPH?

She’d heard him talk about it before, but he didn’t know that.

Jisoo remained silent as she walked. She didn’t quite know what to respond.

“So, do you want some, princess?” Jackson asked with his signature smirk. Jisoo had often thought that he’d always meant for it to look y, but he honestly just looked like an overly happy Squirtle.

“What the hell is DPH? Let’s start there,” She replied as she eyed him with a raised brow. They had walked a whole lap together by now, but Jisoo could have sworn that lap felt like it took ages. “It’s a drug, genius.” Jackson laughed heartily beside her, honestly amused at her cluelessness.

“What, so you’re dealing drugs now, Jackson? Classy.” She smirked at him, amused herself that he had even thought of asking her. “Ah come on now, babe. Live a little,” Jackson egged her on.

“What’s this awesome drug of yours even do?” Jackson looked a bit taken aback by the question. “I need to know what the products all about before I even consider buying it,” She stated with a giggle. If she was honest with herself, Jackson wasn’t so bad. Although, he could cut the with all the pet names. “Well, I’ve only taken it twice, but it really is something else.” He whistled out, “It’s like it shuts off all your emotions, man. It makes you feel so lightweight, you know? Like nothing matters and nothing can hurt you.”

Jisoo stopped dead in her tracks and looked at him in awe. Had he read her mind these past few days?

“S-Side effects?” She stuttered out. The fact that she was willingly and honestly considering his offer frightened her. “None that I know of. It doesn’t make you look or act like a damn druggie, that’s for sure. I know a guy who’s been using it for quite some time now and he’s fine.” Jackson shrugged and pulled out a vial from his sweatpants. “Just one little vial and you’re good to go.”

He held it up to her face quickly and then closed his hand around it. “So, you in? You can have this one.” Jackson opened his palm out to her, now a bit hidden by the sleeve of his sweater. Jisoo felt a cold sweat come over her, goosebumps forming upon her skin.

The small vial Jackson held out towards Jisoo was shining in the winter sun, a dazzling magenta staring back at her. The realization of what she had found yesterday hit her like a ton of bricks. “I- Uhm…Can I think about it, Jackson?” Her voice shook from the sudden revelation and she didn’t know how to calm herself down.

“Yeah, sure, but are you okay? You look kind of pale.” Jackson eyed her weirdly as she nodded her head that yes, she was fine. “Alright. Well, you know where to find me, princess.” He winked and ran off swiftly to find his next customer.

As soon as Jisoo was done changing from her p.e. clothes, she quickly stuffed them into her locker and took out her backpack, opening the small pocket where she had left the small vial. She looked around to make sure no one in the locker room was around and put the vial in the palm of her hand, shielding it with her backpack just in case.

The magenta nearly sparkled in her hand and she gulped at the sight. Why did Minhyuk have so many of these vials? Did he know that he had drugs in his possession?

The memory of Minhyuk giving Dongwoo money flashed in her mind.

Jisoo stuffed the vial back into the small pocket and looked straight ahead, unbelieving of the information she had just found out. Could that tiny vial really take away all her pain?

No, no, what was she thinking?! She couldn’t possibly even contemplate taking it, it wasn’t even hers. She had to return it to Minhyuk, for it seemed to her that this DPH was not cheap.

She ran a hand through her hair and walked out of the locker room, towards the school garden, hoping to find Minhyuk there.

For the rest of the day, she couldn’t find any trace of Minhyuk. Jisoo only had him for first-period literature, so she didn’t really know where to even begin looking for him. “This is ridiculous,” She whispered as she looked around yet another hallway. “I’ll just give it to him tomorrow.”

Jisoo made her way out to the school entrance and looked at all the groups of friends who were chatting away, like normal teenagers. With a slight pout from failing her mission, she did her best to weave through the groups until she stumbled over a crack in the pavement, nearly smacking into the floor, but regaining her balance just in time. She got up with the last of her dignity, only to see a bear mask staring her right in the face.

Oh, but isn’t the bear mask….

She looked up and saw Minhyuk’s piercing eyes staring her down. She gulped, her heart thrumming in her ears painfully from the sudden situation. Why did he stare at her like that all the time? It couldn’t just be her though, right? Maybe that was just how his face was; a resting face.

Before Jisoo’s brain could even catch up, she blurted out, “I’m sorry. I-I must be