TODAY ISN’T really the best day; it isn’t a day to be considered good as well. Minjoo could hear everyone from the Arts Department having fun with the little stage prepared by the Performing Arts majors. It sounds so lively and really fun but she was left outside cleaning all the trash that the whole department left after the team battle game that was held earlier.

It wasn’t really her night. The whole department was divided into Visual Arts major and Performing Arts major. They played a lot of games but the last battle was the deciding factor of the whole event. The losing team will be cleaning all the trash of the whole department.

Since it was the last game and Yujin didn’t choose to participate because of her grumpiness, the professors pushed her to play but right after she stepped in the zone, Yujin started exhibiting her superiority to everyone including her seniors. Everyone expected it from Yujin anyway. She isn’t the type that would let victory slip away even if it is just a game. If there is one thing that Yujin hates the most then that would be losing and appearing weak in front of other people.

Although a bit induced with alcohol because of the professors, Yujin showed that even though she is a sculptor, she has a body that works perfectly and she showed it through jumping rope.

Each year level has two participants and Minjoo was forced to fill the other position for the sophomores since the other students were so afraid that they might cause the team to lose and be hunted by Yujin for the rest of the semester. Minjoo thought that it would be a chance to please Yujin and make her talk to her again. She even won a jump rope contest when she was in grade school anyway. She thought that she could handle this game well but…

Minjoo kept on messing up. All the representatives of the team have to enter the rope one by one and when everybody is inside, they should at least jump three turns all together and they will be declared the winner.

Even though the Visual Arts Team is quite on the disadvantage because of the physical game, all of them managed to enter the rope. Even Jang Wonyoung, who seems to be a princess who never played such a game, did excellent during that game. But, it was Minjoo who kept on killing the rope.

Getting really annoyed, Yujin tried to coach the girl when they were given another chance after a failed attempt by the Performing Arts Team but even with Yujin pushing her to the beat, Minjoo immediately failed after entering the rope. The girl panicked even more when Yujin just became silent and put her hands on her waist.

After that failed attempt, the Performing Arts Team managed to complete the whole routine and won the game. Yujin was so devastated after losing.

What put Minjoo into more shame was Yujin’s words after the match…

“Someone is at fault with the team’s defeat. Don’t you think that it would be reasonable if that person did the punishment by herself?”

Everybody who heard it gasped. Did those words really come out of Ahn Yujin? Did she really just make Minjoo appear so small in front of a whole department?

Minjoo was shocked as well but Yujin did say that. She just laughed and agreed to do the punishment alone to not cause any more awkwardness, for the whole group to just go on with their next activity. She felt really small, she felt the need to disappear into thin air. Guess all the accumulated disappointments that she brought to Yujin have already filled the container.

“I am such a disappointment…”

Minjoo tried to smile to herself but her heart is really heavy. She couldn’t even console herself. She could remember how Wonyoung looked at her as if she had already won the battle. The girl is obviously after her girlfriend but the scene on the bus proved that Minjoo could just give Yujin to anyone just to avoid attention. She now could understand what Yujin felt earlier.

“Dude, the girl is just so pitiful. Ahn Yujin really forsook her.”

“I guess Ahn Yujin has finally realised that Kim Minjoo is nothing but just beauty. There isn’t really anything special about her.”

Minjoo stopped and hid behind the wall. She was on her way to throw one huge trash bag when she heard a group of male students talking. All of them were smoking. They are all seniors of Yujin in her major.

“I know Kim Minjoo is the reason why we lost but don’t you think Ahn Yujin is going too far? I know that the other girl is her girlfriend and all but she shouldn’t have treated her that way in front of other people.”

The other guys laughed with the statement of the other guy.

“You see, innocent guy, in their relationship Ahn Yujin has the authority over everything since she is the one with the money. She could do whatever she wants with Kim Minjoo.”

“Huh? Are you saying that Kim Minjoo isn’t rich as well?”

“Stupid! Didn’t you hear the gossip? A lot of students saw Kim Minjoo working part time in restaurants before. Apparently she isn’t really from a high-class family. If Ahn Yujin didn’t pick her up then she wouldn’t be here anymore.”

“Nobody even knows if they are really dating for real. Probably just for mutual benefits. Ahn Yujin gets a model for her graduation project while Kim Minjoo gets someone to support her studies.”

The guy who was clueless about the happenings gave out a sigh. “Is that so? You may be right. If Ahn Yujin really loves Kim Minjoo then she won’t humiliate her like that.”

“And it seems like the freshman Jang Wonyoung is after Ahn Yujin as well. If I were Ahn Yujin then I would just pick the freshman. She is a well-known painter despite her age. They say that she just enrolled for university in order to learn about society. Her family is really rich!”

“Ahn Yujin is so lucky. It must be so nice to be an heir. All the beautiful girls just go after you.”

“Must be so nice to be used.”

The other two guys just laughed leaving the other guy surprised. He just couldn’t believe the mindset of his friends.

Minjoo released a sigh. So this is how other people are viewing their relationship. She felt like being with Yujin would just dirty the reputation of the other girl. Yujin is a respected figure but having a ‘leech’ like her by her side makes her look like she is being used.

Taking a deep breath, Minjoo picked up the trash bag, thinking of throwing it at the other trash bin when all of a sudden, the Ahn heiress was standing about a foot from her. She was so busy eavesdropping that she didn’t notice that Yujin came.

Looking at the eyes of the Ahn heiress, Minjoo already knew that there would be trouble. Yujin heard everything the guys were talking about.

“If Ahn Yujin drops Kim Minjoo I would definitely go after her. Minjoo seems to be the gullible kind. She would be an easy—“

“CONTINUE AND I WILL CUT YOUR TONGUE OUT!”

The guys stood up from where they were sitting. They turned to Yujin, who was being held by Minjoo on her arm. Her eyes are bloodshot angry.

“Yujin!” Minjoo shouted when the other girl tried to push her away but she immediately hugged her from the back. “Stop! You will only hurt yourself!”

“These people are talking ill of you, Minjoo and you are telling me to stop!?”

Minjoo was taken aback after Yujin growled at her but she didn’t let go of her. She can’t afford to have Yujin into a fight just because of her. She can’t afford to have her wonderful sculpting hands to be hurt all because of her.

“Let’s go, guys.” The guy with an innocent view of the couple pulled his friends away. The other two were so ready for a fight and were even throwing curses at Yujin but that certain guy knows what maturity is. He turned to the couple and gave a deep bow. “I am really sorry about the things that you’ve heard. Please don’t let it get into you.”

He dragged his friends away after extinguishing his half-smoked cigarette. The other two were still bickering about Yujin disrespecting them as seniors but he emphasised how they disrespected her in the first place.

Minjoo and Yujin were left in that area. Minjoo slowly let go of Yujin who is currently trembling in anger. She suddenly felt fear when the other girl turned to her with those blazing eyes then she found herself being dragged by Ahn Yujin to a place where no one could see them. The next thing she knew was being pinned by Yujin on a wall.

Yujin is drunk. Minjoo knows it well. She isn’t the type who drinks beverages with high alcohol content but today she was forced to drink a mixture of beer and soju. Minjoo was worried about her but she saw how Yujin received the drink and emptied it in one shot. She even asked for more

“Y-Yujin—“

“Listen, Kim Minjoo!”

Minjoo gasped. It felt like she was seeing the Yujin of months ago. She suddenly felt like crying.

“Minjoo, I need you to explain!” Yujin shouted. She couldn’t even look straight at Minjoo, her head was kept down. “How come you could do that to me, huh? How come you could just let another person be with me? How come you could easily give up your place that is supposed to be yours alone!? Tell me because I am dying to know!”

“Y-Yujin, I…” Minjoo couldn’t find the words to say. She could feel the heavy frustration of the other girl through her voice. It was just a simple seat if the outsiders would look at it but for Yujin, it is the seat that she set for her queen, the seat only her paramour could take, the place that only Kim Minjoo could occupy.

But Minjoo, thinking of escaping the stares of many, just let that special place be taken by someone else. She wasn’t able to see how Yujin was fighting for her rightful place. Yujin was so disappointed that she could do it just like that. She was so disappointed that her heart literally hurts just by thinking about it.

“Tell me, Minjoo. Is it really that easy to abandon me? To give me to someone else? Are you also like that woman who gave birth to me!?”

Minjoo’s heart sank after hearing Yujin’s last question. Right then and there she found out the root cause of the girl’s frustration. How did she fail to notice it? How did she fail to address the real need of her girlfriend? Yujin hates to be left alone, she hates being abandoned especially by the ones she loves the most. She hates to experience the past that scarred her deeply.

Yujin raised her head and looked at Minjoo, sending the latter into even more pain. Yujin’s eyes are welling with tears