March 2008

Yugyeon was hurriedly pressing the keys of his phone, messaging the groupchat he made with interested buyers. His money was again taken by the bastards he met on his way to school.

I needed to earn some so that I can buy some lunch today or I’ll end up hungry for the rest of the day.

He wasn’t paying too much on his surroundings as he walk down the hallway of their school. He was too focused on answering the inquiries from students like him who were dying to get copies of the comics and PSP games he have kept in his bag. His lips were slowly curving into a smile as he was almost guaranteed that he was not skipping lunch for that day.

‘Do you have the latest volume of Naruto?’, one of the messages said.

“Did I bring them with me?” he asked himself, as he rummaged through his bag while walking.

Suddenly, his phone slipped from his hands and the contents of his bag spilled on the floor. His gaze travelled to the person whom he just bumped to.

It was the transferee assigned in his class just the other day.

Son Chaeyoung.

“I’m sorry!” she immediately apologized as she hurriedly gathered his things on the ground.

Yugyeom crouched down, taking his things from the floor, but he couldn’t help but observe the well-defined features of her face. Her short hair framed her pronounced jawline perfectly.

Chaeyoung raised her head and Yugyeom was lost in a trance looking at the orbs of her eyes until she whispered, “We’re dead.”

“What?” he managed to blurt out.

“Students! Those are prohibited!”

His heart almost jumped out of his chest. As a trouble maker, he knew that voice too well.

The disciplinary officer was standing before them, with his arms crossed against his chest.

“G-Good morning,” Yugyeom stuttered.

“I was having a good morning until I saw the first violation of the disciplinary code for today,” he glared at the comic books and PSP games on the floor.

Yugyeom bit his lower lip. This was already the second time he was caught, but he could no longer deny because the evidence was right in front of them.

“They are mine,” the girl beside him spoke. Chaeyoung tried to flash an apologetic smile, “I’m really sorry teacher. His brother told me to buy if for him and the shop would close by the time that I get out of school, so I bought them before coming here.”

“I promise I wouldn’t use them! They would just stay in my bag!” she raised her right hand.

The disciplinary officer squinted his eyes, scrutinizing the both of them, and from then, Yugyeom knew that he wasn’t buying her lies.

“Both of you, open your bags.”

Chaeyoung looked at Yugyeom with worry. Yugyeom sighed before proceeding as told and Chaeyoung hesitatedly followed him.

From inspecting the contents of their bags, it was too obvious who the real culprit was.

“So what was your violation?” Yugyeom asked Dahyun.

Yugyeom didn’t know her much as they were not in the same class the previous year, but since they were classmates that year, they have been saying their hi-hellos every now and then.

“I forgot to pay the one-hour detention she gave me last week because I was late for thirty minutes,” Dahyun grimaced as she took another trash from the ground. She glanced at Yugyeom before saying, “We’re lucky that the weather is good but this school is too large for the two of us.”

“I guess that was the point of the punishment,” Yugyeom replied as he continued picking up trash.

“Hey! We could use some help!” Dahyun shouted at the male who was sitting on a bench not too far from them.

The boy looked at them, said nothing but waved the book in his hand before going back to his reading session.

“Woah. He pretends to be busy,” Dahyun scoffed.

“I didn’t know that you and Jeon are friends,” Yugyeom commented.

Jungkook was not around for most of the school days last year and despite that, Yugyeom heard that he still excelled his classes. They were in the same class now, but it was difficult to interact with him as he kept quiet most of the time.

Dahyun shrugged, “We’re just making each other less lonely in this troublesome high school life.”

The both of them walked a little farther and encountered some students on their way, including who Yugyeom considered the most beautiful female in their school – Kim Jennie.

“Hi Jennie!” he couldn’t stop himself from greeting her.

But then she gave him a lazy glance, inspecting him from head to toe before saying, “Talk to me when you’re not picking trash.”

Yugyeom looked down, embarrassed, but he didn’t fail to notice how Irene deliberately threw the can of soft drink to the ground.

“Please dispose your trash properly,” Dahyun spoke. Irene glared at her but Dahyun kept staring at the former. She even added, “That is not the proper place for trash.”

“Proper place?” Irene mocked, “Do you even know what that means? I don’t think so because you keep clinging to your best friend even if he’s already dating someone.”

“Irene, stop that,” Seulgi interrupted and for a second, relief crossed Dahyun’s eyes.

Seulgi walked towards Dahyun with a smile on her lips and Dahyun was about to beam back until Seulgi spoke, “It should be me telling her to quit being attached to my boyfriend.”

In a snap, the charming smile became coupled with a threatening glare. Yugyeom looked at Dahyun and she was just as surprised as him. He didn’t know what to do.

A brawl might happen soon right in front of me, and Dahyun would surely be on the losing side because it was the three of them versus her.

“Woah. It’s very easy to pick up a can,” Yugyeom tried to salvage the situation by picking up the can that Irene threw a while ago.

Seulgi broke their staring contest and let out a scoff, “Let’s go. Let’s not waste our time here.”

“Yes, please. Goodbye!” Yugyeom blurted without thinking. They were already walking away when he still tried to say, “Bye Jennie!”

He was surprised when she actually looked back at him but then she smirked and said, “Bye 100^th place!”

Suddenly, Yugyeom saw Chaeyoung on her way to them, and judging by the cold stoned expression on her face, she might have witness some of the confrontation that  happened. Chaeyoung deliberately crashed her shoulder on Seulgi, making the female stop to glare at her. Chaeyoung stared back at her, flashed a smile before muttering an apology.

They were a little far from them, but Yugyeom still clearly saw from Chaeyoung's expression that she did not mean any part of her apology. Chaeyoung then continued walking towards them, unfazed.

“What did she tell you?” Chaeyoung asked Dahyun, “Did she hurt you?”

Yugyeom looked at Dahyun but she shook her head and instead beamed.

“She said that Yugyeom’s in the 100^th place,” Dahyun chuckled, “That’s literally the third place from the bottom of the batch.”

“Hey!” Yugyeom exclaimed, “I’m used to it. It’s better at the bottom anyway. People have less expectations.”

Dahyun smiled again, shaking her head.

“Are you okay?” he asked her, “They were really mean. Perhaps, you offended them with your white skin.”

Dahyun laughed harder, “My skin?”

“Yeah. They are really concerned with their looks, so they get insecure of people who are greater with them on some aspects,” Yugyeom continued in a kidding manner.

“Yet you still like Kim Jennie,” she squinted at me.

“Well, she is really pretty! And have you seen her dance?” he couldn’t help but still fanboy over the girl, despite the earlier scene.

Dahyun shook her head, “Boys are really stupid. No wonder Jimin is with Seulgi. You all fall for the princesses.”

Chaeyoung then spoke, “If you just tell Jimin – “

“It’s okay, Chaeyoung,” Dahyun interrupted, “They are not hurting me anyway. Their words are just threatening but they wouldn’t lift a finger at me.”

Chaeyoung sighed in exasperation before saying, “Nevermind that. I bought some food. Let’s eat first. Then we can help you after.”

“Where are we eating?” Dahyun asked.

“Just at the bench that Jungkook reserved for us,” Chaeyoung answered, “I told him not to leave that spot so that we’d have a place.”

Oh. So maybe that’s why he wouldn’t bulge.

“Okay!” Dahyun’s mood instantly brightened because of food.

Ah. I almost forgot that I didn’t have money for lunch. I couldn’t sell the materials I brought because they were all confiscated.

They started walking away hand in hand, until Chaeyoung looked back at Yugyeom.

“What are you doing there?” she asked, “Come on.”

“What?” he asked back.

Chaeyoung told him, “I bought food for you too. You should join us.”

Yugyeom clenched his stomach as it continued grumbling while he was running for their physical education class.

I should’ve changed routes on my way to school; maybe I could’ve avoided the bunch that kept pestering me every day.

His pockets were emptied again, and he didn’t have the guts to bring some manga or games with him as he was being observed by the disciplinary officer for his latest infraction.

There was in no way I could have had lunch today.

There was a sudden surge of pain and his running faltered, slowing him down. He crouched down hugging his abdomen. His stomach was really acting up.

“Kim Yugyeom, catch up!” their teacher yelled.

“I don’t feel well, Sir,” he tried to reason.

“Quit acting. It wouldn’t work on me,” he replied.

After being caught violating the disciplinary code twice, he already had a hard time making teachers believe in his excuses.

Everything I say would just be treated as a lie.

He stood up again with his face crunched up as he could no longer deny the pain in his stomach, but the teacher was glaring at him, as if anger could make his stomach ache go away.

“Teacher, I think he is really sick. I can take him to the clinic.”

Yugyeom turned to the owner of the voice – Park Jimin.

He looked back to the teacher, and there was a bit of hesitation, until the latter spoke, “Fine. I’ll entrust him to you.”

Jimin beamed, “Thank you, Sir.”

Wow. Perks of having a good reputation.

Jimin is really well-loved by everyone. This guy was already famous for his good grades, good manners and good looks but he became more known when he started dating Kang Seulgi.

But Yugyeom didn’t understand why Jimin was helping him – they never had any intimate interaction before. They were only together during physical education classes since the males are separated from the females, but Jimin was never one of Yugyeom’s classmates.

I couldn’t even remember if we had any conversation before.

Yugyeom was merely following Jimin in silence, observing the latter until he realized where they were going. He said, “This is not the infirmary.”

“Yeah, because medicine is not your most needed right now,” Jimin replied as he led Yugyeom to the cafeteria, “I would be ordering some soup, bread and juice for you. Would that be okay?”

Yugyeom was too surprised so he couldn’t answer.

Jimin furrowed his brows, “Sorry, we’re just grabbing something light since it would get worse if you eat a heavy meal after being hungry for long.”

“H-How did you know?” Yugyeom stuttered.

There was a smirk that played on Jimin’s lips, “Your stomach was loudly grumbling during warm-ups.”

He couldn’t say anything again and he didn’t even have the courage to protest when Jimin started paying for the food.

“I bought some extra bread that you could eat later once you feel hungry again,” Jimin added when he gave Yugyeom the things he bought.

“You are too kind,” he told Jimin as he started eating.

“It’s nothing. Just don’t forget to take care of your health," Jimin then glanced at the clock, “Sorry. I am supposed to leave since technically I was just supposed to ‘bring you’ to the infirmary. Can you just please go to the infirmary after? Just in case Sir Lee would ask the nurse if we dropped by. Get some medicine for acidity too in case your stomach still hurts afterwards.”

“Hmmmm,” Yugyeom nodded, munching on the bread, “Thanks again.”

Jimin gave a small smile as he turned to leave. But there was somehow an unsettling feeling within Yugyeom – the feeling of being indebted.

“Hey Jimin!” he called. When Jimin turned to me, h asked, “Is there something I can do for you in return?”

I am almost sure that almost all of the male population at his age reads comic books or plays videogames. I can get him anything that he would request.

Jimin thought about it for a while before answering, “You’re in the same class as Dahyun right? Just look after her and tell me if there’s any problem.”

“Okay,” Yugyeom replied, and he bid farewell.

As he ate alone, Yugyeom started thinking whether there was more to Dahyun’s and Jimin’s relationship.

April 2008

Yugyeom changed routes for the past days, successfully avoiding his enemies. But when everything was going to well, he should have known that life was only preparing a bigger trouble for him.

He was shoved hard onto the wall as Ravi held on his collar. Ravi was with his other friends, Hyuk and Leo.

They were a year older than Yugyeom, and he had known them in middle school. They had always with his frailty and used it to their advantage to steal his things. Yugyeom was glad when they graduated from middle school and he even made sure that he would not enter the same highschool.

But one day, Yugyeom bumped onto them, and as they figured out where he was schooling and where he lived, they made sure to meet him everyday just to ask for money. Yugyeom hated them so much, but he also hated himself for never being able to fight back.

I hated my weakness and lack of courage.

“Are you glaring at me, kid?” Ravi seethed.

Yugyeom lowered his gaze.

Ravi released him before saying, “Come on. Give us your allowance or we’d beat the hell out of you.”

“I-I don’t have money anymore,” Yugyeom replied.

“And why is that?” Ravi’s voice was a whisper, but it was so threatening.

“I bought lunch with his money a while ago,” he mumbled.

A hard slap collided with his cheek as soon as he finished his sentence.

“Isn’t that too selfish of you, Yugyeom?” Leo spoke, “You should’ve saved your money for us.”

Yugyeom felt warm ball of tears forming at the corner of his eyes as he answered, “I really can’t give you anything right now.”

There was another slap, and this time, he already tasted the tangy substance on his lip.

Hyuk then held his hair and looked at him, “Wow. We made him cry.”

“Awww. Too bad he does not have any mama to call while crying,” Leo commented and the others laughed.

“What are we going to do now? I don’t think we can get anything from this kid,” Hyuk asked Ravi.

Ravi inspected him from head to toe before replying, “Take off your shoes.”

“W-What?” Yugyeom stammered.

“Take off your shoes so that we can sell them,” Ravi repeated, “I’m not going to say that twice.”

Yugyeom looked at him in disbelief.

“Hurry up kid, before we lose our patience,” Leo seconded.

“That watch too, give that up,” Ravi pointed at his wrist.

No. Not the one that mom gave.

“I’ll give you his shoes and double the money tomorrow. Just don’t take this watch please,” Yugyeom pleaded as he immediately took his shoes off.

“The watch would be easier to sell than the shoes, plus I bet that is more expensive,” Hyuk responded.

Yugyeom just stared at them with tears in his eyes.

“Give. Me. The. Watch.” Ravi glared at him.

When Yugyeom shook his head in protest, hands gripped his collar again and his back collided with the wall once more. Ravi raised his fist, and Yugyeom closed his eyes, ready to brace the impact.

Suddenly, there was a flash of light. They all turned to the source to find Chaeyoung at the end of the dark alley, with her phone pointed at them.

“Say cheese,” Chaeyoung told them and there was another flash from her phone. She scanned her phone and then said, “Wow. The pictures are great. You all look good here.”

“Yah! Son Chaeyoung!” Hyuk yelled.

Yugyeom was surprised that he knew her name, but then, he started fearing for her life as well.

“Hyuk, I heard you three are graduating this year,” Chaeyoung replied nonchalantly, “The teachers would love to see these pictures. I wonder how your parents would react.”

Leo then started marching towards her, “Give me your phone.”

“Even if I give his phone and you delete it, I already backed it up in the internet,” Chaeyoung answered.

“Give it or else!” Leo shouted.

Yugyeom watched in fear, while Chaeyoung didn’t even bat an eyelash.

“Or else what?” Chaeyoung even took a step closer towards Leo, “Are you going to harm me too?”

Yugyeom couldn’t understand how so much courage was emanating from a small stature like hers.

“Come on, harm me,” Chaeyoung challenged, “If you give me a bruise, that’d be another evidence against you but that wouldn’t stop me from telling the authorities.”

“What do you want?” Ravi asked.

“For starters, release him and give him back his shoes,” she answered, “And stop bothering him from now on.”

Ravi released Yugyeom and got his bag from the ground before signaling Leo and Hyuk to do the same. He then walked towards Chaeyoung, his height towering over hers.

“You’re just brave because you are with Teacher Kim,” Ravi told her.

“We are not together,” Chaeyoung glared at him.

“Let’s see,” Ravi smirked, “Once I get a picture of you two, I ‘d be trading it with our pictures.”

Chaeyoung’s gaze followed them as they exited the dark alley. Then she turned to me, “Can you manage?”

Yugyeom fixed himself up, trying to remedy his disheveled appearance before nodding. He told her, “I’m fine.”

“You are far from fine,” she said taking a closer look at me, “Your lip is bleeding.”

He wiped the blood off his lips with the back of his hand.

“Ah. I almost forgot,” Chaeyoung said, “Dahyun-a, come out! They are gone!”

From the corner, behind one box, sprung out Kim Dahyun, clenching her chest.

“T-That was really scary,” Dahyun stuttered, “I was really ready to call the police. Woah. His heart. His heart is trying to escape from his ribcage.”

Somehow, Yugyeom’s lips broke into a smile. Dahyun’s facial expression was priceless.

“Why are the two of you in this area?” he asked, trying to maintain a normal conversation after everything that happened.

They were in one of the busy parts of the town, a commercial area a little far from school. Yugyeom was trying to check when would the new releases of comics be when he bumped to Ravi’s group.

“We were just trying to buy Big Bang tickets, and then all of a sudden, we saw you being dragged here and then – “ Dahyun started blabbering, “The most important thing is that they’re gone now.”

“Hmmm. Thank you,” he sincerely expressed his gratitude.

“Our Chaeng is really cool,” Dahyun exclaimed, her eyes twinkling with admiration. She then hugged Chaeyoung tight and said, “I might have fallen in love with you.”

Chaeyoung laughed, her nose scrunching up a bit and her eyes turning into slits, “Come on. Let’s all go home. We might miss the bus.”

They started walking out hand in hand, but then Chaeyoung turned to me.

It was all de ja vu when she said, “What are you doing there? Come on.”

They then rode the same bus which was a little crowded. Fortunately, Chaeyoung and Dahyun were able to sit down. Dahyun immediately started sleeping on Chaeyoung’s shoulder while Chaeyoung browsed through her phone during the ride.

Yugyeom couldn’t help but just stare at Chaeyoung. She had all the courage he wanted. Standing up against Ravi and his friends was something he had only dreamed of.

Suddenly, Chaeyoung turned to him and caught him staring. She broke the eye contact, rummaged through her bag before motioning Yugyeom to come close. He tried to crouch down to her level.

“Closer,” she instructed.

He lowered his face towards her, and he was flabbergasted when she grabbed the back of his neck. Their faces were so close that he could count the lashes in her eyes. She then held his face in her hands before turning it a little. She took the band aid she got from her bag and placed it at the corner of his lips. Her touch was so gentle that he felt no pain.

“There you go,” she spoke but Yugyeom was frozen in his position, just staring at her, and enjoying the proximity they had.

“You can stand straight now,” she chortled.

Yugyeom coughed awkwardly before standing normally. A small smile played on her lips before she started browsing through her phone again.

He only realized that he was not able to take off his eyes on her when she turned to me, catching him staring for the second time that night.

“You should quit staring,” Chaeyoung said, “I would never take responsibility if you fall for me. I like older guys more.”

Yugyeom then diverted his gaze elsewhere but when he unconsciously started staring again, he knew that Chaeyoung’s warning not to fall for her was already too late.

Maybe Dahyun was right. It was too cliché to like princesses.

Son Chaeyoung was a knight in shining armor.

Sorry for not updating for long. I hope this long chapter (its 11 pages in Word wew) can compensate for his long absence. Thank you for you who had subscribed!!! Please drop some comments and it would really mean a lot to me. <3