Yoohyeon sat beside Yuju since they're meeting up with their groupmates for their Laboratory experiment output. Yuju asked her to be in her group since she saw that no one's taking Yoohyeon in. Dami became Yuju's friend on the first year of high school. She is classmates with her and Yoohyeon. Dami was more outgoing so she got closer with the girl. On their sophomore year, it was only Yuju and Yoohyeon who remained classmates.

"Yoohyeon, I heard you dumped Soobin?" Jaeyeong asked. They just finished their output and were just talking.

Yoohyeon just nodded, not bothering to look up from her phone. Jiu just sent a text that she's near the area so she could pick the younger girl up. She wasn't really friends with her groupmates. except for Yuju.

"Wow, you were lucky she likes you. Every girl and guy I know are like head over heals for her." It was Gureum's turn to speak.

"Hmm, then count me out. I don't. She's nice but I really just don't like her." Yoohyeon nonchalantly said.

"Why? You like that hag instead?" Jiwon spoke, making the girls burst into laughter.

"Hey, shush. You're making Yoohyeon uncomfortable." Yuju spoke but her friends won't listen.

The statement made Yoohyeon look up. They were laughing as if what they said wasn't offending.

"What did you say?" Yoohyeon's voice was calm but her eyes shows that she isn't pleased.

"What? I heard that Soobin doesn't really like seeing that Jiu with you. You two were too close. Why look for someone older when someone prettier and better likes you? Hello~ it's  Chae Soobin. Pretty, rich, famous and smart! Jiu isn't that even pretty. I mean why are you even friends with her. Heard she stopped for 2 years that's why she's still on her 2nd year instead of 4th year. And her best friend who is a transferee was even a year higher. See? A bad influence, Yoohyeon. At least, Soobin unnie is on her 4th year already. I know you're smart. Choose your friends, Soobin a big catch and good model. Bet your 'mom' can't even solve these trigonometric problems. Maybe that's why she sto--"

Yoohyeon was mad. She could take any criticism towards her but not when it's about Jiu.

Slamming her hand on the table, her groupmates were startled at the sudden outburst. Yuju had stood up, trying to calm Yoohyeon down.

"You don't know Minji. You weren't her friends. All of you don't know anything so shut the up!  Mess with me but don't ever try to mock Minji. If you look up so much on Soobin unnie then go ing ask her on a date, cowards. And no, she doesn't hate Minji. She calmly accepted my decision and she respects Minji. Correct your infos first before speaking. You know, Soobin unnie wouldn't like it if she knew what all of you have said." 

The girls were speechless. Yoohyeon was usually quiet and seeing her burst like this made them very surprised and mad.

"Yoohyeon-ah..." she her a soft voice call her name. 
Soon, she feel and hand touch her shoulder and her clenched fist on the table. Her hands relaxed but she was still breathing heavily. She knew very well who was the person. From the scent to the hands. And from the wide eyes the girls had as they look at the girl who just arrived.

"It's fine. That's enough, baby. Let's go home." Yoohyeon didn't budge.

"Baby? Yoohyeon, please. Let's go home." This time she listened.

She quickly placed her things on her bag, not even looking to the girls on their table.

"Yuju-ah, we'll get going..." the girl said.

"I'm so sorry, Jiu unnie." 

"Kwaenchanha. Take care." Jiu said, giving them a soft smile.

They were about to leave when Yoohyeon stopped and looked back at the girls on the table.

"Have some moral. I don't  know why you all are even friends with Yuju." Yoohyeon gave one last look to the girls before leaving, her hand tightly holding Jiu's.

◎

Yoohyeon never curses. Jiu once scolded her. And since then, she prevented herself from cursing. But today was different. Those girls went over the limits. And she wouldn't let it slide.

"Yoohyeonnie... it hurts." 

Yoohyeon stopped walking, and looked at the hand she's holding. She quickly release Jiu's hand and saw slight red marks due to her tight grip. 

She caressed the older girl's hands and she tried to stop her tears from forming.

"You heard it?" Yoohyeon softly asked, not even looking up.

"All of it."

Yoohyeon looked up and saw Jiu smiling, yet there's so much pain in the older girl's eyes.

"Thank you, Yoohyeon-ah." Jiu smiled, wiping the taller girl's tears.

"I was so mad, Minji. How could they say that to you? They don't know you. They don't know what happened. They know nothing."

"Exactly. They know nothing, that's why it's too easy for them to say things like that." 

Jiu was still smiling and this makes Yoohyeon's heart ache more. Jiu is the nicest person anyone would ever meet. Yes, Yoohyeon could easily forgive people, thinking of their good side rather than the bad one. But Jiu barely gets mad. In their four years of friendship, Jiu was always the one who's like she'd already seen things coming and had already thought things through. Jiu was more forgiving, more selfless, more understanding. 

"But, you're hurt." Yoohyeon said, looking straight at Jiu's eyes.

"Yes, that can't be helped. But look, Yoohyeon. I don't need them to know anything. I don't have to explain myself to them. Think all they want, it won't change the truth."

Yoohyeon didn't respond, instead she held Jiu's hand again. Their fingers intertwined, this time, with a soft but securing grip. They started to walk again, both in silence.

What Jiu said was true, but that doesn't mean that what those girls said don't bother her. Jiu had always been protective over Yoohyeon. She would do anything that she thinks what's the best for the girl. Sometimes she doesn't know if she's being too much or not but Yoohyeon had only been thankful of all the things she've done.

◎

Things didn't get better the next few days. The group were ignoring Yoohyeon, except for Yuju who kept her updated. They didn't like how Yoohyeon had talked to them.

"She thinks she's better just because Soobin unnie likes her." They heard Gureum speak.

"Can you just kick her out, Yuju?"

"If you do that, then kick me out too." 

Jaeyeong scoffed and rolled her eyes. "I see. Choosing her over us huh."

On the day of the deadline, their subject teacher called Yoohyeon and Yuju in his office.

"Miss Kim and Miss Choi, care to explain why you don't have your outputs passed?" 

The two girls looked at each other, confused.

"Sir, may we see the papers? We're sure that our group passed the outputs." 

The teacher handed them their class' works and they looked for their group's output. Their names weren't on the paper and the group has used their ideas for the output.

"Mr. Lee, we didn't know that our names weren't placed on the papers. I am in R's group with Yoohyeon. They didn't like Yoohyeon in the group and asked me to kick her out. I said they should kick me out too if they do