4. Becoming Official

Summer had ended and school starts for Chaeyeon and her friends. Most of the girls go to IZ University beside Yujin and Wonyoung who go to IZ Middle School and Eunbi who had already graduated the previous year. Chaeyeon, Yena, and Yuri are all in the same classes as business management majors. Sakura was a game design major, while Nako and Hitomi are finance and dance major respectively.

Despite all the girls being busy with work or school, they still find time to meet up on weekends. Chaeyeon and Sakura would frequently go on study or ice cream dates by themselves after school, with Sakura picking up Chaeyeon from class every time, causing chaos every time because Sakura was one of the pretty girls in school. Chaeyeon was happy that her life might turn for the better, however, life was unfair because she nearly forgot about Hyewon and Minju. Chaeyeon was still being bullied, the two bullies would occasionally pull Chaeyeon into the restroom and beat her up repeatedly, or they would prevent her from going to work or home by dragging her to the rooftop to beat her up. Chaeyeon would not tell her friends about it until one day she showed up to the bookcafe late looking like she did the first time Yena and Yuri found out about her bullies shocking all her friends in the process, especially her unnies and Sakura.

“Hey unnie sorry I am late for work.” Chaeyeon as she walks into the bookcafe, only to be greeted with her friends' shocked faces.

“Ya! What happened to you Chaeyeon!?” Yena shouted as she and Yuri rush over to Chaeyeon to check her wounds and her hearing aids, while the others stand and watch with worried expressions.

“Um, nothing I just tripped, that is all.” Chaeyeon lied, not wanting to worries her unnies or friends.

“It was Hyewon and Minju was it not! Jjaeyeon answer me!” Sakura shouted not believing the sight her injured best friend in front of her.

Not wanting to keep from her friends anymore Chaeyeon told them the truth. She told them how Hyewon and Minju had been bullying her since school started. How they would pull her out of the hallway into the restroom to beat her up. How they would drag her to the rooftop after school to beat her up, making her late to work several times.

“Ya! Why did you not tell us! We told you to tell us whenever this happens! You only tell us about your mom beating you up, you never mentioned Hyewon and Minju!” Yuri said as she starts crying her precious sister.

“I did not want to worry you and Yena unnie and I did not want to worry you guys as well,” Chaeyeon said as she hugs Yuri while looking at her friends.

“Jjaeyeon that is why we are here, we are here for you Jjaeyeon. Do tell us next time ok?” Sakura said as she pulls Chaeyeon into a tight hug.

“Yea should tell us whenever this happens!” the girls all said together as they joined in the hugs.

“I promise you guys. I will tell you whenever it happens again, I promise.” Chaeyeon said as she hugs her friends tightly, grateful knowing that her friends are there for her.

Everything changed after Chaeyeon came clean about Hyewon and Minju bullying her since school started. Yena or Yuri would always be with her in classes that they shared. Sakura would always pick her up from class and walk her to work or home with Nako and Hitomi in tow. Whenever she had dance class at The Dance Academy, Eunbi would personally come to pick her up from school. There was never a time she was alone, leaving no opening for Hyewon or Minju to bully her. However, luck was never on her side.

It was another day at school, Sakura was accompanying her to her classes because both Yena and Yuri were absent due to sickness. So Chaeyeon had to attend classes alone today.

“Ok, Jjaeyeon are you sure you will be ok for the day?” Sakura asked while holding Chaeyeon’s hands.

“I will be fine Saku-chan. Hyewon and Minju have not been bothering me at all for the past few weeks.” Chaeyeon said as she reassures Sakura that she would be ok for the day.

“Ok well text me if you need me, other than that I will see you later.”

“Ok, I will see you later Saku-chan,” Chaeyeon said as she waves Sakura goodbye.

Chaeyeon spent the rest of the day going to her classes alone. She was thankful that Hyewon and Minju had not been bothering her for the last few weeks, but she knew it was only because she was always accompanied by her unnies or Sakura. So she was cautious for the day, not knowing when Hyewon and Minju would appear. Chaeyeon went to all her classes for the day and not encountering Hyewon or Minju. She was waiting for Sakura to pick her when she received a text from Sakura telling her that she will be a little late because her class is running behind. Sakura told Chaeyeon to stay in her classroom and to not go anywhere and to wait for her which Chaeyeon agrees to. Since Sakura was going to be a little late, Chaeyeon decided to do some homework. It was quiet because the class had ended so everyone already left, until…

“Well well well, look who it is Hyewon unnie,” Minju said ask she and Hyewon walks into the classroom.

“Well, it is our ‘good’ friend Chaeyeon!” Hyewon said as they walk over to Chaeyeon.

“W.w.what do you want?” Chaeyeon said as she begins shaking from fear.

“We just want to have a little fun, we have not seen you in so long. Right, Minju?” Hyewon as she pulls Chaeyeon out of her chair by the collar then throwing her on the floor.

“Yeah, we just wanted to hang out with our ‘good’ friend who we have not seen in a while,” Minju said before kicking Chaeyeon a few times in the stomach.

“We could not say hi to you these past few weeks because of those girls,” Hyewon said as she lifts Chaeyeon up slapping her hard across the face multiple times.

“Those girls are my friends.” Chaeyeon tried to say before being hit again by Minju.

“Shut up! Friends huh, yeah right who wants to be friends with you? Who wants to friends with a girl with a disability like you?” Hyewon said before she yanks Chaeyeon hearing aids out of her ears as she winces in pain.

“Please stop! Please do not break them, please!” Chaeyeon pleads only to be slapped again by Minju.

“Oh yeah well who is going to stop me! Your friend?” Hyewon said as she slowly lifts her hands up preparing to throw the hearing aids on the ground.

“Yes, her friend!” a voice shouted as Chaeyeon looks to see, only to meet Sakura worrying eyes.

“Well, I stand corrected, someone is willing to save you but it would all be in vain,” Hyewon said as she proceeds t