“Are you going to stare at me the whole night or are you going to actually drink that glass of soju in front of you?”

Jongin blinked, feeling embarrassed that Minjung caught him staring. He cleared his throat and picked up his glass, downing it at once.

“What happened a while ago feels so surreal,” Jongin admitted. He watched a smile form on Minjung’s face while she cut the meat into little pieces.

“Well, he had it coming,” she commented before placing some pieces of meat on Jongin’s plate.

“Thank you,” he muttered, moving his plate closer to him. The realization that Minjung actually heard him and Jinwoo talking came to him once again. He pursed his lips, picking up the courage to ask the question which is poking his brain. “Were you supposed to go on a date with him?”

Minjung paused for a second before going back to what she was doing. She put down the scissors and thong. “That wasn’t even a date.” She picked up her drink and slowly drank it. “Besides, I don’t date. Not anymore.”

“Why?”

Panic flashed like lightning in Jongin’s mind when he threw that one word without thinking. Minjung lifted her face and met his gaze. Her eyes look really pretty. That’s the first thing that came to his mind and he mentally slapped himself.

Minjung’s lips curved upwards into a half-smile. “Just because.”

Okay, that’s the cue to stop asking. Jongin reached for the bottle of soju and poured another drink for Minjung.

“So how many years was it?”

Jongin gave her a confused look. “How many years was what?”

“The bullying,” she replied without missing a beat.

Jongin felt like he was punched right on the abdomen, shooing all the air in his body. Minjung’s gaze did not waver but his did. He looked down at the table. He knows she could read him – his actions. Was that written all over his face like what Junmyeon said about his little crush on her? He has no idea.

“Two years.” His voice sounded almost inaudible. He sighed. He hated being weak – being affected by what happened in the past. He then looked up, meeting Minjung’s eyes. He forced a smile on his face to look like he’s all over it. “But then again, it’s high school so it’s like a normal thing.”

“No, it’s not normal. Bullying will never be normal.”

The smile on Jongin’s face faded. Minjung’s right. She’s so damn right. His entire being got affected because of what the bullies did. His confidence hit the bottom and it took him a lot of effort to build whatever he has now. It was hard starting from scratch. And he was never the same again. They broke him, robbed him of his dignity and laughed at him like it was the right thing to do.

“It’s sickening how people can treat their own,” Minjung uttered and Jongin detected despise and disgust in her tone.

“How many years was it for you?”

“12 years,” she coolly replied. She picked her chopsticks and continued eating as if that was the most normal thing to do after dropping the news that she’s been bullied for 12 years.

His mind’s processing the information. He was picked on for 2 years but she went through that for 12 freaking years. He felt like he was living in hell during those years. He could only wonder how Minjung survived.

“Pitiful, isn’t it?” Minjung asked as she looked back at him. “Do you think I’m pitiful?”

Jongin’s lips formed a thin line as he pressed them tightly. “No. You’re not pitiful at all.”

Minjung looked surprised as if she heard an answer which she was not expecting at all.

“You’re awesome,” Jongin added and she just stared. “To have been through those 12 years and surviving it, making a name for yourself and being this grounded despite your success makes you awesome. So no, you’re not pitiful.”

Her eyes searched his as if trying to make sure that he’s not just saying empty words. After some seconds, a bright smile appeared on her face.

“Wow, I didn’t know I actually wanted to hear those words. Thank you.” A hint of pink become visible on her cheeks. Jongin wanted to stop time and just stare at her. She looked genuinely moved and he swore he would say those words a million times just to see her that happy.

Minjung raised her glass and Jongin raised his as well after noticing that she wanted to make a toast.

“To defeating all those bullies,” she said.

He stared at her, surprised to hear that. A smile tugged on his lips nonetheless. “To defeating all those bullies,” he repeated.

“Cheers.”

Minjung plopped down on her sofa as soon as she reached her living room. Happy and Hunter greeted her happily, wagging their tails and jumping at her for a kiss. She lazily placed her hands on their heads and ruffled them like always.

She can’t believe she opened up to Jongin about a sensitive topic just like that. Maybe it was because she knew that he experienced it too. She feels comfortable around him and it makes her lower her guard.

When Jinwoo approached Jongin at the coffee shop, she knew there was something in there. She could just feel the tension between them despite all the smiles Jinwoo was throwing. He noticed how Jongin acted uncomfortable. She knew the tell-tales because she’s had first-hand experience.

She was testing the waters when she agreed to grab some coffee with Jinwoo. The latter decided that it was a date but Minjung never thought of it as a date.

She held back the urge to punch Jinwoo when she heard him talking dirty behind her back when she noticed how Jongin was getting worked up in her defense. And so, she hid and tried to listen to what they were talking about.

Jongin’s personality surprises her every now and then. He looks strong and dependable yet fragile at the same time.

A small smile came to her face when his words echoed in her mind.

“You’re awesome.”

He took her by surprise back there. Who would’ve known that such words would make her heart skip a beat? The smile faded when she realized something. Her heart actually skipped a bit – like why would she react like that? Her brows furrowed.

“No, it’s not like that,” she muttered. What I’m feeling is sympathy. Nothing more. She sat up and stared at her boys.

“Right?” she asked Happy and he happily barked. “You agree too, right?” She then turned to Hunter who quickly looked away. “Hunter?”

He refused to look back. Instead, he started walking to the kitchen to where their plates were. A chuckle left her lips. “Of course, you’re hungry.” She stood and dragged her heavy body to the kitchen. Happy followed her right away.

She stared at the two as they munched their food like there’s no tomorrow. “Hunter.”

He looked at her before going back to his food. “You agree, right?”