Once Monday came around it was back to business as usual. I had my classes to get to so the events of the weekend were pushed to the back of my mind. There was the small issue of not finishing an assignment or two but I’d handle those professors when the time came. Presently, I was trying to get my earbuds untangled for the walk to campus when someone started knocking on my door. I called for the person to open the door and to my surprise, it was Yong Guk.

“What do you want? I have class.”

“I know,” he said. “Can we talk? Maybe I can drive you?”

“There’s nothing to talk about Yong Guk,” I said. “You cheated on me. You got my best friend pregnant. There’s absolutely nothing you can say or do to make this situation better. It’s honestly best for you to stay the out of my way.” I picked my bag up off the bed shouldered past him. “If you want this thing you have with Kaci then be my guest but keep it out of my face.”

“But Lita-”

“I don’t want to hear it,” I singsonged. I crossed the apartment and left without another word or backward glance.

Yong Guk was following me. I could hear his footsteps behind me on the stairs. He called out to me as I got to the bottom of the flight. “You have to talk to me at some point, Lita.”

“No, I really don’t, Yong Guk. Please, just leave me the alone.”

“I’m sorry, okay? Let me apologize and we’ll put this behind us.” He jumped down the rest of the stairs and took hold of one of my arms. “Come inside and talk to me. Please?”

I wrenched my arm away. “Don’t touch me!” I yelled. “And if you say something stupid like that again I’ll stab you in your other arm.” I turned and ran before he could reply.

A car drove up next to me while I was running. . Now I’ve got to deal with this. I slowed down and the car pulled over. The driver’s side window came down to reveal Yukwon, one of Zico’s boys. He motioned for me to get in and I did, knowing that would be the easiest option.

“You wanna tell me about that little scene back there?” he asked quietly, driving towards the main part of campus.

“Not particularly,” I mumbled. Yukwon and I weren’t particularly close. Not like Kyung and I were. Yukwon had joined the gang later and though we were the closest in age, he was so quiet it was hard to establish a relationship with him.

“Do it anyway,” Yukwon shot back. “You know Zico will want to know.”

“You don’t have to tell him.”

Yukwon quirked an eyebrow in response.

“It was nothing.”

“So loverboy didn’t just put his hands on you and make you run away?” Yukwon asked in a sarcastic tone.

“It’s a bad breakup. happens. He wanted to talk and didn’t want to take no for an answer. He has a stubborn streak,” I explained.

“Uh huh.”

“I’m telling the truth.”

“That the first time he put his hands on you?” Yukwon asked as he parked illegally in a teacher’s space.

I turned to give him the most incredulous look I could muster. “Are you ing serious? Yong Guk wouldn’t hurt a fly. That isn’t exactly what I’d call ‘putting his hands on me.’ It was just a…an argument.”

“Just getting all the facts.”

I could tell by his tone that Yukwon didn’t believe me but I didn’t bother trying to explain it to him. You couldn’t explain a four year relationship in four minutes. I thanked him for the ride, grabbed my bag from the floor of the car, and got out.

Four classes later – and after talking my professors into giving me an extension on the assignments I’d been too distraught to think about over the weekend – I was walking back to my apartment, blasting music and trying to decide what bit of homework I would tackle first.

When I opened the door to the apartment, I could hear voices. Yong Guk and Kaci were in the living room. Just great. The exact two people I don’t want to see, I thought. The only part of their conversation I heard was about Kaci having a doctor’s appointment the next day before I turned around and left. I didn’t want to walk through them.

I walked to the clubhouse and sat in one of the squishy armchairs. My phone buzzed with a text message almost as soon as I sat down.

Kyung: What’s going on? Why did you go in and then come right back out?

Lita: Mommy and daddy are having a powwow in the middle of the living room. I didn’t feel like dealing with them

Kyung: I’m telling Zico

Lita: No. Kyung, don’t. He’s gonna do something stupid if you do

Kyung: Going by Kwon’s report, this is the second time lover boy’s shown up today. I’ve gotta tell him

Lita:

After losing all my lives in Candy Crush, I grab my notebook out my backpack and started reviewing my notes from Japanese history. My handwriting is horrible, I think as I try to decipher some of the notes scribbled on the pages. As I turn to a new page to rewrite everything in a better script, someone approaches and stands over me.

“Can I help you?” The words are sarcastic and I don’t bother to look up

“Hello, Lita.”

My head snapped up at the voice. It’s Jiho. “What the are you doing here?” I hissed at him.

“Kyung said lover boy was here and he drove you out of your own ing place. You didn’t think I was just going to let that fly, did you?” He pulled up his pants and smirked at me. “Grab your . You’re going home.”

“His name is Yong Guk and Jiho, you need to leave. Seriously, there’s no reason—”

“That wasn’t a request.”

Oh great. Jiho had that dangerous gleam in his eye and I knew he was up to no good.

“Are you going to behave?”

“Did you really just ask me that?”

Jiho crossed the lawn with me towards my apartment. He took my key out my hand and opened the door like he lived there. He didn’t even tell me the plan or give me a minute to get my thoughts together.

“Hi. I’m Lita’s roommate, Kaci.”

The apartment opened up to the kitchen, where Kaci happened to be when Jiho and I walked in. She greeted Jiho like they were old friends and I watched it all silently. Big showoff that he is, Jiho played along with it like the hot mess that he was. He took her hand and kissed the back of it with a wink while I suppressed an eye roll.

“My name is Jiho. It’s nice to meet you. Lita has told me a lot about you.”

“Really? I don’t think she’s mentioned you before.”

Jiho threw me a sideways glance that I shrugged off. “She likes to keep me a secret. I think it’s a jealousy thing, but she denies it.”

“Jealousy?” Kaci repeated. “What does she have to be jealous for?”

“Well you see, Lita and I have known each other for a while now and –”

“Hey Kaci, I’m going to go now.”

The three of us turned to Yong Guk who I’d been hoping wasn’t there. I didn’t want to deal with the showdown between him and Jiho. He looked slightly annoyed, which delighted the little devil inside me.

“Sorry man. I’m Jiho. You must be Yong Guk, right?”

“Yeah. You heard about me?”

“How you broke my Lita’s heart? Yeah, I heard about that.” Jiho shook his head, making his dreads sweep across his shoulders. “Poor, stupid bastard. That was a really brainless thing to do.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Yong Guk asked defensively.

“Oh nothing. I just think you’re going to regret it,” Zico answered. He gave me another look, this one with some hidden meaning that I couldn’t quite read. “Someone might snatch her up and then what will you do?”

There was so much testosterone in the air I could practically smell it.

Yong Guk shook his head, whether in defeat or defiance I couldn’t tell. “I’ll see you guys around.”

“Believe me, yes you will,” Zico said quietly. “Actually, I should get going too,” he said to me. “I left P.O. alone with Jaehyo and you know how P.O. likes to pick on the other one. Plus I’m still trying to figure out what to do with the new kid.”

I nodded. “Yeah, okay. I assume I’ll be hearing from you later?”

The left side of his mouth turned up into a smirk. “You know it.” He bent his head towards Kaci and left. Before the door could close behind him good, I was getting the ‘spill-the-beans’ look from Kaci, which I ignored.

“He’s really cute,” she said.

“You already took one of my men. Don’t even think about this one.”

She held her hands up in defense. “No! No, I didn’t mean it like that. I just meant that you two would be a cute couple.”

“Me and Jiho? Nah, I don’t think so.”

“But he seems to be into you. At least, that’s the vibe I got.”

“You know I’m not really into small talk, especially not with you right now. I’m just gonna go in my room right now.”

“Are you…are you really never going to talk to me again?” Kaci asked. “Do you really never want to be a part of my life? You know, Yong Guk still wants you, despite him annoyingly trying to be honorable and the ‘right thing’ about this whole situation. I can…move aside…”

“Didn’t you say Jiho and I would make a cute couple? Why would you say that and then try to push me at Yong Guk at the same time? It doesn’t matter. I don’t want Yong Guk.”

Kaci cocked her head to the side. “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure,” I replied, and slammed my room door closed.