For the next few days, Jiwoo notices Minhyuk not sitting with her at lunch anymore, and because Minhyuk is no longer sitting with Jiwoo, she is no longer sitting with Taeyang. Taeyang is sitting alone again. Minhyuk is sitting at another girl’s table. He’s smiling at her like how he used to smile to Jiwoo.

“But he’s like that with everyone,” Jiwoo tells herself.

“What’s wrong,” Hye Mi asks Jiwoo.

“Nothing,” Jiwoo replies.

“Liar.”

Jiwoo sighs. “I guess I got used to Minhyuk sitting with me. Seeing him sit with another girl feels weird.”

“But he’s like that with everyone.”

“I know.” Jiwoo shakes her head. “I must be out of my mind.”

“Do you like him?”

“Minhyuk,” Jiwoo asks surprised. “Of course not.”

“Why does it seem like you changed when I was gone.”

“Did I?”

A week passes. Minhyuk is no longer talking to Jiwoo, and Jiwoo is barely talking to Taeyang now. Jiwoo is seeing Minhyuk talking to another girl, and Taeyang is always with them.

“Is that how it was when they were with me,” Jiwoo asks herself.

During break one day, Taeyang angrily hops out of his seat. He barges out the door. Jiwoo stares at him surprised.

“What’s wrong,” Hye Mi asks.

“I’m not sure,” Jiwoo replies.

“Didn’t you hear,” a female student asks them. “He and his brother are fighting over a girl.”

“They’re what,” Jiwoo asks.

“Don’t you see them always with the same girl? I thought the same thing would happen to you since they were always with you at one point, but I guess not.”

“Are they fighting right now,” Hye Mi asks.

“I guess. They’re always glaring at each other. A fight is bound to happen anytime soon.”

A male student comes running by. “Minhyuk and Taeyang are fighting on the second floor,” the student shouts. He runs away.

Everyone starts running out. Jiwoo and Hye Mi look at each other. “Want to go,” Hye Mi asks.

Jiwoo shakes her head.

 “Let’s go.” She drags Jiwoo out the door.

There is already a crowd surrounding them.

“How can they be fighting right now,” a female student asks.

“I hope Minhyuk wins,” another female student says. “If Taeyang wins, he’s just going to assault her like his last victim.”

“Guys,” a girl cries. “Please stop fighting!”

Hye Mi drags Jiwoo to the front of the crowd.

Minhyuk is on the ground. His lips are bleeding.

Taeyang is hovering over him. His hands in a tight fist.

“What’s going on,” a teacher shouts. He cuts through the students. “Stop!” He pulls Taeyang off of Minhyuk. “What happened?”

“Taeyang punched Minhyuk,” a male student says.

“Why did you do that,” the teacher asks Taeyang.

Taeyang doesn’t say a word. He is still fuming in anger.

“First,” the teacher says. “Let’s take them to the nurse’s office.”

“Sure,” the girl who cried said.

“She must be the girl they’re fighting over,” Jiwoo tells herself.

The girl walks over to Minhyuk and wraps her arms around his. “Minhyuk, let’s go,” she says. “Does it hurt?” Minhyuk winces in pain as they walk off.

“Let’s go to the nurse’s office,” the teacher tells Taeyang.

Taeyang walks away. 

“Where are you going,” the teacher asks.

“I don’t want to see him right now,” Taeyang says.

“Fine,” the teacher shouts. “Come afterwards! I need to question you!”

Taeyang makes his way to the rooftop. He leans on the edge of the wall. Taeyang takes a few deep breaths to calm him down.

“I have to go to the bathroom,” Jiwoo tells Hye Mi. “You can go back first.”

“Okay,” Hye Mi says. Hye Mi heads back to the classroom.

Instead of going to the bathroom, Jiwoo follows Taeyang to the rooftop. She hesitates to open the door to see what Taeyang is doing. When she gathers her courage, Jiwoo opens the door and sees Taeyang throwing a punch to the wall. Jiwoo gasps.

Taeyang turns around. When he sees Jiwoo. He just lets out a sigh.

Jiwoo takes a step toward Taeyang. “Are you okay,” she asks him.

“Why are you here,” Taeyang asks.

“I don’t know,” Jiwoo replies.

“Go. I want to be alone.”

“You should go to the nurse’s office.”

Taeyang doesn’t say anything.

“Minhyuk should be out by now,” Jiwoo says.

Taeyang starts walking toward Jiwoo. 

She steps aside, and Taeyang walks past her.

“He looks so angry,” Jiwoo tells herself. “He looks scary when he’s angry.” She feels her heart increase. She follows him down the stairs. 

Taeyang heads to the nurse’s office. No one is there. Taeyang turns around to leave, but instead, he bumps into Jiwoo. 

Jiwoo stumbles back.

“Sorry,” she apologizes immediately.

“Why are you following me,” Taeyang asks.

“I don’t know,” she replies. She is still a little scared. She can feel herself trembling.

Taeyang takes a step, but Jiwoo stops him.

“You’re just going to go,” Jiwoo asks.

“No one is here,” Taeyang replies.

“This will be another payback,” Jiwoo says.

Taeyang is sitting on a bed, and Jiwoo is next to him. She carefully disinfects the cut on his cheek.

“Too close,” Jiwoo tells herself. “We’re too close.” She internally screams. “Don’t tremble. Be still.”

She bandages the cut.

“Thank you,” Taeyang says.

He stands up, but Jiwoo grabs his hand.

“Where are you going,” Jiwoo asks. “There’s still your hand.”

Taeyang stares at their hands. Jiwoo immediately lets go. Taeyang sits down. Jiwoo takes Taeyang’s hand and carefully disinfects the cut. He gasps and pulls his hand away.

“Sorry,” Jiwoo apologizes.

She carefully takes Taeyang’s hand again and finishes disinfecting it. She puts some medicine on it. Then, she wraps up his hand.

“There,” Jiwoo says. “All done.”

“Thank you,” Taeyang says.

“Taeyang,” Jiwoo says quietly. “Why did you hit Minhyuk?”

Taeyang doesn’t speak. He only sighs.

“He didn’t do anything wrong did he,” Jiwoo asks. “I overheard our classmates saying that you two are fighting over a girl.”

“I wasn’t fighting over a girl with Minhyuk,” Taeyang says.

“Then, why did you hit him?”

“I can’t tell you.”

“Because I’m not the teacher?”

“Even if you were the teacher, I won’t say it.” He stands up and walks away.

Jiwoo heads back to class.

“Where did you go,” Hye Mi asks Jiwoo. “Did your stomach hurt?”

“I bumped into Taeyang,” Jiwoo tells Hye Mi.

“What happened,” Hye Mi asks concerned.

Jiwoo shakes her head.

The next day, Taeyang doesn’t show up to school.

“I heard he got expelled,” a student says. “A ual assaulter and an abuser.” She shakes her head.

Taeyang comes back two weeks later. He looks the same to Jiwoo. He still doesn’t talk, and he doesn’t smile.

After school, Jiwoo and Hye Mi are walking home. Minhyuk is with them this time.

“Sorry I couldn’t walk you home all this time,” Minhyuk says.

“It’s fine,” Jiwoo replies.

Hye Mi nods her head.

“Why did Taeyang hit you that day,” Jiwoo asks breaking the silence between them.

“There must’ve been some miscommunication,” Minhyuk says. “He thought I was playing with Yura and warned me not to. He didn’t want me to end up like him. He’s so sweet.”

Jiwoo and Hye Mi nod their heads. 

Minhyuk drops them off a block away from their houses and leaves.

At school the next day, Jiwoo is about to enter her classroom, but she sees and hears Minhyuk talking to Taeyang.

“I’m going to confess to her again,” Minhyuk says.

“Who,” Taeyang asks. “Jiwoo?”

Minhyuk nods his head.

“Are you being serious,” Taeyang asks.

“Of course,” Minhyuk says.

“If you’re not, don’t mess with her.”

Minhyuk chuckles. “Why are you being protective again? Do you like her too?”

“I don’t want the same thing to happen twice,” Taeyang says.

“I told you it’s not.”

“Why don’t I trust you?”

“That’s your problem. You need to learn to trust.”

Jiwoo hides behind the wall.

“What does Taeyang mean,” Jiwoo says.

Later that day, Minhyuk confesses to Jiwoo like he said he would, but Jiwoo rejects him.

"I only see you as a friend," Jiwoo says. She can see the hurt on his face.

"Still," he asks. "I thought time would change how you thought about me."

"I'm very grateful for everything you've been doing for me, but I can't see this working out."

Minhyuk nods his head.

After that, Minhyuk stopped hanging out with Jiwoo, and Taeyang stopped showing up to school.

[Four years later]

Hye Mi and Jiwoo are having dinner. As they dine, they laugh and reminisce about the old times.

“It’s been so long,” Hye Mi says.

“I know. I wonder what everyone is doing,” Jiwoo says. “Did everyone get into the college they wanted to go to?”

“Did some go to college at all?”

They laugh.

“Maybe some are like me,” Jiwoo says. “They had no idea what they wanted to go to college for but went anyway.”

“High school was tough,” Hye Mi says.

“I know. I’m just glad you and I graduated from college. We no longer have to worry about school.”

“The freedom is great!”

“Agreed!”

"Jiwoo," a guy asks. 

Jiwoo turns her head. 

"It is you," he smiles.

Jiwoo recognizes the smile.

"Minhyuk," Jiwoo asks.

"Yes," he says. "And Hye Mi right?"

Hye Mi smiles and nods her head.

"Oh my gosh," Minhyuk says happily. "Fancy seeing you two here. Have you been well?"

"Yeah," Jiwoo replies.

"May I join you," Minhyuk asks.

"Sure," Hye Mi and Jiwoo say. 

He sits next to Jiwoo.

"What have you been up to," Hye Mi asks.

"I'm training to be my father's next chairman to his company," Minhyuk answers.

"You mean the huge cell phone company?"

He nods his head.

"Woah! Congratulations," Hye Mi says.

"Thank you," Minhyuk smiles. “What about you two?”

“I cut people’s hair and do their make up,” Hye Mi replies.

“Cool!”

“I’m still searching for a job,” Jiwoo replies.

“That’s fine,” Minhyuk replies. “If you need help, ask me. I’m willing to give you a position.”

“Thank you.” But Jiwoo will never call him. "You're still very smiley," Jiwoo says.

"Yeah," Minhyuk asks. "People say I have a killer smile, so I always try to show it."

"They're right," Hye Mi says.

Minhyuk smiles again. "Look, it was great seeing you again, but I have to go. We should meet up sometime."

"Sure," Hye Mi says.

Jiwoo nods her head.

"Bye!" Minhyuk waves.

The women wave back.

"He hasn't changed at all," Hye Mi says.

"Yes he did," Jiwoo says. "He's not in his school uniform anymore."

"Right. He's in a suit, and that makes him look even more handsome. Imagine the girls in our class. They'd fall in love with him all over again."

Jiwoo shakes her head.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A/N: Sorry for the delay. School is kicking my ! >_<