pringles
PARADOXirene didn't come to school that monday. to your dismay, she was absent the whole week.
you're not sure if she's really absent or if she's just cutting classes again. you got your answer that friday afternoon when you saw her waiting on the school bench alone. one of their family cars came to pick her up.
so, she's going to school but isn't attending her classes with you.
is she avoiding you? why would she avoid you?
---
days went by and she keeps on skipping her classes with you.
it's been almost two weeks now since that acquaintance party night. how you wish you could turn back the time and do it all over again.
especially the part where she kissed you.
"beep! beep! beep! beep!"
a speeding car heading your direction disturbed your thoughts. you were ready to jump and roll on the ground to avoid it but the car stopped suddenly with its breaks screeching.
you can't see the person inside because of the tinted windows. the driver went out. it's simon. you rolled your eyes.
"are you dumb!" he slammed his door closed and walked towards you.
"i'm not," you said nonchalantly.
"then why the hell are you walking here in the parking lot like you're walking on the moon?" he asked. you could smell his breath. this dude had some drinks.
"as far as i am concerned, all the students who go to the dojo use this route in the parking area," you explained calmly. "if you weren't running at forty--"
"sixty," he corrected you.
you can't believe he's even proud of it. "sixty? you're only allowed to go up to twenty around the campus and you're running at sixty?"
"the hell you care?" he snarled. "mind your own business!"
you rolled your eyes, couldn't believe that a person with the level of his intelligence exists.
"i was minding mine until you almost ran over and killed me a while ago."
simon grabbed you by your collar. you could see the anger in his eyes. "look, if you think you could scare me with your kung fu then you're wrong..."
you stared at him apathetically. "look, i'm not trying to scare you, okay? i was just talking about the car speed. also, it's not kung fu, it's aikido."
"whatever. that lame karate is just for losers like you." he lets go of you and walked back to his car.
okay. that was below the belt. you hate it when people are degrading such art.
"yeah, because aikido is no place for dumb people like you," you spat, and that's when he snapped.
he turned to you, his eyes fuming. he grabbed your collar again. "what did you say!"
"i said you're dumb! even at basketball, you're still lame!" you answered him back.
simon's nose flared. "you know what, i am so itching to punch you in the face now knowing that you won't be able to fight me back."
but he's right. it's the school's strict policy for aikido members to not use their skills against any students or teachers of the school, even outside school premises. such violation could cause being kicked out of the club and worse, for you, it would cost you your scholarship.
the door on the passenger's side of simon's car opened. and your eyes could have fallen out of from their sockets due to surprise.
"simon, will you stop that?" said irene, pushing the car door closed.
"but she's--"
"leave her alone, okay?" warned irene, hooking her bag on her shoulder. she has not spared you a glance til now. "if a disciplinary officer catches you, you'll be spending your entire week in detention again."
simon groaned, finally letting you go. you heard him mutter 'lucky you' before he went to irene.
you felt your heart crushing in pieces when he wrapped his arm around her shoulders while they walk towards the cafeteria.
they left you standing there, completely lost.
why is she letting him do that? didn't he plan on ually assaulting her?
to make it worse, you can't take the image of simon's arm on irene's shoulder off your mind.
maybe you were really wrong for saving her that night.
---
you sprained your right wrist that afternoon during your aikido training due to lack of focus.
---
surprisingly, irene came to your class the next day.
she was happily chatting with her friends when you spotted her.
your eyes met for a fraction of a second before her eyes landed on your bandaged wrist. she looks away a few seconds later like she doesn't care at all.
she's still sitting with her friends: yongsun, jimin, sooyoung, and yerim. nothing's changed. it was like nothing happened at all. you were wrong when you thought she'll avoid them after that incident.
hyojung was helpful. she's the one who took notes for you since you can't properly use your right hand. some of your classmates were teasing you again. seuljung shippers are increasing and getting louder minute by minute.
irene immediately stormed out of the room after the bell rang. her friends were staring at each other, startled.
"what's wrong with her?" asked yongsun.
"i dunno, she's been in a bad mood since this morning," said yerim. she turned to yongsun. "did something happen between her and her mom again?"
yongsun shrugged. all of them went out too to follow irene.
---
a box of fifteen-pack pringles with four flavours gets delivered to you that afternoon. according to the delivery boy it was sent anonymously.
aside from few aikido club members, hyojung and byulyi, you can't think of anyone else with the motive to send that.
the same boxes keep coming daily, every afternoon. you started bringing it to school to save you money instead of buying one from the cafeteria.
and after a few days, the boxes doubled. you are now receiving two boxes of fifteen-pack pringles. you can never be happier.
now you are more curious about your secret santa.
but two boxes are too much for you to consume alone so you brought the other box in school and gave pringles to your classmates.
everyone whistled and cheered when you handed hyojung one can.
after that, the delivery went down from two boxes to one box daily.
you're not sure what happened.
---
you never got the chance to talk to irene again. you still catch her looking at your direction once in a while. but then she just looks away like nothing happened.
it's clear to you now that what happened weeks ago is just like a thing she wanted to keep from her friends.
---
it was raining hard that morning.
you came to school early and saw some students hanging outside the room. you saw hyojung walking ahead of you. not too far from her, irene's gang, who are also waiting outside the room, noticed her.
"good morning, hyojung..." yongsun greeted.
hyojung continued walking, pretending she heard nothing.
"hey, girl, i'm still talking to you," said yongsun. "you enough to ignore me now, huh?"
hyojung turned to them, hands on her waist. "okay. what's your problem?"
you blinked. you have never seen hyojung acted that way before.
"oh. she's developed a backbone now, huh?" said jimin. irene, yerim, and sooyoung were silently watching. "nobody turns their back on yongsun when she's talking. don't you know that?"
hyojung smiled sarcastically. "i had done it and i will still do it because you're not worthy of my time." she then turned around and continued walking.
"wow look at that," said yongsun, clapping. "just because seulgi is always with you does not mean you can start acting like a y princess now."
you blinked again, not sure what it has to do with you.
but you remember irene telling you before how some of her friends adore you. could it be yongsun?
hyojung stopped for a second, turned to them with a wry smile. "what? are you jealous? get over it. you're not her type."
feeling humiliated, yongsun grabbed hyojung by her arm. knowing what will happen, you marched forward to them in a hurry. yongsun raised her free hand for a slap and you stopped it midair by holding her wrist firmly.
"get your dirty hands off her," you warned.
yongsun jerked back when she saw you, her eyes filled with shock. "s-seulgi--"
"i said, get your dirty hands off hyojung."
without second thoughts, yongsun lets go of hyojung's hand.
you went to hyojung. "are you all right?"
hyojung nodded, massaging her hand with the other. "thanks."
yongsun came closer to you. "seulgi, w-we were just--"
"shut up," you said, with a hint of anger. it's just now you realised they don't bully hyojung when you're around.
you turned and looked at the entire gang. you're not sure what's gotten into you but you had to say what's on your mind.
"if anyone of you touches or bullies her again, i swear, i don't care if i got kicked out of this school, but i'm gonna make you all pay for it."
yongsun and jimin gasped. sooyoung is poker-faced. yerim covered with a hand. irene is just staring directly at you. you can't read what's on her mind.
you don't know how to react to her glare but it made you feel something is over. your friendship has ended right even before it started.
you think it's best you're like this. you shouldn't hope for anything anymore. to be with her is just too impossible to happen.
"seulgi..." as you are about to leave, yongsun called you. "are you dating hyojung?"
you wanted the deny it but you need to protect hyojung too. so, you settled for something safe.
"it's none of your business," you said before holding hyojung's hand and pulling her into the classroom.
shouts and whistles of seuljung shippers echoed on that floor after.
not a single can of pringles was delivered to you that afternoon.
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