I stared at the guy sitting a few meters across me inside the practice room. He’s back was leaning on the mirror wall and his outfit is just the usual – black sweater, brown khaki pants (which he wears whenever he is out of his faded jeans), his beloved black vans and of course his glasses.

His gaze was fixated on his phone and his thumbs are moving frantically, maybe playing games in his phone as they wait for the others. Every now and then his lips will part and his eyebrows will furrows as if there’s an exciting thing happening in his games.

Right then, Jongin-oppa’s words rings inside my head. His answer has been stuck inside my head as I grew more curious about Kyungsoo-sshi each day. When I ask him one day why did he first told me that I cannot fall for Kyunsoo-sshi, not that I planned to or whatever. He just laugh at me, shrugging and saying that he was just kidding that day. But then, on his serious and tone he told me that:

“Kyungsoo-hyung, he is…complicated.”

“C-complicated? How so?”

“It’s not my story to tell. You will know, eventually, since I can see you are starting to warm up around EXO now that you’re spending your free time in the practice room. And seeing how curious you are with Kyungsoo-hyung…”

He sighed deeply before his face turned more serious that time. It is the first time I have ever seen him serious besides when he was dancing.

“Please, Hye Joon-ah, not him. Don’t fall for him.”

Warning.

What he said lastly feels like a warning, that I would be playing with fire if ever I would cross that line. At that time I just laugh it off, I felt tense with what he had said and I really don’t plan in falling. But then I ended up wanting to find answer to feed my curiosity badly.

Maybe it was a blessing in disguise what happened to me that day that makes me decide (more like forced to agree with those two protective babies) to spending my free time here in their practice room instead of roaming around the campus or being inside the library.

**

Today is Friday and this marks the end of our examination week (hell week as per Sehun). I am feeling happy since my last exam for the preliminary period had just ended and that just means that I am finally free of stress (kind of, but I’m giving myself a pause to take a rest and break before studying again). Oppa, Sehun and I agreed to go to the mall and catch a movie to unwind since they won’t be having practice today.

I was walking towards the main library entrance since I still got some time for myself (yes, I’m still a loner, though I got a friend now, Minhee, but since she is a shiftee from other course we don’t have the same schedule) because oppa and Sehun’s class has not yet ended. I decided to spend my time inside the library to cool myself off as today feels hotter than the other days and it is still in the middle of October.

I was about to enter the door when it sensed me when a group of girls – 3 actually, appeared beside me. One of them tightly grabbed my elbow and forcefully dragged me to the left side of the building that is almost unnoticeable to others because of the large tree by its side.

“H-hey, let go of me. Excuse me.” I said as I tried to pry my elbow from her hold but she held me tighter and I could feel her long nails starting to pierce in my skin. This would definitely leave a mark later on as I could slowly feel the sting from it.

I also tried to stop walking but the other two just forcefully push me on my back that I almost tripped. I turned my head back to look at them but they just glared at me.

“W-what is wrong with you? What do you want from me?” I asked them as I continue struggling, my voice started to stutter. My heart beats quickens its pace and I am starting to feel the fear. I tried to reach for my phone but it was inside my bag, which one of them held away from me awhile ago.

“H-hey, l-let me go.” My body is slowly reacting and I can feel that I’m slightly shaking but I held it down. I gulped hard and breathe deeply.

When we reached the left side of the library, the one holding me let go of my elbow before pushing me hard on the wall. My back hits the wall too hard and I grunted in respond.

“S-seriously, who are you? What do you-“ I haven’t finished my sentence when I felt a sting on my left cheek. I held it with my hands as I could feel it bruising. One of them slapped me, and I don’t even know what wrong did I do!

“Shiz, what the hell?” I asked them, I am starting to get angry at them. I don’t physically hurt people as I personally believe that it is not right to hit others. But I am also not the kind of person who will keep quiet and let others hurt me.

“That is for coming too close to my oppa.” The one who slap me, said angrily. I was about to turn my head towards her when the other one grabbed my hair harshly, forcing me to look at her.

I winced in pain as I felt her hand tightens as if she wants to strip of my hair out of my head. I tried grabbing her hair to fight back but the other two was quick to hold my arms and they force me to kneel. My head fell down but the one holding my hair lifted up my head using her other hand, her nails digging through my cheeks.

“You . You don’t even know what difficulties we need to go through just to get them notice us. While you, just because you are Jongin-oppa’s cousin, every one in EXO notices you!” she said angrily and slapped me hard.

My eyes widens in surprise because of the impact of her slap as well as what I’ve heard from her. All this, hurting me and bullying, just because I am oppa’s cousin? Just because I can talk to several of them once in a while? I am not even close to them!

“You are just an average girl! How dare you take advantage of Jongin-oppa just so you could be close to the whole group?”

“I don’t-“ but the sentence I was about to say was left unfinished because they started attacking me. I just close my eyes and cover my face with my arms as I accept every blow they give.

“!”

“User!”

“!”

They didn’t stop hitting me as they call me names – names that I was never of. Names that do not define me. This is why I never wanted to go back to their practice room and to be close