Things have been going pretty well between Kyungmi and Kyungwoo. They have opened up to show more affection toward each other but still have their bickering conversations and treat each other like best friends. She prefers that relationship rather than having Kyungwoo for 24 hours as Jooyoung does to Jarim. Speaking of the devil, Kyungmi overheard Jooyoung talking as he brought Jarim to the convenience store from her locker. She couldn’t help but laugh at his cute gestures toward Jarim, who still seemed unfazed about them. 

 

“Let’s go to the snack shop. I’ll treat you today “. Jooyoung said, and Kyungmi sighed at sight. “I wish Jarim could at least smile at him once at a time. “ 

“Would you hold still? “. Jarim told him. “Hurry up, and let’s go before break time ends. “ 

“You must be hungry. “ Jooyoung said cutely and turned to her. “What would you like? Our Jarim’s favorite bread is cheese bread “. Kyungmi chuckled and shook her head as she cleaned the inside of her locker a little while looking for the textbook she needed. She halted when she heard someone talking about Jarim and turned around to see the girls that were bad-mouthing at Jarim a few days ago. 

“She’s pretty impressive. “ The girl with bangs and ponytail said. “It’s not easy to sponge off someone that much. “ 

“I feel sorry for him every time I see them. “ The girl with long hair said. 

“They are bad-mouthing her again. “ Kyungmi mentally sighed as she shook her head. “Won’t they get tired of that? “. 

“Yah, I need to go to the bathroom. Go ahead “. Kyungmi looked up to see Jarim facing Jooyoung as the latter nodded at her. 

“Yeah! All right. I’ll meet you at the snack store “. Jooyoung beamed as he waved at her before leaving as Jarim made her way toward the girls. Kyungmi closed her locker with a textbook in hand and crossed her arms while leaning herself against her locker, watching with cautiousness in case the girls gave Jarim a hard time. 

“Excuse me. What was that just now? “. Jarim asked them. 

“About what? “. The girl with long hair arched an eyebrow with her arms crossed. 

“What did you just say? “. Jarim demanded them. “You said something about Gong Jooyoung. “ 

“Ah~. “ The girl with the ponytail smirked at her. “I feel sorry for Gong Jooyoung. “ 

“What? “. Jarim frowned at her.

“You’re pretending you don’t know. You’re playing with Gong Jooyoung “. The girl with the ponytail mockingly told her. “The rumors have spread in our school. “ 

“Now that I think about it…..there have been rumors about Jarim and I going around lately….”. Kyungmi thought as she looked back at the three girls. 

“You should make it less noticeable. Every time I see him, he’s always looking out for you “. The girl with long hair said. 

“Exactly! “. The girl with the ponytail chuckled. Kyungmi sighed as she slowly approached them. 

“Wow~ I didn’t know you guys were so worried about Jooyoung. “ Kyungmi smirked at them as she stood next to Jarim. “I wonder why? “. 

“What’s with you? “. The girl with long hair looked at her with a scoff. 

“Ah~ you must be Choi Kyungmi “. The girl with the ponytail smirked at her as she crossed her arms. “Must be nice that you are dating a handsome guy after replacing the other one...what was his name again? “. She hummed before looking at her. “Jo Seungmin! That was his name! What a pity for him that you looked only for handsome guys “. Kyungmi’s lips twitched a little in irritation as she forced a smile. 

“So what was the rumor about? I dumped Jo Seungmin because of Lee Kyungwoo? “. 

“Isn’t that true? “. The girl with long hair looked at her with her arms crossed. “Everyone already knows that you only dated him to attract handsome guys like Lee Kyungwoo, and when he broke up with his girlfriend, you took this chance to date him. What a pitiful guy. And let’s not talk about Kim Hyukjae, who you dated when you dated Jo Seungmin. Poor him “. 

“Oh my. “ Kyungmi scoffed with amusement about what she was hearing. “Are you saying that after hearing the real story? “. 

“Even though you cleaned your name with evidence, that doesn’t mean we ultimately believe in you. “ The girl with the ponytail retorted. “We know what kind of girl you are. “ She then smirked. “We know what you did to Kwak Bogyeong when you guys were in middle school. How could you do that to an innocent friend like her? “. Kyungmi frowned at her statement. “I do remember who Kwak Bogyeong is….but I don’t recall me doing something to her “. “Plus, we don’t believe that you lost your memories in that accident. We know you are faking it so you can attract the attention of everyone while you are cosplaying as a pitiful girl “. 

“Are you done talking? “. Kyungmi took a step forward toward her as she glared at the girl. Jarim made sure to grab her arm to avoid her starting a fight. 

“Yah, let’s go. “ The girl with the ponytail suggested as she and her friend walked away. “Anyway, Jooyoung and Bogyeong made such an adorable couple. “ 

“Exactly. “ The girl with long hair agreed. Kyungmi scoffed in disbelief as she ran her fingers through her hair as glared at the girls leaving. 

“Let's just go. “ Jarim suggested as she linked arms with her and guided her back to their classroom.

 

After lunchtime, Kyungmi and Kyungwoo decided to walk around the field before heading back to class. Kyungmi got immersed in thinking about the conversation from earlier that she didn’t hear Kyungwoo calling her. She snapped out of her thoughts when he rested an arm around her shoulders. 

 

“Yah, are you okay? “. He asked, looking at her with curiosity. “I called you many times, but you weren’t responding. “ 

“Oh...sorry. I was just a little bit distracted “. She explained. 

“Is something bothering you? I saw you weren't eating at all “. He pointed out. 

“Ah….the thing is “. She stopped to look at him properly. “There has been a rumor about me going around these past few days. It’s bothering me….”. 

“What?!”. He exclaimed with annoyance after hearing about it. “Who is the jerk babbling nonsense about you? ”. He demanded. 

“No need to worry about it. “ She assured him as she tried to calm him down. “So he doesn’t know about it yet. Good “. “It’s something I can handle. I need some time to forget about it “. 

“If something happens, don’t hesitate to tell me, okay? “. He pulled her closer as he rubbed her arm. Kyungmi softened at his suggestion and nodded in understanding. He smiled at her, and they began walking together when he received a message from Jooyoung, asking for his presence right now. “Hmm? What does this fool want now? “.

“Is it Jooyoung? “. 

“Yeah, he said he needed to talk to me about something. “ 

“Go then. I can head back to class on my own “. 

“Don’t be ridiculous. “ He said as he grabbed her hand when she moved away from him. “We can hear about it together. Two heads can think better, you know? “. 

“Okay….”. Kyungmi sighed as she gave in and let him guide her to where Jooyoung was. 

 

 

“What? Kwak Bogyeong? “. Kyungwoo looked at his friend in disbelief. 

“Yeah! “. Jooyoung nodded in affirmation after telling him about Bogyeong sending him messages nonstop. Kyungmi listened attentively to it with her arms crossed. “Kwak Bogyeong….so she was Jooyoung’s ex-girlfriend. How didn’t I know about it? I don’t recall her dating someone….I remember telling me she used a guy, pretending to like him….Wow, another wench is getting on my nerves. Perhaps...was she the one who spreads rumors about Jarim and me? “. Kyungmi wondered. “Suddenly! She hasn’t contacted me once all this time...What’s going on? What is this? “. 

“Just ignore her. “ Kyungwoo scoffed at the question. “You have a girlfriend now. “ 

“Of course, I’ll do that. I don’t have any lingering feelings for her “. Jooyoung assured him. “I blocked her on Instagram, but she kept….”. He hummed. “But….”. He glanced at Kyungwoo before shaking his head. “No. I’ll end this by myself. Don’t say anything to Jarim “. Then he looked at Kyungmi. “You too. “ 

“Alright….”. Kyungmi nodded in understanding as she looked away with her thoughts lingering in her mind. Kyungwoo stared at her and wondered if she was familiar with Kwak Bogyeong, but he decided to ask her after school. 

 

The boys and Kyungmi arrived at the internet cafe and began playing a few rounds of LoL. But today, she wasn’t in the best condition to play, and that was notorious for how she was losing. 

“Jeez. “ Kyungmin sighed as he took his headphones off and looked at her with disappointment. “Yah, is our star player dead? Hello~? “. 

“Oh…”. Kyungmi blinked in realization and looked at them with guilt. “Sorry….”. She sighed as she rubbed her forehead in tiredness. 

“Yah, Choi Kyungmi...you keep showing us your weak side. What’s going on? “. Byunghoon looked at her with concern. 

“I guess I’m not in my best condition today. “ She forced a smile and turned to her left to see her phone ringing. She answered it after confirming it was from Seri. “Oh, Seri-ah. “ 

“Yah, rumors about you spread in our school! “. 

“You gotta be kidding me. “ Kyungmi sighed as she massaged the center between her eyebrows. 

“Yeah! People are telling me that you dated Jo Seungmin and Kim Hyukjae at the same time and that you dumped them because you were after handsome guys. Yuri and I were so baffled that Yuri almost encountered a fight with a group of girls who were insulting you “. 

“I wonder where those rumors came from. “ Kyungmi whispered, glancing to see if anyone was listening to her. But she missed Kyungwoo attentively looking at her. “They are at my school too. “ 

“What? “. Seri scoffed in disbelief. “Who the hell would say things like that about you? They should know it was Kim Hyukjae who approached you with bad intentions and that jerk of Jo Seungmin treated you like trash! “. 

“I didn’t expect anyone to believe me anyway. Don't worry, I’m fine “. 

“Kyungmi….”. 

“I’m fine, for real. “ Kyungmi assured her. “So tell Yuri not to fight. It’s pointless “. 

“Alright…”. Seri sighed in defeat. “Ah! There’s also a rumor about you and Kwak Bogyeong “. 

“Kwak Bogyeong? “. Kyungmi frowned at the said name, and Kyungwoo arched an eyebrow in curiosity. “What about her? “. 

“They said that you were the one bullying Bogyeong and that you abandoned her after you began dating Hyukjae or something like that…”. 

“Seriously….”. Kyungmi sighed. “Alright, let’s talk about that later. See you “. Kyungmi said before hanging up. 

“Everything okay? “. Kyungwoo whispered as he leaned closer. Kyungmi forced a smile before nodding at him. He sensed that she wasn’t alright and stood up as he grabbed his backpack and hers. 

“Yah, where are you going? “. Kyungmin looked at him with confusion. 

“We will leave first. “ Kyungwoo said as he grabbed her hand and pulled her up. “Let's go. " 

“Wait-. “ He pulled her up as they left the place. 

 

They walked without even saying a word, so she wondered if he got mad at something. They arrived at a park nearby, and they sat down on a bench.

 

“Why are we here? “. She asked him with curiosity. 

“Your complexion didn’t look well, so I thought you would need some fresh air. “ 

“I see….”. She hummed as she felt grateful that he was this thoughtful. 

“Also….I want to know what’s on your mind “. He said as he turned his attention to her. “What's wrong? You’ve been distracted all day. Is it because of the rumors? “. She looked at him in distress before sighing. 

“Kyungwoo-ah….”. 

“I want to help you. “ He insisted. “I can’t just stand seeing you being this helpless. “ 

“Just….promise me you won’t get angry “. 

“I won’t promise. “ He retorted. “But...I will try. " Kyungmi exhaled through her nose before explaining to him about the rumors going around the school. She started about how she dated Jo Seungmin and Kim Hyukjae at the same time and dumped them because she was obsessed with handsome guys, about nobody believing that she had lost her memories and that she was pretending to get attention, and that when she was in middle school, she bullied Kwak Bogyeong and abandoned her when she began dating Jo Seungmin, and about pitying Kyungwoo for dating a man-eater like her. She turned her attention to Kyungwoo, who looked away with annoyance present on his face while he clenched his fists tightly.

“Are you….mad? “. She carefully asked. 

“Do you think I wouldn’t? “. 

“I told you not to. “ She sighed. “It’s nothing, so  I’m fine. What bothers me is that you are involved in those rumors “. 

“Does that matter? “. He looked at her with frustration. “How can you not care about them? They say baseless things about you just to hurt you “. 

“I could care less about what they would say, and I’m fine as long as you and the crew know that I’m not like that. “ 

“Still….I don’t want them to bad mouth you….”. Kyungmi softened at his words and rested a hand over his clenched hand. 

“I know…..and to be honest; I’m furious about this situation as you are “. She replied. “But I don’t want to fight or give any explanation to them because it’s not worth it. “ She said as Kyungwoo sighed with defeat. “The more I explain, the more they will refuse to listen. So I will just stay still and resolve this quietly….so I hope you could cooperate with that…”. 

“If someone ever says something about you-. “ 

“Ignore it. “ She insisted. “It’s not worth fighting for it. So leave all of these to me, okay? “. She said as she squeezed his hand in plead. “Please….”. Kyungwoo looked at her with despair. He hated the idea of anyone harming his girlfriend. But she was pleading with those puppies, and he couldn’t refuse her. Exhaling with frustration, he nodded in understanding, much to her relief. “Thank you. “ 

“I will only stay quiet because you asked me to. “ He said as he looked at her with annoyance on his face. “But if ever someone crosses the line, I won’t stay still, okay? “. 

“....okay “. She gave in as she softly smiled before rubbing his arm in comfort. “Thank you for listening to me…”. He scoffed at her response before pulling her into a tight but comfortable hug. 

“Remember that you are not alone. You have me “. He reminded her. “So rely on me when you feel like having a hard time, okay? “. She exhaled through her nose with a slight smile before nodding in agreement. 

“Okay. “ She replied as she comforted him by patting his back in assurance while they stayed like that for a while. 

 

 

The next day, after classes ended, Kyungmi and Kyungwoo walked together as they made their way to the school’s gates to head back home. Kyungmi looked up and halted when she saw Jooyoung and Jarim at the gates, while a third person suddenly appeared next to Jooyoung. She immediately recognized her as Kwak Bogyeong. 

 

“What’s that wench doing here? “. Kyungwoo muttered under his breath when they saw how Bogyeong linked arms with Jooyoung in front of Jarim. Kyungmi scoffed in disbelief at sight. “Yah, you go first. I will go and talk to- “. He stopped talking when she walked first toward Bogyeong. “Yah, Kyungmi-ah! “. He called her, but she ignored him. Kyungmi reached toward Bogyeong’s wrist and grabbed it as she looked at the couple. 

“You guys go. “ Kyungmi said before dragging Bogyeong away from them and bringing her to an open place behind the school. 

“Yah, what are you doing? Damn it, let go! “. Bogyeong cursed as she yanked her wrist away from Kyungmi’s grip and massaged it while glaring at her. When Bogyeong recognized her, she smirked. “Oh my, isn’t this my friend Choi Kyungmi? “. She sarcastically laughed while Kyungmi was just staring at her, unfazed at her presence. “Yah, long time no see! You got prettier than when I saw you “. 

“Cut the crap. “ Kyungmi replied as she crossed her arms. “What was that back there? “.

“About what? “. Bogyeong chuckled as she crossed her arms as well. “Ah~ about that boy? He was my ex-boyfriend, Gong Jooyoung. You know him, right? “. 

“Ex-boyfriend? “. Kyungmi scoffed at her response. “Don’t make me laugh. Do you think I will believe that? I know you met tons of guys in the past to use them, so there’s no way an innocent guy like Jooyoung would have ever dated you “. 

“Oh my. “ Bogyeong scoffed with a chuckle as she stared at Kyungmi with amusement. “Yah, you got scarier! I remembered you being so timid and obedient when we were friends “. 

“Forget that. “ Kyungmi spoke as she looked at her with seriousness in her gaze. “You know Gong Jooyoung is dating, right? If you have any conscience left, you should at least know when not to cross the line “. 

“What about that? “. Bogyeong scoffed in disbelief. “It’s not a crime to befriend an ex-boyfriend, is it? Plus, even if he is dating, why did he choose that kind of girl? “. 

“At least that girl is 100% better than you “. 

“Really? I heard Wang Jarim dated a big shot before? “. 

“Who? Choi Jungwoo? “. Kyungmi scoffed before glaring at her. “Know the facts before you blabber about it. They didn’t date “. 

“Ah, is that so? But she already has a bad reputation in your school “. Bogyeong commented, and she let out an exaggerated gasp. “I also heard rumors about you. I heard you dated Jo Seungmin and Kim Hyukjae at the same time? What a crazy b*tch you are! Pretending to lose your memories to act innocent “. 

“Ah~ so you are the one who spread those sh*tty rumors about Wang Jarim and me at our school, right? “. 

“What? “. Bogyeong snickered before staring back at her. “I never did anything like that. “ 

“About me bullying you, wasn’t something you would say? “. Kyungmi asked. “Those rumors suddenly came about, and you unexpectedly contacted Gong Jooyoung. “ She scoffed. “If it wasn’t you, who else could it be? “. 

“It’s a coincidence. “ Bogyeong told her with a blank expression. “Those rumors only exist because she and you act that way. “ Kyungmi’s lips twitched a little at that comment. She suppressed her anger before answering. 

“You are no ing better. “ 

“What about me? I’m good at maintaining my social relationships “. 

“Really? “. Kyungmi scoffed with amusement before taking a step forward. “All I remember about you is how of a two-faced b*tch you were. “ At that, Bogyeong frowned a little as her eyebrow twitched before she faked a smile. 

“You grew up a lot, Choi Kyungmi. “ She replied as her eyes landed on Lee Kyungwoo and her smirk deepened. “I heard you are dating Lee Kyungwoo. “ She said as she looked back at Kyungmi. “Must be nice to date someone as handsome as him, but…did you know that all of these started because of him? “. 

“….what? “. Kyungmi frowned in confusion. 

“Oh my! “. Bogyeong exaggeratedly gasped. “You didn’t know? “. 

“Speak clearly so I can understand! “. Kyungmi demanded with rage as she glared at her. Bogyeong said nothing as she just smirked at her; simultaneously, Kyungwoo came over and wrapped his arm around Kyungmi’s shoulders. 

“Kyungmi-ah, let’s just go “. He suggested. 

“Long time no see, Lee Kyungwoo. “ Bogyeong smirked with her arms crossed. “I guess you didn’t tell your little girlfriend about the truth of Gong Jooyoung and me. “

“If you have nothing better to say, just get lost. “ Kyungwoo muttered as a warning. 

“Why? “. She looked at him with a clueless look. “I was just talking about the past. What’s so bad about it? “. She then smirked when she saw how agitated Kyungmi was looking, and she decided to leave this for now. “I have to go now. Hope to see you guys around “. Then she glanced at Kyungmi before turning around and walking away. Kyungmi watched her leave and exhaled through her nose as she rubbed her forehead in tiredness, feeling drained suddenly. “This witch is something…..how could I befriend her in the past? I must have been an idiot to be living under her lies “. 

“Kyungmi-ah. “ She looked up to see Kyungwoo walking toward her. “I told you not to engage in a talk with her. It won’t bring anything good to you “. 

“So? You expect me to stay still and do nothing? “. She asked. “This is my matter. I have to solve it on my own “. 

“So you can hear hurtful words? “. Kyungmi frowned at him. 

“Then explain to me. What was she referring to about you involving in Jooyoung’s relationship with her? “. 

“I…..I can’t tell you that ”. He sighed. 

“Why not? “. She demanded. 

“Kyungmi-ah, let’s just go somewhere else and talk, okay? “. He insisted as he grabbed her wrist, but she yanked it away. 

“Kyungwoo-ah, is there something you are not telling me about Kwak Bogyeong? Did you perhaps date her in the past? “. She then saw his expression of discomfort, not knowing whether he should tell her or not. “I see….so you won’t speak“. She concluded while nodding in understanding. “Alright. “ She said as she began to walk away when he grabbed her wrist to stop her from leaving. 

“Kyungmi-ah, please. “ He told her. 

“Don’t even try to convince me to stop. “ She scoffed as she yanked her wrist away from his grip and looked at him with rage. “What are you hiding from me? I need to know to stop her from spreading ridiculous rumors about Jarim and me! “. 

“Stop worrying about Wang Jarim and take care of yourself! “. He shouted. 

“So this is it? You want me to let that b*tch spread rumors about Jarim and me? Do you think those rumors would disappear as time passes? And how can you say to just care about me when Jarim is also in the same situation as me? “. She shouted with anger at him. “You think it’s for my benefit? No, it’s for your own because you want to avoid the situation like a coward “. 

“Yah…..”. Kyungwoo felt dumbfounded at her words, soon realizing how harsh they sounded. She looked away with shame while she wiped her upcoming tears of anger away as she spoke. 

“I will get going. You should go back to Jooyoung “. Kyungmi replied before walking away. Kyungwoo watched her leaving and exhaled through his nose as he felt concerned about her well-being. Then, he walked away to find Jooyoung so they could have a serious conversation about why Jooyoung contacted Bogyeong in secret. 

 

Kyungmi went to their typical Korean snack restaurant where the girls were while they talked about Kwak Bogyeong. 

 

“Is she nuts? “. Jinhee asked with frustration. “When she knows he has a girlfriend, why would she seek him out? “. 

“I’m speechless. She linked arms with him even though you were right there? Is she crazy? “. Minji added. 

“Didn’t she do that for you to see? “. Jinhee pointed out.

“Exactly. She’s outright crafty as a fox. What's her name? Kwank Bogyeong? “. Minji asked Jarim. 

“I heard she goes to Poongil High School. Show me. I couldn’t see her face earlier “. Jinhee told her as Minji looked for Bogyeong through Instagram. 

“Mm? What is this? What happened to her face? “. Minji chuckled in disbelief.

“Let me see. “ Jinhee said as Minji showed her a photo of Bogyeong, and the former scoffed. “Crazy. She looks like one hell of a foxy witch “. 

“Indeed. “ Kyungmi agreed as she munched on the spicy rice cake. 

“You should have just grabbed her hair. “ Jinhee whined at Jarim. 

“Honestly, I’m outraged. “ Jarim confessed. “But these days, there’s a rumor that I’m playing with Gong Jooyoung so that I couldn’t let my anger out. “ 

“Why? I thought rumors don’t bother you “. Minji pointed out. 

“That's right. “ Jinhee agreed. “Usually, wouldn’t you say ‘get back together with your ex if you want? “. 

“What are you saying? “. Kyungmi nudged her on the arm. “It’s because she likes Gong Jooyoung. She’s worried he is treated as a pushover “. 

“I agree with her. “ Ahram nodded at Kyungmi before looking at Jarim. “Anyways, that Kim Bogyeong? Don’t pay any attention. She’s not someone who will shake Gong Jooyoung “. 

“Kwak Bogyeong. “ Minji corrected her. 

“Yeah, her. “ Ahram nodded as she slurped the noodles.

“But the thing is, she looks kind of cute. “ Jarim told them. “Since they say that she and Gong Jooyoung made a nice couple, it feels a bit….”. Jarim frowned and cursed under her breath. “Damn. I feel like crap, but I don’t know why I feel so crappy “. Kyungmi blinked before a smirk of knowledge appeared on her face. “Oh my, is our Jarim jealous? This is something I don’t see every day! “. “Ah, right. “ Jarim then turned to Kyungmi. “Why did you drag Kwak Bogyeong away? Do you know her? “. 

“Oh? “. Kyungmi blinked at her as she cleared . “Well….”. 

“She must know her by her reaction. “ Jinhee guessed. “Were you friends in middle school? “. 

“Just…I knew her from familiar friends “. Kyungmi explained while trying not to get into the details. 

“So you drag someone you barely know? “. Jarim asked, and Kyungmi didn’t know how to respond to that. 

“It was because she was disrespectful, so I dragged her into giving her a warning not to get close to you and Jooyoung, that’s all. “ 

“Oh~ Our Kyungmi is so thoughtful. “ Ahram complimented her. 

“Really? “. Jarim arched her eyebrows, sensing that Kyungmi wasn’t being completely honest with her. 

“Yeah….”. Kyungmi slowly nodded as she forced a smile. “Yeah….there is no point in dragging Jarim into this….I would just solve it on my own and take care of Jarim’s matter “. She felt her phone vibrating and pulled it out from the pocket of her hoodie to check who was calling her. She exhaled when she saw Kyungwoo’s name on the screen before looking at her friends. “I will answer this. “ She said before answering the call. “Yeah? “. 

“Where are you? “. 

“At the Korean snack restaurant, we usually go with the girls. Why? “. 

“If you are not that busy….can we meet? I want to tell you something, “. Kyungmi thought for a moment before humming in agreement. 

“Alright...where should we meet? “. After getting the location, she hung up before standing up and getting her backpack. “Sorry, I will get going. “ 

“Oh? Perhaps….meeting your boyfriend? “. Jinhee teased as she poked Kyungmi’s stomach. Kyungmi glanced at Minji, looking away with awkwardness before looking at her friends in affirmation. 

“Yeah….”. 

“Alright, see you tomorrow. “ Ahram said as she and the girls waved at her. Kyungmi waved them back before walking out of place. 

 

She arrived at the place Kyungwoo told her to come to after 30 minutes of ride from the place she was before. She walked toward the park nearby their neighborhood and spotted Kyungwoo sitting on the bench while looking serious, absorbed in his thoughts. She exhaled through her nose before making her way toward him. Kyungwoo looked up when he sensed someone’s presence as he saw Kyungmi taking a seat next to him. 

 

“You came? “. He asked her. “Sorry if I contacted you during your hang out with your friends. “ 

“It’s fine. “ She assured him while clearing awkwardly before resting a hand over his. “Sorry if I’ve been rude toward you this afternoon...I’ve been so upset and sensitive about the rumors and Kwak Bogyeong lately that I harshly talked to you….”. 

“No, it was me who was at fault. “ He told her. “My worries about you got the best of me...so I overreacted. I’m sorry “. 

“I understand….”. She assured him before looking at him. “So, what did you want to tell me? “. 

“You said you were curious...about what kind of relationship Jooyoung and Bogyeong had in the past and why I was involved “. He looked at her, and when he saw her nodding, he replied. “I don’t know why you need to know about this...but it seems like you are aware of something, and you need to confirm it “. He responded as he began telling her his version of the story, about how Bogyeong came to him and confessed to him, but when he rejected her, she decided to take revenge on him by dating Gong Jooyoung. The more she listened to the story, the more she felt dumbfounded about it. She thought it was absurd that Bogyeong would do all these things because she got rejected. It felt like the episode with Jo Seungmin all over again. 

“So….Gong Jooyoung doesn't know about this yet, right? “. She asked as she glanced at him. Kyungwoo softly exhaled before shaking his head in denial. 

“No…”. He replied. “I couldn’t just tell him that she was using him because of her stupid revenge. It would have hurt his feelings for sure “. 

“I see…..”. She sighed as she looked at him. “You should have told me this sooner. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have misunderstandings running in my head all day “. 

“Sorry….”. He mumbled as he looked down in shame. She softened at sight and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. 

“You are forgiven. “ She replied as she rubbed his arm in comfort, earning a soft smile from him. “Anyways….I wish you would leave this matter to me. You already have done enough for me with my past problems, so this time, I want to solve this in my way “. She said, and he looked away from her, not liking the idea one bit. “Can you trust me this once? “.

“...Alright “. He sighed as he nodded in agreement. Kyungmi softly smiled in gratitude. 

“I will get going first. I need some time to think “. Kyungmi replied as she tiptoed and pecked his cheek before walking away.

 

 

Kyungmi and the girls went to the lockers to get their stuff for the next class during recess time. She was taking a textbook from her locker when she heard familiar voices and turned around to see the boys walking toward them. 

 

“Yah, Kwak Bogyeong has gotten prettier. “ Byunghoon commented. Kyungmi frowned at his words and turned to Jarim to see her reactions, seeing her dropping her textbook after hearing Bogyeong’s name. 

“What are you saying? “. Kyungmin asked. “She’s cute. She acts cute a lot, too “. Kyungmi turned to them with a frown. 

“Yah, what are you guys doing? “. She mouthed at them. 

“When I think about it, she’s the exact opposite of Wang Ja. “ Kyungwoo added, making her roll her eyes at him. “I see. They are trying to make Jarim get jealous….”. She sighed as she closed her locker and went to where the girls were while looking at Jooyoung, secretly smiling in satisfaction. “Gong Jooyoung, was this your idea, wasn’t it?”. She jumped a little when Jarim threw her textbook in her locker. 

“Yah, Jooyoung. You liked her a lot “. Byunghoon commented, and Kyungmi saw how Jooyoung panicked at his words. 

“What are you talking about? “. Jooyoung whispered to him with panic. 

“I guess she was your first kiss. “ Kyungmin added. 

“As for the kiss, it was a deep kiss. “ Byunghoon agreed. Kyungmi sighed as she shook her head in disagreement. “You are so dead, Gong Jooyoung….”. Then she turned to Jarim, who just slammed shut her locker before walking toward Jooyoung. 

“It must have been excellent. “ Jarim emphasized with annoyance before heading toward the classroom. Jooyoung panicked and grabbed her arm. 

“Jarim-ah, this is a misunderstanding-. “ 

“If you follow me, I’ll rip your head off. “ She warned him before walking away from him. Kyungmi sighed and saw the girls walking toward them and giving him the looks of ‘great job, stupid genius ‘ as they left one by one to the other end of the corridor. She was the last one, so she walked toward him before flicking his forehead. 

“Your antics to make her jealous...Jeez “. She shook her head in disappointment before walking away to head back to the classroom. She spotted Jarim sulking with a frown of annoyance, so she decided to go to her. Kyungmi put her textbook on her desk before heading to Jarim and patted her shoulder when the latter slapped it away. 

“Don’t mess-. “ Jarim stopped when she saw Kyungmi’s expression of surprise and suddenly felt guilty. “Sorry…..”. 

“Does it bug you that much? “. Kyungmi asked her. 

“Yes, it does. “ Jarim confessed. “I’m very bothered. How could I not be. I heard he had such a good relationship with her. Even if Gong Jooyoung doesn’t say anything, he’ll compare us “. 

“There’s no way Jooyoung would do that. “ Kyungmi reasoned with her. “You know how he’s head over heels for you. “ She saw Jarim sighing with insecurity and decided that it was time to tell her the truth. “Anyway, do you have a minute? There’s something I need to say to you “. Jarim frowned a little in confusion at her.