I had to admit, even it if was because of me, a beat up Jay looked funny- but maybe that was because he was Jay. He had a cut on his lip, a bruised jaw, and a black eye, and I knew I shouldn’t be laughing, but I was anyway. I met with him at the park, of all places. It was his idea.

“So what did your parents say?”

He shrugged. “They weren’t home, not gonna be for a month so they’ll probably never know.”

“Won’t your brother tell on you?”

“Not if he wants to save his own .”

Blackmail was man’s best friend. “Sorry you had to get beat up like that,”

“Nah, I’m used to it. Just wanna know why I even got beat up.”

I sighed. “Seunghyun...our parents know each other, and we’ve known each other since we were young, so, I think he just has this kind of, thing. Not a thing thing, purely platonic, I promise.”

He laughed, “I wasn’t thinking that,” he seemed like he was though, “I mean, I just wanted to know what I got beat up for.”

“Oh,”

“So, you know, if I try it again, I’ll be prepared this time.”

Freeze frame. Did he just say try again? I hoped the heat on my cheeks wasn’t visible under the summer sun, but maybe it was too much to ask for because Jay’s ears were crimson. The air was stuffy again, and It tried to keep my attention elsewhere. I never realized how the situation looked. If someone from our class would happen to pass by, I had a good idea of what they would be thinking.

I just didn’t know if it was the right idea or not.

“So,” he started, “I have another thing tonight, you wanna come?”

“I’m invited?”

“Yeah, of course.”

That giggle that followed was involuntary on all accounts. “Won’t Big Bang be there?”

His face fell, “Yeah, I forgot.”

“It’s okay,” I said. I meant to add that it was still early in the day, but I wasn’t sure how that was going to come out. I wanted to spend more time with him, especially because we never really get to hang out when we’re in school. It was already halfway into the break and I wanted to make the most of my last summer as a high school student.

The thought, when it hit me, alarmed me. Just the other night I was thinking how pointless high school was, now here I was wanting to enjoy it as much as I can. It felt as if a whole new world was opening up for me. Almost as if Jay was the reason for all this.

Almost.

At the back of my mind, Ian still lingered around there. I was still mad at him, and we still weren’t talking. It didn’t really matter because he still stayed over at his apartment and not at home.

“What’s wrong?”

The question mostly garnered panic. No one knew about Ian and me, and we kept it that way because at first there really wasn’t any reason to tell people, and now, he was suddenly our homeroom adviser. “No. Just thinking.”

“Taec’s got a date with Yoona by the way,”

“No way.”

“Yeah, its legit. He called me last night.”

The idea of Taec calling Jay at night, and Jay taking that call, is just weird, yet somehow not at all that surprising. “Congrats Taec. And to you too, nice work.”

“Thanks.”

It was stuffy again, and I was more than thankful when my phone vibrated in my pocket. But not so much when I read who it was from and the message it contained. Khun was looking for me. Apparently there were plans that needed to be laid.

“You don’t look happy.”

I shook my head. “Khun’s looking for me, it’s a favor thing.”

“I didn’t realize you and Khun were close,”

I laughed, I didn’t realize that either. “Yeah, but we’re Bs. We go with the flow.”

He snorted, “Yeah right. Maybe you. I don’t see the others being all friendly with anyone else.”

I focused my attention on the children playing on the jungle gym and slides. There was a rope course somewhere in between, and I couldn’t remember the last time I was on a playground. My phone was ringing this time, and I knew I couldn’t just ignore it. It was Nichkhun calling, he could be very annoying if he wanted to be.

“I have to take this,” I told Jay and walked a few paces a way from our bench. “What.” I said into the phone.

“Try to at least sound happy to hear from me.” I said nothing. “Anyway, yeah, our lovely plan. I know June hangs out at the library a lot during the afternoons. She has this summer bridge program at the University for advanced units for college, and in between cram school and everything, she’s making life hard for me.”

“You stalk her well enough, what do you need me for?”

“She won’t talk to me for some reason,”

“Oh, you mean the rumors about you and Victoria, you and Yuri, you and some girl from the second year have absolutely nothing to do with it?”

“Thanks, I need you to take care of that.”

“How?!” How did he expect me to take care of that? “Khun, me and AM, we may play a role in the starting of the rumors, but we don’t exactly know how to stop them.”

“So you admit it,”

I sighed, “Like I can deny that to you. The only way people will shut up about it is if they find something else to talk about. And no, I’m not starting a rumor for you. You’re supposed to be genuine with this other girl. You found your match.”

I heard him sigh. “In my defense, I’ve never really dated any of those girls I’ve been rumored to have been dating. You can ask my sisters, even my brother. She has the wrong idea about me, I need to fix that.”

“You’re really not giving up on this one are you?”

“I really like her. Haven’t you ever felt that way about someone?”

My eyes briefly crossed the playground and towards the bench I was previously on. Jay was sitting just as casually, elbows resting on his knees as he watched the kids play. I didn’t know how exactly I felt about the guy, but it was definitely different. “Whatever. What do you want me to do?”

It was almost three in the afternoon, and that was when the atmosphere changed. Jay shifted uncomfortably on the bench, and I asked him why.

“You can’t go with me tonight, I guess,” he said, scratching the back of his neck.

I shook my head slowly, frowning. “No, sorry. I wish I could though.”

“It’s alright,” he answered with a little smile. “I have to go, some last minute practice with the crew.”

“Oh,” I couldn’t really say anything else, so when he stood up to leave, I did too. “So,”

“I’ll call you,”

He waved awkwardly as he left, and I watched his back grow smaller in the distance until he disapperead entirely at the corner. Now what? I asked myself.

“You guys ready to go home?”

I turned back to the kids recognizing that voice. Junho, Wooyoung, and another girl I recognized from the public high school were gathering the kids in a circle. All three of them wore similar shirts, and I didn’t know how to feel about what was written on the logo. It was my mom’s foundation, the orphanage she established a few years back.

I did the only thing I could. I ran away.