“TELL me! Who on earth hurt you!?”

Seulgi scratched the back of her head as she forced a laugh. “I-It’s okay, Sunbae. I just got into a small accident. I slipped—“

“You slipped!? Why is it only your face that is injured!?”

Seulgi pressed her lips together. “Ha-ha… Somehow it feels so weird to see you worried about me.”

Joohyun was taken aback with that statement. She has been ignoring her for the whole week.

“Don’t tell me you purposely hurt yourself to be noticed by Sunbaenim?” Minjeong asked which awarded her a push from Jimin.

“Minjeong-ah!” Jimin hissed at her, giving her those wide eyes.

Seulgi looked even sadder after that allegation from Minjeong. “Do I really look that desperate?”

She lowered her head. The popular Kang Seulgi of the Kang Clan just lowered her head in embarrassment.

Joohyun bit her lower lip. “JiMinjeong-ah, just go ahead and clean. I’ll handle this.”

“Sunbae-nim, please stop calling us—“

“That’s not important, Elsa!” Jimin passed the first aid kit to Joohyun and dragged Minjeong away.

“Don’t tell anyone about this, okay?”

“Yes!” The two answered in sync.

Joohyun looked back at Seulgi. Her heart clenched at the sight of the disheartened girl.

“Follow me, let’s head upstairs.”

“It’s okay, Sunbae. I already stopped the bleeding from my cut. It’s not that bad.”

“Seulgi-ssi…” Joohyun let out a sigh. She walked towards Seulgi which surprised the latter. She held her by the wrist and Seulgi could only gasp.

“I said let’s go upstairs. Let me take a good look at your wounds.”

She then led Seulgi upstairs making the girl blush. Joohyun made her sit on a corner table far from the window. Seulgi gulped when Joohyun sat beside her.

“Face me.”

“H-Huh?”

“Did you get your ears hurt too? Face me.”

“Y-Yes…”

Seulgi finally faced Joohyun and the girl could only sigh. “This isn’t the time to blush, Seulgi-ssi.”

“S-Sorry.” Seulgi lowered her gaze. “I just can’t help it. I can’t tell my heart what to feel.”

Joohyun’s brows twitched. “Whatever.”

The senior then moved closer to take a better look of Seulgi’s cut. Thankfully, it wasn’t that severe. It doesn’t need to be stitched. She then poured some ointment to a swab before gently applying it to the wound.

Seulgi flinched but she just let Joohyun do her thing. She then covered the wound with a plaster to avoid being infected.

“Your face will swell for a few days. Will you be able to go to school like this?” Joohyun asked as she busied herself reorganising the first aid kit.

“I’ll just take a week off from school. An absence from each subject will be fine.” Seulgi then looked at the patch through her phone. She smiled.

“Who hurt you?”

There was silence. Seulgi wasn’t able to answer.

“Don’t you think it needs to be reported to the police? We can’t let someone like that be on the streets.” Joohyun closed the kit. She was taking peeks at the younger girl.

“I wish I could do that.” Seulgi answered, more of a sigh.

“Of course you can! That person hurt…you…” Joohyun’s voice trailed off when she turned to Seulgi, the girl was just smiling.

“It’s okay, Sunbae. I can’t just report my father to the authorities.”

Joohyun was speechless. She couldn’t believe that a father could do this to his daughter. Seulgi’s face was not injured but that cut on her eyebrow would definitely leave a scar. She could not even ask what happened for her to be hit like that.

Seulgi scratched her cheek. “Please don’t look at me like that, Joohyun-sunbae. My heart can’t take it.”

Joohyun’s brows furrowed. “You just got beaten by your father and you have the time to fool around?”

The senior then stood up to get something to drink but she hadn't even left the table when Seulgi spoke.

“I don’t fool around, Sunbae. Do I really look like the type that would lie about my feelings?”

Joohyun turned to Seulgi. Her head was still down, her fists clenched. She looked even more hurt about Joohyun not believing her more than the beatings of her father.

“Seulgi-ssi…” Joohyun sat back to where she was sitting earlier. She looked at the girl straight to her eyes. “Please stop liking me.”

Seulgi’s eyes widened as she looked back at her senior. “It’s not just like, Sunbae! It’s love!”

There goes another sigh from Joohyun. “It’s not important—“

“Why are you even telling me that? I told you, I can’t just tell my heart what to feel!”

Seulgi’s frustrated (bruised) face made it harder for Joohyun. “You have to stop whatever you feel towards me. Just get away from me and all your misfortunes will disappear.”

“Misfortune?” Seulgi asked in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

“You know exactly what I am talking about.” Joohyun then lowered her gaze and started fidgeting with fingers. “I bring misfortune to everyone who gets close to me.”

“That’s not true.” Seulgi leaned a bit closer to Joohyun to get a better look of her face. “Even if that’s true then I’d take all those misfortunes if that would mean I can be with you.”

Joohyun turned to Seulgi in disbelief, her cheeks with pinkish tints. “Why? I don’t understand. What do you even like about me?”

The junior just smiled. “Everything.”

“You don’t even know me well.” Joohyun worriedly said.

“Then let me know you more. But I am sure I’ll still love that part of you that I am yet to discover.”

Joohyun looked away. For some reason she couldn’t keep on staring at those pleading eyes of her junior. How could she even reject her if she’s looking so sincere with her words?

She let out another sigh. “Let me get you something to drink, what would you—“

“Answer.” Seulgi stopped her by holding the sleeve of her shirt. “Will you give me your answer now?”

Joohyun’s heart suddenly started working double time as if she had double shots of espresso. She sat back, took a deep breath and faced Seulgi once more.

“No.” She started. “I can’t be your girlfriend.”

Seulgi’s eyes widened and Joohyun witnessed how those orbs instantly became misty but the girl immediately pushed her tears back and forced a smile.

“I-I see.” Just two words but her voice cracked. “S-Sorry…”

“Why are you saying sorry now?” Joohyun shook her head. “If I give you the answer now, that would be my answer.”

Seulgi’s head automatically rose up. “H-Huh?”

“You’re right. We should know more about each other.” Joohyun looked in another direction to hide her face. “Get to know me more and if you don’t like my bad parts then you can just go. The same goes with me. I only know a few things about you. I do think rejecting you based on the little things I know about you would be unfair for you.”

“Joohyun-sunbae…” Seulgi felt her heart clenched in happiness. She’s glad. Very glad. “Do you really believe me now?”

The older girl stiffly turned Seulgi’s way. She looked at all the injuries on the girl’s face. “Y-You won’t come here after getting beaten like that just to hear my answer if you weren’t serious, right?”

The smile on Seulgi’s face widened, pushing her tears out. “Thank you, Sunbae. Thank you for believing in me and giving me a chance.”

“Just stop overdoing things again, will you?” Joohyun crossed her arms.

Seulgi happily laughed. “I tried telling you what I feel discreetly but you just won’t believe me.”

“Are you telling me that it’s my fault?” Joohyun asked with a brow raised.