Hyosung walked slower than usual to English class and Ji Eun noticed this.
“Anything wrong Hyosung? You seem so... Downish?”
“Huh, no!” she looked up caught off guard. Denying her friend’s words, she replied, “I’m not down. I was just thinking... About lunch! I’m so hungry I can eat a horse,” she let out an awkward laugh.
Her friend looked at he with look that said, “Really Hyosung? Really?” She wasn’t fooled by Hyosung’s attempt to cover her feelings but failed to keep up her stern look when she burst out laughing. “Your so funny Hyosung. And I only wish you could eat a horse.” She lifted her friend’s wrist when they arrived at their lockers, the place where the two of them first met. “See how skinny you are? Your bones are practically sticking out!” she commented.
“Hey! You're the same,” Hyosung made things even, forgetting all about her troubles.
“But wait... What were you really thinking about?” Hyosung went back to her point, making sure to emphasize on the word really. When Hyosung took a second too long to respond, she added on, “Is it about you know... Kikwang?” his name came out as a whisper making it easier for Hyosung to spit it out.
“Yeah... Kind of. How’d you know?”
“That’s all I can think of at the moment since we’re heading to English class after all,” she grinned. “Plus... we have it with the three biggest snobs of the school. Who wouldn’t dread going to English class?” she patted my shoulder in sympathy.
“Yeah... I’m just wondering how he’s going to act towards me now that we’re in school.” She had been thinking about it for a while now between the time Hyosung and Kikwang separated as soon as they stepped onto school grounds and now. Flashbacks of earlier in the bus where she let him held onto his arm came back to her head. She could feel her heart beat a little faster from the mere thought of it in her head. Would he be that nice to her face to face at school? Or at least a little nicer now that they were living together? But then again... That move he made with offering his arm isn’t exactly considered nice when dealing with the fact that he claimed he let her for his own selfish wants - his safety. He even called her clumsy. Her eyes narrowed as she remembered this. However, she couldn’t bare to admit herself the truth. She liked it... She had enjoyed it all. From the meaningless bickering down to the little bits of skin contact they had going on there. She didn’t mind it despite the anger that boiled inside of her when she had to deal with his annoying personality.
“It’s okay. Don’t worry about that douchebag. He’s not worth it,” Ji Eun tried to lessen her stress.
“Okay,” she agreed, although she knew that the boy next door (literally) wouldn’t find his way out of thoughts any time soon.

***

The first person that caught Hyosung’s attention when she walked into English class was not the teacher himself, but Kikwang. She quickly rolled her eyes to another direction before he caught her looking.
She took a seat in the location of the classroom where she was assigned, many rows behind Kikwang. She felt glad that she was out of Kikwang’s and most of the other jock’s sights because it prevented them from talking er- bothering her. However, she couldn’t help but secretly wait for something to happen. The whole period passed by with nothing but the teacher talking, scribbles of pencils and side conversations by the students here and there - not to mention rude outbursts by the jocks, sometimes even including Kikwang.
She watched the hand signs tick by slowly on the computer in a pace that felt like it was taking centuries. Finally, the class ended as usual with the bell ringing and she quickly got up from her seating, making her way over to Ji Eun who was more toward the front. As she glided by desks, making her path to her, she half expected something to happen- and it did.
Just as she was about to reach her friend, one of the obnoxious boys and his crew of boys scattered behind him stopped in her way.
“Hey, aren’t you going to say anything to your beloved Kikwang over here? He’s going cra-zy over you!” They managed to shove Kikwang in front of her face who wouldn’t meet her eyes.
Instead, he turned around and started, “Yo guys! Would you knock it off already?” loud enough for the whole class to hear. “I told you already... I wouldn’t ever go for her! You got that?” The students around them who had heard, well almost everyone who hadn’t left the room off to their next class by then, made ‘ooh’ sounds in unison, making Hyosung gulp down her spit. She didn't expect him to say this, especially when he emphasized it with the word ever. It felt as if her heart had been stabbed twice.
 “What’s wrong? Cat got your tongue?” she turned around and saw the three snobs standing in front of her with their arms crossed. “You should have known already by now that he would never go for you so stop looking so sad!” said the one in the middle.
“I’m not sad,” she said through gritted teeth.
“Yes you are!” the one to the left of the leader of the snobs said. Before the one to the right could say anything, Hyosung was already walking away with her hand gripped tightly on the curve of her bag and Ji Eun following after, who was throwing dirty looks at the audience behind her.
When they were out, Hyosung managed to get out, “It’s okay... You don’t have to be so nice and look bad with me.”
“What are you saying Hyosung?! I’m your friend remember? B.F.F’s always stick together, remember?” she assured her and she escorted her to the nearest bathroom.

***

“It’s okay. You can go off to class now. I don’t want you to get in trouble with the teacher,” Hyosung assured her friend with a forced smile.
“You sure?” Ji Eun asked, not wanting to leave her downcast friend all alone in the bathroom with no company.
Hyosung nodded and Ji Eun finally gave in, “Fine... But text me if you need me over here, kay?”
“It’s alright. Thanks,” Hyosung told her. “Go on now.” She didn’t want her friend to get in trouble due to skipping math class, a very important subject. Jieun gave her a weary look before finally departing the bathroom.
It was a free period for Hyosung and she was scared that the tears would come spilling out like last time except that... They didn’t. Taking a look into the mirror which was positioned above the only mirror in the girl’s bathroom of that floor, she saw a girl with a side ponytail looking back at her, eyes free of any redness. They weren’t even watery. She felt amazed as she stared at the girl staring back at her in the reflection. Am I perhaps... Getting stronger? Is my heart finally starting to free itself of his presence?