“Yes, Mister Kwon?” Yang Sunseng-nim greeted.

“I heard all about you from Dara, Sir,” I said. “She told me how you try to save her from the situation and how she trusts you in that.”

“I’m glad to hear that, but I don’t think the case is going well, Mister Kwon. The Principal, along with the rest of the professors, firmly believed that Miss Park can do such thing. The staffs at the club also confirmed her from working there. Though she was just a waitress, she still was entertaining some customers, like sitting with them for a while.”

“You said it yourself, Sir. She just sits with them for a while. She does not dance or make out with them.”

“That does not save her from the case, Mister Kwon.”

I clenched my jaw, angrier this time. “You, teachers, can be blinded and dense sometimes.”

“Excuse me?”

“I thought you are our second parents here.”

“Mister Kwon, unless you have more evidences proving Miss Park’s innocence about this case, we could not help her any further.”

“I thought as our teachers, you will do everything for your students. By doing this, perhaps expelling her before she can even take the final examination and graduate, aren’t you trying to destroy her dreams? This can haunt her for years, you know? You don’t even know how she felt hearing her being accused.”

He stood up. “Well, do you have something that can help her, Mister Kwon?”

I slammed the evidences I got on his table. “These.”

“A sticker and a mail? How can these help her?”

“Read it first.”

And he did.

“You don’t expect her to love that job, do you? You don’t expect her to do that kind of job by will, do you? She did that because she was out of options. Three months ago, she received that mail from the bank informing her about her account being closed because of it being empty and she does not even deposit in it. That sticker, on the other hand, shows how she was unable to pay her rental fee, so her appliances are being confiscated from her as payment for it.”

He looked up from the mail. “Why didn’t she take other jobs instead?”

“As I said, she was out of options. The boss there, you might have met him, offered her a job with a higher pay because he believes she’s the lucky one in his club. But she wasn’t lured into the job because of money, she was lured because her boss was pleading and begging in front of her. You see, my point here is though she knows how dangerous her job is, she was willing to help a friend in need. Besides, the boss assured her to be protected at all times.”

Dara’s professor became ill-silent.

“It’s not a good enough reason.”

I slammed my fists on the table. “Couldn’t you just have a heart? The girl has been sulking in the corner all day long thinking her dreams are gone now that she is able to pay for her tuition fees and now you-“

“She did all this to pay her tuition fees?” he interrupted.

“Are you deaf or something?! Dara tried to explain to you how she worked for the money she has to pay to take the examination. I even presented you some evidences that she has been broke for months now. All these plans of expelling her from this school a week before the examination made her dreams and future plans went down in the drain. I don’t think you want to see your student like this, Professor. I know you also have a heart.

“Being parentless for five years…” I trailed off, waiting for some reaction from the professor. He flinched alright. I just hope it strikes his heart. “...has been very hard for her. She has to live alone, she has to survive alone. It has been hard for her when her father died couple of months ago after being comatose for five years.”

He became thoughtful.

“Professor, it’s up to you. Being her homeroom teacher, I’m sure you want to help her. I’m sure you don’t want to crash her dreams. After all, she did that for a reason.”

I turned my back.

“Baby?” I called.

Dara’s eyes fluttered and after a while, she was able to adjust but she closed them again. “You’re home?”

I smiled down at her. “Yes. And I brought good news with me.”

“What? They’ll allow me to work there without being expelled?” she asked, turning her back at me.

I rested my hand on her shoulder. “No. they’ll talk to you tomorrow. Not to expel you but to talk about the consequences of your actions. And Professor Yang made sure that he’ll help you.”

“I don’t see it as good news,” she said. “It will surely feel like I will face the Day of Judgment earlier than God planned.”

I smiled at her sarcastic remark.

I was waiting outside of the office, nervously fiddling on the locket around my neck. Like what Dara did before, I was silently praying for good news the moment she will step out of the office. I sure hope this will work.

This incident, me waiting for her outside of this same office, has happened to me thrice. The first was when she was called because Professor Yang would not give her the exam slip. And that was also the first time she lied to me about not being able to take the exam. The second was when she was called because of the recent incident. That time, I was throwing daggers at the students gossiping things about of her. And that was also the time that I embraced her the moment she stepped out of the office so she won’t hear and see the gossipmongers surrounding us.

Today, I’m nervous as hell. I can’t picture myself any seconds from now. I don’t know what would happen the moment she’ll step out of the office. Will I be happy? Will she be happy too? Or otherwise?

A warm hand enclosed mine. I looked at the owner as she gave me the warmest smile I have ever seen on her.

“How did it go?” I asked.

She just smiled.

“Hey! Say something!”

She exhaled. “I won’t be expelled,” she said.

A smile immediately crept up on my lips.

 “I will also be able to take the examination,” she continued.

I hugged her to my chest, sincerely happy for the great news.

“But on graduation day…” she trailed off. I looked down at her. She was still smiling. “…I won’t be marching with you.”

“What?!”

“Don’t worry, I will still have my diploma, but I just won’t be able to march with you.”

I immediately leaned away as I was about to face the office and barge in. But Dara stopped me.

“Ji… relax. Look at the bright side. At least I will be able to reach my dreams, right?” she said, in a very reassuring voice. “Besides, they said they can’t do anything else anymore. I was about to be expelled but thanks to Yang Sunseng-nim, I won’t be. They pitied me… unfortunately.”

“Unfortunately?”

“You know how much pride I have. I hate being pitied. It feels like people are looking down at me. But I put the pride aside, thinking of the things you’ve gone through to save me from the situation. And I also thought about the near future.”

I stared at her wearily.

She reached her hand to my face and straightened the creases forming on my brows. “Don’t worry. I’m already happy, see?” she said, while showing her toothy smile.

The corner of my lips lifted immediately seeing how sincere her smile is.

“Better,” she said, resting her chin on my chest while looking up at me.

“Are you looking for something? Or someone?” I asked her the moment we stepped into the school the next morning.

She stared at me. “Youngbae.”

“Why are you looking for him?”

“I just wanted to show him how he miserably failed on humiliating me,” she said, a smug smile on her face.

“You won’t see him anymore,” I said.

“Oh? Why is that?”

“He has been expelled.”

“What?!” she gasped. “Why?”

“Well, the teachers were to busy on your case that they weren’t able to see into who sent the pictures. They found out it was from Youngbae…”

“It was from Youngbae?!”

I nodded. “…and then, they got suspicious how he got the pictures and they investigated on it. They found out that he is actually a frequent on that club, even though he was a minor.”

She scoffed. “Serves him right.”

I chuckled. “Now, he won’t be able to bother you anymore.”

I wasn’t able to walk her to her first class, because I have classes while she hasn’t. So, she decided to go to the library to study. But after my first class, I decided to see her to… well… just to see her.

While I neared her classroom, I heard a commotion from the inside. Thinking that it was nothing but the usual class noise, I didn’t speed up my pace, even greeting one of my classmates who just passed by me.

“You’re a !” a voice from the inside yelled, followed by laughter.

I immediately peeked inside and immediately gasped.

I ran inside when I saw Dara’s classmates throwing crumpled papers towards her, while she was just sitting there, not moving an inch.

I immediately hugged her in a tight embrace as I felt my chest soak with her tears.

“!”

“!”

“Do you always expect Jiyong to come and rescue you as if he’s superman? Wake up! You’re alone!”

“Stop saving her, Jiyong! She’s not worth it!”

I stared at them with my dagger-like piercing glare. They immediately shut their mouths. “I don’t care! I will rescue her all I want because it’s my choice! I don’t care what everyone says. And she’s worth all the love and care she receives. It’s you who don’t even deserve to be in the presence of such a wonderful and kindhearted girl. If I were you, I will just-“

“Stop it, Ji…” Dara’s voice interrupted me.

I looked down at her as she wiped her tears off her face. She forced a smile on her face as she looked up at me. “They’re not worth the time anyway. I don’t care being bullied and all. I’m used to it. I have to be strong now. Nothing will happen if I will let myself be affected with such worthless people.”

I just stared at her. Then my eyes passed by behind her, towards her desk. And my eyes widened as indecent words were carved all over it. I immediately creased my brow and turned towards her classmates again.

“Who vandalized Dara’s desk?!” my voice echoed on the four walls of the room.

Dara tugged on my sleeve. “Ji… please stop. I don’t care. Let them be. They’ll get tired in time.”

I clenched my jaw, not liking how Dara just let things be, especially now that she’s being bullied to such extent.

Instead of going to my next class, I stayed outside of Dara’s classroom, peeking once in a while, much to the annoyance of her professor and her classmates. I was even lucky that Dara didn’t even notice that I was outside, watching over her. She was too engrossed with the lesson. I see that she’s really more serious than ever.

When the bell rang, I casually leaned on the wall with my arms crossed. Students started filing out of the classroom for their next class. As for Dara, she doesn’t have a next class. It will be a break time for her.

Students passed by me, some of them glaring, some of them not daring to lift their eyes to meet my piercing gaze.

“Oh, you’re here?” Dara’s voice entered my ears, while I was busy having a staring contest with one of her classmates.

“Oh, hi!” I greeted.

“Don’t you have class?” she asked.

“Nah, it’s not a major subject anyway,” I waved off. “Come, let’s study together.” I draped my arm over her shoulder.

DARA’S POV

“Ahjumma, please!” I pleaded.

“No! I won’t be swayed by your tears anymore!” the Ahjumma said, as she threw my clothes out of my house. “Your appliances are not even enough to pay up your five-month unpaid rent.”

“I don’t have anywhere else to go! Please! Just one month!” I pleaded as I tried picking them up myself.

“I heard you were working at a club, where’s your pay then?” she said, arms over her chest.

I looked down. “I was able to spend them for my tuition fees.”

“You should have put some aside for your rental fees, you fool!” she said, pointing her finger on my temple and pushing it roughly.

“Please! One more month, I’ll look for some place to live in.”

“No! I have been giving you chances already. This is just too much!”

“I don’t have anywhere else to live!”

“Live at your boyfriend’s house then! You don’t come home most of the times anyway.”

I stood in front of Jiyong’s door, hesitating to punch the codes, my bags on my feet. I have been weighing my options for almost an hour already. After finally deciding, I picked up my bags and turned my back. I should just go back to work.

“Dara?” Jiyong’s voice sounded behind me.

I hesitantly turned my back towards him as tears immediately flowed down from my eyes.

“I don’t have a place anymore,” I sobbed.

“I’m glad you thought of moving here,” he said. “But why were you leaving anyway?”

“I’m sorry, Ji. Like before, I thought I will only be a bother to you,” I said, looking down.

“We have talked about this before, right?”

I nodded. “I’m sorry.”

Silence filled the air.

“I have something to ask,” he broke it.

I looked at him, waiting.

“Who is this Park Jinhwan?” he asked, throwing an envelope on the coffee table in front of me.

I stared at the familiar envelope. It was unopened. And then I stared up at him. “You don’t have to know.”

“What did we just talk about?” he asked.

“Where did you get this anyway?” I asked, dodging the question.

“I trespassed your house when I was hauling for evidences. I know you don’t like me going there but I had to. But, that’s not the case here, who is he and why does he keep on writing to you?”

I swallowed the lump forming on my throat. “I honestly don’t know him. So, I nicknamed him the Creepy Man. He has been sending me these letters for the past months now.”

“What do they contain? Do you want the police to investigate on this?”

I shook my head. “No need. I know he’ll stop anyway. Besides, I don’t live there anymore, I know he’ll stop by now. And, the content… well, I only read the first one I received and then I did not read the other ones after it. It crept me out the first time I read it.”

“Tell me, what did it contain?”

I stared at him, hesitating if I shall really answer him. “He says he’s my grandfather and he wants to apologize before he dies.”

A look of shock passed by his face. I knew it. I shouldn’t have told him that. Well, I haven’t told him the whole story yet anyway. I hope he’s going to stop asking for now. It’s a very touchy subject, anyway.

------

*poster credits to anjellie_ka