Chapter 3:

I sat at the coffee shop, thinking deeply about my situation at school while Chanyeol gave me ice for my face.

"Your bruise looks really cute by the way," he informed me.

I forcefully took the ice pack from his hand and pressed it up against the bruised skin, glaring at him in the process of doing so. His insensitivity wasn't impressing me.

“Kidding,” he told me and smirked, walking a little to the left to prepare a cappuccino for a customer who was waiting at a table already.

“Yeah, you’re so caring,” I responded, adjusting the cool object so it fit the creases of my face and skin.

I let out a sigh. The whole“Kai” situation was actually starting to get out of hand. It really wasn’t the reality that I wanted. Who knew that dumping coffee on him would lead to a silent war between us, one that he wasn’t even fighting.

Hell, I didn’t even know why these kids bothered to harass me. Honestly, it would probably only get them into more serious . It’s not like hurting me was going to make Kai appreciate them. It would only give them more attention, something they obviously did not want.

Chanyeol came back behind the counter after personally delivering the coffee to the man sitting at the table. He placed a hand on my shoulder.

“Listen,” he said. “If anyone gives you more trouble, I got your back!” He gave me a “reassuring” thumbs up.

I returned his gesture with a small smile, not wanting him to get involved at all. In fact, if someone hit him I’d probably set them on fire, honest to god.

Just as I was about to tell him to never, ever get involved, Baekhyun burst through the door.

“Ah man!” He cried, half laughing and half crying. “You guys have got to see this!”

From behind him he produced the lame school newspaper and slammed it on the table next to the man who was enjoying his coffee.

I raised my hand to point at the guy who was calming drinking but now obviously disturbed by Baekhyun’s  sudden burst, as if to tell him that Baekhyun probably should move his excitement to another table.

Baekhyun didn’t seem to notice the gesture.

Rolling my eyes, I walked over to Baekhyun where Chanyeol already were, Chanyeol's arm casually draped around the enthusiastic boy.

“What are we looking at?” I mumbled. “The school newspaper? God…who even reads this? It’s full of BS that no one cares about and unreal drama.”

“Do you consider yourself BS and unreal drama that no one cares about?” Baekhyun smugly questioned as he shoved the paper in my face.

I roughly stuck it in front of me at a distance where I could actually read the words. However, before I could even process anything, the paper was snatched from me by Chanyeol, who took the liberty of unnecessarily reading it out loud.

“Park Chae Soo, a student with perfect grades and the best reputation possibly, is spotted punching Do Kyungsoo in the face. He has been suspended from school for a week and people are wondering if he will have the courage to come back. However, the real question is, do we expect a retaliation of some sort b-“

Rip. Rip. Rip.

I dropped the remains of the paper on the ground, looking down at them in disgust, wondering how I could go to a school with such an insensitive newspaper team. I honestly could swear that other schools did not allow their students to write about this stuff and sell it in the school.

“I spilled coffee on him,” I spoke through gritted teeth. “Is this honestly what I deserve?"

The guys who was originally sitting at the table set his coffee down and looked at me with a serious expression.

“Sounds like you’re in deep ,” he plainly informed me.

I could barely even speak. This meant nothing. What was really going to happen? Retaliation? From who? There never was going to be retaliation until the goddamn writers put the idea in the paper.

“Alright,” I muttered, looking at Baekhyun and Chanyeol who were still standing extremely close together and looking at me with wide eyes. “I’m going to find out the real reason why Kai is feared. And I’m going to take him down. And if anyone tries to retaliate…they will be peacefully asked to back down.”

“Yah!” Baekhyun laughed, his eyes that were already drooping turning into half-moons. “Aren’t you taking this too seriously?”

I took another deep breath.

“I wouldn’t have had to take this seriously had the school paper not come out with the article!” I snapped, getting angrier by the second.

Great, now it was me against the school.

“Don’t worry buddy!” Chanyeol cheered. “It’s all good.”

“I wonder if you are ever going to run out of happiness,” I muttered under my breath, wishing that one day his energy would wonderfully rub off on me.

“Hmm?” I just patted him on the head.

*

“Kyungsoo-ya,” Principal Go addressed me. “Why do you have the need to know where Kai went to middle school?”

I sat uncomfortably in the chair opposite of his desk.

“I only trust your information.” I answered. “I ‘trust’ the other kids in the school won’t be happy to talk to me currently.”

Principal Go folded some papers in front of him, straightening the edges on the surface of his desk, which was already littered with folders and papers.

 “Listen, Kyungsoo-ya,” He continued. “I don’t think you’re in a very good position in terms of social status right now. Is this article the reason for your curiosity?”

He dropped the school newspaper article in front of me as if I hadn't seen it already.

I sighed and before I could say something he spoke again.

“You better take care of that bruise,” he mumbled.

I tried to peak over his desk to see what he was doing as he looked down, moving his arm.

“H-Huh?” I responded, confused at the sudden change of subject.

The principal suddenly stood up and pressed something into my small, soft palm. A piece of crumbled paper. He then proceeded to open the door, as if asking me to leave.

I walked out in confusion.

“But really,” He said, facing me and pointing to his lip. “Take care of that before it swells.”

And I already iced it.

*

The bus ride to the Gangnam district of Seoul was painfully slow. It wasn’t very long at all but I was suddenly feeling too anxious.

I looked down at the crumbled piece of paper which contained the address of Jongin’s old school. I needed to find other people who knew him. Maybe some younger classmen who knew the story.

I got off the bus, ripping out my headphones. I wanted to listen to more music but I had to remind myself not to get distracted.

Then I walked to the school, a few blocks away. The fall season was full of crisp air and light wind that brushed my face.

The school’s beautiful structure nearly assaulted my eyes. It seemed to me more like a palace than a place to learn.

According to the sheet of paper that the principal gave me, Kai was in class 3-A with Park Sungsaenim.

It was after school hours but there were still students roaming around. Some doing some extra studying, some playing sports and some were just hanging out with friends.

A particular duo caught my eye, two males with similar faces however one’s face was more serious and the other seemed to resemble a babyish figure.

I broke eye contact and headed inside the school, searching around for the room 3-A. It took around 10 minutes to find it, with no help from the clueless middle schoolers.

“O-Oh? Hello?” A teacher dropped his papers as he saw me come in, he seemed to be helping to other boys with math of some sort. I couldn’t really tell.

“Ah, sorry for interrupting,” I immediately apologized. “I would just like to have a second of your time.”

“Uh, sure,” He quickly answered and then looked at his students. “One moment,” He said to them. “What is it? Do I know you?”

“No, sir,” I remarked as we stepped out into the hallway, dodging a group of running kids. “I just wanted to ask if you were Park Sungsaenim?”

The teacher looked down at the ground and then around the room.

“Um, about that,” He started. “He doesn’t teach here anymore.”

“W-Wae?” I stammered. That wasn’t something expected.

“I don’t think I should be the one telling you that,” the teacher responded. “Who are you? I’ve never seen you around here before.”

“I’m…I’m a friend of a student who used to go here,” I replied. “It’s kind of a long story but I really need to know.”

I almost laughed, referring to Kai as a friend.

The teacher bit his lip and started to look around as if he was trying to make sure there was no one in a ten mile radius.

“About …that teacher,” he continued. “Well, it was discovered that he allowed some terrible bullying but I wasn't really sure what happened. All I know is that I’m his replacement.”

My eyebrows furrowed. Kai. He apparently punched his teacher. Did he possibly know about the harassment? What kind of harassment? Was he friends with the other student?

I was suddenly too interested in this engrossing topic. Was there a side of Kim Jongin that people failed to see?

“Th-That…” I trailed off, unable to come up with an answer to his story.

“Listen,” the teacher continued. “I would like to help you and all, but I have students to attend to.”

He seemed to be eager to leave the conversation but I didn’t complain. I was starting to feel uncomfortable.

I strutted out of the school, lacking attractive swagger and instead slightly wobbling in confusion. How was something like this covered up for so long? Someone would’ve had to report it. It meant…that the other students could’ve been in on it.

The duo kids from before caught my eye again and I noticed them walking towards me.

“Hey,” One of them said. His voice sounded a little off. “You don’t seem to be from around here, are you?” he had a heavy lisp.

I tilted my head to the side in confusion. Who was he?

“N-No…” I answered. “Why?”

The kid with the baby face laughed.

“Ah he’s so cute!” He answered. “I’m Luhan by the way, and this is Sehun!”

The two boys unlatched arms and decided to shake my hand.

“Do Kyungsoo,” I responded.

“So what brings you to these grounds?” Luhan inquired.

I wasn’t sure whether I should’ve been telling them about Kai or not. But they could’ve gone to school with him at one point because looked like high school students.

“Kim Jongin,” I remarked, starting at them with wide eyes.

I watched the expression of the two close boys suddenly change from intrigued to…well a dark look. Dark and worried. They then glanced at each other and then back at me.

“You want to know what happened?” They asked at the same time.

I nodded at the two.

“He’s basically reverse royalty at our school,” I informed them. “He’s got everybody wrapped around his finger because they’re scared to death of him. It's actually becoming an annoyance."

The two took notice of my bruise but didn't comment.

Sehun in a breath.

“Well, I know why,” he answered.

But before he could proceed to explain Luhan tugged at his sleeve.

“Can we walk that way towards the high school or something? I feel awkward with all these kids,” he asked.

I could’ve been fooled. With that face, Luhan fit right in.

We walked and Sehun continued to talk.

“We were in the same class in eighth grade,” He said. “Only fourteen.”

Luhan was still extremely close to Sehun as he talked.

“Kai had a really strange friendship with this kid named Ren. They never really talked or anything but it kinda looked like he looked out for him. Ren acted like a girl and looked like one so he often got bullied.” Sehun looked down at his feet and we were now standing between the two majestic buildings, the high school and middle school.

“One day, they took it too far. These kids ganged up on Ren and the teacher saw except instead of stopping it, he encouraged it. Kai got really angry when he found out and was about to confront them when Ren committed suicide. He was so mad that he beat them all up and ended up getting expelled."

I sat there in shock, still trying to decipher the words. Kai. He wasn’t…he wasn’t as bad as everyone made him out to be? Maybe? He was still awfully rude and it seemed like he’d always been like the, still…to do something like that…

I wondered why he hadn’t tried to clear the rumor about him. He obviously knew.

“Were…were you guys friends with him?” I asked.

Luhan laughed.

“No one was friends with him. I mean,” he continued. “I’m a senior now but even I know the story. Kai ignored everyone. This was why it was such a big deal. Maybe some people were jealous that he paid attention to a nobody like Ren. No one really knows.”

Sehun nodded.

“Thanks…really,” I said to them, furrowing my brows. “But I think I need to get back to my school now.”

Actually, I was planning on going to my apartment…maybe to plan some more.

Kim Jongin…I needed to confront him.

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Author’s Note: Haha, first don’t hate on me for making Sehun’s lisp evident. Ren lol if anyone knows him from Nu’est. Well I was reading out loud and before I said the name of the him my friend goes REN! But she was watching Action while I was writing so I was like…okay haha. Sooo…this story was going to be light but I decided to make it more deep ahaha. Because the feels…they’re still intense. OHOHO. Sooo comment? Tell me what you like eh? ^^