If there was one guy Jaekyung hated more than anything in the world, it would be Kim Junki.

He had been in her class since she entered high school when she was 16 and my word did she hate him. He picked on her nerdy flawed looks and he was just so mean.

There had been a period when Jaekyung would sing Taylor Swift's Mean in her head while he insulted her, just so she could maintain her cool. In fact she was still doing it.

Kim Junki was an above average looking kind of guy that looked a little cute when he smiled and could do sports pretty decently. He had his own little group of supporters but he was mere dirt on the ground compared to god-like figures like Infinite.

And because he just had that tinsy bit of looks, Kim Junki thought he was above everyone else and could insult them round the world twice. He was horrible.

Jaekyung didn't notice him at first.

She had been massaging her sore legs from the long long loooooong walk home the previous day and applying large amounts of ointment to sooth the ache.

She didn't exercise often like Chaekyung, she was more of the indoor type of girl. Hence when she was required to walk that long distance home she really felt faint.

In fact it was that long that even Chaekyung would have felt faint.

Jaekyung even had to run at times so that she would reach home not too late and Chaekyung wouldn't suspect her sister did anything other than take a bus home. The things she does for her sister.

Jaekyung plastered a slab of ointment on her calf and massaged it gently, closing her eyes and suppressing the groan. It was then she heard him.

"Your limbs failing you already, Lee Jaekyung?" Kim Junki snickered. "Must be, you don't use them often huh."

Jaekyung's eyes snapped opened and she looked at him, frowning slightly. "Is there anything you want, Junki sshi?" she asked as politely as she could so as not to attract attention.

It wasn't working at all because Kim Junki had this loud annoying voice that did wonders to attract attention.

"Nothing really, just reminding you how ugly you are." Junki snickered. "Really, Lee Jaekyung. Just because your name is similar to the pretty princess Lee Chaekyung you think you're wonderful or something? Please, you look horrible."

Jaekyung tried hard not to flinch. True she chose this road, but for him to phrase it in such a cruel manner, it hurt.

Jaekyung stared at the table and sang the song in her head. *Someday, I'll be, living in a big old city, and all you're ever gonna be is mean. Someday, I'll be, big enough so you can't hurt me and all you're ever gonna be is-*

"Are you listening to me you moron?" Kim Junki retorted. "Treasure your times when someone actually bothers to speak to you."

*Mean.* Jaekyung finished in her mind and sighed. She looked up and him. "Is there anything you need, Junki sshi?" she asked again, this time louder.

L looked over to her from the other side of the class and frowned. As much as he detested Jaekyung from first sight, he didn't think it was okay to treat someone like that.

He rose from his chair to do something about it when Sungyeol pulled him down. "Where are you going?"

L jerked his head towards Jaekyung and Junki. "Teaching that kid that being the bully isn't something glamorous."

"Don't." Sunggyu shook his head. "You don't know what sort of a girl Lee Jaekyung is. If you did you would think this little insult is okay."

L blinked in surprise. His hyungs were usually compassionate and kind people so why were they so against Jaekyung?

"What things?" L asked curiously.

"Well for starters," Dongwoo shrugged. "There's this rumor that she always wears these long baggy clothes because she likes to cut herself. You know, those emo people?"

L frowned. He glanced at Jaekyung and shook his head. "Unbelievable."

"And there's this other rumor where she takes drugs." Sungjong supplied. "That's why she's so pale and she always hangs her head down."

"Isn't that fair instead of pale?" L inquired.

Hoya ignored him and continued. "Also, there's this third rumor that she sleeps with men for money. Notice how her lunch boxes only have kimchi and rice? Her family is poor and she sells her body for extra cash."

L frowned and turned to look at Jaekyung once more. Those rumors sounded ridiculous but at that instant where L wasn't too sure what to make of Jaekyung's character, the rumors added to his belief that she wasn't nice.

"You still wanna help her now?" Sunggyu asked.

L sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, sinking back into his seat. "Fine." he muttered. "But I'll have to put in my ear phones to drown out Kim Junki's voice or I'll still feel guilty for not doing anything."







Jaekyung hated herself.

She hated herself when she turned soft. She hated herself when she doubted her own decisions when she knew she did the right thing. She hated when she cried.

"Aish why are you letting him get to you again?" Jaekyung muttered furiously to herself as she wiped her tears away, sitting on a toilet bowl in a isolated toilet where no one ever goes to.

"He's Kim Junki. He's mean. You know that." she took several breaths. "You know you shouldn't take any of his words to heart."

She calmed herself down but three words resonated in her mind: But it hurts.

Jaekyung went out of the cubicle and washed her face, staring at herself. She saw the once beautiful face being covered up by the large glasses, her skin yellowing from staying indoors, her hair an awful mess that even she couldn't take it at times.

"You chose this, Lee Jaekyung." she whispered. "You know why you did this. So stick with your choice."

With renewed vigor, Jaekyung strode out of the restroom as if Kim Junki never existed.

-----

Jaekyung arrived late at the newsletter committee meeting for the first time ever and she quickly settled down at a seat. Teacher Jung sent her a disapproving look and started the meeting.

L ignored how Teacher Jung tried to flatter him and he peered at Jaekyung curiously. She had been on his mind the whole time as he tried to figure her out. Was she really as the rumors described her to be?

Jaekyung's face was calm and collected, not at all showing how she had cried earlier. L couldn't have see the tear stains even if he tried, unless he was standing right in front of her.

Sitting across the table like that, L thought Jaekyung looked pretty unaffected by Kim Junki.

Teacher Jung continued on with the meeting and kept on talking and talking while Jaekyung made tons of notes. L stood there, thinking and accessing.

The meeting finally ended and different topics of reports were assigned to the members for them to work with till the next issue of the newsletter. L chose to not be assigned any because he still wasn't confident about the way he wrote to be published to everyone in school.

Teacher Jung left the meeting and the committee members packed up to go. The two girls from the committee tried to chat L up but he wasn't interested.

Instead, he sidled up to Jaekyung as she arranged her notes. "Hey."

His first word to her.

Jaekyung looked at him and blinked. "Yes Myungsoo sshi?"

*So she does know my name. Why did she ignore me before?* L huffed inwardly. "I wanted to ask if you're alright from Kim Junki's insults just now."

Jaekyung's eyes dimmed ever so slightly and she gave a curt nod. "I'm fine."

"You see," L started hesitantly. "O heard rumors about you. I'm not going to explain in detail but it's generally about drugs, ion, and how you like to inflict pain on yourself-"

"It's none of your business is it?" Jaekyung looked at him. That moment, she was so sure he was just like any other bastard Jjang out there.

Believing rumors easily, only relying on outer appearances to make judgement, self absorbed.

Jaekyung gathered her things, turning to leave.

L gaped at her and made a face, huffing, annoyed. "If that isn't a guilty conscience I don't know what is." he muttered.

-----

Helloooo readers of my currently-favorite-fic-of-mine, ahehe.

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