V

One day, Woohyun followed Rina to the bookstore. She paid him no heed but was aware of his presence stalking behind her.

He was curious as to where she disappeared to every day for he was sure that it definitely wasn't home.

Rina arrived at the bookstore. She did the usual routine: grab a random book, settle down on the chair, and read.

Woohyun felt out of place and had no idea what to do. He awkwardly sat on the ground. "Could you tell me why you're like this?" Woohyun spoke up after awhile.

Rina raised her eyes to look at the boy sitting on the wooden flooring. "Is it any of your business?"

He was about to say something, but closed his mouth. She was right. It wasn't any of his business.

"Will you really not tell me? Bottling up your feelings will only make it worse."

Rina placed her book down to look straight at Woohyun. "Why do you even care?" she questioned.

He didn't even need to think for the reply. "Because you're my friend, that's why!"

"Do you even know what the definition of 'friend' is? I only sit next to you! That does not classify me as your friend!" Rina growled.

Woohyun's face fell.

Giving up, Rina let out a sigh and started telling Woohyun everything that happened. She didn't know why it was so easy to spill her feelings out to him. It just happened.

Woohyun was polite and listened carefully, not even intercepting with any comments.

"It's a stupid matter, really. I don't know why I'm like this, anyways."

"It happens," he said after awhile. Silence followed his comment.

"Do you feel better now?" he added.

Rina slowly nodded.

Woohyun beamed. "I told you it'd help!"

The lass rolled her eyes but smiled nonetheless. "You could be quite useful."

"I'll be like your diary then!"

Shi Hoo looked - draggled. It had been a while since Rina saw him and it wasn't at all a pretty sight. She had no idea how horrible the effects of their fight was on him. Of course she knew that he was harming his body with alcohol a lot lately, but for him to look like this actually worried her.

Jong Suk had forced her to bring medicine to his apartment because he had fallen into a fever.

When he opened the door, it was hard for Rina to keep a poker face.

She finally gave up on trying to hold back her composure when he let her inside his apartment. The whole place looked like a dump, and that was a surprise because Shi Hoo was usually a neat freak.

"Oh god, Shi Hoo. What happened to you?" she exasperately breathed out.

He tiredly slumped down onto the couch. "Are you clueless or just plain stupid? While you continued on with life, I was left like this by the one and only."

Rina frowned. "For your information, I wasn't that well off. Unlike you, my stress-reliever was crying and falling asleep to Ryan's lullabies!"

There was a short pause.

"Why did we end up like this anyways?" she added in a small whisper.

Shi Hoo ran his fingers through his hair with a sigh. "I don't know, Nana. It was you who just ran off like that!"

Rina made no effort to stop her tears from flowing once again. "I couldn't help it, Steven! I really couldn't." She fell onto her knees and sobbed. "I just - I don't know!"

"No matter what has happened, I still love you, Nana. I have no idea what the happened between us but I can't live without you anymore. I became an alcoholic, Rina. Look at me!" he yelled, squeezing his eyes shut and placing his hands over his face.

Fresh tears stained Rina's pale face as she crawled towards Shi Hoo. She took a closer look at him.

He looked even worse up close. Anyone could immediately tell that he hadn't shaved in days and Rina wasn't even sure when the last time he had showered was. Shi Hoo reeked of alcohol, and the smell was seriously disgusting. His hair was messed up and he wasn't a pretty sight in general.

"Oh dear god, Park Shi Hoo. Go take a shower and pull your together! I cannot believe one of the richest businessman on the planet ended up like this just because of a lover's fight between his girlfriend. Steven, you're 21 for god's sake!" Rina scolded him.

She pulled him up from the couch and made her way towards the bathroom, kicking cans of beer along the way to clear her path. Rina pushed Shi Hoo inside the bathroom, demanding him to strip and get in the shower while she got clean clothes for him.

It took some time before she heard the water turn on. As Rina rummaged through his closet, she couldn't help but take notice of the blood on his bedroom floor. She knew better than to ask while he's in such a state. It was hard finding decent clothes for him to wear since most of them were dirty and unwashed. "Oh my god, he is such a mess." she muttered.

Once Shi Hoo was done showering and changing into the clothes that Rina picked out for him, she helped him shave and look like he once did before everything happened.

Rina walked backwards to admire her work. "Perfecto," she smiled.

Shi Hoo no longer looked homeless and even looked less stressed out.

Rina took a few steps forward, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I missed you." she whispered as she held him in her embrace.

He too held her close to him. "Aw crap, I just realized how ugly I must have looked."

"Don't worry, you still looked better than Ryan when he wakes up," Rina tried joking.

Shi Hoo let out a small laugh, and that was all it took for their relationship to go back to normal.

The two spent the rest of the day doing chores around his apartment. When dinner time came, Shi hoo decided to take Rina out for dinner. She declined at first because afterall, he was sick and it was cold outside. After lots of persuasion, Rina gave in.

Rina was glad that she had agreed because she hadn't had such a hearty meal in so long. "I missed this."

"Same."

Rina walked into the classroom with a smile on her face. Woohyun was slightly taken aback.

"Did something good happen?" he asked when she settled down on her seat.

"Steven and I are back together again!"

He didn't know why but when Woohyun heard those words, it made him feel slightly bitter. He didn't show it of course but instead covered his true feelings with a wide smile. "That's great!"

As long as Rina was smiling, he felt happy. They were friends. That was all there was to it.

During lunch, Rina sat together with Woohyun and his group of friends. They all joked around, making it seem as if she had never become depressive in the first place.

"Oh Rina, how was your first official test?" Hoya asked, taking a french fry from her plate.

"It was lame and easy," she replied as she snatched the french fry from Hoya and ate it. "I had already learnt everything back home."

Hoya smirked. "Who do you think got a higher score?"

"I did, obviously."

The boys chortled, causing Woohyun to turn beet red.

Sunggyu stopped them from embarassing the poor fellow any further. He flashed the younger male a reassuring smile.

A few more hours passed by until it was the end of the day.

Rina found Shi Hoo waiting in front of the school for her, and she was contemplating as to whether she should visit the bookstore or go straight home.

"Steven, could you drive me somewhere perhaps?"

He agreed.

Shi Hoo dropped her off in front of the tiny building and told her he'd be back in a few hours.

Rina wasn't surprised to find Woohyun already there waiting for her. He had stolen her seat, but it didn't matter. Nami had set out another chair for her to sit on.

They read and did their homework in silence.

Occasionally, Woohyun would stop and ask Rina for help on a problem.

He rather enjoyed being in the company of his new friend. It wasn't exactly the other way around but Rina didn't feel as empty anymore.

The seemingly omnipresent Woohyun was starting to get less annoying to her. He was almost assuaging in a way that was hard to explain in words.

It was weird, but Rina Kim knew perfectly well that Nam Woohyun was starting to hold a place in her life. Whether it be good or bad, she didn't know. She knew though, that it was happening. The boy who was her desk neighbor that pestered her from the very start was, in a way, becoming a friend.

She didn't know what exactly the definition of a friend was.

Rina never really had any, besides Jong Suk and Shi Hoo.

But she was guessing that Woohyun and that group of friends of his could possibly be identified as her friends.

Just the thought of it made her imperceptibly smile.

Woohyun had caught that small smile, and he too couldn't help but smile.

As long as his new friend was happy, he was too.

~~~

Oh dear, I don't know what I wrote.
I just realized how horrible my writing skills are.
I'm sorry.

"Do not accuse anyone for no reason—
when they have done you no harm."
-Proverbs 3:30