Chp. 03 | Just that girl


It was that time again.

Lunchtime.

The time when all the girls rushes to the cafeteria to catch a glimpse of Kim Tae Woo and his circle of friends.

This time however, they all wanted to catch a glimpse of the new transfer student who has caused quite a stir from the moment he arrived.

The guys : I’ll kick his in ping-pong or any other sport there is. He looks like a complete loser. As a matter-of-fact, I’ll just kick his .

Kim Tae Woo’s friend, huh? He’s not pretty enough. He looks too normal.
The punk thinks he’s the sh*t. Let’s jump him after school.

The girls : Park Jung Sang, huh? If he is anywhere near good-looking as Kim Tae Woo, I’d sneak into his house while he’s in the shower and give him a special surprise.

Does he have nice hair?

What?! He’s friends with Kim Tae Woo?

* * *

Soo Jin and I were seated at the end of the cafeteria, eating our lunch and chatting amongst ourselves when suddenly they entered.

Pretty-face Kim Tae Woo entered the cafeteria followed by the other pretty boys who had this unnaturally glow about them.

Just like in the movies, Kim Tae Woo knew how to make an entrance. Only Kim Tae Woo and his followers went against school rules to modify their uniform just so they could distinguish themselves from the rest. None of them wore their blazers. And their ties were loosened, shirt un-tucked at the waist and hands tucked in their pockets.

Gosh, what losers, I thought as my eyes strained to seek for the arrogant PingPongboy. Surprising enough, he was nowhere in sight.

I let out a sigh of relief.

“Ji Won. Something is not right about them today. How come they’re not sitting down?” Soo Jin pointed out.

What Soo Jin said was true. None of them sat down at their usual table that no one ever dared to go near.

Kim Tae Woo went over to the center of the cafeteria and commanded some guy to give up his chair to him. The guy obeyed and retreated far away from Tae Woo and his followers. We all watched in silent as he stood onto the chair, cleared his throat and said hoarsely, “Throat is dry. Someone has orange juice?”

Half the girls in the cafeteria scrambled to offer him orange juice.

I snorted at their eagerness. “Stupid girls,” I muttered, looking over to Soo Jin who wasn’t at her seat either. I realized that she was one of them stupid girls.

“Thank you,” he said, after taking a sip of the orange juice. “Anyway, I just wanted to say that from this day forward, I, Kim Tae Woo has officially decided to look for a girlfriend…”

The crowd of giddy girls started to murmur excitedly amongst themselves.

Kim Tae Woo looking for a girlfriend? He never had a problem of finding one to place his arms around or even make-out with, why was he announcing that he was looking for one right now? Somehow, I sense something wrong with the situation.

A few girls who sat nearby started to say something that my ears could not help from hearing.

Oh my gosh. Now I don’t have to sneak into his room anymore. This time it’ll be free access!”

“Shut up. It’s not like he’s going to choose you out of all the hundred girls here. And if he was to choose one, I’ll make sure it’s me!”

Tae Woo tucked his hands into his pockets and scanned his eyes around the cafeteria before he spoke again. “Now, to make this simple. I’d like all the guys to leave this cafeteria starting from now. You have a minute to get off your and head for the exit doors before I start getting annoyed.”

Tae Woo had the power to control every student in the school because his father happens to be some rich bastard and friends with the president of the school.

The guys all stood up and began to exit through the doors. After they all left, Tae Woo’s followers went to guard the door.

Tae Woo stepped from the chair onto the table. “I’m letting you know right now that you girls don’t have a choice. Actually, you should feel lucky and privileged that I’ve decided that I will choose one of you.”

All the girls screamed in excitement, clapping their hands as if Tae Woo was performing some kind of stunt.

Please. Could this be anymore lame?

Seeing that all of this was starting to annoy the sh*t out of me, I stood up and raised my hand.

All the girls glared murderously at me for being so bold.

Tae Woo turned to regard me. “Lee Ji Won. I’m not surprised that you’ve chosen to be the first. I’ve always thought that you harbored a secret crush on me,” he said, walking closer to where my table was.

I ignored his snide remark and said, “You said we’re not given a choice? Could you be more specific?”

“You don’t have a choice to decline,” he answered, finally reaching our table and looking down at me. “Single or not, you’re not given a choice to decline.”

Soo Jin was on the other side, covering in shock.(More like hyperventilating)

“Well, what if you’re not interested? What would happen if I choose to decline?” I inquired.

I could hear the hush whispers from the girls now.

Stupid. What does she think she’s doing?

She’s only pretending to act uninterested.

What a b*tch. How dare you speak so boldly in front of him.

“Skinny, fat, ugly or pretty. No given choices, huh?” I questioned him further.

For a moment, I thought I had him. He looked rather puzzled. And then he removed his hands from his pockets and said, “I’ll be the judge of that.” He angled his face slightly to the side and said, “Park Jung Sang. Which ones do you like?”

All the girls gasped in unison.

I froze.

PingPongBoy was there too?

“Just that girl,” came the reply from the far end.

I looked past Kim Tae Woo to see PingPongBoy sitting all alone, chewing opened-mouth on his food as if he enjoyed it.

The girls all gasped once again.

Tae Woo turned to look at me questioningly. “Her?”

“That one.”

Aiieee!! Park Jung Sang was helping Kim Tae Woo out?

Kim Tae Woo smiled at me. “Guess what? It’s your lucky day. You’ve now officially become Park Jung Sang’s girlfriend.”

The cafeteria erupted into a shroud of mocking laughter.

I could feel the blood being drained from my face. I stood there mortified and stunned at the same time. “But---but I thought you were looking for a girlfriend?” I asked Tae Woo in disbelief.

Tae Woo chuckled. “A girlfriend? Why have a girlfriend when I already have plenty of girlfriends?” He jumped off the table and placed a hand over my shoulder, leading me to where Park Jung Sang sat. “Let me break it down to you. Jung Sang is a close friend of mine. He’s been heartbroken once. I don’t want that happening to him again.”

I shook my head, trying to hold my ground. “But wait---I can’t be. I don’t want to be. I mean this is stupid!”

“Then you are insulting me because this was my idea,” Tae Woo said.

Then it makes you retarded for thinking of it in the first place, you retard!!! I wanted to yell aloud. All that came out was, “Why me?”

“Who knows? Maybe he’s interested in you?”

He wasn’t interested in me. He only wanted to get back at me for using his ex’s picture. There was no way in hell that he would be interested in me. I suddenly felt like a rack of meat and bones being fed to PingPongBoy who would probably chew on me opened-mouth.

The next thing I knew, Tae Woo shoved me roughly towards Park Jung Sang who stood up to meet me face to face.

You could say that I got a closer look at his face. However, I didn’t have time to check him out thoroughly. He was already dragging me away from everyone.

When we were alone, he released my arm. “I don’t like you. But there’s a reason why I chose you out of all those girls.”

“Why?”

“Because I hate pretending to smile for someone I don’t like. I hate liking people. I find it so much easier to hate. And I hate those girls.”

Strange answer. I don’t think I understood him. “And myself?”

“You’re someone I can sort of tolerate.”

“Why do you need a girlfriend then?”

“I don’t.”

“Huh?”

“I need you to help me with something.”

“What is that?”

“I need you to pretend to be my girlfriend.”

“But---“

“You can’t say no.”

“Why not? I don’t know you. I don’t want to know you. Why can’t I say no? What you gonna do?”

He smirked, stepping toward me. “I have the power to do anything to you if I wanted to.”

I said nothing, uncertain by what he said. My legs were just itching to take off.

“You want me to elaborate on it?”

I was already taking off down the hall before he had a chance to do so. I ran into the girl’s washroom and entered one of the stalls, locking it behind me. Several minutes later, there was a knock on the door.

I panicked and shouted out, “Get the hell out of here!”

A hand grabbed at my ankle and the next thing I knew, I was hugging the toilet seat, refusing to let go as I tried to kick at him. “Get lost you freak!!!” I yelled.

The door burst opened and there stood the frustrated looking PingPongBoy. “You’re getting me angry. Come out now.”