I sighed as I grabbed my books and headed to my locker. When I opened it, though, a hand slammed into the locker, causing it to slam into my hand. I dropped my books. "OW!" I squealed in pain.

I looked up to see three girls glaring at me like I was a monster. "Um, hello." I said politely.

"Oh, spare me that !" The girl in the middle snapped. "We ALL know what you really are like."

"Huh? Um, e-excuse me?"

The girl to the right glared dagger-eyes at me. "You pretend to be all cute and sweet and innocent, just so you can talk to Junhyung sshi? Yeah, right."

The girl in the middle leaned over and jabbed a manicured and sharp fingernail into my chest. I flinched when she spoke, her words practically dripping with venom.

"Listen up, . My name is Krystal, and if YOU think you can mess with MY man, you're wrong."

"And who would your "man" be, Krystal?"

We all whipped our heads around. A tall, extremely good-looking boy with very dark eyes was glaring at her. He looked scary and intimidating, but I kind of liked those eyes. It had the same level of intensity as Junhyung's, but this intensity was brighter, less angry. He looked angry now, though, and disgusted.

Kyrstal immediately shoved me out of her way. I landed to the floor with a yelp.

"Doojoon sshi," she crooned, giggling and twirling her hair. "How are you today? How's Beast?"

"Like you care." He snapped. "Get out of my sight, NOW."

The other girls linked arms with his. "Aww, don't be like that, Doojoon sshi."

"Luna, Sulli, I'll break your arms if you dare touch me." They immediately withdrew their hands.

"Now leave." The girls scampered down the hall.

My cheeks burning, I bent down on the floor and picked up my books. My glasses had fallen off my face when I fell. Where were they?

"Here." The boy called Doojoon crouched down next to me and handed me my glasses. "I was lying, you know. I wouldn't really hit a girl." "Oh. T-thank you very much." I bowed, but I was kneeling, and I toppled to the ground.

"You're so clumsy. Who bows when they're kneeling on the ground?" He muttered, then smiled. "You're really cute. You look better without your glasses on, though. What's your name?"

Blushing even more, I mumbled "Park Mihi."

"Park Mihi? That name suits you." I blushed even more.

"Well, I'm Yoon Doojoon. Nice to meet you, Mihi ah." Smiling, he stacked my remaining books into my arms and walked off.

*What a nice boy* you though, smiling happily as you walked away too. He was the only highlight of your day.

************************************************************************************************************************************

A WEEK LATER:

Doojoon left school, even though school wasn't over yet. He walked into a large alley near the school, where five handsome but scary-looking boys sat talking and wrestling. They stopped as soon as he came over.

"What took you, Doojoon?" One boy demanded.

"None of your business, Kikwang." Doojoon snickered. "Hey, Junhyng --"

The boy sitting by himself watching the others fight looked up. "What?"

"--your little girlfriend is out causing trouble again. If I were you, I'd keep a reign on her before she goes wild--"

He yelped when Junhyung jumped up and twisted his arm behind his back. "That annoying Kyrstal is not my girlfriend."

"Yow-ow-ow-ow-ow!!!" Doojoon yelped. "Alright, alright! I give! Sorry! Sorry!"

Junhyung released his hold and resumed his position sitting on a bunch of garbage bags.

"Hey, guess who I saw again today." Doojoon said as he sat down with the others.

"Who?"

"That mousey girl."

Junhyung's head snapped up. *They're talking about her*.

"The mousey girl? That shy nerd who's always up in the library burying her nose in books?" Yosoeb asked, snickering. "The one that's always getting bullied?* Junhyung had a sudden urge to kick him. *why?*

"Yeah. I talk to her sometimes. She has this adorable habit of bowing all the time and smiling. You know, once you talk to her, she's actually really cute. Imagine if she got out of her uniform and into some ier clothes---"

Junhyung abruptly stood up.

"Where are you going?" Dongwoon asked.

"Somewhere." He snapped, walking away. The others shrugged.

************************************************************************************************************************************

*Aaargh! Why do I feel so pissed off that they were talking about her like that?* Junhyung thought angrily as he walked down the street. *Yah, control yourself, Junhyung. It's not like you're interested in her or anything---*

"WAAAAAAAH!!!!!"

Junhyung looked up. I was on the ground. A bunch of boys from Seoul High had surrounded me. They had thrown a beer bottle at me. I had shallow-to-medium slices all over my face, arms, and chest, and there was one deep gash on my cheek that was trickling blood all the way down my neck. They were laughing.

"No one here likes you, mousey girl!" They chanted. "Go back to the countryside where you belong!"

"Country mouse!"

"Hillbilly!"

"Farmer's daughter!"

"Go away, nerd!"

I felt tears welling up in my eyes. This had been going on for a week already. I was too upset to bother my parents or Bongcha about it, but with the constant bullying from Kyrstal, Sulli, Luna, and other mean people, I really couldn't take it.......and it hurt so much............

One boy lifted up another empty beer bottle that was lying on the streets. Smirking, he threw it at me. I closed my eyes and braced for impact.....

BAM!!!!!!!!!!

Someone was in front of me, blocking my path. The bottle crashed into him, and his skin got cut and sliced by the tiny broken pieces. He paid no attention, though.

"Yah, who the hell do you think you're-----J-Junhyung?" They stammered. "Yong Junhyung from Beast?"

He grabbed the nearest one by the collar and brought him close to his livid and furious face. "Which one of you ers made her bleed, huh?" He hissed.

"I-It wasn't me! It was him!" The boy yelled in fright, pointing at the boy next to him. "No, it wasn't me at all! It was that guy!" They started to play the blaming game.

One yelled in pain when Junhyung punched him in the face. "Get your sons of es faces out of my sight, before I kill you!" He yelled. With one last frightened glance, they took off.

Immediately, he was in front of me, trying his best to use the sleeve of his shirt to wipe off the blood on my face. "Are you okay, Mihi?" He asked. It was my first time hearing him talk to me with such feeling. Normally, he watched me during math class, but never said a word.

"I'm....I'm....I'm...." I wanted to say "I'm fine" but I couldn't get the words out. I stared at his face. A gash on his forehead was dripping blood along his nose. The words choked in my throat and my tears spilled over instead.

He looked taken aback by my sudden crying. "D-does it hurt that much? Y-yah! Mihi?"

"Y-y-y-y-you.....look at you....you're so hurt.......you're bleeding all over.....for someone so stupid and pathetic like me......." I sobbed, reaching out and touching his bleeding face. He was even more taken aback.

*She doesn't care about her wounds, but she was so upset over mine?* His face softened. When you realized he wasn't pulling away from your touch, you blushed and tried to remove your hand, but he caught it and held it back up to his face. He closed his eyes.

After a while, he opened them again. "Can you stand?" He asked me. I nodded. I didn't want him to do more for me. He watched me struggle to get up, then sighed and lifted me off the ground, carrying my bridal style.

I gasped and turned berry red. He held me very close to his chest, making sure to be as gentle with me as possible. I could feel the smooth muscles hidden beneath his shirt and flexing slightly in his arms as he moved, making me blush darker.

"Why didn't you fight back?" He asked me after a while. "Why didn't you run or scream? They could have killed you."

"I don't like to fight." I admitted. "I hate violence and blood, it's wrong and sad and people die from it. As for screaming, I don't like raising my voice, and I fall down a lot when I run."

He burst out laughing. I listened to his laugh for a while. It was my first time hearing it. It sounded full and real, totally unlike the image he gave out.

After a while, he asked me directions. "For where?" I asked, puzzled.

He rolled his eyes. "For your house, obviously. I can't go to the hospital to get treated."

"Why not?"

He looked uncomfortable. "No reason. Just give me directions and I'll patch myself up there!"

We walked into my house after I told him about the spare key under the doormat. "Where's your parents?" He asked, sounding nervous. I didn't blame him. What would any normal parents say if a handsome but scary and intimidating boy walked into their house bleeding, carrying their equeally-cut up daughter? 

"Appa and umma are away on a business trip. Bongcha, my caretaker, is out in Pusan visiting her sick sister." I said, as he walked over and gently, almost reluctantly, set me down on the couch. "I'm all alone here."

"Don't you get lonely?" He asked.

I shrugged. "I don't mind. I'm used to it. I've pretty much been alone my entire life. Appa and umma are always busy, and Bongcha only comes once in a while."

*Just like me.* He thought. *I'm alone too.*