"W-what?" I cried. "Why? I thought you said you believed that I wasn't cheating on you!"

"It's... It's not that. I do believe you." L.Joe said quietly, looking away and not meeting my eyes.

"Then why? If you know the scandal isn't true, why would you say that?" I tried to lower my voice and not bring attention to us but the last thing I cared about right now was the fangirls that could overhear us. All I wanted to know was his reason why. "Do you... not like me anymore?"

"Of course I do!" He immediately replied. "It's just... you have to go through too many hardships just to be with me."

"Hardships?" I repeated.

"I feel really bad towards you." He continued. "The fans harass and bully you because of our relationship and I don’t want that to happen anymore. If we end it… maybe you can finally live peacefully, without any more troubles because of me. I’m just a nuisance to you, am I right?”

No, you buttface, you're not right. If there should be a nuisance, it should be me, clinging to you all the time. I bit my lip to keep myself from saying it.

"I think it would be best for us to... separate for a while." L.Joe said even quieter. "But we can still be friends..."

I opened my mouth to say something but nothing came out, so I closed it again, speechless. "Friends?"

"Yeah... Eun Mi, I’m doing this for you so you won’t get hurt anymore.”

“L.Joe, I don’t mind about what other people say about me. I’m used to all the put-downs by now.” I interjected.

“Exactly! You’re used to it even though you shouldn’t be! You don’t deserve being gossiped about.” He said. “You may think I’m being selfish, but this is to keep you safe.”

"Wait, so you're saying you don't think I can handle it." I scoffed and looked up, trying to keep the tears in. Did he really think I was a weak target to all the other people? "You think all of that will get to me and I'll break down? Is that what you're saying?"

"Eun Mi, that's not what I meant-"

"Okay, I see how it is." I blinked again, turning away. "You know what? Maybe I can't handle this. Maybe you're right, maybe we should just end this."

“Eun Mi!”

I looked at him one last time before walking away. He called me again but I didn’t turn around and left him there in the bustling schoolyard.

-- ♥ --

“Eun Mi.”

“Eun Mi?”

“Eun Mi noona?”

“Are you there?”

“Noooonaaaaaa…”

“Shh! Stop it, Zelo. You’re bothering her.”

“But she looks really depressed right now… I want to ask her why.”

“Just let her be. It must be a girl thing.”

“Yongguk hyung, do you know anything about girls?”

“Huh? Sure I do.”

“Really? Like what?”

“Uh… girls like chocolate?”

“Changjo, why is Yongguk-hyung talking in the form of a question?”

“I don’t know?”

“Wait, you too?”

"Why the heck not?"

"Guys... stop it?"

"I can't talk normally anymore?"

"Me neither?"

I lifted my head up from my desk and stared at the three people emotionlessly and silently. Yongguk, Zelo, and Changjo were still there usual weird selves and didn't know anything about what had happened yesterday.

"Oh, noona! What's wrong?" Zelo caught my eye and asked me a question. "Ever since you came home yesterday, you've been quiet. You were out of it and wouldn't get out of bed this morning too."

I didn't answer and just blinked at him. Once, twice, three times. Then I lowered my head back onto my desk again and my hair draped over my eyes.

I heard Yongguk whisper to the others. "Why is she so depressed? Did L.Joe break up with her or something?"

I snapped back over to them and made them jump. Changjo nudged Yongguk lightly. "Hyung, I think you know girls a little too well, because I think you're right."

"Wait, so it's true!?" Yongguk exclaimed loudly for the entire world to hear. "L.Joe and you broke-"

"SHHHHHHHHH!!" Zelo shushed him, earning looks from the nearby classmates. Then he turned to me with a questionable look as well. "Did he really, noona? But I thought he said he didn't believe the scandal..."

No, I didn't want to talk about this. If I did, I would most likely started bawling my eyes out and hug my pillow, crying for L.Joe because I missed him and did not like the fact we had 'broken up'. So I just nodded.

Zelo gasped. "Don't tell me it's because of me? No, it's all my fault... Noona, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to make him do that to you, I'm sorry..."

How could it be this kid's fault? He was such a caring kid and would never hurt a frog. "Don't worry, Zelo. It's not because of you. L.Joe just... he thinks we should take a short b-break from each other, that's all..."

Changjo just sat there, looking at me. Then he leaned in and cracked his knuckles, one by one. "Once I get my hands on that filthy little blondie..."

"Changjo, he's older than you! What do you mean by little?" Yongguk said.

"I don't care, he's going down like a sumo wrestler on a helicopter..."

"What?!"

"Don't ask." The maknae looked at me again. "Don't worry, Eun Mi. He'll realize it soon enough that he made a mistake. He'll come running back to you in know time."

"I hope so..." I said quietly to myself, laid my head back onto the desk, and stared at the wall. Plain white and full of cracks... just like what our relationship could become if I didn't do something.

-- ♥ --

"You should just go talk to him." Sooyoung told me. The longer-than-usual-school-day had finally ended and I was still my miserable self, not getting over the event that took place yesterday. My best friend had found out about it and kept telling me to take charge. 

"But he keeps avoiding me!" I said, disheartened and not encouraged at all. "He ignored me all day today and made sure not to cross paths with me..."

"Then follow him home!" She argued. "You can't just give up! If he means that much to you, you can't. Haven't you watched any K-dramas lately? The girl has to go after the guy, not the other way around."

"But-"

"Go."

"B-but-"

"Do it."

"Sooyoung-!"

"Bye."

She gave me a push in the direction of L.Joe house and stuck out her tongue. "You'll thank me for this later."

I sighed, gripped my school textbooks closer to my chest, and started in the said direction. Sooyoung was right; I had to go and talk to him. I had to make him believe that the fangirls could never hurt me, since I had him by my side.

Once I had arrived at the familiar house, I stopped at the front door. The door stared back at me mockingly and I had second thoughts. Should I knock? Should I leave? Maybe this is a bad idea...

I took a deep breath, held my books with my left hand, and raised my right hand up to the door. Making a fist, the crisp sound of my knuckles hitting the polished wood rang out in the silent air. I waited for what must have been 10 seconds before I let out the breath I was holding and turned away to leave, half-relieved and half-devastated that nobody was home. But just as I had turned away, I heard the door creak open.

"Eun Mi? Is that you?"

I froze and slowly turned around again to see L.Joe's mother at the door, wearing a pair of jeans and a loose t-shirt that made her look like a natural model.

"Oh, annyeonghaseyo." I quickly bowed to be polite. "Uh... is L.Joe here?"

"L.Joe?" His mother repeated. "No, he's out with his friends practicing or something."

"Oh, is that so?" I said, trailing off. He wasn't at home either... he must really not want to see me.

"Why? Do you need to tell him something?" She asked. "I can pass your message to him if you want."

"N-no, it's alright. It's nothing." I bowed again to symbolize I was leaving but L.Joe's mom had another idea in mind. 

Mrs. Lee made a circling motion, telling me to come in. "Would you like to come in, Eun Mi?"

I shook my head. "No, it's okay. I was just stopping by..." I tried to deny the invitation but failed again. 

"Come in just for a while, please? Nobody's home and I'm all by myself." The adult pouted, surprising me as the first adult to ever show me aegyo.

I sighed and nodded, hesitantly entering the welcoming house. Delighted, she led me to the guest room and sat down. "Do you want anything to drink? Or to eat?"

"I'm fine..."

"If you say so." She shrugged and then propped her elbows on the table, peering at me with an intense stare that made me uncomfortable. "Time for some girl talk! Tell me what's on your mind right now."

"Huh?" I asked, surprised.

She chuckled. "Come on, I live in a house with two guys, twenty-four-seven. Can't I have a heart-to-heart talk with an actual female for once? Just tell me what's up with you and my L.Joe here."

"Do you...?"

"Do I know that you guys broke up?" She laughed again. "I could tell just from his face when he came home yesterday! And when you knocked on the door too. It's so obvious."

I gulped. "It is...?"

"Yeah." This time she calmed down and her voice had a serious tone. "But do you know why he did it?"

I nodded, thinking about it. "He said it was because of my safety or something. He didn't want me to be hurt because of his fangirls or something."

His mother nodded. "I see. Don't take the breakup the wrong way, Eun Mi, okay? He probably only had the intention of keeping you safe and happy in his mind."

I sighed. "It's just that sometimes I wish he would understand that being with him makes me feel safe and happy already."

"I know how you feel, don't worry." 

"You do?" Don't tell me she had to experience a break-up too.

"I do. When L.Joe's father and I started dating, we had some bumps in the road too. It's normal for couples to breakup once or twice, because they're all just love-sick idiots who'll realize it in the end." Mrs. Lee reassured me. "Trust me. L.Joe does some of the most stupidest things ever."

"Really? Like what?" I asked.

"Once, when he was in fourth grade, he was playing in the kitchen and found the rice cooker, on and in use on the counter. He burned himself by sticking his finger on the place where the steam was let out." 

I let out a laugh. "I didn't know that! Was he really that foolish?"

"I know right? Hard to believe." She laughed with me and smiled. "So don't let this get to you. You two will be back together soon. He cares too much for you."

I nodded, feeling a bit better. "Thanks a lot, Mrs. Lee."

"No problem." She winked and flipped her glorious hair over her shoulder.

School had just ended about thirty minutes ago, so that meant if was around 4:30pm or so. What was Mrs. Lee doing at home and not at work? "Is it okay if I ask you why you're not at work, Mrs. Lee?"

"Sure. My sister-boss let me have a day off early." L.Joe's mother replied. "Why?"

"Oh, nothing." I said. Then another question came to mind. "Is it okay if I ask you one last question?"

"Of course. What is it?"

"What company do you work for? Your sister is Zelo's mother, right? What's the name of the company they own?" I asked out of curiosity. "Sorry if I'm being too nosy..."

"I like answering questions, don't apologize." She told me. "And the company's called JellCo. JellCorporations."

"JellCo..." I repeated quietly. Wait... wasn't that the rival of SeoMate Company? So that means... Zelo's parents and Seohyun's parents are rivals in the business industry?

~Ljjang창조♪