Questions
Without a Trace
Saejin woke up earlier the next morning for school. Earlier than usual. Which confused her mother, who was listening to Saejin pace around the room. She was startled when the door opened and Saejin walked out. Saejin put a hand to her chest. "Mom, what are you doing?"
"I could ask the same question, young lady!" Mrs. Song retorted. "What are you doing up this early? You usually come out for breakfast twenty minutes from now."
Saejin blinked to herself. "Oh. Sorry." She apologized. Honestly, she was way too riled up from the night.. Or that morning from the whole incident with the thieves who called themselves Teen Top. Other than that, she didn't know anything.
What confused her the most was that when she came in contact with one of their members, he didn't try to hurt her or point a gun at her. In fact, she didn't think he had a gun. She wasn't used for bait at all. Weird.
Plus she had this nagging feeling about the guy that she couldn't pinpoint no matter what or how hard she tried.
She shrugged it off as being paranoid and full of adrenaline that she was imagining things. There's no way she would know him. Right?
Saejin sighed to herself once more before turning to the kitchen and pouring some milk for herself. Mrs. Song watched from the door still. What was wrong with her daughter? Now that she thought about it, the clothes outside the front door were different from where they were earlier too.
Saejin downed the milk and set the glass on the counter. "I'm going mom. See you." She hugged her and ran out the door with her stuff. She walked down the path after she got off the bus and got out her phone.
A message from yesterday. She must not have seen it. It was from Byunghun asking her if they could meet at the library again. She put her phone away. She'd just agree when she got to school. She was basically there anyway.
Out of nowhere, an arm flung around her shoulders, and she suddenly got defensive, like the detective's daughter she was. She grabbed his arm and held it behind his back, despite his constant struggles and pleas for help. "Saejin! It's me! It's me!" She heard Ricky yell.
Chunji and CAP were behind them trying to contain their laughter at their dongsaeng's pain. "He so deserved that!" Chunji breathed between laughs.
"Hyungs!" Ricky whined, stomping his foot and rubbing his arm. "Saejin, you're strong."
"I'm sorry! If I knew it was you, I wouldn't have. It's-"
Ricky held up a hand."It's okay. I'll feel better by first period. Maybe." He winced when Chunji slapped him on the back.
"Atta boy."
"We raised him right." CAP nodded in satisfaction.
"Anyway, we're gentlemen enough to walk you to first period class." Ricky went by her side again. "And if Ms. Song asks if we're sleeping, just say no."
Saejin blinked and nodded, not bothering to ask. "Do you know where Byunghun is? I have a question to ask him."
Chunji lightly nudged CAP in the arm, flashing him a knowing look, with he returned with an awkward sly grin. The four went in the classroom, while Chunji left for his own class. As expected, Byunghun was in the back of the room, waiting for everyone with eyes closed.
"Is he asleep?" Saejin asked CAP who shrugged.
Ricky rolled up his sleeves, biting his lip. "We'll find out soon enough." He tiptoed to his hyung's backside, cupping his hands over Byunghun's ear. With a big breath, he yelled. "HYUNG, ARE YOU SLEEPING?!"
"What? What's going on?" Byunghun flinched in response and looked around. His hands whipped to his face and backhanded Ricky in the face. "What the- Oh, hey. What's wrong?" He yawned.
Ricky leaned on the wall next to him, holding his nose. "H-hyung! Why'd you hit me?"
"I did? Oh. Sorry." Byunghun shook his head and faced forward again. And stiffened.
In the front, watching the whole scene was CAP and... Saejin. Byunghun swallowed at the sight of her. Did she know? Was it possible that she knew who he was? What if she reported him to the police or something? He inwardly shook his head. It's better if he doesn't react. Cause less of a scene and lower suspicions on him.
The two laughed at Ricky's misfortune as they made their way over. "Nice, buddy." CAP nodded to Byunghun.
"Hyung!" Ricky whined.
"What? You basically asked for it." CAP shook off the complaints as Saejin kept chuckling in her hand until the teacher called the class to order. Of course, glaring at Ricky for yelling in her class.
Byunghun, who was still clueless over the whole matter, was focusing on something else completely. He kept an eye on Saejin. Nothing seemed suspicious or anything. She didn't eye him down and look at him with disgust. But what if she knew anyway and was just doing the same thing he was? Just pretending?
He had to take the risk and find out.
"Hey, Saejin." He gripped his bag tightly from the nervousness.
She looked up and blinked a smile. "Hi Byunghun-ssi. Funny you-"
"Would you want to work on the project after school today?" He straightforwardly asked, wanting the torture to end. "I-I mean, we're so close to finishing it, we might as well keep going."
He read her mind. "Sounds good to me." She agreed. "Should we go to the library again today?"
"Yeah. I'll meet you in the lobby after school again and we can walk over together again."
She nodded. "Alright. See you then."
"Wait." He reached out for her arm. She looked up at him curiously after looking at his grip. "You're sitting with us at lunch again today, r-right?"
"I can if you want me to." Saejin answered. Had she finally found a group of friends? She smiled inwardly to herself.
Byunghun looked at her like she was crazy. "Of course! The guys like you too. And bring your friend, uh.."
"Johye."
"Yeah. Sorry." He rubbed the back of his neck. He really needed to remember her name and he mentally smacked himself for it. "Anyway, just go to the same table as last time. I'll be waiting." Byunghun let go of her arm and shook his head. I'll be waiting? Really? That's the best he could come up with?
Niel gazed at the two extra chairs. "Are those two girls coming again or something?"
Changjo nodded. "Get used to it too." He raised his eyebrows as if telling Niel 'if you know what I mean'.
CAP caught on and nodded with a thumbs up. He then proceeded to glance around the lunch room for the girls when he noticed there was no sign of Byunghun, Saejin, or her friend. "Where do you think they are? I don't see them yet."
Chunji shrugged and flipped his water bottle in the air and caught it. "I don't know. But I need to refill this so seat check." He notified the others and got up from his chill position.
"I'll go too, hyung!" Ricky shot up as well.
Chunji shrugged. "Suit yourself."
The two rushed to the drinking fountain, pushing each other childishly on the way. Chunji looked up and smirked at the group of girls near the drinking fountain. He threw away the water bottle by tossing it in the trash. "Hello girls-"
"Just who the hell do you think you are?" They stopped in their tracks at the outburst.
"How did she even do it with those looks?" Another girl scoffed.
Ricky inferred everything. Apparently these girls were cornering another girl. Of course, he and his friends never approved of anything like this at all, boy or girl.
"Just because you sat with them one time, you think you can do it all the time now?"
"You should be lucky enough to even have any friends at all. That poor girl. We could've been friends with her too." One sighed.
Gears started moving in Ricky's head and it all started clicking. "Hyung, is it... Park Johye? "Hey, hey, hey." They were going to find out as they broke up the circle of confused and surprised girls. In the middle, like Ricky thought, was Park Johye holding onto her books for dear life while staring at the ground. Her face was emotionless. Chunji took a stand in front of her.
"Chanhee oppa!" A girl squealed. "You look good today! Did you do something with your hair?"
"Pabo. He always looks hot." Her friend shot her a look.
He eyed them, but not in the way he intended in the first place. "What are you girls doing?"
"We're just talking to her, oppa! She seems so lonely!"
Chunji looked over his back at Johye. She hadn't moved a muscle. He sighed. "You know I don't approve of bullying in any form, be it physical or.. Verbal." He added.
A follower spoke up. "M-maybe we should go..."
The girls groaned and left one by one, both eyeing Chunji and sending a glare to Johye behind his back.
Chunji turned to her. "Come on. Everyone's waiting." He told her and left for the table.
Johye's head shot up and Ricky took her wrist in his hand with a smile. "Let's go! I think Saejin sat down too."
"Hurry up! I'm hungry!" Chunji said, although he lost most of his appetite.
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