In your first class the next day, your usual scheduled staring out the window is interrupted by your teacher slapping some paper on your desk. You lazily check it. It's the test results and, as always, you scored high, earning you yet another A. You flip it over quickly, hiding it, and look back out the window.

 

Chanyeol, on the other hand, groans. You don't look to him, mostly because you don't want to get into someone else's business, but it's also because you can clearly hear your trace scolding him. You know that it must be due to a bad score and you can assume everyone else is watching him. Knowing he already has plenty of eyes on him, you simply do nothing but stare out the window.

 

----

 

As you go out to lunch, you pick a spot relatively far away from your usual table. You do this to avoid the girls that have been giving you icy glares all day, non-stop. You piece together that they must be mad that Chanyeol was talking to you yesterday. So, it crossed your mind that you should avoid Chanyeol as well. 

 

As you sit at a random bench, which was in just as bad shape as your usual table, directly on the other side of the cafeteria. You place your food tray down and sit, burying your head in your headphones to look smaller. You don't even start to eat your food, you just play with it a little, moving it around on your plate with your plastic utensils. That's when you hear a commotion starting up. When you look up out of curiousity, you see Chanyeol. And, once again, dozens of other girls surround him as he enters the room.

 

You look down at your food, placing your headphones on your head to drown out the new noise and it works for a good minute or so. But when you look back up to try and figure out why they keep getting louder, you realize that he's only getting closer and closer to you.

 

You freeze as you accidentally make eye-contact with him; he had found where you were hiding almost immediately. The girls around him were oblivious to where he was leading them to, and when they finally did notice, they pulled at his arms. They didn't even attempt to make their disapproval subtle, but, you never really expected them too.

 

As he got closer, you felt your heartbeat quicken just a little. You became so happy in that moment that, despite the constant cold-shoulders and disconnected conversations you always gave him, he still wanted to sit with you. However, you weren't quite willing to deal with even more trouble from all the girls who already hated you before, and are only more fueled by their new love for Chanyeol.

 

You took off your headphones as he sat down, and the other girls dispersed, irritated. All going to the back to the seats they would normally occupy, prior to Chanyeol's arrival at the academy. As you look up at him, he simply smiles at you, as always. Unfortunately though, you couldn't quite enjoy his company. You could only feel the numerous pairs of eyes burning holes through you.

 

Practically every girl in the huge cafeteria was watching you, with envy and fury, which only became more intense every second the passed. It was becoming hard for you to stand, you felt suffocated and uncomfortable. But as you looked to Chanyeol's smile, you couldn't bring yourself to flee again. And he had already made it clear that trying to push him away, simply wasn't going to work.

 

However, sensing the building fear in you, he spoke in a whisper to you, "You okay?" You look around nervously and shake your head slightly. "What's wrong?" Again, he does that head-tilt. Only, this time your chest tightens a little.

 

Your voice is a small whisper when you finally speak, "I'm- uh, I'm not exactly 'liked' by your fans here..." You look back at your food and play with it again, retreating from the conversation a little. He chuckles, "Haha, I'm sorry about that. Yah,  what's everyone's problem with you? I mean, seriously."

 

You laugh nervously again and shrug, "It's just," you look back into his eyes and grow very serious, "I'm really not someone you should be associating with. Anyone at this school would gladly tell you that." You felt your heart sink, knowing there was only truth in what you were saying.

 

Chanyeol's eyebrows furrow, "Why is that? You look normal to me." You smile even though his words deeply sadden you. "I know I do..." You feel the tears beginning to form but you force them back, "I don't quite get it either." You look away and look down at your feet.

 

He sighs, "Look, I don't care if the people here don't like you, and/or don't want me to like you." He smiles his usual smile and you can't help but admire it. He reaches over and grabs your hand in both of his, which leaves you flustered, which felt extremely unusual to you. "I want to be your friend, no matter what. I don't care about what other people say."

 

His gaze is sincere and you feel genuinely secure for the first time in quite a while, yet you're always brought back to your cautious self.

 

You find yourself pulling away from him and you place your hands on your lap. You look to the side, away from Chanyeol yet again. "I'm flattered, really. But, I really believe it would be the best for both of us if you stayed away from me..." You take your tray of food and walk off, ignoring Chanyeol's pleas to stay.

 

You felt like an absolute , but you knew you were just trying to protect him and yourself, or so you convinced yourself. He's wasting his time with you, and you'll just get harassed even more if you're with him. In any way. That much, you were sure.

 

You felt your throat tighten as you suppressed your growing sadness. The only person within a few miles radius who is willing to be your friend, and you could do nothing but warn him otherwise.

 

You were so broken up for the day that, even as some random girl bat your food out of your hands and onto the floor as your were leaving, you didn't notice.

 

You didn't go to your last three classes.