«Oppa, let’s take a photo together!» Jessica said as she raised her phone in attempt to get a good angle. She smiled sweetly leaned closer to her boyfriend, who was busy texting. They were in Donghae’s car in an empty parking lot. They had just been out for dinner at a decent restaurant. Donghae looked up to see the mirror image of him and Jessica in Jessica’s phone. He rolled his eyes and got back to texting. 

«Yah, Donghae!» Jessica nudged her boyfriend’s arm with her elbow. «I said let’s take a photo!» She said demandingly. This time Donghae didn’t look up at the phone, but he looked up at her and frowned. 

«No.» He said while keeping eye contact with Jessica.

Jessica frowned back and dropped her hand down in her lap. «Why the hell not?» She snapped. Donghae sighed as he rolled his eyes again. He placed his hand on top of the steering wheel and looked out the windshield. Jessica punched Donghae’s arm and glared at him.

Donghae clutched his arm and turned to look at Jessica in shock and anger. «Ow! What the hell is your problem?!» He spat.

«What the hell is your problem?!» Jessica spat back. «All I asked you to do is take a selfie with me! Is it so hard for you to just smile for 2 seconds?!»

Donghae was breathing heavily as he glared at Jessica. He shook his head as he turned to look out the windshield again. «This isn’t working.» He whispered. 

Jessica could feel a sting in her chest. She swallowed and tried to remain tough. «I’m tired of hearing you say that. Look, you said you didn’t want me to publish our pictures anywhere, and I haven’t done that! All the photos we take together I keep to myself.» She said while searching for eye contact with her boyfriend, who was still looking out through the windshield. 

Donghae laughed, but there was no sense of humor or joy in his laughter. «I didn’t just tell you not to publish our photos on social media; I told you to not publish them period.» He then looked at Jessica with his eyes narrowed. «You’ve been showing our pictures to your friends.» He muttered.

Jessica raised her eyebrows in disbelief. «And? So what?» She shook her head and gave an exasperated sigh as she looked forward. «You’re unbelievable. So, you’re saying that you don’t want my friends to see our pictures together? I just want to show them that we are happy together and that we look good together.» She looked back at Donghae, again trying to search his eyes. The young man looked annoyed.

«And that’s exactly the problem. You are too focused on what other people think. I told you from the beginning that everyone doesn’t have to know about us.» He said and looked away again.

«First of all, I just showed our pictures to my friends. No one else! Secondly, are you calling me shallow? Because the last time I checked you look yourself in the mirror more times than me before leaving the house. Hell, you take more selfies than I do!» 

Donghae laughed mockingly. «I’m not calling you shallow. And I’ve never claimed to be down to earth either.» He looked back at Jessica with a serious expression. «We’re through.»

Jessica gaped in shock. «What?! Because of pictures?! Have you lost your mind?!» 

«SHUT UP!» Donghae yelled back. Once again he was panting, and so was Jessica. They both looked angrily at each other. 

«Donghae, you’re exaggerating.» Jessica crossed her arms. «It’s not a big deal. Everyone posts couple pictures all the time. It doesn’t mean the end of the world.» 

Donghae kept quiet as he kept looking out the windshield again. His leg was shaking.

«I don’t know what happened to you. We’ve been dating for more than a year and it’s been good. Now, all of a sudden, you’ve changed.» Jessica said. Her tone had lowered and she was looking more upset than angry. «What did I do to you that made you hate me this much?» She looked at Donghae with tear-filled eyes. 

Donghae looked her in the eyes, seemingly not moved at all. «That’s not true. It wasn’t good. You know why? Because instead of me getting closer to Yoona, you tried to bind me to yourself all the time. Then she started dating Taec, which was tough enough to comprehend for me. When they finally broke up I was ready to make a move, but she acts as if I don’t exist. Now I know the reason why. It’s because of you!» He ended by pointing at Jessica while glaring at her. 

Jessica was speechless. She stared at Donghae with her most agape. «what did you just say?» She whispered. She shook her head before rubbing her eyelids with her fingers. She laughed humorlessly before looking back at Donghae. «You know, you’re a funny guy.» She then looked dead serious. «Now take it back.» 

Dognhae looked just as serious. «Jessica, get out of my car. I said we’re through!»

«I’m not going anywhere!» Jessica snapped back and crossed her arms. «Clearly you don’t realize what you’ve gotten yourself into. Only a complete idiot would try to leave me.» 

«Call me what you will, you hag, but get out of my car immediately! This is your last warning!» Donghae spat without looking at Jessica.

Jessica gasped as she looked at Donghae in utter disbelief. «Hag?! Warning?!» 

Donghae got out of the car without a word and walked around it to the passenger’s side. He opened the door and began to drag Jessica out. Jessica was resisting by pushing his hands off her. «You bastard! Don’t touch me!» She screamed as the stronger man managed to pull her out of the car. 

«I told you to shut up!» Donghae said through gritted teeth before shoving Jessica hard enough to make her fall down. He used the opportunity to lock the passenger door and ran to the driver’s side. 

Jessica got up and tried to open the door. «Open the damn door!» She screamed while banging the window. Donghae turned the engine on. «Donghae! Open this door and let me in!» Once the car started moving she had to back away. Donghae drove off without  word. 

Jessica stood there panting alone in the parking lot. A few people that were in the area had seen or heard what had happened and were staring at Jessica as she stood abandoned. She looked around and saw the few people that were staring at her. Shame and embarrassment would not take her. Until she got home. She began to walk with her head held high what would be a 30 minute walk back to her house. 

~~

The sound of her phone ringing made her flinch and squeeze her eyes shut. The first person she thought of was Donghae and, for some reason, that motivated her to get up and answer the phone. Jessica moved slowly under her blanket and crawled out of her bed. She tiptoed passed the bundles of tissue paper from last night’s mourning on the floor. She picked up her phone from her desk and squinted to see who was calling. Her face feel when she saw Yoona’s name. ‘Should I answer? I’d have to explain my absence from school…’ Jessica bit her lower lip as she stared at the ringing phone. ‘She’s my friend and she deserves to know.' 

Then the phone stopped ringing. Jessica blinked and let out a sigh. Just as she placed the phone back down on her desk, it started to ring again. It was still Yoona. She glanced at the tissue papers on the ground. ‘Wait a minute. This is all her fault!’ Jessica pressed the red button on her phone and turned the phone off. She dragged herself back to her bed and fell down on the soft mattress. She dugg her face into her pillow and let her tears flow once again. Her heart was aching and her breath was unsteady. ‘I want to die.’

«If I don’t have Donghae I don’t want to live.» She mumbled into her pillow before she started sobbing. 

~~

Yoona’s POV

«Had anyone of you heard from Jessica?» Yuri asked. 

Once again at lunch, I was stuck sitting next to Taecyeon while facing Sooyoung and Ryeowook. Oh, how I hated it. Today it was a bit more bearable just because we were worried about Jessica. I now had another pain to focus on instead of Sooyoung sitting so close to Wookie. Yuri was sitting next to Yesung. Donghae was not sitting with us.

Sooyoung creased her eyebrows as she looked at Yuri. «No, I haven't. Where is she?» 

«Yoona tried to call her, but she didn’t pick up. Then we met Donghae in the hallway and he said that they are through.» Yuri explained. «He even referred to her as a hag!»

Sooyoung gaped in shock. «They broke up?! He called her a what?!» I swear she was fighting a grin. «Wow. Donghae is such a handsome guy. And popular too» What a shame she let him go…» She shook her head and looked down. She was trying to look disappointed, but there was something off about her expression. The way her cheekbones were pultruding she was obviously fighting a smile. «Oh, well. May she find a better guy soon!» She shrugged. 

I frowned and we made eye contact for a quick second. «You’re not worried about how Jessica is doing at all?» I asked sternly while eyeing her. 

She looked at me with a careless expression. «Obviously I do care about her. I just said that I hope she finds herself a new guy soon. If she stays single and Donghae keeps calling her names, people will begin to think she’s bad luck to be with. I wouldn’t want that.» Sooyoung said and palmed her chest as if with compassion. «Her reputation would affect our reputation.» 

I was gobsmacked. I didn’t know what to say. I wanted to call her a witch. I was about to scold her when Taecyeon started to rub my back. I turned to look at him and he smiled at me. 

«Don’t worry about her. She’ll be fine.» He said in a reassuring tone, but I wasn’t convinced. 

«Ryeowook, rub my back.» I turned to see Sooyoung sitting practically glued to a very uncomfortable looking Ryeowook. 

«O-okay.» Ryeowook said before he hesistantly began to rub her back. ‘That’s it.’

I stood up and began to walk away. 

«Yoona! Where are you going?» Taecyeon said with a hint of worry. 

«I’m gonna go check on Jessica.» I said without halting or turning around. I marched out of the canteen and soon enough I felt a hand take hold of my wrist. I turned around only to see Taecyeon looking at me. He looked worried.

«I’ll go with you.» He said without breaking eye contact with me.

I frowned and shook my head at him. «No. Just leave me alone.» I yanked my hand free and kept walking.

I heard him sigh. «Yoong, please. If I drive you it’ll take less time.» He said. He was following me. 

I stopped and I could feel him standing right behind me. He was close enough to embrace me. His breath blew on the hairs on my head. I puffed out air in defeat. «Okay.» I turned around to see Taecyeon smiling at me. «On one condition.» 

~~

Taecyeon looked annoyed as ever as he drove. I was sitting in the middle at the back, while Sungmin was sitting in the passenger seat. I’d convinced him to join me to see Jessica. Actually, I kind of bribed him. I told him that I’d treat him to dinner for a whole week if he came with me. No, that was not my starting bid. I just could not stand the thought of being alone with Taecyeon. To be honest, I didn’t even trust that he would actually take me to Jessica’s place. I was sure that if I’d gotten into his car with him, he’d drive to some remote area and force me to listen to whatever he had to say. He’d done it before. And to think that I found it to be romantic. Kidnapping and blackmailing is what it is. You’ve got nowhere to run because you don’t even know where the hell you are and he’s practically refusing to take you back to civilization until you agree or forgive or whatever it is he wants you to do. He’ll be acting all gentle and kind while he does it though and that’s how he brainwashes you. 

«I really like your car!» Sungmin was studying the vehicle with such curiosity. He kept touching the leather seats and the door. «It must have been awfully expensive. Did you buy it yourself?» He asked and looked at Taecyeon. 

«Yes.» Taecyeon said flatly. «And please stop touching my car. I try my best to keep it clean. This is the result of hard work.» He grumbled. ‘Lies.’ I thought. His parents gave him this car as a birthday present. Taec has never worked a day in his life. And he eats his breakfast in the car all the time. There was even a stack of bowls with chopsticks in them as evidence on the floor at the back. As for not touching the car, that was also a lie. Taec would get us in these awkward positions when he wanted to make out and that resulted in fingerprints on the windows, the rearview mirror, and sometimes stepping on the seat. Back then I thought it was exciting, but it was also undeniably uncomfortable. 

I picked the bowls up from the floor. «You said you were trying to keep the car clean, eh?» I asked as I held the dirty bowls in my hand. 

Sungmin looked at the bowls and grimaced. «Ew! That is so unsanitary.» He then looked at Taecyeon. «Are these yours?» 

Taecyeon glanced at the bowls and looked even more annoyed. «No.» He grumbled. 

«Then why are they in your car?» Sungmin asked.

«My friends like to eat in my car.» He murmured. ‘Lies, lies, lies.’

«But why-» Sungmin was cut off by Taecyeon roaring back at him.

«I said that they’re not mine!! Will you get that into your ing head?!» Taecyeon glared at Sungmin before directing his attention back on the road. Sungmin sank in his seat. He looked like a scared rabbit. I scowled as I put the bowls back down on the floor. I shook my head at Taecyeon in disapproval though he wasn’t looking at me. 

Finally we arrived at Jessica’s house. He parked the car and Sungmin and I got out. I didn’t even ask Taecyeon why he wasn’t getting out of the car. Sungmin and I walked up to the door and I rang the doorbell. After a few minutes Jessica opened the door, looking surprised to see me and Sungmin. Her eyes darted from me to Sungmin, but her eyes finally rested on me and she looked… angry? 

«What are you doing here?» She said in a croaky voice.

I raised my eyebrows in surprise. «I was worried about you. I just want to make sure you’re okay.» She squinted her eyes at me. ‘What did I do?!’

«That’s a really nice pair of pajamas you’ve got on.» Sungmin said as he eyed Jessica’s nightwear. He wasn’t eyeing her in a y way, but more so in admiration. 

Jessica looked down at her oversized baby pink pajamas with little bunnies on. «Why, thank you.» She mumbled and smile coyly as she fumbled a bit with her arms. Sungmin smiled back at her sweetly. «Please do come in.»

Jessica stepped aside and allowed us inside. She served us some tea and we sat down on the floor in her living room. After getting comfortable I finally asked her what had happened between her and Donghae, and she explained through gritted teeth about the awful evening of the previous day. Before she’d even told us half the story, tears were streaming down her face. Sungmin was areal gentleman and got her some tissues, and while she wiped away her tears he patted her back gently. 

«…and you know what the worst part is?» Jessica said shakily with her gaze low. «The worst part is that he said that the only reason he was with me was to get close to you, Yoona.» She said through gritted teeth before looking up at me. Her heartbroken expression pained my heart as I watched those bitter tears roll down her cheeks. 

My jaw dropped. «He said that?! Jessica, I would never come in between the two of you!» I dug my hands through my hair. I was so frustrated. Why were boys so wicked?! I could feel tears well up in my eyes. «Jessica, I am so sorry. I… I honestly cannot believe what a jerk he really is.» I looked into her eyes hoping that she would see the sincerity in my eyes.

Jessica didn’t say anything. She broke down into sobbing and Sungmin immediately took action and wrapped his arms around her. He rocked her back and forth slowly while rubbing her back. I moved closer and hugged Jessica. «Please don’t be angry with me. I would never do such a thing to you.» I muttered. 

At this point I was crying too. I was crying over the heartbreak of my friend, but I was also crying over the men who had done me wrong. And I cried over my best friend whom I wish I could be with all the time. 

~~

Sungmin and I stayed with Jessica for the rest of the day. She seemed so much happier as time went by. Eventually we had to leave and we bid our goodbyes with big hugs. Then me and Sungmin walked all the way back towards school. Taecyeon was gone with his car. Only God knows when he had left. 

Once we got close to school, we parted ways to head to our respective homes. I hugged Sungmin goodbye before we parted ways. He told me not to worry about the dinners I owed him, but I insisted I’d do it sometime. 

I walked the way home alone. As I reached home and was about to grab the doorknob, the door opened and I flinched. «Whoa!» Then I felt myself smile. «What are you doing here?»