The first time I encountered Jaebeom was the beginning of our senior year. On that day, like all first days at our school, Seoul High was bustling with activity. The parking lot outside of the school was filled with girls chatting animatedly about five-star trips around the globe and boys continuously bragging about the girls they’d messed with over the summer as they teased and pushed each other around.

Me on the other hand, I just silently watched the familiar scene unfold, scanning the crowd for my best friend, Ok Taecyeon. He was my only friend since freshman year because he, like me, was teased because of his intelligence and not so up-to-par appearance. I adjusted my glasses on the bridge of my nose and anxiously searched the sea of faces, but I couldn’t find the person I was desperately looking for. Taec had gone to America in the beginning of the summer to visit family and attend a summer program at Boston University and for three entire months, I hadn’t been able to talk to him. Instead, I pathetically spent my entire summer at home studying and reading in preparation for my final year of high school.

I snapped out of my thoughts when the first bell rang with a piercing shrill, signifying the opening of the school doors and start of the new year. My face contorted in confusion. Taec still wasn’t here? Strange. He was usually one of, if not the, first people here. I brushed the thought away. Knowing him, he’d probably stayed up late the previous night watching anime on his laptop, completely in denial about having school today. He’d be here soon.

I stalled for as long as I could, but when Taec still hadn’t shown up and I was close to being the only person in the lot, I decided to just go into the school and meet him there. I silently slipped through the hallways in an attempt to avoid bringing any unnecessary attention to myself. There wasn’t much to worry about, to be perfectly honest. The only time anyone ever paid me any mind was when they were around and picking on me.

I walked into my first class and scanned the rows of desks, staring in awe at the empty desk. Taec wasn’t here. Every year since we’d met, Taec and I had managed to get into the same classes. In fact, it was considered a complete abnormality to see Taec and I in separate places at any time during the school day, or any day to be honest. And knowing Taec, there was no way he would be this late, so the only explanation was that we just weren’t in the same class.

I bit my lip anxiously. How could I survive a year without Taec to keep me entertained (and more or less, safe)? After pondering that thought, I shrugged. It couldn’t be more than one class.

.
.
.

None. Not even a single one.

After my class, I used my teacher’s assistant privileges to get into the main office and sneak a peek at Taec’s schedule and compare it to my own. At that point, I learned my utmost fear was true. Though we were taking the exact same courses, Taec and I weren’t in a single class together. I sighed dejectedly before dragging myself to my next class. This was going to be one horrible year. What the hell was I going to do with myself?

By the time lunch rolled around, I was anxious to see Taec. I shot him a quick text letting him know I’d meet him in the cafeteria and made my way there. By the time I arrived, the room was already packed with most of the other seniors. I sighed. Thankfully, Taec was tall, so it would be a bit easier to find him. But, I was still uncomfortable with standing around so many of my classmates without Taec by my side. I needed to find him quickly. Just then, I heard a familiar laugh and my heart jumped while a broad smile broke out on my face. My eyes searched the crowd and landed on my best friend.

I was shocked, to say the least. "Taec?" I said in surprise, though I didn't have to ask. I knew that smile, that laugh, those eyes anywhere. That was my best friend Taec and he looked amazing. His messy, scruffy hair had been replaced with sleek, straight black hair with the bangs falling into his eyes. He'd built up loads of muscles, his shoulders broad in his tight white t-shirt. But, what was more surprising than his appearance was the people he was sitting with.

Jessica.

Yoona.

Junsu.

Our tormentors since freshman year. Why was he with them?

“T-Taec?” I said nervously, quickly regretting my action as everyone sitting at that table turned and stared at me in disgust. That didn’t surprise me, I used to their disdainful stares; what surprised me was the look in Taec’s eyes. His eyes mirrored the mirth in theirs. And it terrified me. “W-Why are you over here…with them?”

Yoona scoffed. “With them? You talk about us like we are a disease. No, no, sweetie. The disease here is you.”

I didn’t flinch at the insult. All I could focus on was Taec. He was just staring at me. He didn’t even make an attempt to defend me. What was going on? “Taec?” My voice cracked out of fear and I could feel the familiar burn of tears in the back of my head.

Taec finally opened his mouth to speak. "What the hell do you think? I'm hanging out with them." Taec replied.

"I-I can see that...but, why?" I whispered back.

It made no sense to me. Why would you hang out with the people who used to make our lives a living hell? Images of them throwing paint and eggs at us flashed through my mind as I nervously waited for Taec's answer.

"Are you stupid? They're my friends...where else would I be but with them? Get lost, you freaking loser. No one wants you here," Taecyeon harshly replied, glaring at me hatefully before waving me off and placing a soft kiss on a giggling Yoona’s lips.

I flinched, both from his words and his actions, and stared at the ground, nervously played with my hands. I uttered out a pathetic "Oh," before breaking into a frantic run and fleeing the room. The laughter behind me was drowned out because I couldn't stop replaying his words in my mind. And the pain I felt was controlling me, I had to get as far away from him as possible.

In my haste to get to the girls' bathroom, I slammed into someone, knocking all of their books to the ground and falling myself. "S-Sorry," I said frantically trying to help them gather the papers and books that were scattered across the hallway. The tears in my eyes clouded my vision and I tore my glasses off to wipe them. When I put them back on and looked up, my mouth dropped open in shock. I was staring into the dark brown eyes of Park Jaebeom.