I’ve been going to school with Jinyoung, he fetch me from home like he’s been doing for the past two weeks. And every single day I’ve been waiting for him to strike his first attempt on pulling a prank on me. Yes he hasn’t done any serious damage. Except for occasional prank like throwing a crumpled paper on me or even placing glue on my locker which made my hand stuck to it. I’ve already prepared myself to be put to emergency room, but he has done nothing!

“you have to pay me, fatty.” He said as he parks the car at the schools parking lot.

“so you want me to pay you?” I really don’t have money though, I’ve been saving up for the car that I really wanted, so basically I don’t have anything to pay him.

“What?” He asks raising his brows at me, “You think you’ll be getting these rides for free?”

“But.. but.. I don’t have any money right now, I’m saving up funds for the car that I really wanted and..”

He rolled his eyes as if he was starting to get annoyed with my rant, “No I don’t want your money, cheesecake.” he said as he gave me a head to toe look.

I gulped at this, immediately I covered my front with my hands, he’s not asking for something impossible right? “Dream on, Jung.. but you’re not getting any from me.” I said trying to sound brave.

 He shook his head and started showing his evil-smirk again. “That’s not what I mean, fatty..” he said stepping out of his car. I was now out of his car following behind him as he made his way to the school entrance. “hhhmm.. I’m not yet done cleaning my room. So, I want you to help me clean it.”

I stopped from my tracks, Who does he think he is ordering me around? “I’m not cleaning your room for you!” I scoff.

He turned around to look at me, “What’s that, fatty? You’re not going to clean my room? Hhhmm.. I wonder what your dad has to say about that.” He taps his chin thoughtfully and my blood runs cold.

I glared at him, hoping that he would eventually melt in the process, “ You wouldn’t.”

“I totally would.” He said in a challenging tone.

“So you’re going to use my father to blackmail me from now on?” I narrow my eyes at him and he shrugs.

“When life gives you lemons, cheesecake, you squeeze it and hope for the best.” He said as he winks and started scramming away because I was already on the verge of strangling him with my bare hands.

Oh god. He just wouldn’t stop. Would he?

After lunch, I’m taking some of my books to my locker before heading back to my homeroom when I feel a presence behind me. Yu-ri and Hee-rin are both in their economics class, there’s only one person who’d come stalking me.

“Go away, Jinyoung.” I say as I was scraping a gum someone has stuck on my locker, actually it’s either Min-ah or one of her minions who did it.

“Uhm, it’s not Jinyoung.”

I whirl around fast almost breaking my neck in the process, but it doesn’t matter when it comes to Sehun. He’s standing right in front of me looking so adorable as always. He’s wearing his Jersey uniform which made him look even more adorable.

“Sehun,” I exclaimed as I gave him an apologetic look. “I’m sorry, I thought you were…”

“Jinyoung, I get it..” he said with a clenched jaw which surprised me. He’s never been like this around me, usually he’s super nice and friendly to me, and of course that’s when his girlfriend is not around. I wonder what’s wrong with him, maybe Jinyoung did something to upset him.

“What’s wrong?” I asked but he doesn’t seem to hear me from the first time so I asked him again, “What’s wrong, Sehun?”

He shakes his head, “I heard you’re coming to the party this coming Saturday?” he doesn’t sound so pleased.

Then I remembered the party that Jinyoung was forcing me to go to. “I guess I am..” I said hesistantly and I can see the disapproval in his eyes.

“Why Soo-ji? You’ve never come to any party before.. why now?” he asks and I tried to control myself from shouting at the top of my lungs that it was his psychotic girlfriend  who has made me the ultimate loser by declaring me as a banned human being in any social-related activities.

I took a deep breath reminding myself that this is Sehun and he is just concerned. “I don’t know.. Jinyoung said I was missing a big part of my high school life, and I thought maybe he was right?”

He looked like he wasn’t expecting me to answer the way I did, “Is Jinyoung forcing you to go?”

“no!” I laugh nervously but that doesn’t seem to convince Sehun, “I mean, I don’t have much homework to do on Saturday night.”

There was a sad smile on his face.. I can never really blame him if he ever feels sorry for me. He must be unaware of the many threats his girlfriend has sent my way in the past, warning me to never show up at any event that I might miraculously be invited to because they  are going to be there.

He opens his mouth to say something but he turned his attention to something in his mine of vision.. Before I can see what or who it is that’s made him quiet an arm is slung across my shoulders and I’m pulled to a lean but hard side of a body.

“There you are, Soo-Ji. I’ve been looking for you everywhere.” Jinyoung said as he ruffles my hair.

I elbow him on the side and pull away fixing the mess he’s made of my hair.

He pretends to wipe away a tear and coos, “Look at my little cheesecake, finally acting like a girl. I’m so proud of you!” he exclaims before pulling me into a hug which cuts off the circulation of air in to my lungs.

“I say you let go of me, prick!” I struggle in his grasp and he hugs me even tighter. “In the name of your pea-sized balls let me go!” I say due to the limited circulation of blood to my brain, I stomp on his foot.

He gasps and pulls away covering his mouth with his hand, pretending like he was shocked “My balls are not pea-sized!”

I glared at him, “whatever makes you sleep at night..”

Jinyoung was about to lunge at me again when someone clears their throat and I then feel the urge to hit my head on the locker. Sehun was standing in front of the two of us, his nostrils were flaring and his fist was now clenched in a ball. Does he have a problem with me or is it with Jinyoung?

“Don’t you have class, step-brother?” Jinyoung asks like he is annoyed that Sehun was there and I feel like hitting him again. I swear Jinyoung brings out the violence in me and it is not a good one.

“I do, actually I have the same one with Soo-ji so I was hoping that we could walk together.” Sehun offers me a small smile but before I could say yes Jinyoung answers for me.

“No can do. She’s coming with me.”

“I am?” I said a little confused while staring at Jinyoung.

“She is?” Sehun asked and Jinyoung nods at the both of us.

Then Jinyoung steers me around so that I’m no longer facing his step-brother and pushes me directly in the direction of our next class. I can’t help but to catch a glimpse of Sehun who was still standing at the same spot. The familiar tug feeling that I get whenever I see him is still there.

“He’s not worth it, Soo..” Jinyoung says quietly while walking beside me. Everyone knows my big crush on Sehun. It’s not actually a secret that I was able to keep since elementary. Jinyoung give me shoulder a little squeeze before he opens his big mouth, “You’re so dumb falling for the uglier brother.”

I slap a hand on his mouth, “I swear if you will not stop talking.. I’m gonna rip your ugly eyes out of your head.”

That shut him up.

On Friday, I was stuck in History class with my friends, the class which I go with my friends, and my ex-best friend with her boyfriend, and the reincarnation of the devil. Mr. Seok was talking about how Japan was dropping bombs on the American soil during the Second World War. I would have been interested in the story if he hadn’t been talking about the same thing for the past weeks.

“You’re staring at Jinyoung!” Hee-rin said and it snapped me back into reality.

I tried to cover my gasping for air by coughing. As soon as Hee-rin saw me coughing she giggled and slapped my back.

“You were staring at him!” Hee-rin smiled, the wicked smile she gives us when she wants the truth to come out of either my mouth or Yu-ri’s mouth.

“I wasn’t!” I hissed.

And it was the truth.

Okay, half of the truth.

Fine. It was a lie. I was really staring at him.

But, it meant nothing. Jinyoung didn’t sit near us, but he was not that far away from me to not notice every single thing he does. Like always Jinyoung was either texting or playing games or chatting, in a very low tone, with his friends.

He always hated studying, that’s what I know, but his smart brain magically made him go by fine. I didn’t look at him to admire his shoulders when he flexed, or how veins on his neck pop when he’s concentrating on something. I was wondering how in a freaking hell someone so lazy become so smart.

Yes, he’s actually smart. I am weirdo, nerdy, because I was forced to be one.. I get to ace my subjects because I have no choice but to be smart in school. But, how come he, the bad boy who everyone hopes to be good for nothing be smart. I mean, why does life have to be so unfair?

“Do you finally develop a crush on Jinyoung?” Hee-rin said in a ugly tone trying to sound like she’s singing the words.

“And become one of those crazy psychotic girls in school? Hell no.”

“you are aware of the saying that ‘there’s a thin line between hate and love’, right?” Yu-ri butted in.

“hey, I don’t like him. He’s a narcissistic boy, who’s born to make my life a living hell.”

“But.. he’s nice..” Hee-rin gushed, “he even invited us to his party tomorrow. He’s been protecting us from all the bullying in school.” I would never wonder why my friends would not hate him, he’s been nice to me and I’m actually surprised. “I guess, he can be gentleman if you let him be.”

“now, that’s the part I would never agree with you..” I said rolling my eyes at my friend, trying to sound a little intimidated.

Suddenly, the queen bee turned around to look at us. Min-ah is the only person I know who was fond of reminding people to put themselves where they are supposed to be. In my case and my friends, we’re not supposed to meddle ourselves with popular kids and associate ourselves with anyone in campus.

Min-ah scooted a little closer to us, and whispered to me, “Listen, Soo..” she said in the meanest possible way she can, “the boys are calling you and your friends lesbian because you hang around each other, and you don’t associate yourselves with boys. The girls are afraid of you because you’re too weird and you always look like you’re going to go crazy towards anyone. Plus, now that Jinyoung is hanging around you.. everyone thinks you’re throwing yourself at him in return he will protect you” Min-ah drew back, and now I could see her face turning smug, “so, I don’t think it’s a good idea if you start fantasizing about Jinyoung.”

My mind was so busy trying to process the words that she said to me, that I couldn’t even bother respond to her. See, this is what happens to me when Min-ah starts talking nasty. Hee-rin was looking like she was about to cry at the same time wearing a concerned face.

“You.. !” Yu-ri snarled but Min-ah spurned around not minding the profanity that Yu-ri had just called her. “Don’t mind her, Soo. You know she’s a lying .” When I realized it Yu-ri was already half hugging me. She rubbed my shoulders, and I could finally see things in a blur. I was shocked with Min-ah’s revelation.

“I-I think I need to go to the toilet.” I said, forcing a smile.

“Do you want us to go with you?” Yu-ri asked, even more concerned now.

“no.” I said shaking my head.

“Hey Soo-Ji.. she was llying, okay?” Hee-rin said, but something flashed in her eyes. something that I hated so much. Pity.

I nodded, but I felt empty, “I know.”

My mouth was dry, and my eyes were wet with tears. I tried everything to stop myself from crying. I slapped myself, I ruffled my hair in frustration, I do this when I'm upset, but I still couldn’t stop myself from crying. Why can’t I be a normal person, someone who could stand against Min-ah?

I shouldn’t be crawling my eyes out because everything she said wasn’t really true.. especially the part where she said I was throwing myself at Jinyoung just so he would protect me. I had just been verbally abused in the worst way possible. I look insane while staring at my reflection on the mirror.

the boys are calling you and your friends lesbian because you hang around each other, and you don’t associate yourselves with boys. The girls are afraid of you because you’re too weird and you always look like you’re going to go crazy towards anyone. Plus, now that Jinyoung is hanging around you.. everyone thinks you’re throwing yourself at him in return he will protect you

As I look at myself, min-ah’s words rang into my head. I gritted my teeth trying to hold all the food that I ate at lunch that was now on its way back to my throat. Do people really think that way of me?

As I was busy crying my heart out, I heard a knock on the door which is weird, because usually girls would just barge in the toilet without knocking. In about two seconds I found out why this particular person needed to knock. “Are you in there, Soo-Ji?”

It was Jinyoung. A male who is not allowed to enter the scared chamber of all females.

“She’s not!” I shouted back, forcing my voice to sound normal.

“then why do you have the same exact voice as her?” he asked, sounding a little sarcastic

“Maybe we just have the same kind of voice chords.”

“Or maybe you’re inside, Soo-ji.” He said, and with the tone of his voice I can guess that he’s smiling.

Against my will, my heart skipped a beat. It’s been happening for the past week now, and I hated it.it felt uncomfortable to have my knees feeling like jelly-like at unexpected times. Especially towards Jinyoung, and when he’s being extra kind.

“Cheesecake, are you okay? What happened?” He said after knocking again

Unfortunately my scumbag heart kept stopping on occasions like this where Jinyoung is trying to act like hero around. “Nothing. I just want to poop!”

“I saw Min-ah talking to you,” at this point there was an evident concern in his voice.

“She talks to everybody. I talk to everybody. It’s not such a rare occurrence that we talk to each other ever since she took over your place as my bully.” I said, then tears started forming on the side of my eyes again.

“Yeah.. she can really be a , and from the way her face changes after she talked to you, I know she’s been saying nasty things to you.” And after he had said that my heart was just acting even weirder.

“Go, Jinyoung. I’m fine.” There was a pause, “And I’m not lying that I’m fine because I want you to keep trying, I’m really fine and I want you to go.”

I heard a disappointed sigh.

“I’ll go after I see your face.”

I glanced at myself at the mirror again, and I looked like something that I’d never let anyone see. Especially Jinyoung, he would just laugh his off when he sees me. “No way! I’m ugly right now.”

Jinyoung didn’t say anything for a while, “well, I don’t really care if you’re currently ugly or not, cheesecake.” He said, “I just want to make sure you’re okay..”

I rolled my eyes, because I was so disappointed at myself for letting Jinyoung seeing me as week as this. I have promised myself never to let Min-ah’s words get into me.. but I just can’t. and why the hell should Jinyoung care? “If you want to see me, why don’t you just open the door?”

“I can’t, fatty.. this is not your room that I can just barge in whenever I want to.. plus, I will look like a ert if I try to enter the ladies’ room.”

“you enter my room every morning just to make fun of me..” I reminded him.

“yeah.. I do that, but so what? It all happened in your house, and in school, things are different. But, what the hell..” he said as he opened the door and started barging in the ladies’ room.

“hi, ert.” I waved my hands at him.

 I know I look funny because my hair was a mess after I ruffled it like crazy, my cheeks were red after slapping them for I don’t know how many times, and my eyes are bloodshot from crying.

He grimaced, “Stop, it.”

“You see my face, now scram.” I raised my hand and pointed the door over his shoulders.

“Why are you crying, and what did she say to you?” he took one step closer.

Concealing my gulping, and trying not to meet his eye contact, I backed a little away from him, “Just the usual. Min-ah has always been mean about everything.”

“Why did you leave, then?” he said while raising one eyebrow.

I pretended to roll my eyes. “I needed to poop!”

“Yeah? And Min-ah looked so darn satisfied because you felt the need to take a poop at the wrong time?” Jinyoung placed a hand on his hip, “Seriously, cheesecake, don’t lie to me. I’ve known you and Min-ah both for too long. And I’ve been hearing rumors about her.”

“What rumors?” I asked narrowing my brows at him.

“That she likes me.” He said casually. “She dates my step-brother just to get near me. And I’m being serious.. she’s being extra mean because she thinks that you’re starting to like me now, instead of my step-brother.”

“Yeah, right.” I placed my arms across my chest. “your confidence is amusing, Jinyoung.” Jinyoung was about to open his mouth when I realized something, “ and what makes her think that I like you!?”

He shrugged, “I don’t know. Maybe she was right?” he said waggling his brows at me.

“careful, Jinyoung.” I shot him a glare that promised injury.

He broke into a laugh, “I was just kidding. Glad to see your fire come back, Fatty. I was worried back there. You looked so sad.”

My eyes twitched at the word, “sad? Don’t ever associate me with that word.”

“Sad,” Jinyoung started chanting in the most childish way he could ever be. “Sad, sad, sad, Soo-ji is a sad little girl who cries like a baby.”

 I was about to grab onto his hair and pull them out of his head when I saw the door opening. I stood there, while Jinyoung quickly sneaked into one of the stalls. And then, a second late, Min-ah’s fake blonde hair materialized.

She smirked at me, “Been crying here, huh?” she lifted her chin, the thing that she does whenever she felt superior to the person she was talking to, “Jinyoung’s not here to protect you, Soo?”

I can feel my nose flaring in anger as she walk pass me and to the mirror and started to open her beauty purse. I was trying to find words that are witty enough to shoot back at her.

“what? Are you gonna cry again and run to Jinyoung? Go on..” Min-ah was taunting me, and this time I’m not going to cry. Not in front of her because she’s gonna like that.

I wanted to get back to her, but I have nothing that I can do against her. She was much better at forming poisonous words than me. However, something else happened. Something far more unexpected that would surely break her.

The stall where Jinyoung was hiding, flew open. I gasped as Jinyoung waved at Min-ah, who stared at him from the mirror with widened eyes.

“Let’s go back to class, Soo-ji.” Jinyoung said smiling at me while holding the small of my back.

I just stared hard at Jinyoung, and then my gaze turned to Min-ah, to her shell-shocked face.

Jinyoung let out a sigh, then staring at me grinning he said, “Come on, cheesecake.” He used in a tone that he’d never used at me before. It was a tone with affection, a tone that someone would only use to his or her loved ones.

Min-ah still hadn’t recovered from her shock. “What are you doing here, Jinyoung? This is a girls’ restroom.”

“I was obviously here.” Jinyoung started as he glanced at me.

There was a moment of silence. I was wondering why he was helping me with Min-ah. Then I started doubting hi, what if he decided he’ll just humiliate me and tell Min-ah I was crying the whole time before he came in?

“to comfort, Soo-ji, of course. I was quite worried.” Jinyoung with a smile so contagious that Min-ah can’t help but to smile back.

“I-I see..” she stuttered.          

I hid a giggle, I really wanted to giggle but, I guess I’ll have to hold onto to it until Min-ah can’t see it. It was kind of fun to see Min-ah defeated. Usually she’s stern, confident, and set. But Jinyoung wasn’t quite finished he grabbed my hand and intertwined our fingers.

“Come on, I’ll buy you a drink.” He said it with a smile.

Before the door in the restroom close, I was able to see Min-ah hyperventilating. For a moment, I felt bad, but then I remembered the words that she had spat on me, and I couldn’t help but to feel the satisfaction of finally seeing her like this.

Still though.. I can’t help but to feel guilty seeing another person being bullied…

“it’s a little mean, Jinyoung.” I whispered to him after we were far enough from the bathroom, “You know that she likes you..”

“And she needs to know that she can’t be fooling around while dating my step brother.” He said in sour tone, “plus, that I don’t like es.”

And that was it. we didn’t exchange anything more than that, and when we finally reached class, he let go of my hand. My friends had mention that Jinyoung followed me immediately after I’d left. They insisted that the girl that he likes.. the rumors, of the mystery girl.. is me.

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A/N:

I hope you liked this update :)

This is a crucial turn in the story by the way. I'll try updating every day, however, this story is not gonna be as long like my previous ones though.

Thank you for reading!

Love lots <3