Chapter 10

“What were you doing with a GIRL in a SECLUDED corner hyung?” Kibum asked me for the hundredth times that day. 

He kept on staring at me while sitting on the floor mat in the martial arts practice room. The rest of the boys were sitting around me too. Excitedly waiting for my answer. Each one of their faces was full of anticipation for my answer. I had even made Hyerin who hardly come to join our practice to make an appearance. It seems that they were very much curious about it.

“Yeah Jinki. Why don’t you explain the reason you ditched us at lunch and went to the girl?” Jonghyun wiggled his eyebrow at me. 

Cheongmal! This guy was really irritating and getting on my nerves. He was enjoying this torturous time from Kibum to me very much. Aish, this must be his revenge to me for getting him embarrassed after class and made him looked like a fool.

I tried to get up to avoid their questions, but Kibum’s hand was fast in gripping my wrist and pulled me back down. I glared at him.

“Is this the way you’re treating you leader Kibum?” I said to him seriously. Really, I was in no mood to deal with them about the matter.

He faltered for a moment but regained his confidence back. “Well no. But you’ve been avoiding it since after lunch today at school and I want to know about it. This guy here,” and pointed at Jonghyun, “said that you were alone with a girl in a secluded corner! What was a person to think given that as news? I didn’t know that you have that side of you hyung.”

The rest of the guys and Hyerin nodded their head vigorously. I turned and glared at Jonghyun, the culprit. So, it was because of him saying things like that, that made them keep on pestering me about it. Jonghyun saw my intense gazed on him and quickly averted his eyes and whistled an incomprehensible tune.

I looked at them all. “So all of you really want to know what did I do at lunch time with the girl?” I asked them seriously. All of them nodded their head together again. Jonghyun was included, who was paying his full attention to me.

“Well, in that case I will tell you guys a little about it I guess.” I said to them, making them looked all excited to hear what I was about to say.

“But then, you have to promise me that all of you will take my word literally as it is. Deal?” I said with a really serious face; as if I was about to give them the information about the secret of UFO. Each of them nodded their head again with Kibum’s face leaning on me with his excitement.

“And no questions ask. Agree?” I said again.

“Neh~~~” All of them said exasperatedly.

“Well,” I began. Practically all of them were leaning in towards me as if they would find something on my face. 

“To make sure that you all won’t be so nosy anymore, I want you guys and girl,” I pointed towards Hyerin, “to partner up with each other and practice that hand to hand combat again for 2 hours. No slacking. And if I found out that any of you tried to run away with it, you know that you’ll get it worse.” I said satisfactorily. Hah. What a way to make them spend more time in practicing their martial arts.

“Mwo!!!!” They exclaimed.

“But hyung, you promised to tell us about what you did with that girl.” Hongki whined. “How did it ended with us practicing extra time?” He said again.

“Yah hyung. What is this?!” Kibum said indignantly.

“Hyung, why are you being like this?” Taemin said.

“Ah Jinki~~~” Jonghyun whined.

“....” Sighed Minho. Looking defeated.

“Jinki oppa!” exclaimed Hyerin.

“Yah yah.. All of you have already made a deal and promised me that you would take my word literally as it is and no questions ask. So do it and don’t ask anymore questions. It’s pointless. I won’t be answering any of you.” I said and stood up from my seat on the floor.

“Come on people. Get your up and start the practice. If you lingered another minute, I’ll extend it to another hour.” I threatened them. 

“Ahh~~~” They grumbled but stood up to partner up and started to practice. Sometimes, being the leader has its perk I guess. I wouldn’t be that willing to share to them about Jihyun. There was no point anyway. I was just asking how she was at the time. So why make a fuss out of it.

Flashback

I walked to Park Jihyun’s table with my food on my hand. I stood in front of her table, but she didn’t even indicate that she was aware of my presence. So I dragged the chair and sat on it facing her. She was still staring at her sandwich in front of her, which she was gripping on it tightly. I thought that if the sandwich could die, it will be dead by then. But thankfully, the sandwich was not alive to begin with.

I pretended to cough loudly to attract her attention to me. The coughed startled her from her deep thinking, made her jump a bit from her chair, and looked up at me. Her eyes were unfocused for a while. When her eyes settled and focused on me, her eyes widened.

“Lee Jinki-shi.” She said surprised. She looked at me then at my uniform. 

“I’m surprised that you still remember my name, since you were so anxious to get away from me at that time. You are a student here?” I asked her calmly.

She turned her face around her as if trying to make sure that no one was watching. Then she turned to faced me again. “Today is actually my first day here. I just transferred here today.” She said cautiously.

It really made me wonder why did this girl talking as if there was somebody out to get her. She always looked cautious or fearful. What is it that made her act like this?

“I see. Well, welcome to Seoul High School.” I said with a smile on my face and extended my hand to her for a handshake.

She was startled by my action and blinked her brown eyes a few times before a little smile trying to break from her lips. She slowly took my hand and shook it. “Kamsahabnida Lee Jinki-shi.” She replied.

She let go of my hand. “No need to be so formal Jihyun. Jinki is enough.” I said.

She looked at me silently and replied, “Neh Jinki-shi.” She said. Still keeping –shi behind instead of –goon, which would be less formal.

I let it go at the moment. “So what year are you in?” I enquired her.

“2nd year.” She said.

“Hmm, the same as those three guys eh. Well, I’m on my last year of high school.” I said. She just nodded her head. It seems that she was very quiet. She didn’t talk much. Quite like me. But it turned out that I was the one who talked a lot when I encountered her.

“Do you mind if I eat my lunch here with you?” I asked her.

She just shook her head and finally brought her sunken sandwich to . Slowly chewing it and looking at the tabletop. I sighed and ate my food slowly and quietly. We were like that until we finished with our meal. We didn’t even talk while we ate. Even so, it was not awkward at all. It was a companionable silent. 

After we finished with our food, I crumpled up my food wrapping and said to her, “Do you know where your next class will be Jihyun?”

She looked up at me and nodded her head. “A teacher had asked a valedictorian to take me to have a tour of the school. I think I can manage. Thank you for asking Jinki-shi.” She said and bowed her head to me before leaving me standing there.

She really had a knack of leaving people just like that isn’t it? I shrugged and walked to the dustbin to throw my food wrapping away. Then I made my way back to my next class.

End of flashback

I watched each of them concentrating in their close combat practice carefully, trying not to think too much about what happened at lunch. I could see that Hyerin and Jonghyun really were good with this type of combat style. Their moves were very accurate and fast that it could make your enemy kind of lost to see the fast moves. Kibum was breaking out a sweat to make sure that he wouldn’t be the punching bag of Jonghyun. He was trying hard to keep up with Jonghyun’s fast and powerful attack. Hyerin was paired up with Minho. Even though Minho was towering above her, she still made him tried his best to not be defeated by a girl. His expression was so serious that itcwas a wonder Hyerin was not intimidated by him. Well, the fact that she grew up with us did make the trick. It was too bad that Hyerin never really took the class seriously. She only did it for fun. And my two dongsaengs, Hongki and Taemin was neck and neck with each other. Both were quite good though Taemin specialized in all types of daggers.

Having the thoughts of Taemin being specialized in daggers made me remember Joon on our last fight with each other; where he managed to hit my back. It seems that he was very quiet for the past weeks. It was not common for him not to pester us at all with his stupid antics. But I guess I should be happy that we were not pestered by them anymore though I doubt it would stop even when he was defeated last time.

There were just too many fights with them that I lost count on it and forgot the reasons that he did that. Well, I wouldn’t know the reason to begin with. One day we were friends with each other and the next he was in on the Green Serpent and started to make a fight with us. It was such a pity that we ended up like this. 

Flashback

“Jinki! Come on, we’ll be late.” Joon shouted to me while jogging backwards with his face facing me.

“Yah, you’ll trip on something if you keep on running like that. We won’t be late. You know that they won’t start without enough people around.” I said to him.

“I don’t care. I want to see the fight between the Green Serpent members and the Eagles’ members.” Joon said and turned his back to me. 

“Yah Joon. Wait for me.” I shouted and ran to catch up with him. Once I caught up with him, I threw my arm on to his shoulder. He glanced to me sideways and gave me a grin.

“Took you long enough. Come on now. Let’s race.” He said with a grin and sprinted forward without waiting for me at all.

“Yah!! Joon, you sly dog. Wait up. Aish.” I speed up my running in order to catch up with him. He just laughed out loud in front of me seeing me struggling to keep up with him.

***

I walked up to Joon who was sitting alone on the school’s rooftop. He was staring at the scene in front of him with a scrunched up face. I could see that his face was wet with tears. I was surprised seeing him like that. In all the times that I was friends with him, I had never seen him cry even once. But at the moment, that was the first time I saw Joon cried.

I placed my hand on his shoulder. “Joon, what’s up? What happened to you? You have been missing from school for a week and when you showed up you moped around here instead of joining us as usual?”

I could feel his shoulder tensed when he realized I was there. His face quickly changed from a devastated face to an angry face. I was confused of his change of emotion. He shrugged my hand away and stood up facing me.

His gazed on me was full of hatred. I was shocked to see that hatred in his eyes. I couldn’t understand why he suddenly changed and end up hating me. His eyes were still locked onto mine while he said with anger, “Don’t you dare touch me Jinki. Don’t you ever dare to even lay a finger me again.”

I looked at him, perplexed at his speech. “What are you saying Joon. What happened to you? Is something wrong?”

“Yes. Everything is wrong. Everything. And you know what? It’s because of you that made everything wrong.” Joon accused me while pointing his finger to me. His hand was shaking uncontrollably.

“Joon, what are you talking about? What have I done? You are speaking nonsense right now. Come on, let us go back home together. Everybody has left the school. The rest already went back home. I just can’t leave you behind.” I said calmly.

“Don’t you use that tone to me Jinki!” He said angrily.

I was really puzzled by his attitude. “What tone Joon? I am always like this.”

“That tone. That calm tone as if I am a nobody and someone who is beneath you.” He said.

“What?! Joon, I never regard you as someone beneath me or anything. What made you acted like this?” I said to him.

“I’ve told you Jinki. You’ve taken everything from me. Everything. Now leave me alone, before I do something that is irrevocable.” He said with a low tone of voice, which indicates that he was serious with what he said.

“Joon. Come on, what did I take from you that belongs to you? I don’t see it.” I said and slowly walked to him to place my hand on his shoulder to calm him down again.

But that action of mine made him angry and he grabbed my arm to lift me then threw me on the ground. The impact of the ground to my back was hard. He sat on top of me and grabbed my hair roughly while he leant close to my face.

“Listen to me and you listen well Jinki.” He said a tone just above a whisper. “Don’t think that you can take it easily away from me. I will make sure that your life will be miserable Lee Jinki. Because you have taken what is supposedly mine. And I won’t let you have it peacefully.” 

Then he roughly let go of my head while he stood up from me and stomped off from the rooftop leaving me speechless; still lying on the ground.

End of flashback

I wondered why he was so angry with me all of a sudden. Even until now, I was still unable to understand his words on that day our friendship turned to animosity. I truly wished that we could go back to the days that we were still good friends with each other.


***


To be continued...



A/N:
I know this is quite short. It meant for only Onew’s POV. Hehe.. So what do you think of Jinki’s POV? This is the second time that I did his POV. If you didn’t notice it, the prologue of this fic is in his POV. 
That was in the present time, but this is from his senior year. Two different circumstances and different time line.  I am not so sure of how the Korea system of high school is (though I think I understand it a bit) so I just assumed that 3rd year high school is the senior year. So Hyerin will be 3rd year middle school which is in the same building as the high schooler. Note that I just made this all out. Hehe.
And tada.. The lunch with Jihyun and a glimpse of Joon in Jinki’s life previously. I bet that you wouldn’t expect the scene of the lunch to be that silent is it? Keke.. Joon appeared here as Jinki’s flashback. They were friends previously. That’s all I can say now to not reveal anything anymore. Hope you will wait to find out about it. There’s just many things that happen in this fic. There’s the love life of the gangsta boys and the ever enmity of Joon towards Jinki. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Until the next update, annyeong~~ And thank you for the comments~~ It really encourage me a lot.