Long time to no see! I sorry for such a late update, but exams were taking up all of my time! But I'm on my Christmas break now so I have more time to write, hopefully I'll be able to get a couple of updates before classes start again. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter, though I admit it's not my best work...please forgive me! 

================

“Kim Hanbin” the teacher calls my name for attendance.

“Yeah” I say, as I put my hand up.

It’s gonna be another boring day of school, I know it. Class just started. I already feel like falling asleep. There’s really nothing to learn in school anyways.

I’m zoning out the teacher’s voice, when I hear call a name that I’ve been thinking about since yesterday.

“Jung Yoonjin.”

“Here” she says. I turn around and there she is, sitting behind me. I’m so confused, has she been in this class, this whole time? Racking my brain for any recollection of her at this school, I can’t seem to stop staring at her. I can see her eyes shifting, and she slowly looks up at me with a confused expression. I can’t help but let out a chuckle at how confused she looks, but before I can say anything the teacher calls me out.

“Kim Hanbin, please face the front” she says. I roll my eyes and scoff as I turn back around. I rest my head on the desk for the rest of the class, trying to figure out how I haven’t seen Yoonjin all this time. She sits right behind me, for Christ’s sake.

What feels like forever, the bell finally rings to signal lunch time. I start to wake up, and behind me, I hear books getting shoved into a bag and chairs moving. I turn around, only to catch a glimpse of Yoonjin leaving the classroom. I let out a sigh of frustration. Damn.

===

As I quickly walk out of the classroom to my locker, I can’t help but feel scared. What did Hanbin want with me? I know from observing that nothing good comes from anyone who associates with the Seoul National Six. I haven’t done anything wrong, why me? Oh my god, maybe it’s from the other day when I gave him the wrong smoothie at work. No, please no. I’ve managed to stay out of trouble for so long. I’m going to have to stay away from him and the others, I can’t be their next victim, and if they find out I’m under the scholarship program, I’m dead.

I open my locker, and think about what I should do. I grab some food I was planning on eating after school, and quickly make my way to the library to hide out.

Because it’s lunchtime, the library is empty. I find a table in the far corner, and I settle into my seat. I’m gonna be here for a while, I think to myself. My class has a study period after lunch, which means I’m staying in here until I have my next class.

After the bell signaling for the end of lunch rings, a handful of students start to come in to the library to study. I continue studying when people pulling out the chairs at my table and sit down. I finish writing the sentence, and I look up to see who it is. And sitting right across the table from me is Hanbin, with Junhwe and Donghyuk on either side of him. Junhwe and Donghyuk are also part of the Seoul National Six, and are a year younger than I am. I nervously look away, and I notice a couple of students in the library staring and whispering to each other. Looks like the school’s gonna know who the Seoul National Six’s new target is.

“Jung Yoonjin,” Hanbin says “Why didn’t you wait for me to eat lunch together?”

Why would I wait for you, I’ve never even talked to you before, I think to myself.

“I had to study” I reply, as I look back down at my books, pretending to study. Hanbin reaches across the table and grabs the books from me. Okay, so the teasing starts now. Trying to brush it off, I open my notebook and start highlighting random facts to attempt to look busy, but deep down I feel flustered and nervous, with a hint of annoyance. And once again, Hanbin takes the highlighter from my hands. I take a deep breath to control my growing anger, and I continue to look at what I’ve written in my notebook. Just leave me alone already. I hear Hanbin chuckle, and again he takes my notebook. I look up and glare at him. I’ve had enough of this.

“Give me my stuff back.” I say sternly, and Hanbin just laughs. Now the whole library is staring in silence, and I try to block them out. 

“But don’t you want to talk to me?” he says, amused.

“To be honest, no. I don’t want to talk to you.”

“Ouch, that hurts my heart.” He says with a pout on face.

“Give me my stuff back.” I say again, annoyed.

“Now, now. No need to get angry.” Hanbin says, still amused. “I didn’t think you were the type to get angry so fast, from the way you were acting when you were working at the café.”

So this is about what happened at the café. I stand up and walk to where he is sitting. I have really had it with his teasing; I don’t have the time to play his childish games and neither do I want to. I know what he’s capable of, and I should mind my actions if I want to survive the rest of my high school years, but I can’t anymore. I can feel everyone staring at this scene that I’ve managed to create, and I can feel my hands start to become clammy. I thought I could just ignore my way out of this, but now I just want to get out of here.

“Please, just give my stuff back.” I say in a nicer tone.

“Fine.” Hanbin says, holding up both hands. I reach for my stuff, and before I can even touch it, Hanbin takes it and holds it up. I stare at him, wanting to slap him for being so immature. I quickly wonder how he would react if I actually did. I would be dead meat for sure. I try to take the books from his hand this time, and as I reach for them, I see Hanbin smirk and then he lets go of everything in his hands. My stuff falls to the ground with a thud.

I hear murmurs from around me and snickers from the other two sitting with Hanbin. I have this nervous sinking feeling that I haven’t felt in a long time, and my minds is starting to spin. Calm down, Yoonjin, I tell myself, you can't let them see you like this. I quickly gather my things off the floor and start heading towards the exit. I have to leave now. I can’t have the whole room staring at me like this.

“If you take one more step, you’re done. I’m gonna make your life a living hell.” Hanbin says coldly. I stop in my steps and feel fear. My mind flashes to the number of students who have been a target of the Seoul National Six. And over time, you can just see what this tormenting does to them. I’ve seen students transfer schools and even end up in hospitals.

My mind tells me to sit back down and oblige to their every order. And I should. It would mean that I would be let off the hook and won’t suffer. But my body reacts before my mind takes control, and I walk out of the library.

As I’m walking down the hallway, I am starting to walk faster and faster. I turn into the nearest washroom, and lock myself in one of the stalls. My breathing is heavy, and I notice that I have broken into a sweat. I close my eyes and slowly count to ten, taking deep breaths. I can’t have an anxiety attack, I think to myself, it’s been too long since my last attack.

I was in my last year of middle school when my dad died, and after he died, I developed social anxiety. Since it was just my mom and I left, I had no time to mourn for my dad. I couldn’t miss any school because I wanted to get into Seoul National High, so I went back to my studies right away, and quickly after my dad’s death, my mom started to crumble, so I started working part time. I pulled myself together so fast that to other people, it seemed like my dad’s death didn’t affect me at all. At school, I saw how the other students were looking me. The nicer students looked at me with pity, while some of the other students decided to say bad things about me behind my back. Soon gossip and rumours spread throughout my entire grade, and of course, some students made it their mission to make sure that I hear everything that they say about me. That’s when my social anxiety started.

At first, I was able to ignore the gossip that was being spread, but over time I took everything that was said to heart, to the point that I even started to believe some of the things they said. Every thing I did, I felt like everyone was judging me. I was spiraling down fast, but luckily I met Sunghyun, whom I met through a mutual friend. Because of him, my social anxiety started to become more manageable.

Eight, nine, ten, I count. I open my eyes, and my breath had steadied. I unlock the door and walk out of the bathroom stall. I splash cold water on my face to calm myself down even further, and as I’m drying off my face, I pull out my phone to check the time. One minute till class starts. Crap. I quickly clean myself off, and start running to the classroom. Just as I open the door, the bell rings. Phew, just in time. As I walk to my desk, I see Hanbin with his back facing me.

I’m gonna make your life a living hell, those words flash through my mind again, and I start to feel nervous again. Keeping my composure, I sit down at my desk and pull out my things.

Hearing my movement, Hanbin turns around and looks at me.

“Thanks for showing up.” He says with a sly grin on his face. “I though you weren’t gonna come to class.”

Before I could reply, the teacher calls on him to turn back around. I look around and I can see my classmates whispering to each other and staring. Word sure does travel fast in this school.

For the rest of the day, I manage to avoid Hanbin, thanks to class. When the final rings, I gather my things as fast I can and leave. Without even looking back, I get on the bus to one of my part time jobs. Knowing that I’ve managed to escape, I let out a sigh of relief. I pull out my phone, and I see that I received a message from Sunghyun.

Do you have work tomorrow? Let’s go out, I haven’t seen you in a while.

I have a day off tomorrow! Did you have anything in mind? I reply

Dinner and a movie?

Sounds good to me =)

Great. I’ll pick you up.

Okay oppa. See you tomorrow keke 

After I hit the send button, the bus arrives at my stop. Another long evening of working ahead of me, but as cliche as the saying is, thank god it's Friday.