“Mark hyung!”

“I’ll go off first, see you guys later”

The first thing morning greeted the boys, Mark was already prepared and ready to leave for school even though he had never once made effort to reach school this early. He couldn’t even sleep a wink that night because his mind was occupied with that pretty girl. It frustrates him how much he thinks about her…

Worried!? No, I’m not worried. I’m just checking… Right, just checking.

Mark wanted to walk slowly and take his time because there would be no way she really did stay through the night, fighting against that strong wind and cold rain drops. But then again… he wasn’t confident to say so this time. What if, just what if?

His footsteps took him faster than he wanted and he found himself jogging towards the direction of school. With his bag slung across one shoulder panting slightly, he finally reaches. His eyes scan the area, making sure he doesn’t miss a spot.

She’s not here.

Mark smiled for the briefest second, relief washed through him and he took in a deep breath to calm his thumping heart. At least his worries were unnecessary.

“M-mark? You forgot the earring yesterday”

He swirls around so fast when he heard that soft whisper. It sounded so weak and scared that he hated himself that instant for making a fragile girl in this mess. Her hair was tousled back, wet yet it emits y radar to Mark and he has to keep his posture firm so that he wouldn’t fluster. Seeing how her lines showed because of the wet and tight uniform around her body, he looked away, dropped his bag on the moist ground and took off his jacket.

“YOU! Are you stupid!? You really stood through the night!?”

Crystal couldn’t understand why he was shouting so loud at her. Isn’t this what he wanted? Crystal was shivering so hard that her teeth clutters whenever she tries to speak so she instead, shuts and pressed her lips together. She slipped her hands into her pocket, pulling out that sponged wrapped earring and push it in front of Mark with a stern expression written all over her face.

“You’re really stupid you know that!? Just to clear a law suit you would really do it!?”

Why would you care if I do it or not anyway?

She said it to herself in her heart, she didn’t want to respond because of the way Mark treated her. To the girl, he was just another rich snob that thinks the world revolves around them and she happens to be the one without power, struggling hard to survive under their control. Talking sense or arguing with these kinds of people wouldn’t work.

Mark reaches for the earring and made contact with her fingers for that very brief instant. The cold shocked him and he felt a pang of guilt against his chest but decided to push it away by making a deliberate cough and then offers his jacket to her. Crystal stares at his eyes and noticed for the first time how beautiful they were but felt bad that it belonged to someone with such a personality.

Shaking her head firmly at the elder male, she walks away with slow and swaying steps. Her head felt like bursting and it was burning so strongly as if there was a flame attached to it. Arms around herself, she tried to keep herself warm by providing some friction but it wouldn’t work.

At least it’s over…

--

“Look who we have here! Someone that couldn’t even afford a car to drive to school”

“Wait! She can’t even afford an umbrella!”

That sends laughter in the hallway when Crystal appeared with that partially drench uniform and wet hair. She knows that she looks like a mess now but didn’t give a damn because it seems like a daily routine for her. Snickers and insults from the rich and then she would walk over to the rooftop every break time to hide for temporary safety against those students.

It didn’t help even if the teachers knew about it be