Chapter 4:

From Now On

♛♛♛

The bell rang announcing the start of lunch break.  The students were all in a rush to get out of the classroom.

“Jaehee!”  Bona shouted just before she could make an exit out of the room.  She then walked to Jaehee and invited her for lunch.

“Come eat with us.  It’s better than eating alone.”  Bona said in a happy tone.

“Is it okay?”  Jaehee asked Bona to be sure as she didn’t want to be a bother to her and Chanyoung.

“Of course it’s okay.”  Bona beamed.

“Okay then.”  Jaehee said, giving a smile at Bona in return.  As they were approaching the cafeteria, Chanyoung stopped walking.

“You two go eat without me, I need to drop by the teacher’s office first.”  He said.

Hearing this made Bona pout.  However there’s nothing she can really do. 

“Aww~  Okay then,  Let’s go Jaehee.”  Bona waved goodbye to her boyfriend.

Jaehee and Bona reached the cafeteria.  As expected of Jeguk, the place looked like a five-star restaurant serving high class cuisine fit for the elites.

They finished choosing what food to eat and what’s left is to find a place to sit.  Bona and Jaehee scanned the area however as the cafeteria was rather full of students today, they had a hard time searching for a table.

“Oh over there.”  Bona said as she walked to one of their classmates who’s eating alone.  Jaehee followed her behind.

“Let’s share tables.”  Bona said as she sat down without waiting for a reply.

“Yah” The girl seemed annoyed with Bona’s sudden action.  The girl looked pretty even though she sported an irritated expression.

“Jaehee, sit down already.”  Bona said as she patted the seat next to her.

Jaehee and their classmate’s eyes met.  The girl stared at Jaehee as if she was warning her not to sit there.  However, Jaehee simply shrugged and sat down.

“Whatever.”  The girl said in defeat.

“Jaehee, this is Yoo Rachel.”  Bona introduced the girl.

“Annyeong, Seo Jaehee imnida.”  Jaehee raised her hand and greeted Rachel.

“This girl is already talking to me informally.”  Rachel blurted in disbelief.

“We’re classmates right? Just talk informally.  It’s more convenient that way.” Jaehee said as she casually ate a piece of the steak.

Rachel contemplated and agreed in the end.  She studied Jaehee carefully and spoke, “The new student has guts.  You better be careful around Choi Youngdo with that attitude.”

Bona stopped eating and questioned Rachel.  “Why?  What’s wrong with her?” 

“…Nothing.  Just pretty blunt, like someone.”  Rachel stated with a blank expression.

“I’m still here you know.”  Jaehee stated as the two girls talked about her as if she was not there.

Bona began to be curious why Rachel said that.  She looked at Jaehee for a moment and nodded her head in agreement. 

“I think I kind of understand what you mean.”  She replied to Rachel.

Jaehee simply shook her head and focused on her food as she didn’t understand what the two were talking about.  

Myungsoo was carrying his food and saw Jaehee.  He then approached their table and put down his food.

 “Oh!  Transfer student!”  Myungsoo called out Jaehee.

Hearing this made Jaehee look up to who was calling her. 

“Yah Jo Myungsoo.”  Rachel tried to warn him from sitting as Jaehee and Bona already invaded her space. 

“Myungsoo what are you doing here?”  Bona looked at him blankly.

“Hey hey hey, hold your horses. I’m just gonna introduce myself to our new classmate.”  Myungsoo replied to the both of them.

“I’m Jeguk High’s “fresh spring water”, Jo Myungsoo.”   Myungsoo introduced himself and reached out his hand to Jaehee.

Jaehee looked at Myungsoo and greeted him back, “Seo Jaehee imnida.” Jaehee shook his hand.  Myungsoo then gave her a thumbs up. 

“Oh right!  How come you transferred just now?” He suddenly asked Jaehee.

Bona and Rachel looked at Jaehee as they were curious too.

“Oh that.  I didn’t grow up here in Korea.  I just returned recently for my grandfather.  He says I shouldn’t stay in a foreign land too long.” 

Myungsoo nodded to Jaehee’s answer.  “Are you a new rich or on social welfare?”  He said, asking a follow-up question. 

Jaehee didn’t quite catch what Myungsoo meant.  Bona then explained to her the “caste” system in Jeguk High.

“Oh that… Well… my grandfather is a public official.”  Jaehee hesitated but answered in the end.

“Then that makes you in the honorable heir class, same as me.  Welcome aboard.”  Myungsoo said happily to Jaehee while she just smiled at him.

Myungsoo then took his food and left.  Jaehee became curious with the “caste” system in Jeguk High.  She didn’t know this school had such a thing.

“What’s with this school?  Then kids get bullied a lot?“  Jaehee questioned Bona in disbelief.  She hated bullies.  Though she wasn’t really bullied before, she just can’t stand people who tormented others.

“Not so much anymore compared to the previous years.  Mostly only kids on social welfare get bullied.”  Bona replied.

“Who started that thing around here?”  Jaehee further asked. 

“Two obnoxious guys.”  Rachel replied with a slight bitter tone.

Bona laughed at what Rachel said.  “Oh which reminds me.  There’s something I’m curious about.”  Bona opened and turned to Jaehee.

“What is it?” Jaehee replied.

“How do you know Choi Youngdo?  You don’t seem strangers to each other.”  She asked.

Jaehee looked at Bona and thought about why she’d think they know each other.  “Hmmm let’s see… I met him two times by accident.  I don’t really know him.  Why?’” she answered.

“Well anyone who saw your little scene in the classroom would assume you two know each other.”  Rachel stated.

“If what you’re saying is true then I think it’s better if you stay away from him.”  Bona advised Jaehee.

“He’s not that bad anymore.”  Rachel said to Bona.

“Not that bad but still bad.”  Bona blurted to Rachel making her roll her eyes.

“What’s so special about him anyway?”  Jaehee asked the both of them.

“He’s one of the obnoxious guys Rachel was talking about earlier.”  Bona explained to Jaehee.

“Oh so he’s one of the bullies here?  He doesn’t really look scary to me.”  Jaehee said as she leaned on the chair.

“Really?  So that’s why you talk like that to him.  You don’t find him scary?  Most students here are afraid of him”  Bona stated.

“Pfft he doesn’t scare me.  I’ve seen bigger bullies than him.”  Jaehee snorted and crossed her arms.

“Just be careful and try not to stand out too much.” Bona said to Jaehee.

“Too late.  Looks like she already caught his attention.”  Rachel said as she was looking somewhere.

Bona’s eyes followed where Rachel was looking at.  She saw that Youngdo was staring at Jaehee from a nearby table. 

♔♔♔

The first day of school finally ended.  Almost everyone had gone home.  Jaehee’s grandfather told her that she will be fetched by the driver and so,  she waited at the school’s entrance and looked at her phone from time to time. 

“Hey little transfer student!”  A guy joked at Jaehee.  She rolled her eyes and didn’t look back as she knew already who the owner of that voice was.  He then walked and stopped in front of Jaehee.

“Yah I was calling you.”  Youngdo said in a playful tone to Jaehee. 

“Were you?  Didn’t really hear anything.”  Jaehee said without looking at him.

“Ey~ I saw you eating with Bona and Rachel earlier.  They must have told you the do’s and don’ts in this school.”  Youngdo mentioned to start a conversation.

“Like what?”  Jaehee played innocent.  She knew very well what Youngdo meant.  He was talking about how messing with him is a bad idea.  However, Jaehee wasn’t really afraid of him.

Youngdo pretended to think for a moment and shrugged his shoulders.  “I don’t know, like who’s who in this school perhaps?  Or like whom you should be careful of maybe?  I don’t really know.  What do you think?”  He said with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

“Hmmm… I guess you were eavesdropping.”  Jaehee sneered at him. 

Youngdo snorted at what Jaehee said.  “Hey, it’s not eavesdropping if you talk loudly enough for others to hear.  Your voices were juuust too loud.”  Youngdo said, defending himself.  But the truth is, he didn’t really hear anything.  He just assumed and jackpot, he was right.    

“Then that means you must have already heard that you don’t scare me one bit.”  She shot back.

Her statement made Youngdo smile.  He thought that this girl was really something. 

“Aigoo this chingu.”  Youngdo grinned at her and ruffled her hair slightly making Jaehee surprised with his sudden action.  What just happened? She thought.

Well, it’s good that you’re not afraid of me He thought.   He didn’t know why but somehow he liked how Jaehee didn’t fear him. 

“From now on, I’ll be watching you closely okay?”  He smiled and finally entered his car.

Just before he was about to leave, he rolled the windows down and looked at her. 

Oh great, he’s not done yet.  Jaehee thought sarcastically as she stared at him. 

“Still here?”  She grumbled.

 “Can’t wait for me to leave?”  Youngdo said in amusement. “I almost forgot to tell you something.”  He added.

“What is it?”  She spoke.

“Don’t play around, it’s late already.  Little girls should go home straight.”  Youngdo winked at her.

Jaehee sighed.  “Ahjussi, just mind your own business.” She said and rolled her eyes.

Youngdo laughed and nodded his head. “I got it.  Annyeong!”  He waved goodbye to her and left.

Jaehee watched his car disappear into darkness.  She tidied the part of her hair which Youngdo messed up and contemplated about what he just said:  “From now on, I’ll be watching you closely okay?”

Was that a threat?  Jaehee thought.  She crossed her arms and said to herself.  “Pfft whatever, I’m not afraid.”