Chapter 5:

New Shuttle?

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Jaehee yawned as she entered the gates of Jeguk High.  It’s been two weeks since she started her school life here.  As usual, the students were all busy with their own things.  Some talked about the stock market while others gossiped about the latest happenings in both the business and showbiz world.  Jeguk High is really an out of the ordinary school.

Jaehee walked to her locker and cracked the code to open it.  She collected all the things she needed for the next period.  She then saw Bona and went to her.

“Morning.”  Jaehee lazily greeted Bona as she rubbed her eye. 

“Slept late again?”  Bona asked her judging from the dark circles that Jaehee’s eyes sported.

Jaehee nodded as they strolled away from the hallways.  “I just had to finish the drama I was watching.”  Jaehee yawned again. 

The two chatted about the recent drama that Jaehee watched and reached their classroom.  Jaehee sighed as she sensed something is about to happen.  She saw Youngdo, sitting in her chair with a smirk on his face.

“Aish Choi Youngdo.”  Jaehee whispered in annoyance.  She knew that this guy was about to tick her off as he had been teasing her since the day she came to Jeguk High.

Bona saw Jaehee’s mood made a turn.  “Want me to talk to him?”  Bona offered as she noticed that Youngdo kept on teasing Jaehee every single day, almost as if he was bullying her.  She was just a bit worried for her.

However, Jaehee’s not your ordinary weak girl.  She blew her bangs away and clenched her fists.  “Aniya, this is my battle.  I can handle this.”  Jaehee said full of fighting spirit to Bona. 

Bona slightly laughed at what she said.  “Yah, I think you’ve watched too many dramas.  You sound like a heroine going to war just now.” 

“Well I do fight nerves with Youngdo every day.”  Jaehee stated as if that was a normal thing to do.

Youngdo was looking at Jaehee and Bona.  What are they chatting about? What’s taking her so long?  He never thought that these two people would become friends. 

Jaehee turned her back and breathe in and out slowly.  “Fighting!”  Jaehee whispered before approaching Youngdo.

As he saw Jaehee nearing, he began to sit comfortably and he rested his chin on his right hand.   

“Annyeong chingu.”  Youngdo greeted Jaehee when she finally stood before him. 

“Yah,  That’s my seat.   Bee-kyuh.”  Jaehee said as she raised her eyebrow.

Youngdo looked at her and seemed to find Jaehee’s action adorable.  He was amused at how someone small could act so tough to him.

“Which seat?”  Youngdo played dumb to tease Jaehee.

Jaehee kicked the chair slightly to answer Youngdo’s question.  

“This one?”  Youngdo pointed at the chair he was sitting at. 

“Yes that one your has been warming up all this time.”  Jaehee scrunched up her nose and began to breathe hardly as her patience grew thin.

“Eyyy~ this is my seat.”  He then grinned at her as he leisurely leaned on the chair.

“Yah you better get your out of my chair.”  Jaehee gave him her final warning.

Hearing what Jaehee said made Youngdo crack up into laughter. 

“What’s so funny?”  Jaehee gritted her teeth in annoyance. 

Youngdo laughed enough to gain their classmates’ attention.  “You’re choice of words never fail to surprise me.”

“Tch, whatever just get up.”

“What if I don’t want to?”  Youngdo crossed his legs and sat comfortably as if he really has no plans of standing up.     

For a moment, the classroom became silent.  Everyone watched the two of them and started to murmur about Jaehee.  Youngdo observed this and shot cold stares to people who just can’t mind their own businesses.  When everyone got scared of him and returned to what they’re doing, his attention went back to Jaehee.

“Aish! You’re really stubborn!” She kicked and kicked the chair really hard as her patience went out of the drain. 

Youngdo bursted into laughter again as he didn’t anticipate Jaehee’s action.  “Arasso arasso I’ll stand up so stop kicking the chair, you’ll hurt yourself.”  Youngdo said with a smile.

He then stood up and acted as if he was dusting the chair for Jaehee.  He sat on his own chair and turned his back to face her.  “Aigoo, this girl has a short temper.  I was just joking around.  I didn’t think you’d kick the chair.”  Youngdo grinned.

“Well I didn’t think you’d leave.”  Jaehee stated. 

“Eyyy this kid always wants me to leave.”  Youngdo said as he ruffled her hair before facing front.

Tch, well you always annoy me that’s why.  Jaehee thought while she fixed her hair.

♔♔♔

Lunch time came.  Since Jaehee came to Jeguk, Bona and her would always sit with Yoo Rachel whenever they can’t find seats.  Thus, Jaehee somehow became friends with her,  Whenever Jaehee feels that Bona and Chanyoung needs their alone time, she’d hang out with Rachel.  Sometimes Jaehee prefers to be with her as the “Bona and Chanyoung couple’s” public display of affection makes her cringe.

As she was on her way to Rachel’s table, she heard her female classmates gossip about her.

“I don’t wanna be friends with the transfer student.”

“I heard she’s Youngdo’s new shuttle.”

“Eh really?”

“I saw her and Youngdo earlier in the classroom.  It was a mess I tell you.”

“I know right?  Youngdo’s just too scary.  If we get involved with her, we might end up being bullied too.” 

Hearing their murmurs made Jaehee roll her eyes.  Aish those girls, I’m gonna teach them a lesson.  Jaehee turned her back to confront them however, Rachel called out her name as she felt that Jaehee was about to do something.  She then walked to her and sat at the opposite direction.

“You just had to call me when I was about to confront those girls.”  Jaehee said blankly as she opened her milk.

“Don’t bother.  The rumors won’t disappear easily anyway.  It’s just a waste of time.”

“What’s a shuttle anyway?”  Jaehee asked Rachel with curiosity. 

Rachel stopped eating for a moment and thought about it.  “It means the new target.  You know the new person to be bullied.”  She said as she sliced a cherry tomato in her salad.

Jaehee nodded at her explanation.  “Ahh~ so that’s what it means.  But I don’t really feel bullied.  Jaehee suddenly thought of someone.  “Youngdo always bothers me though.  Does that count?”  She asked Rachel.

Rachel crossed her arms and thought about it.  “Let’s see, if it’s teasing...  He does that to me and Bona too but…”  She stopped talking.  Why do I feel something is different?

“but???”  Jaehee looked at her as she suddenly stopped explaining and leaving her in the dark.

Rachel cleared and continued, “…but if he teases you everyday then some would think that you’re being bullied but I know brother, he doesn’t really hurt girls.” 

Brother?  Who is she talking about?  Jaehee thought which Rachel noticed. 

“I meant Choi Youngdo.”  Rachel said to enlighten her.

“Oh him.”  Jaehee said as she drank her milk.  “Wait, you’re siblings?”  She almost choked from what she heard. 

Rachel gave her a tissue and clarified, “He almost became my stepbrother.  We just got used to calling each other brother and sister.” 

Jaehee nodded at her.  So that’s what it was, she thought.

As if on cue, Youngdo suddenly passes by the cafeteria and saw the both of them.  He called out Rachel first to make it seem like he didn’t notice Jaehee.

“Eyy sister!”  Youngdo casually approached their table.

“Speaking of the devil.”  Rachel said as she heard his voice.

“Oh! You’re here as well?  Hoho, what’s this? You two are friends now?.  Youngdo joked around and sat next to Jaehee.

“So what if we became friends?  What are you gonna do about it huh?”  Jaehee gave him a fierce look.    

“Then that’s good.  If you only hang out with Bona, you’d just become noisy like her.”

“Don’t talk about Bona like that.”  Jaehee defended her friend.

“I’ve known her longer than you.  She is loud.”  Youngdo said in a “matter of fact” tone.

Rachel watched them bicker at each other and observed something.  Before she could pinpoint what it was, Jaehee suddenly talked to her.

“She is not like that right?”  Jaehee looked at Rachel as if she was pleading her to agree.

Both Youngdo and Jaehee looked at her attentively while they waited who she’ll agree with making her surprised as she was suddenly put into the spot light.  Rachel cleared and said “No, I agree with brother.  She is noisy.” 

“Ha!  I told you.”  Youngdo smirked at her confidently. 

Jaehee glared at him as she angrily stabbed the chicken meat and stuffed it in making her choke a little bit.

“Yah eat slowly.  I feel so sorry for the chicken.”  Youngdo beamed as he passed the milk to Jaehee.

She gulped down the milk and wiped .  “Then should I eat you instead?”  Jaehee said and gave him a dirty look.

“What?” Youngdo laughed.  “This chingu is really funny.”  He said to Rachel.

Suddenly changing the subject, Rachel asked him a question all of a sudden. 

“Is she your new shuttle?”

Jaehee faced him and asked him too.  “Yeah, am I?  Cause that’s what everyone says.”

“Do you feel like you’re my shuttle?”  Youngdo asked her carefully.  He was a bit worried that Jaehee might have felt like she was being tormented when all he wanted to do was to become friendly with her.

Jaehee gazed at their surroundings and replied to him.  “No.  But that’s what everyone thinks.  Look closely, we’re the center of attraction here.”

Youngdo looked a bit relief because of what Jaehee said.  He then smiled at her and said “Then don’t bother with what they say cause you’re not.” 

“Why do you tease me then?”  Jaehee looked at him intently making him clear his throat and think about it. 

Youngdo then smirked before saying anything. 

“Cause you’re pretty.  Just so you know, I only tease pretty girls.” Jaehee almost choked again as what Youngdo said was so out of the blue.  She then sighed and rolled her eyes.   Why did I even bother asking him that?  She thought and went back to eating her lunch.

“What?  You don’t believe me?  Eyyy~ I’m saying the truth, you should be honored.”  Youngdo slightly nudged Jaehee’s arm.

“Ah whatever!”  Jaehee glared at him and angrily chomped her food making Youngdo smile. 

Rachel was silently observing the two of them, especially Youngdo from the sidelines.  Judging from what she saw, she could sense that something is up with him.   

"What's up sister?"Youngdo caught her looking at him.

Rachel shrugged her shoulders and replied."Nothing."  

That's what I want to ask you, brother.  What's up with you?