The trip was quiet and all four sat at a café, the three boys sat around Byeol watching her unenthusiastically eating her porridge. Blue already looked bored staring at strangers that passed by the café.

“Can you eat any slower,” Blue was looking at Byeol again like a little puppy that needed walking.

Byeol nodded her head no.

“Awww,” Blue threw his head on the table.

Blondie was staring at the coffee menu and got up and started going to other tables smelling their drinks. Red was laughing at Blondie. Blue sighed again.

Byeol started to giggle. Blue looked up with an arched eyebrow, “You think that’s funny?”

Byeol slightly nodded.

Blue got up and started moving around the café, mimicking the customers. Blue was copying an old man eating eggs and bacon. Then he went behind a lady with high heels that was ordering coffee, he started rolling his eyes at the cashier and batting his eyes. He then sat next to some little kid that was digging in his nose, Blue was watching and started to put his finger in his own nose… just then he made a gagging noise.

Byeol was laughing at Blue being silly in the café, no one really noticed her. They occasionally looked towards the loner teenager with her headphones on.

Blue smiled at her and she couldn’t help but to think how handsome he was smiling. Blue bowed and sat down. Red looked ay Byeol then Blue and stood up himself and started dancing on tables.

Surprised as Byeol was she put both hands over and got up going towards the door. Her face was so red that she reached for the door. The waiter came rushing out towards Byeol.

“Was there something wrong with the porridge Miss?” the waiter tapped her shoulder.

Byeol turned around quickly, her cheeks were still rosy, “No,” she looked up at the tall, skinny waiter, “No, I just remember I had an errand to run before I go to school.” She reached into her pockets and took at a bill or two and reached out towards the waiter. “I’m sorry, I forgot to put a tip at the table.”

The waiter smiled, “I was just worried,” he waved both hands in front of Byeol looking at the money, “it’s okay, I was just making sure that you were satisfied with the porridge.”

“Oh,” Byeol lowered her hand with money, “it was delicious.” She smiled back at the waiter, “please take this though, I forgot to leave a tip.”

“My name is Joo Jun,” he bowed. “I’m just working here part-time and go to the university. It’s okay, you really don’t have to tip me, it wasn’t my table and you just ordered porridge.” He leaned closer towards her, “you waiter forgot to refill your coffee anyway.”

Byeol’s cheeks started to heat up, “My…”

“Oh c’mon!!!! He’s flirting with a teenager…” Blue was standing next to Byeol practically yelling, waving towards the waiter.

Byeol looked at Blue and Joo Jun. Joo Jun raising both eyebrows waiting for Byeol to continue.

“I’m sorry, I have to go…” Byeol started to straighten out her purse, “It was nice to meet you… my name is Byeol.” Byeol bowed and turned around to walk away. Blondie was walking closely to Byeol staring back occasionally to the waiter. Blue was still behind sizing up the waiter and slowly started to follow Byeol. Red was waiting for Blue to catch up.

“What was that about?” Blondie was hovering by Byeol.

Byeol couldn’t help but to smile. She shrugged her shoulders, she was stunned herself and didn’t know what was going on.

Blue and Red were now by Byeol’s side trying to catch up with the conversation they missed out on.

“What a creep,” Blue was now sounding like the protective older brother. “Taking advantage of a kid,” he started to shake his head.

Byeol looked at Blue with curiosity, “What?”

Blue looked at her, “You think someone like that is going to find a girlfriend in University?” he shook his head again, “No he has to flirt with a young naïve kid.”

Red nudged Blue, “That’s not true.” He looked at Byeol, “You look pretty when you smile.”

Byeol began to blush again and looked down.

Blue looked at Byeol and rolled his eyes.

After waiting for a thrift store to open Byeol got some cheap shoes and practically ran to school. She was 20 minutes late to school and got detention for her tardiness as well as not wearing the proper uniform and not bringing her school supplies. Again, Gina and Soobin kept their distance from Byeol. She tried to ignore the stares and whispers by watching the 3 stooges mimicking her classmates. She was grateful for them, without them Byeol couldn’t face her classmates at all.

Entering detention her very first time Ms. Jung couldn’t believe her eyes.

“What are you doing here?” Ms. Jung stood up from behind her desk looking down at Byeol.

“I’m sorry,” Byeol was looking around the room, it was empty. “I woke up late and ran out the door. I ended up locking myself out of my apartment and left my schoolbag by the door.”

Ms. Jung sighed, “How did you make it through school?”

“I bought a notebook and pencil at the school store,” she showed Ms. Jung her belongings. “I was pretty much caught up in class, so I already had today’s homework turned in. I just have to work on tomorrow’s assignment, I should be fine.”

Ms. Jung absorbed her excuse, “Well, you’re the only one for today.” She walked around Byeol with her index finger tapping her lips thinking, “If I let you go early, can you promise me you’ll never do this again?”

“Oh,” Byeol smiled looking at Ms. Jung, “I promise!”

Ms. Jung lowered her stare and became eye level with Byeol, “Okay!” She reached her hand out, “let’s shake on it.”

Byeol held her hand out and shook it. Ms. Jung smiled and stood up straight going to her desk and grabbing some items.

“Okay, Miss Lee. You are off the hook for today,” She smiled at Byeol walking towards the door, “Just go straight home and get started on homework.”

“Oh, I will!” Byeol was making her way out the door.

Walking out the school entry way, Byeol had missed her usual bus. It didn’t bother her, she put her ear buds on without pushing play and started to walk home and would catch the next bus that came by. Despite how her morning started it wasn’t so bad now. She waited to get home and she was able to talk freely with Blue, Red and Blondie. Until then it was her smiling away at the mischievous boys that were still goofing around mirroring others that passed her.

When she finally caught the bus the three guys sat next to her and smiled. She was happy that was didn’t feel alone, this time she pushed play and looked out the window watching the traffic. When she finally arrived near her house she got to her steps and hesitated.

“I’ll go check if Mommy Dearest is home,” Blondie said. Before Byeol could object he was gone.

Byeol breathed in deeply.

Blondie appeared next to her and startled Byeol.

“Sorry,” he stepped back, “She’s gone.”

Byeol nodded with a smile and started to make her way in.

“But,” Blondie was still standing at the same place.

Byeol turned around.

“She…” Blondie looked at Red and Blue with worried eyes.

Red and Blue looked at each other and disappeared.

Byeol looked at her door and started digging through her purse for her keys. When she finally found the she tried her fastest to open the door.

Her apartment was a disaster.

Byeol slowly walked in and there were clothes everywhere. It was more of her clothes than anything else. She picked up here and there and started to make her way into her room. Red and Blue were standing by the door silently looking around. Byeol looked at them and to her door. Not knowing what to expect she swung her door open. Her posters were taken down from her walls and were crumbled up in trash or at least the few that actually made it into the trash the rest were scattered. She looked at her shelves and her few albums she had were gone, her mangas that she collected were missing as well.

“Maybe you were robbed,” Blue stood there not knowing what else to say.

“No,” Byeol turned towards him. “She does this when she’s mad at me.” She looked around her room again. “She probably sold them… my albums, books…”