Ellin opened the front doors to school to see barely anyone roaming the halls. “Am I early or something?” she asked herself.

Somebody suddenly ran up to her, with shocked and worried eyes “Ellin, leave, you have to leave” Shinwoo urged.

“What the heck? What is there no school today or something?” Ellin said, taking a quick glance at her watch. “Oh, I’m a little early” Ellin realized.

“Ellin, leave, now!” Shinwoo urged again, pushing her.

“Shinwoo, what the heck is wrong with you?” Ellin said, shrugging him off. “I’m okay with being early, why should I leave? What am I not allowed to be early? Is it bad for my illjin reputation or something?” Ellin joked in an annoyed tone.

Shinwoo continued to look at Ellin in worry and pity. “W-why are you looking at me like that Shinwoo?” Ellin asked slowly, but Shinwoo didn’t answer. Whatever, I’m going to head to class” Ellin groaned. Shinwoo was too deep in thought to realize that Ellin was long gone now. “Wait, Ellin!” Shinwoo called, but Ellin didn’t reply and was already half way up the stairs.

“Today I’m going to talk to Ellin, you two can join but you don’t have to since I said I’d be the one to approach her first” Gummi alerted as her and the twins walked to class. “I’ll come with you, we’ll go right after class” Minsun suggested.

“Shouldn’t she be the one coming to us though?” Choa let out an annoyed sigh. “I know, I mean is Jinyoung giving her enough comfort and support for her to no longer need us anymore?” Gummi rolled her eyes. “Whatever girls, let’s just forget about it for now. No need to get ourselves riled up in the morning” Minsun calmed.

“Holy , what the hell is going on here” Gummi froze, dropping her book back. The girl’s shortly after had the same shocked expression Gummi had on her face. “What the is this!” Choa screeched, her voice filling the whole hallway.

Posters of Ellin were scattered on the walls and floors of the hallway where their classes were located. The posters had Ellin photo shopped in lingerie and read words like “” and “gold digger.”

Minsuns eyes became watery in disgust. Gummi’s hands clenched as she looked at the posters around her and the students carelessly walking past them, laughing and whispering. Gummi suddenly began to rip all of the posters off the walls, one by one. Choa ran to get a trash can and dragged it in the middle of the hallway. Minsun and way proceeded to pick up all the posters off the floor.

“What the heck are they doing?” “Aw, look how cute they are protecting their of a friend” “what a joke” these statements could all be heard as the students passed by them, but this time the girls ignored them and were too busy cleaning up the posters with the thought that they couldn’t let Ellin see this.

Unfortunately, at the turn of Minsuns head, there stood Ellin at the end of the hallway. She stood there still for a few moments, her eyes scanning the halls in confusion of what was going on. “Guys… give it up, she’s here” Minsun alerted, angrily throwing the papers that were already in her hands in the garbage. Gummi and Choa’s heads turned in regret; they both dropped the papers in their hands.

Ellin began to run to the girls “What- what’s going on?” Ellin asked nervously. She bent down and picked up a paper on the floor, her eyes opened wide and her hands began to shake. “I don’t know Ellin? What is going on? You think we know? How could we when you never told us anything!” Gummi screeched, her voice straining in frustration. 

Ellin looked up at Gummi and the twins in fear. She shook her head “I was going to tell-“

“Enough, Ellin. Did you not tell us because you had Jinyoung on your side so we were of no help to you anymore?” Minsun blurted out. “Well I hope you two are happy now and live happily ever after” Minsun continued.

“Seriously, what are we even doing here cleaning up this mess, prince charming can do it instead” Choa said, annoyed. She kicked the garbage can in front of her and began to walk away.

“Wait- can you let me talk?!” Ellin asked in desperation.

“We can’t just talk now Ellin. It’s just too late” Gummi said. Both her and Minsun began to walk away.

“No, you guys, stop!” Ellin yelled, holding onto their shoulders. “Why are you guys being so insensitive? Did you ever think about how I feel?!” Ellin screamed.

“Really Ellin! I would understand you needing time to tell us if it weren’t for the fact that Jinyoung knew everything! So don’t even pull that card!” Gummi yelled back.

“We know all about Jinyoung and you making up so don’t even try it with us Ellin” Minsun spat. Ellin was speechless, their words cut deeply and left her suffocated, too suffocated to even defend herself. At Ellin’s frozen expression, the two girls shook there heads, turned around and left the scene.

Ellin now stood there alone, with no one by her side. It took her a few moments to notice that students were still staring at her. She pitifully bent down and picked up all of the left over papers on the floor, throwing each one in the garbage. When she bent down to pick up the last one, someone’s feet got in the way. She looked up to see Jinyoung standing there.

Ellin quickly picked up the paper and crumpled it up. “Do you know who did this?” Ellin asked Jinyoung. Jinyoung’s face remained still. Her tired expression pained him, but he forced himself to not show it on the outside. It took every muscle in his body to not burst into anger and yell at all of the student’s who leisurely stood around.

“Jinyoung? Why aren’t you answering me? Let’s go to the principles office, I have something to say” Ellin said frustrated. She grabbed Jinyoung’s arm but before she could take a step, Jinyoung placed his hand on hers and slowly pulled it away. “Ellin…I can’t do anything for you anymore” Jinyoung said through a shaky voice. His expression remained cold on the outside, making Ellin’s heart shatter.

She took a step back from him, shaking her head in disgust. Ellin was smart, so it didn’t take her long to realize what was going on. “You’re… you’re such a ing coward” she said continuing to shake her head. She wished she was dreaming but this reality was all to familiar to her “I’m such an idiot” Ellin said, her eyes growing watery. She quickly turned around and ran away.

The moment Ellin was out of sight, Jinyoung fell down on his knees. He felt weak to his stomach and had no more strength left in his body. “Why is it harder for me to pull off this act now, Jung Jinyoung, get yourself together.”

Ellin ran outside, hot tears falling as she found a corner where no one could see her. “I knew this would happen…why did I think otherwise” she cursed, hitting her head against the schools wall. Suddenly someone tapped Ellin on the shoulder. Her heart froze; she quickly wiped away her tears and turned around. Her fear quickly turned into anger once she saw whom it was. “Are you happy now?” she said to the principle, who now had a evil smirk plastered on his face.

“Oh Ellin, how could I be happy seeing one of our students cry. You know, I was told to expel you, but I won’t. I won’t even suspend you, because all of the students and parents are on our side, so what’s the point? You should be a good girl now if you want to graduate” the principle said, patting Ellin on the shoulder.

“Don’t touch me!” she said through clenched teeth. “Hurry on in then, first period starts any minute now” the principle said with a smile before walking back into the school.

Ellin bared through the school day that had every student in chrome high talk down on her, give her dirty looks, and purposely push her whenever they’d walk past her. At lunch, Ellin sat alone, everyone avoiding her table as if it were diseased.

“Why isn’t she sitting with her friends? Are they also not on her side?” Baro asked Jinyoung, his voice full of concern. “Ha, as we predicted, their bond isn’t that strong” Sandeul laughed. Jinyoung’s fingers curled under the table “Why are her friends being this way? I thought I could feel a little at ease because she had them on her side, but if even they are treating her this way then…she’s all alone. This is all my fault” Jinyoung felt his stomach churn at this thought. He looked at her friends in disgust. He wanted to yell at them but he couldn’t because his dad would find out he was still trying to protect her.

 Jinyoung walked past Ellin, not looking sat her once. He acted as if he didn’t even know who she was, as if she didn’t exist. Ellin’s fists clenched in rage, she couldn’t stand how it was only her alone facing this pain. She turned around and began to speed walk his way. Once she caught up, she stood in front of him, blocking his way. “You think you can just get away with this? You think your life can go on smoothly while I go through hell because of you?” Ellin said, her voice rising as she spoke. “ Jinyoung, if it wasn’t for you, none of this would have happened. You’re the one who gave me all this false hope!”

Jinyoung just stood there, swallowing every word Ellin threw at him. “Well if you have nothing to say, then maybe this will get your mouth moving” Ellin’s fists clenched and she threw a hard punch at Jinyoung’s face, making him fall.

Everyone around them gasped at what had just happened. The whole hallway was rioting now. “Is she crazy? She’s in deep trouble now” someone said in shock.

“I don’t care anymore. Unlike you Jinyoung, I’m not scared of your father. Tell him I punched you, and tell him if I ever see your face again, I’ll punch you again. If you ever mess with my life one more time, I’ll make sure you can no longer move your face” Ellin screamed in frustration. Ellin turned around to see Gummi and the twins behind her. She looked down, avoiding their eyes. She bit her lip before running out of school.

As Ellin ran down the staircase, she heard someone call her, making her come to a halt. “Ellin-ah, wait” Ellin turned, hoping it was one of the girls.

“Soyul? I really don’t have time right now” Ellin said, disappointed that it was her. “I know…I just wanted you to know that if you need anything, I’m here to help…bye Ellin-ah” Soyul quickly turned around and ran away before Ellin could even refuse her offer like she expected her to do.

“Today was a MESS” Minsun groaned as she laid out blankets on the ground of Gummi’s room. “I thought we had seen Chrome high at its messiest but I guess we were wrong” Gummi sighed. “I can’t help but feel sorry for Ellin though,” Minsun let out.

“We all do Minsun… I mean what she went through is traumatic, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that she kept everything away from us and let Jinyoung in instead” Choa voiced.

“Gummi, someone’s at the door for you!” Gummi’s mom abruptly yelled from downstairs. “Who the hell would be here to see me? It’s 11pm” Gummi said, baffled. “We’ll go down with you” Choa said. Her and Minsun both got up and the three of them hesitantly went downstairs.

As the three of them headed to the door, their eyes all crunched up in disbelief “Jinyoung?!” Gummi yelled in shock.