Head up, shoulders back.

Areum took a deep breath before stepping into her university building. Almost on cue, people looked at her.

She was almost infamous.

Everyone had heard rumours about her but no one really knew her. So all they could do was stare.

It never made sense why people would act that childish even after they left grade school. She had never done anything to anyone.

When she first started school she tried to be nice, she was polite and quiet. She never rubbed anyone the wrong way. But then the rumours started to float.

People thought she slept around.

People thought she had plastic surgery.

People thought she got pregnant.

She had no ideas where these rumours started from or why they were about her. But she knew there was nothing she could do by the time she heard of them.

Denying them would only make her look more 'guilty'.

And she wasn't going to claim she did something she didn't just to make them happy.

So she just kept her lips shut and learned to block it out. It was like drinking alcohol, soon, you'd become so numb that nothing feels like it hurts.

But then you'd wake up the next morning with a hangover that left you feeling tier.

Things have admittedly gotten better.

Not by a lot.

But she noticed that people didn't stare at her as blatantly as they first did. But that didn't mean that unsolicited gazes would land on her when she walked the halls.

"Areum-ah!"

The girl cringed at the voice when she heard footsteps speeding towards her.

Jung Yoomi.

Were they friends? No.

Were they enemies? No.

They were…well, they were nothing.

They were two people who knew nothing about each other, other than what they've heard. Yoomi was the only person that talked to Areum.

But that didn't mean their conversations were friendly or pleasant.

Areum didn't respond and continued her journey to her classroom.

"Areum!" The shorter girl attracted attention with her loud exclamations as she caught up with Areum.

She didn't acknowledge Yoomi, she never did. She just kept her stride up.

"I was calling you. Didn't you hear me?" Yoomi whined in her voice an octave to high in a shirt that was a few inches too short.

No.

It was barely covering her bra and her shorts barely covered her underwear which was a strange choice in attire for the end of October.

But nonetheless their 'friendship' only better fuelled the rumours about Areum's fidelity.

People thought that s stuck together.

Not that Yoomi was one.

She just wasn't the most…wholesome girl.

"No." Areum mumbled quietly, her eyes unwavering. She learned that tunnel vision was the only way to make it through university.

After becoming infamous for the most untrue things, she had no choice but to blur everyone out except her destination.

Whether it be her class, or her house, she just had to black everyone out.

Yoomi scoffed softly with a roll of her eyes. "I wanted to know if you were going to Yang's Halloween party tonight."

That was something that always annoyed Areum.

More like someone.

She couldn't stand him.

Song DoYang.

AKA Yang. 

He was the biggest prick that Areum had ever met in her life.

Besides the fact that he makes sure everyone knows that he has a trust fund bigger than his , Yang never tossed up a chance to come onto her.

He thrived off of the rumours that were spread.

He'd try to egg her on to kiss another girl or have a quickie in a closest. He'd try to her or lean in for a kiss that she didn’t want.

He thought she was some sort of ual deviant.

Which was humorous about a girl who had never had a boyfriend, much less a first kiss.

Each time the conversation would end with her flipping him the bird, walking away without a word.

Some girls thought guys like Yang were the best.

They loved his rich, playboy attitude and the countless girls that he claimed he 'ed'.

Maybe by ed, he meant that there was more in his personality than there was in his pants.

But to Areum, he just came off as a pathetic, tool that wanted to come off as a bigger man than he actually was.

"I'd rather die." She said breathily.

Yoomi scoffed. Areum knew the way her comment sounded.

She sounded stuck up and condescending, as if she was above it all.

But she couldn't help it.

Yoomi sneered at her behind her head, "Well everyone's going to be there, if you want to stop looking like a social pariah, you should probably go. Yang's been talking about you for some weird reason which means so have a lot of other first year s. If it wasn't for me, you'd be disintegrated by now." She placed a cigarette between her lips but didn't light it yet.

They were still on school property.

"Honestly, I have no idea why he's so into you, but you should be glad. No one would know your name if he didn't. Everyone here thinks you're either a psycho, a or a plastic doll. Maybe if you actually hung out with these people instead of acting like an entitled brat, they might be nicer. Considering your status here, you don't really have the right to act like such a . Unless the rumours are true."

Areum never got tired of being called that. Sometimes she wouldn't even do something but the name would just be associated with Jo Areum.

She hated it.

Areum stopped walking and spun  to face the shorter girl. "Look. I didn’t ask you to follow me around and talk to me. In fact, if I could, I'd rather have you leave me alone altogether. I'd rather be a social pariah than have you associated with me. So I'm sorry if you've wasted your time with me because honestly, I could care less about you or Yang or the girls spreading rumours about me. And I can bet money that you feel the same way. So how about we drop this 'friend' bull and just go on our own ways, hating each other. Just leave me alone and do us both a favour and don't talk to me."

She her heel and stalked away, she ignored the shocked expression on Yoomi's face her cigarette hanging off her lips.

But she didn't walk away before catching Yoomi's mumble.

"."

Of course I am.

I'm an unlovable little .

That's what I'll always be.

-----

Youngjae's body slammed into the side of the cabin with a loud thump that should the foundation fo the building. He shook the shock off before jumping back onto his feet, speeding towards Jackson's crouched body.

You're going to have to move faster you little mutt.

Youngjae growled at Jackson's taunt and pounced into the air. Jackson's body reacted quicker and grabbed the younger boy by the neck before whipping him to the side.

Youngjae whined.

This isn't fair. He's already the prince, why do I have to spar with him when it's the full moon too? He's like ten times as strong and he never ing tires out.

The rest of the pack just stood of to the side in human form watching the battle in amusement.

Jinyoung was still recovering from his sparring session but the rest were itching to shift and take a shot at burning some extra energy.

Jinyoung groaned as he placed an ice bag on his sore muscles. "This is his fault, you know. If he found his mate, he'd be wasting his energy mating with her instead of taking it out on us."

"You're just ing because you tagged out 5 minutes into the session. And you haven't found your mate yet." Jaebum said as he leaned against the