The night of rejection was the hardest. I cried into my pillow, biting my fist to stop myself from making any noise. The humiliation of the confession haunted me. Jaebum would never look at me the same way again. I looked like a desperate puppy begging for love. The only thing that was different between the puppy and I was that the puppy received a happy ending in the end. I did not.

Getting up from bed was challenging the day after. It seemed like that there was a strong magnetic field on the bed, pulling me towards it. Preparing for school was a drag. The water in the shower did not feel as cold as it normally did. Surprisingly, my eyes were not swollen but my fist had bite marks surrounding it. I made my way to the first aid box and bandaged it all up, hiding any signs of it. I literally dragged myself to school that morning.

About ten metres outside the school gate was Jaebum's high school. I stared at it from afar, wondering if he was already within the school compound. That was until I heard a voice shouting a familiar name behind me. I turned around to see Jaebum with his friend about five metres away from me.

"Ayeee, I saw a high school girl with you here yesterday! Don't you have anything to tell me?"

"No, I have nothing to tell you."

I decided to slow down my tracks and eavesdrop on their conversation.

"Jaebum-ah, I know everything. I'm the mighty Jinyoung! I know she confessed to you."

"Then why did you even ask in the first place?"

I heard a loud scoff, signalling that the two were closer to me. Admittedly, I regretted my actions and decided to walk quickly to school. This was getting so suspicious. The scoff was my cue to escape from my misery.

The moment I stepped into the classroom, I heard about the confession; my confession. Nobody knew how much I wanted to dig a hole for me to hide. I gulped as I walked towards my seat. I put my bag down and place my head on the table. Today was going to be a long day for me.

My break was spent on the rooftop, alone with my iPod and earpiece. I brought my knees nearer to my chest. My hand reached out for my phone which was resting next to me. I began scrolling down my SNS accounts, hoping to find new updates but to no avail. Putting down my phone, I stared into nothing before me. I had never felt that empty. Sighing heavily, I headed towards my classroom.

That night, I began sorting out my thoughts.

I figured that getting over a rejection was particularly hard. I did not cry that night. I thought that crying would be a waste. It would not be worth it. I would get over the rejection eventually but I would never let Jaebum go. I was not being stupid nor obsessive; I was mature enough to think properly. I had thought it through and considered various consequences. I figured that I deserved another chance. It might not be anytime near soon but I thought I really deserved another chance.

It was surprisingly easier to get ready for school the next morning. I did not feel anxious like I did the day before. The pillowcase was not wet with tears. My mind was not messed up any longer. I felt calmer. I smiled into the mirror and whispered to myself.

"You're stronger than I thought you were, Hyerin-ah."

While walking to school that morning, I bumped into Jaebum. Forcing a smile on my face, I mumbled a soft good morning. Jaebum ignored as he walked to school. My heart clenched as tears began forming at my tear ducts. Jaebum-ssi, I'm sorry.

Getting over was harder than I thought it could be.