The time has come. The time for Oppa to leave for the military service has come. The time for me to hold it all in for myself has come. I hugged Oppa with tears clouding my eyes, "I'll miss you. Lots. Try and survive. Don't come back looking so skinny, Im Suwoong." I mumbled into his ear. He pulled away from the hug and I looked up at my tall brother who was smiling sady with his hands cupping my face.

   "Of course I won't. For my beautiful mother~" he trolled.

   "Yah! I heard that!" I hissed playfully, hitting his chest with an evident smile.

   "And my sweet, lovable sister. Find a boyfriend by the time I come back." He grinned, wiping my tears that were about to fall with his thumbs.

   "Who are you calling sweet? I'm blood and flesh, not lemonade and candy!" I trolled happily, sticking out my tongue.

   "Oh, Jungkook's watching. Go on~. You two.." Omma pointed out. I turned to see Jungkook with a couple of seniors and a classmate of ours, Kim Taehyung. He caught me looking at him who was looking back at me, and he turned his attention back to his friends. I looked back at Omma with a straight face.

   "No assuming things, please. Besides, you know that I'm an introvert." I mumbled, bringing the tips of my hair to my shoulder before it fell to my back when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned to see Chanyeol, smiling happily. I looked at my side to see Oppa and Omma already hailing a cab. Aish, these two. I turned back to the senior. "Hm?"

   "Are you free this lunch? I wanna get to know you better~!" He chirped happily. I looked down at my shoes. Will it be okay? Will I mess up? But I can't just easily put my trust in him.. neither can I just easily hang around with people? It might be a trap.. he is Chorong's brother after all.. but last month and a few days ago he saved me time and again from Chorong. Is this a sign that I should at least try to make a friend? I shifted my weight to my left foot, awkwardly rubbed my arm. Maybe not now..

   I looked up at him and softly shook my head, before bowing deeply to apologise. I didn't say anything afterwards but I  did run away to class after that. Another day, a different kind of greeting. Yesterday was goo mixed with glitter underneath my table and who knows what today might bing? Feathers with glue? Dead cockroaches' guts? My classmates are just truly that horrible. Maybe I could talk to he principle, Mrs Jung! But.. it would make matters worse, wouldn't it? But I could take this chance to move to a private class for myself?

   I plugged myself into my own world of music, and I begun playing Coffee, a song that Hyerin-unnie introduced me to. She's one of my colleagues at CosLatte. I smiled to myself as I listened to the soft beginning. It makes me want to drink more mocha frappucinos..

   I hummed extremely quietly as I walked with my right hand fiddling with my bag's zippers, with my head slightly higher and a small smile in my lips. It doesn't hurt to smile every once in a while, right? As suddenly as my smile came, it faded away as soon as I saw Jungkook and his friends hanging at the corridors near class. I pulled my earpieces out without stopping the track and stuffed it in my pocket as I hid myself at the turning of corners. I pulled my bag down and I wanted to grab a book out but Taehyung's presence gave me a heart attack. It really surprised me so much to an extent that I fell down and some of my books poured out of my bag. "O-Oh.. hi~!" Despite the fact that I fell with my books all over and Taehyung's head poking out from the corner and making me scared, he can still show off that rectangular smile of his and laugh. Wow.

   "Tae! Stop-- oh.." Several footsteps were heard and I was soon sitting on the floor like an idiot, cleaning my books up and not even creating eye contact with anybody. A pair of arms swooped down to grab some of my books and I was eyeing for my journal. I was about to take it, leaning forward, and our heads crashed and I felt another hand gripping on to my journal. My hand slipped from my precious book as I fell back to see Jungkook rubbing his head with my pastel blue journal in his hands. I ignored the sore spot on my head and I wanted to take my book away from his hands after shoving my books in my bag, but it was taken away by Taehyung. I gasped in surprise. I grabbed my bag and got up, snatching it away from his hands before he could even turn to the first page.

   "S-sorry.." He mumbled, his head low as he bowed deeply to me.

   "Urgh. Annoying brats," I rolled my eyes, pushing my way and shoving them aside. Before I could enter class, my wrist was gripped.

   "Yah! What's your problem!?" He was the tallest among them and seemed pretty pissed off.

   "What's my problem? My problem is the fact that I'm bullied every single day and they haunt me every single night. My father left me three years ago due to a car crash and I'm still not over that f**king fact! And then it's even worse when I get all those sh*t underneath my table and those horrible messages carved on my desk! What about that bratty Chorong and Naeun? Trying to steal all of my happiness away!? What the hell did I ever do to you guys to do this?! HUH!?" I yelled with tears already b. I shook my head as I drew a shaky breath. "Forget it already." I huffed as I pulled my hand forcefully away after letting all of my anger out. Great. Perfect way to ruin your own world already, Im Ara. First day-- no, a few minutes after Oppa left and i's already.. this. I pushed the door open to class and thankfully, it was empty. I pulled in my earpieces and I tried to listen to the soft and calm song to calm me and my tears down, but I couldn't. I ended up crying my heart out with my earpieces and Ipod on my table, my arms over my eyes as I soaked the sleeves of my blazer with my salty tears.  My body was trembling, until my body was pulled up and I faced the seven of them. "W-What?" That was all that I managed to stutter with a shaky breath.

   "W-We're sorry.. why didn't you say anything? Don't you at least trust the class rep?" Taehyung's already deep voice softly approached me.

   "No."

   "What?"

   "I don't trust anybody." I repeated myself. "If I ever did, you would all just break in, find out all my secrets and rob them and spread them to the world. Just like what Son Naeun did to me."

   "Did you try?"

   "Wasn't what I said clear enough for you? I don't trust people!!" I shouted at them, before my feet gave way and I collapsed to my knees. "I.. don't trust me." I sobbed, and a hand reached out for mine. I didn't reject it, I just.. let my body control me. His soft thumb caressed my hand as I cried my heart out. "Why am I so mean? Why is the universe turning their backs against me? Am I that worthless!?" I began scolding myself over and over, ignoring their hugs and silent hushes. I bit my lip to try and stop myself from quivering and shivering, but I just can't stop it.

   "Trust us. We'll be your friends. We'll protect you."

   "Besides, Namjoonie and Hoseokkie and  I are your seniors~"

   "Yah, Kim Seokjin, don't call us that way!"

   "The perks of being a Pink Princess~. You should really have your own show."

   "Shut up, somebody's crying."

   "Oh.. right."

   "Jimin-ah, get some tissues and water. She'll need hydration."

   "Don't cry~. It'll be alright if you at least let us in.." Jungkook was pleading for me to break my walls down and let it all out on them, but I can't. And I won't. Instead of shaking my head, my messed up brain functioned my head to nod slightly. Gah! What's the use of  your mind when your brain is controlling you!? Damn it, Im Ara. Aish!

   "O-Omo! Hyungs! Why are you here? Omona! Ara! What happened to her?" A friendly but panicked voice suddenly came into reach and I looked up to see Sehun. "We're supposed to be in the music room.."

    "A-Ah! First period is music! Omo, how can I forget!?" I wiped my tears away hurriedly and grabbed my bag as sniffed the last bits out with my blazer.

   "Ara! W-Wait!" I could hear the eight voices of the boys calling out for me but they slowly faded away as I made my stop in front of the music room. I wiped my tears away before entering the room. The teacher wasn't here yet, and the half of the class was present. Only about one or two.. screw that; all of them were laughing at my ugly face from crying out of anger.

✿ ✿ ✿

   "Oh? Ara?" Jungkook's voice startled me that I slipped and when I thought that I'd land in the mud and get even more drenched in the heavy rain, arms supported my back and I opened my eyes to see Jungkook who was holding me. He did break my fall and save me a uniform, but our faces are just.. so.. close and my cheeks began heating up.

   "U-Um.. y-you can let go now.." I mumbled, getting up and out from his grip. Jungkook was still looking at me, and I felt my cheeks burn. I took Jungkook's red umbrella which was abandoned on the ground and I held it above his head, sheltering him from the rain but I was rather surprised when he brought me under the umbrella and he patted my soaking hair with his dry napkin.

   I quickly took his hand away. "Save it for yourself. I.. have to get going." I mumbled before making my way from under the sheltered umbrella and heading to CosLatte which was across the street. I quickly rushed in, drenched to the bone and shivering at my most.

   "Omona, Ara! Aish, this girl, what happened!?" Chief came to me as soon as she saw me enter. There were some customers but they didn't even bother. I was rushed to the lounge room where we usually have our break time. As soon as I stepped into the lounge room, my colleagues became shocked at me who was shivering. I was given a new set of clothes from the cafe and I was quickly shoved into the shower room for a warm shower. A warm towel was there and also new and dry clothes, so were the slip-ons I left by accident last Tuesday.

   I washed myself up, dried up and wore the 60's long-sleeved beige shirt dress lined with a bright orange that Chief had saved for each of us in case of an emergency, and I dried my hair along as I slipped into my black pair of slip-ons after pulling myself into a pair of black leggings to match with the outfit. As I walked out with my dried hair and dry clothes, I saw Jungkook calmly sitting down at the lounge table while the girls are back at work. "Yah! Why are  you here!? You should be home!" I softly hissed, putting away the towel and soaked uniform and shoes. As soon as his eyes met mine, they widened a little.

   "W-What  are you looking at.." I mumbled, avoiding his gaze as I folded my arms.

   "Ah, you're out! Why didn't you tell me that your boyfriend came along? Was it him being bad or you being silly, stubborn and stupid?" I saw Chief coming in with a dirty tray of utensils and plates and cups and placing them at the dishwasher, next to where Hyunsik was cooking orders.

   "Chieeffff~, he's not my boyfriend!" I whined as I groaned, stomping my feet like a child. She came over to me and patted my head, smiling.

   "Not convinced, sweetheard. Jung-ah, you don't mind taking care of her for today right? She has a fever coming on." Chief says, feeling my forehead.

   "Omo! Jinjja? Omona, my pretty jagi is getting sick~" he cooed as he walked over to me and pulled me close to him with his arm sliding around my waist and supporting my back, his free hand feeling my forehead. I turned a beet red.

   "I knew you were a couple~! Next time, don't deny, dongsaeng-ah~" she giggled, before skipping off. As soon as she was gone, I looked at the mischevious classmate of mine who was grinning happily at what he's done.

   "But seriously, you are putting up a fight with the fever. I'll take care of you reaallyy well," he smirked as he bit his lip. Oh my God, that lip bite. Oh my God, Im Ara, what the hell!? I could feel my cheeks burning hotter and my body feeling tense and weird, the back of my head was hurting and it looked like the world was spinning right around me.

   I tried walking out from his embrace, stumbling over my feet and nearly bumping into a wall. I leaned againt the wall with my head spinning and I was in an unstable state, but I still have to make my way to the--

   "Im Ara. You're sick. You're not going anywhere. You're not going to school and neither am I. I'll take care of you." Jungkook's voice was like music to my ears, and it spun around in my head before they faded away.

   "I'm fine. I'm.." Before I could finish my sentence, I felt my body lighten and my vision went fuzzy before going black and I fell into his hands.

   What is happening to me?