A/N: Here's chapter three~~~ Thanks to all who has subscribed and commented, and I hope you all enjoy this chapter like the rest! :)

Chapter Three

“You got in trouble again,” Naeun said as she saw Hayoung walking towards her in the school corridor. She knew that Hayoung would ignore her, so she stopped and stood in the younger girl’s way. Just as she expected, Hayoung could only stop before her obediently. “Did you smoke again?”

Hayoung smiled and took out a pack of gum, unwrapping one she chucked it into and started to chew, “No.” It wasn’t exactly her intention to piss of every person she meets, but Hayoung found it hard to resist.

“Don’t lie to me,” Naeun demanded. “Snap out of it Oh Hayoung, everyone around you is worried. You’re parents and even Namjoo.”

Hayoung snapped at the name Naeun mentioned, “You know what? You might’ve got me until you said Namjoo. She’s the last person to care” she knew that was exaggerated but it wasn’t too far off reality. Now, everything was ruined. Hayoung didn’t feel like entertaining Naeun anymore, “I’m not in the mood for your pep talk, so may I excuse myself?”

“No you may not.”

Hayoung stepped back and gave a chuckle, “Well, aren’t you stubborn today.”

“Why are you like this now?” Naeun asked, sincerely curious. She didn’t expect an answer, knowing Hayoung and her closed nature. “Is it fun smoking, and getting into stupid fights for fun? Does it make you happy?”

“I don't think this is a problem of being happy or not” Hayoung said as calm as usual. “I don’t think it’s fun either.”

This is the first time Hayoung has given an answer that seemed even just a little genuine. “Then, why?” Naeun didn’t want this opportunity to slip away from her.

Hayoung shrugged, “I just feel better afterwards. Let’s just say I relieve stress this way.”

“Hayoung-ah, there’s better ways to relieve stress. Why do you choose this?” Naeun said as she approached the younger girl cautiously. Hayoung’s a sensitive girl and Naeun knew that. Hayoung, being the only child, was born into the pressure of taking over her father’s position. “You’re grades are still good, you can go back,” Naeun tried her best to get Hayoung to see her options.

Hayoung stayed mum. She didn’t want to say anything, but Naeun wanted a response. “I don’t think that’s going to work. People don’t just change when you tell them to, unfortunately…”

Naeun nodded, “Right. I agree but you weren’t originally like this. Something happened in the past year and you changed for the worst.”

“I know” Hayoung admitted.

The confession took Naeun by surprise. She never expected in a hundred years that the girl before her would ever agree with anything the people around her would say. “Does it have anything to do with Namjoo?” she asked, not backing off. She’s already gotten so deep, why back out?

“I’m going,” Hayoung said, avoiding the question. She squeezed passed Naeun as the two brushed shoulders. It really annoyed her when people just confront her like that. It was none of their business, why do they bother? Hayoung understood where they were coming from. They were worried. Concerned. But, she didn’t like it. She wanted to be left alone. 

“I don’t think it’s too late to sort things out between Namjoo” Naeun persisted. “It’s obvious that you two still care so why act otherwise?”

Hayoung turned with a smile, “You make me laugh. We still care?” she was finding Naeun’s words so amusing at the moment, she wanted to burst out laughing but controlled herself. “You obviously don’t have eyes. We hate each other’s guts.”

“I don’t have eyes? Maybe you’re the one who doesn’t” Naeun retorted. “You can lie to everyone but yourself, Hayoung-ah.”

~

Namjoo looked down at the paper, as she zoned out for a while. She was awfully tired today for some odd reason and couldn’t keep her attention span longer than a few seconds. Luckily, it wasn’t affecting her work much and she still managed to operate enough to seem normal to the people around her. “I think it’s a good idea,” she approved of the even suggestion. “We can invite out brother school.”

A talent show was the idea. No problem was spotted in the planning and organization. Everything was already sorted, from venue to catering. It’s not the first time holding a talent show so Namjoo was used to the process as well as what to look out for during the application. “It’ll take a while to process with the principal, so I think we can only officially announce it next month” Namjoo explained to the kind girl who suggested the idea. She put the form into the ‘approved’ pile and smiled, “I’ll pass it on this afternoon. Thank you.”

The girl dismissed herself with a bow and let another person in instead. “What’s wrong with Hayoung?”

Namjoo looked up to see who was asking such a direct question in such a comfortable manner, and as expected, it was someone familiar. Son Naeun. “Unnie, what are you doing here?”

“Answer my question.”

“What do you mean?” Namjoo wasn’t sure if she heard Naeun’s question correctly. She wasn’t sure if she understood it correctly but she gave it a shot anyway. “She’s probably just going through the peak of puberty.”

The older girl rolled her eyes, “Puberty? Really?”

Namjoo sighed, “Things happened okay?”

“Yeah, you need to sort those ‘things’ out before she sets the school on fire from her teenage angst, which you’d like to call the peak of puberty.”

“She won’t set the school on fire” Namjoo replied, concentrating on the details. It might be due to her need to steer away from the main point.

“It’s been a year already, can’t you guys just apologize or at least consult someone?” Naeun really wanted this ‘cold war’ of theirs to be solved. It was difficult when she wanted to go out and had to plan around the two just so that they won’t heads.

Namjoo gave a heavy sigh, “Look. I’ve tried and she didn’t listen”

“Well, try again.”

The confrontation wasn’t progressing like Naeun had hoped and Namjoo ha