Hee-Jin had come to school so early, she was amazed that she had been able to get up. But she had had no choice. She wanted to catch the stalker and who knew, the stalker might have club activity. Or, as an extra option, he or she might not even be in their school… Which meant they might come bring nasty little notes while she was in class. And that this whole thing was pointless. She opened her friends locker. Nothing there, except for her friends indoor shoes. That was good. But she was just going to sit somewhere, out of sight and see who would show up. Because after all, just taking the notes wasn’t enough. It was just invading the girl’s privacy. It was to protect her, but it just kept her in the dark about how the stalker was still targeting her. In a way like Dia had kept them in the dark too.

Just as she thought that no one would show up, and had started to doze off a bit, she spotted someone standing awfully close to Dia’s locker. She got up carefully, trying not to make a sound. The figure looked awfully familiar, and she clenched a fist. Because there, right in front of her, stood her boyfriend, clearly holding a piece of paper.

“What are you doing here?” her voice was shaky, scared even. She didn’t want to know what he was doing here. He couldn’t be doing what she was thinking. There had to be an explanation, some reason he was here. Homework for a friend. Anything, but that he was her best friend’s stalker.

Xiumin was clearly shocked when he saw the girl, trying to hide the note behind him.

“What’s that?” Hee-Jin continued.

“I was just looking-”

“Looking for me? I don’t usually come to school this early. But you know that already, right?” she commented sadly. Xiumin kept quiet.

“What are you holding?”

“Oh this?” he showed her the piece of paper quickly, then put it behind his back again. “Just for a friend.”

“Can I see it?”

“Why would you want to see it?”

With every word he spoke, Xiumin seemed more suspicious to Hee-Jin.

“Show me, please?” Her eyes were starting to get teary now, a sight that Xiumin couldn’t handle.

“Here.” He reluctantly handed her the piece of paper and the girl unfolded it with shaking hands. And as she had expected, typed words slowly became visible.

“Just die, stupid . Make the world a better place,” she read them out loud, her eyes getting more watery.

“This is for your friend? Or for mine?” her voice was barely a whisper now.

“It’s not what you think!” Xiumin started.

“So you aren’t sending threats to my best friend? You’re not the stalker?”

“I’m not the stalker. I swear!”

“Then why this note?” Tears were already rolling over her cheeks and she tried wiping them with the back of her hand, but they wouldn’t stop.

“I... I… I don’t know. It felt… like an easy way… to get back at her.”

“What did she do to you that was so bad you want her dead!? Dia’s a good person! She’s my friend! You’re sending my best friend death wishes! How could you? How could you do that?” Hee-Jin started sobbing and when her boyfriend reached out to comfort her, she turned away.

“Don’t touch me. Just don’t.. Don’t come near me.”

---

As soon as Hee-Jin spotted Dia arriving, she was in tears again. The redhead immediately rushed over to her friend and hugged her.

“What’s wrong? What happened?”

“I- I found the stalker… I found him…” She sobbed.

“Did he hurt you? Who was it? How did you even?” Dia tried to get her head around what she had just heard, but first, she needed to know what had happened to Hee-Jin.

“It’s… It’s Xiumin. He send you notes. He says he’s not the stalker, but I found the note, he was going to put it in your locker. It has to be him.”

“Note? In my locker? What kind of note? I haven’t gotten any notes since that one day when the stalker attacked me.”

“Only because I’ve been taking them. See?” Hee-Jin held up the note she had just gotten from Xiumin.

“Just die, stupid . Make the world a better place,” Dia read and nodded. “Sounds like something Xiumin would want for me… He hates me, you know. Always has. But I don’t… It doesn’t feel like a message from the stalker. My stalker… usually says nice things. He seems more delusional… I don’t think my stalker hates me…”

“You don’t think your stalker hates you? Now you sound rather delusional yourself,” Hee-Jin commented between sobs.

“Maybe so. But my stalker seems rather obsessed with not sharing me with Myungsoo… Not so much with wanting me dead.”

“But he attacked you.”

“I think… I think he might have done so because he was jealous. Which sounds stupid... I know. But he send me a text just before. And it was something like: you’re mine, break up with him.”

“But the only person who is jealous is Ho-,” Hee-Jin quickly covered to stop herself from spilling her friend’s secret.

“You have an idea?” Dia asked, but she shook her head.

“Not really.”

---

“So what are you going to do with Xiumin now?” It was Hoya who first brought it up. They had briefed him on what had happened as soon as he was done at the basketball club. Hoya had been angry, but the thought that the perpetrator was also the boyfriend of one of his best friends had stopped him from rushing out and hurting the boy.

“I- I don’t know. I should break up with him, right? Since, since, what he did is awful. But I don’t… I love him. But what he did is unforgivable. So I have no choice. It’s because of what he did.”

“You should break up with him, if you want to, not because you feel you should,” Dia commented softly.

“She should break up with him, because he’s a dangerous person who bullies people,” Hoya argued.

“Just think about it carefully, okay? Don’t rush it.”

“I really should break up with him. Hoya’s right. That’s not rushing it, that’s being realistic. Even if I don’t like that this has happened.”

---

When Dia arrived at the archery range after school that day, she wasn’t as excited as she usually was. Now, because of her stalker, her best friend would lose her boyfriend. Of course, she couldn’t completely blame her stalker for it. But he did create the opportunity. Xiumin would have never done that, if he hadn’t though he would be able to get away with it. She sighed but got to work on her bow quickly. The first years were now all able to prepare their own bows, which meant she and Donghyun had a lot less work to do.

“We’re having a meeting today,” the captain declared.

“Like, after practice?” Dia was the only one there, and the formality of Donghyun amused her.

“No. During practice.”

“You can’t be serious! The match is in a week!”

“One and a half. And I am completely serious. It’s about that exact match. There’s stuff that needs to be done before the match can take place and we are going to discuss that. It’s the only time the staff of the match could meet with us, so we have no choice.”

Donghyun sighed as he looked at his unhappy co-captain.

“I’d rather practise too, you know. Let’s just hurry up, and be done with it, so we can get to practising again asap.”

“Alright, let’s do it then,” the girl reluctantly agreed.

They were lucky, and the meeting didn’t last very long, both of them happy when they were out of the boring conversations and able to shoot their bows again.

“Noona, you don’t look happy today, did something happen?” Minwoo asked.

“Kind of yes. But I’ll be better after shooting for a while.”

“See, that’s why people think you are scary,” the boy teased. “Are things not going well with your boyfriend? That guy was your boyfriend right?”

“He was. He is. But that’s not it at all. Things are going really well actually. Something happened to one of my friends. But don’t worry. I’m fine.”

“If you say so, Noona,” the boy replied with a smile.

---

Woohyun looked at his friend and sighed. He had been acting off all day, something was definitely bothering him. He had even said he was okay with going for coffee after school, while usually he would definitely want to spend that time with Hee-Jin.

“What’s going on Xiumin? You’re not acting like yourself.”

“Like myself? Maybe not.”

“So just tell me what happened, because I really don’t feel like forcing you.”

“I messed up. I think… I think I’ve lost Hee-Jin.”

“No way. You’re like… You’re like… You got me shocked enough that I can’t even think of anything cheesy. What in the world did you do?”

“It’s all her fault anyway.”

“Did Hee-Jin do something?” Woohyun seemed to get more surprised every second.

“Hee-Jin? Of course not, what are you even saying! She’d never do that!”

“Yeah, I figured she’d never be able to do anything wrong in your eyes. So then whose fault is it?”

“Dia’s, of course,” Xiumin said with a sigh.

“Dia’s? She did something to ruin your relationship?”

“Of course she did. That’s just something she would do, right?”

“Doesn’t sound like her. She likes Hee-Jin too much. Besides, it doesn’t seem like she has a problem with you. If anything you seem to be the one having a problem with her.”

“Even you are defending her now?”

“Defending her? I’m just giving you my opinion. You asked, remember? So what did she do?”

“She… She… She got this note from her stalker guy, right? The one harassing her?”

“Yes… So?” Woohyun was slowly starting to get impatient.

“I might have written a few of those notes.”

“And now Hee-Jin is jealous you’re writing love notes to her best friend?”

“How in the world did you decide they were love notes? I hate that girl. I want her dead. No love notes!” Just thinking about anything related to Dia and love made Xiumin incredibly angry, and Woohyun could only look at him with an amused look on his face.

“You want her dead? You’re sounding more and more like her stalker. Or at the very least obsessed with her.”

“I’m not her stalker. I just wrote a few insulting notes, no big deal. But Hee-Jin found out, and got really upset.”

“Yeah… She probably never realised how much you hated her best friend. But… I don’t see how this is Dia’s fault…”

“You don’t? If she was just a likable person instead of being like that, none of this would have happened.”

“I think she’s pretty likable. And no one forced you to write those notes, right?”

“She’s got even you under her spell?” Xiumin sighed.

---

When Dia arrived at school the next day, Hee-jin still didn’t seem to do any better. It was to be expected, with everything that had happened, but it still hurt the redhead to see her friend like this.

“I’m sorry.”

“You didn’t do anything wrong. Don’t apologise,” the girl muttered back.

“Exactly! Don’t take the blame for something he did. That guy was in the wrong. I can’t believe he’d actually use the stalker to bully you!” Just thinking about the event got Hoya riled up again, but his words only made Hee-Jin more sad.

“I can’t believe it either,” she mumbled, already feeling tears burn behind her eyes again.

“I made him hate me, so I’m to blame too,” Dia stated stubbornly.

“Don’t start, please? This is already hard enough on me,”  Hee-jin pleaded.

“Sorry.”

“And stop saying you’re sorry!”

Dia was slightly startled by her phone buzzing in her skirt, having been too focussed on trying to get her friend to cheer up to think about anything else. But as she read the words on her screen, she could feel the blood drain from her face.

It’s your fault he’s not here. If you want to save him, see him again, break up with him now. And if someone finds out it’s because of me, he’s dead.

Her friends weren’t looking at her, Hoya trying his utmost best to cheer Hee-Jin upm without letting his anger make her sad again. So Dia did what she did best, and faked a smile.

“Myungsoo you asked me to come see him at the photography club… Is it okay if I go?”

“Of course, of course! Don’t let the stalker ruin your relationship as well,” Hee-Jin said, forcing herself to smile. “Go, go, I’m fine!”

“Sorry! Let’s talk properly during lunch!”

Dia tried her best to remain cool, to walk to the door like she normally would, with a slight skip in her step, because she’d be seeing her boyfriend again. But as soon as she was outside of the classroom, she started to run. If this text was for real… If the stalker had really done something to Myungsoo because of her… She wouldn’t know what to do… She didn’t want to believe it…. So for now… she had to check.

Completely out of breath, she arrived at the photography club and knocked on the door. He’d be there. Everything would be fine. He was always early to work on his photos.

But no one opened the door. No one replied, and she felt her heart sink. The classroom then? Again she dashed off. But when she asked one of his classmates, she said he wasn’t there.

“He’s probably at the photography club, he always is.”

“Thanks.” Dia spoke the words, but she wasn’t thankful at all. Maybe he’s outside. Maybe he’s taking pictures. Please let him be there. Let him be okay.

As she dashed forward again, she got out her phone, now calling her boyfriend. She needed to know if he was okay. But he didn’t pick up. Even when the first bell, signalling class would begin rang, she hadn’t seen him. She hadn’t spoken to him. And he didn’t pick up his phone, nor reply to her text.

This can’t be. This can’t be. No. Not him. Not him.

Completely out of breath, she collapsed on the grass. She checked once to see if she could be seen from a classroom, and when she was sure she couldn’t, she started to cry. This was the worst. Because of her, something had happened to Myungsoo. She’d never be able to forgive herself for this.

“Are you crying?”

The sudden voice surprised her and she instinctively brought her arms up to block any attack.

“I’m not going to attack you.” The voice was strangely familiar, yet at the same time, sounded more gentle than she had ever heard it. And surely, when she finally looked up, Sehun was standing there.

“Why are you here?”

“I saw you dash from the classroom like someone had just died. I figured the text must have been from your stalker guy again…”

“Y-you saw that?”

“I just happened to see it. No big deal. So why are you crying? I’ve done plenty of horrible things to you, but you’ve never once cried. You’re strong.” He just stood there awkwardly, not quite sure what to do with the crying girl.

“He’s hurt. He has hurt Myungsoo. My stalker. It’s all my fault. It’s all my fault. Why do I ruin everything?” The more she spoke the more her tears started to flow. Sehun sighed and sat down next to her.

“Slow down a bit. Who’s this Myungsoo? He’s your stalker, and you hurt him?”

“No, no, no. Myungsoo is my boyfriend. And the stalker has hurt him. Because I wouldn’t break up with him.”

“What kind of crazy talk is this? So Hoya’s not your boyfriend? And how do you know this Myungsoo got hurt in the first place?” Sehun hoped that just by calmly reasoning the girl would calm down, but she didn’t.

“Why would I date Hoya? And Myungsoo’s not at school. He doesn’t reply to his texts, nor picks up. Something must have happened. And it’s all because of me.”

The boy awkwardly put his arm around the crying girl. He was pretty sure that was what people did in movies when a girl was crying.

“It’s not your fault. No matter what you think, or what anyone tells you. The stalker is the one who’s in the wrong here.”

He paused for a second and then added: “I checked at the basketball club, but the guy who was supposed to lock the door the night you got locked in said the door was already locked when he checked it. But no one knew who locked it.”

“You looked into it?” Dia asked quietly. “Why bother?”

“It’s our shed, of course it bothers me if people use it for their stalker antics,” the boy retorted.

Just the mention of the stalker however made the girl sob violently again, and Sehun wanted to kick himself.

“What should I do? It’s all my fault, what should I do?” the girl cried.

“I- I don’t know… We don’t know what happened to your boyfriend… So I don’t know either…”

“Break up… That’s what the stalker said.”

“Huh?” Sehun looked at her like he couldn’t believe her words. She quietly repeated them:

“If you want to save him, break up with him. That’s what the stalker said. There’s no other choice.”

“But he won’t pick up the phone right? And how would the stalker even know?”

He had barely said this and the girl started crying again.

“Stop, stop, stop, please, just stop crying, please,” Sehun begged. Somehow he wasn’t doing a very good job in cheering her up.

“You can send him a text and send it to the stalker as well… In the Bcc? Wouldn’t that work? That might work?”  the boy rambled. Dia nodded.

“I can try.”

I want to break up. It’s just not working. I’m so sorry.

“Like this?” she asked Sehun, teary-eyed again.

“I guess… I don’t really know, I’ve never broken up with anyone,” he admitted.

“It will have to do.” As soon as she pressed send, she found herself crying again. This better work. As long as he’s safe, it’s okay. It doesn’t matter if I’m hurt, as long as he is safe.

“Someone replied…” Sehun commented, but she was too busy crying to even read, and instead handed him her phone.

Good girl.

“That bastard!” the boy exclaimed as he read it. And added, more quietly: “I think it worked though. It should be alright...”

“I’m so glad.. He’ll be safe.” She smiled through her tears then proceeded to wipe her eyes.

“Are you okay?”

“As good as I can be, being stalked and just having broken up with my boyfriend,” she answered dryly.

“That sounds like the Dia I know,” the relief was clear in Sehun’s voice as he got up. He held out his hand for her.

“Come on. We really should head back to class.”