"Because I know that was nothing for him"

“Oh goodness, I am so sorry!” Hope bowed before looking up as she quickly stepped back from the person she bumped into. When she did look up though, her eyes widened and she could feel her bladder trying to relax, she was frightened. Hope almost ran away, she thought of not screaming for the boys but calling for Yongguk to come to school and save her while she hid somewhere safe. This boy looked like he was here to murder her, or someone else in the school, he looked like he should have been in the mafia, not wearing the same school uniform as her.

“That’s no problem at all, I haven’t hurt you have I?” His blunt features and heavy eye bags were immediately eliminated by a bright smile that reminded her of a child as he politely bowed back to her and checked her with his eyes for any bumps or bruises.

“No, I’m fine, but I think we should probably pick up our stuff” She chuckled, looking at their books and pencil cases that were forgotten on the floor. The male student nodded and they both knelt down to pick their things up, passing stuff to each other if it wasn’t their possession before standing up and looking at each other again.

“This one is yours as well I believe” Hope looked up from sorting her notes to see him holding her a book the one that would normally be holding the loose pieces of paper she was currently sorting through.

“Ah yes, that is mine, thank you” Hope smiled, taking the book from his grasp. Hope just now realised that he was much taller than her, towering over her smaller height as he smiled down at her.

“My name is Huang Zitao, but I go by Tao for short” He reached his empty hand out to her and Hope took it with a smile.

“Well, I’m Lee Hope, nice to meet you Tao” She responded and Tao immediately reached for a piece of paper hidden in his pocket

“While I have someone here, could I ask you if you know how to get to this class?” Tao asked her, leaning down to her height as they looked at his timetable together.

“Oh, you’re in the same class as me, come this way, our class is over here today” She smiled, giving his timetable back and walking off in the direction of their class as Tao rushed to follow her. The two walked in a quiet peace to their class and when Hope entered the room with Tao behind her, she was shocked to see what was currently happening within the room.

“PUNCH THE IN THE FACE! BREAK HIS NOSE!” Sweet innocent little baby Zelo was standing on a chair, screaming at his friends and waving his fist in a whooping motion as he cheered on a fight that caused chairs and tables to be strewn across the room, meaning they weren’t keeping the fight in a little corner. Shocked by her aloof friend's excitement towards the violent show, Hope looked to see who was in the fight that Youngjae and Jongup were also jeering on.

It was Daehyun and Kai. Hope’s heart stopped as she saw the two brawling and her feet moved into action and she dropped her books again.

“Oh , that’s my friend” Tao muttered before Hope was out of sight like a flash of light.

Daehyun is in a fight! My poor baby needs to be saved!

Hope could imagine Himchan screaming in distress as he witnessed the scene she was seeing and raced towards the rumbling boys, swiftly managing to dodge a flying fist. Within a matter of seconds, Hope had a shocked Kai pinned to the wall, thanking her parents for forcing her into martial arts as a child once again as she used her arm to press down on his throat to keep him pinned to the plaster behind him.

“What do you think you’re doing?” She barked and Kai still managed to give her a smirk, even when he was going red from the oxygen she was stopping him from taking in. Hope was ripped away from Kai but she kept a sharp glare aimed at him as she stepped back, letting the person moving her keep her away from him.

“Oh, you know when you play hero for me, baby, you’re meant to stop the villain not me” Kai chuckled and Hope let out a growl of anger.

“I TOLD YOU NOT TO GO NEAR HER” Daehyun roared, his voice overpowering the atmosphere and Hope stared up at him. She was surprised, he had never spoken louder than a mumble. Kai smirked, he hadn’t stopped in the first place. He wiped the blood from his lip and chuckled as he pushed himself off the wall.

“Where’s the fun in that my blond friend?” He asked, sniggering and it was Hope’s turn to hold Daehyun back this time, saving Kai from further injury.

“Daehyun, let’s just leave, he’s clearly too thick headed to listen to anyone” Hope glared at Kai as she dragged Daehyun away from the scene, Daehyun obliged and walked away with her as the other three followed them. Hope prayed that they had grabbed her things for her because she didn’t bother to do so herself. She met eyes with Tao, who was still at the door on the way out.

“I hope with you here, your friend can learn to control himself and not push the temper of my friends any further, because I know that was nothing for him” She muttered, looking past him and leaving with Daehyun’s hand clenching hers as tightly as she was gripping onto his.

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“I am so ashamed in you all! Firstly you let your brother, your own brother get in a fight and then you choose to cheer him on instead of helping him or stopping him? Did I not raise you properly at all?!” Yongguk lectured through a loud shout as the four boys sat stiffly on the couch, their backs straight and their hands folded in front of them, feeling the same shame that Yongguk felt towards them