AMITIÉ | Stray Kids

chapter eight

back with fear

Hea stood between her parents as they made their way to her classroom to speak with her teacher.

Her feelings were difficult to describe, unlike before, the stares from other students now made her feel extremely uncomfortable. As she walked, she noticed her cardigan being slowly lifted, prompting her to grab it and pull it down to hide her bruises.

“Do you want to come in while we talk, or would you prefer to stay here for now?” her dad asked.

“I’ll stay,” she replied in a small, faint voice.
Both parents nodded and waited for her teacher to arrive. Meanwhile, the four friends watched from a distance.

“I smell something fishy…” Jisung chimed in, his eyes fixed on them. “Definitely something is wrong. And that emergency meeting last Monday? I’m sure it’s connected to this,” Seungmin speculated.

They snapped back to reality when the bell started ringing, and a wave of students rushed to their respective classes.

“Shoot! We have to go, we’ll get in trouble if we’re late. Felix, update us if you find anything, okay? Let’s talk to her at lunch,” Minho urged as they began running toward their classrooms.

Felix made his way into his class and walked past Hea and her parents. He caught a brief glimpse of her and noticed her pale skin. Is she alright? he wondered before continuing inside.

Remembering Mirae, he raised an eyebrow when he didn’t see her. “I thought she was going to the bathroom? It’s been so long,” he muttered as he took his seat.

Hea's homeroom teacher arrived and began speaking with her parents.

“How are you, Hea?” she asked, greeting Mr. and Mrs. Yang.

“I-I’m good,” Hea stuttered, retreating behind her mom.

“So, what’s the important thing you wanted to discuss, Mr. and Mrs. Yang?” the teacher inquired.

Her parents exchanged hesitant glances. “Why don’t you go inside first?” Mom suggested, holding Hea’s hand. But Hea shook her head. “I don’t want to yet,” she mumbled.

“But will you be okay while we talk?” her dad asked.

Hea nodded silently.

“Wait, I’ll get you a chair so you can sit comfortably,” her teacher said with a smile before stepping inside.

“Felix? Can you grab Hea’s chair and bring it out here, please?” she called back to the classroom.
Hea didn’t bother looking up as Felix handed her the chair.

As her parents began discussing matters with the teacher, Hea tried her best not to cry while listening to them.

𖹭

They ended up explaining the entire incident to her.

“Oh dear... are you sure you want to go today? You can take weeks to rest, I know this must have traumatized you,” the teacher said, concern etched on her face. Hea shook her head.

“Don’t worry too much, I’ll be fine. I just need some space from others, and I’m sure I’ll get through it soon. Thank you for worrying,” she replied, bowing politely.

“It’s nothing, dear. Don’t worry. I’ll talk to your classmates so you won’t feel uncomfortable while you’re in class. And Mr. and Mrs. Yang, thank you for trusting me to look after her. I will make sure to keep her safe and okay every time, so you don’t have to worry about her,” she said with a reassuring smile.

Hea’s parents nodded in appreciation.

“If you’ll excuse me, I’ll settle everything now so she can go in soon,”

After about twenty minutes, their homeroom teacher returned with a small smile and settled the class down.

“Okay, class, I have a very important announcement to make, so please cooperate and listen carefully,” she began.

“I know you’re all curious and confused about why your fellow classmate Hea’s parents are here, right?” she exclaimed, and the students nodded in agreement.

“It’s because something happened to Hea last week, which is why she has been absent for several days. She’s not in the best state at the moment, so her parents wanted us to do a favor for their daughter. She’s currently trying to cope with something very personal, so some things will change in this class,” she continued.

What happened to her? Felix thought

“I hope you all understand her situation. Please, if possible, try not to interact with her for now. Don’t ask her questions, as that will only make things worse for her, okay?”

“I can’t specifically tell you the reason because Hea is not comfortable discussing it. I’ve decided to change her seat and place her at the back. Mr. Jung, can you switch seats with Hea?” she asked.

Kooeun nodded. “I don’t mind, Ssaem,” he said with a smile.

“Well, that’s all. I hope I made everything clear? Hea isn’t okay yet, but she’s trying her best, so I wish everyone would behave and respect the privacy she needs.”

“Hea? Do you want to come in now?” the teacher called out.

Hea stood up from her seat and spared one last look at her parents before walking inside.

Unlike before, she kept her head lowered as she made her way to her new seat in the same row as Felix's

He stared at her, something was off, and he was sure of it. What could be the reason for all of this? He didn’t understand why she had to go through so much.

𖹭

Two subjects had passed, and it was almost lunch break. Mirae returned just before the second class started, explaining that she had a terrible stomach ache and didn’t make it to their first class.

Of course, Felix was worried, but she assured him she was fine.

He kept an eye on Hea out of the corner of his vision, looking for any signs of distress or change, but she seemed unaffected and was listening intently to the discussion.

We definitely need to talk to her later. Felix thought to himself

Meanwhile, Hea felt like someone was staring at her, making her uncomfortable. She glanced around but found no one looking directly at her.

Although Hea appeared to be listening, her mind was preoccupied with thoughts about how to avoid her friends.

She was sure they would want to ask her what was going on, and just thinking about it scares her.

She thought to herself, I almost lost my life, and I didn’t want to be an idiot anymore. I would try my best to ignore them and end our friendship.

All the suffering she had experienced over the past month was enough evidence for her to stop.

I can do this… Hea, you can do this.