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Iseul had begun to change.
You weren't sure if that was a good or bad thing, but he seemed more distant. He rarely wanted to hang out with you and instead chose to spend his time with a group of students that were not known as "nice" kids. He had also modified his appearance. He took off his circle-rimmed glasses and slicked his hair back lazily instead of neatly.
He transformed over the course of a few days, which went into a few weeks. The distance between the two of you grew to the point where you almost forgot about him. However, your mentality would not allow you to do so. He constantly managed to slip back into your mind. Your brain never stopped reminding you of him. You'd admit that anytime you saw him in the classroom or the hallways, your heart skipped a beat.
You'd try everything to get his attention, but it never succeeded. He always disregarded you and avoided you whenever he could. You'd try to talk to him, but he'd turn to stare at his new buddies and make arrangements with them instead. When these instances occurred, your heart prickled. But you didn't let it get to you.
He was only going through a stage. This was something you told yourself several times. He's a teenage boy, and he's probably just trying to figure out who he is. You confirmed optimistic justifications that you forced yourself to believe.
All these excuses disappeared when you caught him bullying a classmate.
It was break time, and all of the students had gathered and swapped conversations—along with snacks. Your friends drew up their desks and positioned them next to yours. You chatted happily with them and took use of the breaktime as much as you could. You noticed Iseul approaching an overweight classmate out of the corner of your eye.
When he lifted his leg and kicked the boy, your eyes narrowed. Iseul placed his foot on top of the kid's head when he landed on his bottom. Because it was so loud, the class didn't appear to notice. You got up and stormed over to where he was. "Hey, Iseul, what are you doing?" You inquired. When he looked over at you, his lips formed a malevolent smile. "Hello, Y/n." He pronounced your name in such a way that it made your stomach drop. When you got a whiff of cigarette smoke or alcohol, your nose scrunched up.
"Take a look at this pig." He made a head motion to the boy on the floor. The poor boy was trembling, tears welling up in his eyes. "Come on, leave him alone." You frowned and took Iseul's arm in yours. You saw that his eyes were slightly narrowed. He turned away from you and clicked his tongue. He slammed his shoe even more firmly into the boy's temple. "Iseul. Get off of him, this isn't cool." This time, you were more forceful. You kept your gaze fixed on him as his lower lip trembled in rage.
"All right, whatever." He grunted and pushed the boy's head with his shoe one last time. He returned to his friends with a vengeance. You waited for him to return, and once he was out of sight, you kneeled down and checked on your classmate.
"Are you all right?" You inquired, concerned. He sniffled and nodded. "Come on, get up." You assisted the boy in getting to his feet. You returned your gaze to Iseul, who was staring back at you. His eyes were filled with rage.
