8 Years [ENGV]

#24

AUTHOR

Haeji didn't have many friends. Although she wasn't that introverted, she didn't cultivate many friendships. Sure, she got along with everyone, but she had few close friends — or best friends —, only two.

When they both went to the bathroom, Haeji sat on the bench outside with her tablet in hand to wait for them. The device was used for research and school activities, but the children had access to YouTube — supervised access, of course.

Haeji then accessed the video platform to watch something while she waited for the girls to come out of the bathroom. As a suggestion, there was a performance by Pretty Savage on the Inkigayo program, eagerly, she clicked to watch.

"BlackPink?" A girl approached, Doya. One of the few girls in school that Haeji hadn't been close to, especially in the last few weeks. Hae-ji looked up at the girl, following her with her gaze, Doya sitting next to her. "Who's your favorite? Mine is Jennie."

"Mine is Jisoo. She's my mother." Haeji replied with a proud smile. Doya laughed as if Haeji had told a joke.

"My sister and I don't like her." She replied when she finally stopped laughing. Haeji frowned. For her, it was impossible for someone not to like Jisoo.

"Why?" Haeji asked innocently, not feeling angry at her colleague, she was just curious.

"She's the worst member." Doya puffed out her chest as she spoke, as if what she said was the only truth. "My sister is also a fan of BlackPink, and she told me that your mother has no talent and doesn't even try hard." That irritated Haeji. Jisoo, for her, was amazing at everything she did. If Doya had just said that she didn't like Jisoo, Haeji wouldn't have gotten so angry.

But the words couldn't be taken back now. Haeji's face was already starting to heat up from the sudden anger that had taken hold of her.

"That's a lie! My mother is the prettiest and most talented of the group."

"No, she's not!" Doya replied. "Her voice is annoying, and she dances badly, and she's ugly on TV."

"STOP!" Haeji shouted angrily, squeezing the tablet tightly. That seemed to motivate Doya even more to continue, enjoying irritating Haeji.

"She's ugly, talentless, and bad on TV." She said again, stretching her body toward Haeji, who stepped back with tears in her eyes, holding them back with all her strength. "And she's not a good mother, she abandoned you here!" Haeji was already confused, scared, and shaken by something that had happened days ago, but she suppressed it, kept all her worry and anger inside herself, accumulating her confused feelings. Doya's words were the trigger needed for a gun to be fired inside Haeji.

Although intelligent and calm, Haeji was still a child. She hated hearing Doya say all those things about Jisoo — the woman she admired the most — and hearing that Jisoo was not a good mother triggered a mixed anger and confusion that she could not deal with or control.

Without hesitation or time to think better, Haeji pulled her classmate's hair, squeezing the strands between her fingers and directing her head towards the back of the bench. Doya's face hit the blue painted wood twice. The girl even smelled the paint, as if it were still fresh. In an attempt to defend herself, Doya scratched Haeji's face when she tried to pull her hair and tried to kick her, but Hae-ji already had control and hit her again. Doya now felt the taste of blood in her mouth and her nose hurt intensely.

"What's going on?" Haeji heard a teacher's voice and let go of Doya, as if she had come out of a trance. Doya walked away crying, putting her hand on her bleeding nose. Haeji looked around and saw all her classmates looking at her in fright, including her friends who had come out of the bathroom and didn't understand what had happened. Not even Haeji understood what had happened, she only felt great anger and attacked Doya — who provoked her. She swallowed hard and remembered the phrase she heard from her 'aunt'; If you don't behave, she will hate you and abandon you.