Mirage

04

Eric smirked as some evil ideas were roaming everywhere inside his small head upon seeing the girls walking side by side towards the front gate of the school. 

Being a little trickster early in the morning won't hurt, right?

It was then that the boy ran towards the girls, pulling their backpacks in which Jia and Haeun stumbled, almost losing their balance due to the abrupt weights on their backs.

"Eric Sohn!" Jia enraged, fixed the strap of her bag whilst glaring towards the boy who was now holding his stomach, his laughter echoed. Seeing him enjoying his moment unknowingly made the girl more furious, automatically reaching for his ear. "You like it huh? You do enjoy it right?"

Eric winced, tapping her hand that was pulling his ear hard to go easy on him but Jia did not show any signs of granting him any mercy. His pain was her happiness.

However, the two did stop when the unusual silence was heard from their other friend. Both immediately turned towards Haeun, the latter was huffing as if she was controlling her breathing.

"Are you okay?" Eric was concerned, gulping ever so slightly. "I'm sorry. I will never do that again."

"The adrenaline," Haeun said, slowly opening her eyes just to be met with Eric's pale face. Wasting time no more, she raised her fist, threatening to throw it at him. "Do that again, and you're dead."

"I'm sorry!" Eric raised both of his hands high in the air, putting up a defence. For his face was more valuable than anything else he owned. He needed to secure it.

The three continued walking together with Eric being in the middle, getting sandwiched by the two girls on each side who had their arms linked around his. 

Talking about something random, laughter was escaping their lips like they were some sort of machines until an intriguing topic was brought up.

"Kim Sunwoo rejected you?" Eric scoffed in disbelief, sarcastically laughing at what he heard. "Who does he think he is?"

"He doesn't seem like a cocky one," Jia put a finger on her chin as if she was thinking, slowly turning her head, searching for Haeun's orbs. "So what is the plan now?"

"I'm still going for him," the latter shrugged, springing to her feet as she thought of Sunwoo. "He's so attractive!"

This side of Haeun was never seen by her friends. She had never once fangirled over any celebrities but she did with Sunwoo.

And it was getting worse when the said boy was seen walking past them, lazily pulling a strap of his bag over his shoulder. He did not notice them there, nor did he pay any attention to his surroundings. 

He cared only about himself.

It was then that Jia and Eric glanced over at their friend who was swooning over her crush, her eyes were sparkling. The way she bit her lower lip whilst smiling was disgusting for Eric to bear, he felt his stomach turn.

"I'm feeling sick," he held Jia's shoulder for support, looking up at the high sky next.

"Bear with it," Jia patted his arm, still eyeing the other girl. "You have to see this."

Eric followed the command but soon regretted it when he saw Haeun was fixing her hair, her phone's camera as the mirror. Not only that, but she was also checking the lip gloss she wore before she turned to them, asking for their opinions.

"I don't look sick right?"

"No," Jia shook her head - confirming, before nudging Eric next to her to give a simple reaction along.

"You always look pretty, girl but-"

In no time, Jia's palm flew over Eric's mouth, shutting him up. For a moment, she regretted wanting him to give out a reaction.

"Okay then, I'll see you guys later at lunch," Haeun walked backwards, waving at her two friends, before she turned on her heels, chasing after a certain boy. "Sunwoo!"

The boy was yawning when his name was called. He was then flinching, not even expecting someone to be looking for him so early in the morning.

But, when he saw Haeun running up to him, disappointment was so clear on his face.

"What?"

"Oh!" Haeun halted on her track, her eyes widened as she looked at his face. He looked different - in a good way. "Your hair is curly. You look more dashing!"

Sunwoo smirked, lips partly agape as he scratched his brow. Deep down, he was proud of himself and some more a compliment would never disappoint.

"I already know that last part," he pocketed his hands as he turned on his heels to walk away. "You should've told me something I don't know."

"Something you don't know?" Haeun's head was working twice as much as it usually did, harvesting an idea to impress the boy. Fortunately, she managed to find one, lighting up her eyes. "Then, do you know how much I like you?"

At that, Sunwoo halted, turning back with an uninterested expression. His curly bangs were long enough to cover his thick brows but Haeun could tell that he was scrunching them up.

"You really don't know how to give up right?" It was a provocation, but Sunwoo almost cursed under his breath when Haeun shook her head, confirming it. "And naive. Don't follow me!"

He warned but there was no way the girl would obey. One step Sunwoo made was followed by a step of hers which resulted in him turning every so often just to repeat it numerous times.

Until his action was obvious for Eric and Jia to notice not so far from them. They were not happy with how Sunwoo treated their friend but they also knew that nothing they could do.

At least for now.

Jia crossed her arms, eyes fixated on Haeun who was bubbling around Sunwoo just to receive a glare or a hiss afterwards.

"You went to the same middle school as Sunwoo right?" The question she asked was an unexpected one, even Eric was seen flinching. "Was he always cold like that?"

"What do you think?" the boy questioned back, earning a look from the girl. 

His mind travelled back to a few years ago to those days he attended the same school as the boy, the memories were vivid in his mind.

A part of Sunwoo was still the same and he must admit that another part of him had changed.

And Eric knew, there must be a tiny part of kindness left somewhere deep in his heart.