Without you

T w o

"Have more." Dino placed rice and radish onto J's plate.

She rolled her eyes at him. For some reason, they were so incredibly comfortable with each other. It was weird because J had no friends, she never knew she could be a good friend because no one ever made the effort to try and befriend her.

Maybe that's why she didn't know it was such a nice feeling to sit and eat with someone. Such a simple thing she never had, until now.

"Aigoo. Eat well." Dino ruffled her hair, picking stuff from his own tray, and putting it onto hers.

"Okay now you're just making fun of me." She spoke, pointing her chopsticks at him. "I'm just a little hungry, okay?" She continued eating again.

"A little?" He laughed so hard that the people sitting around them, all turned to looked at them as J had her mouth full now.

"Who was it." J jumped a little as someone slammed a hand on the table they were at.

"Ah Hyung." Dino spoke out a little embarrassed as J looked up to see one of the guys from her class.

She tried to remember his name. Ah! It was that Choi seungcheol guy.

"This is why I tell you not to befriend just anybody." He examined Dino's face and the cuts on it.

Suddenly, seungcheol looked over at J, shocked to see her there for some reason. Making a face at her, because her cheeks were so full of food, they looked like they were going to burst any second. She looked away first, trying to chew the food quickly.

"I'm gonna kill them. Make it easier on your whole class, and tell me who it was" seungcheol growled.

"There's no need." Dino shrugged. "J-" Dino started but changed his words as J shook her head at him,

"I already took care of it. He's probably still unconscious on the field." Dino crossed his arms.

"Oh?" Seungcheol looked at J again, who avoided his eyes. "Since when are you-"

"There you are." Jeonghan, along with the same guys from her class came up to seungcheol.

J looked to see Wonwoo following behind the group as she quickly looked down.

"Dino made a new friend." Seungcheol suddenly spoke. "Which means, she's our friend as well." He smiled, taking a seat next to dino, across from J.

"Oh-" J spoke as the other guys came to sit down next to her.

She looked around and noticed that the entire cafeteria, was looking at them. Not one head was turned away from their table.

"Why is everybody staring at us?" She asked Dino.

"She doesn't know who-" Joshua spoke but Dino and seungcheol both shook their heads at him.

"You're sitting with a bunch of handsome guys, that's why." Dino smiled and J threw a piece of radish at him. Making the guys break out in laughter.

"Hmm." Mar watched them from afar.

She felt herself getting anxious as everyone turned to whisper to one another, still staring at their table. At her.

'They're probably talking about how I don't deserve to sit next to anyone at this stupid rich people school.' J thought.

"We're not friends." J got up from the table, speaking to the boys. "I'll leave first."

She left for their classroom as Dino whined.

"Look what you did." He hit seungcheol on the arm. "It was all fine until you guys came along." He got up, going after J.

"She's....interesting." Minghao nodded.

"How does she not know who we are." Jihoon questioned.

"Maybe it's better that way." Wonwoo shrugged, fixing his glasses.

"Mm." Seungcheol only hummed.

"Why does Dino want to be her friend so badly?" Vernon questioned.

"J?" Dino went into her classroom.

She had her head on her desk.

"Did they make you feel uncomfortable?" He sat down in the desk in front of her.

"Yes. I hate when people look at me." She answered, referring for the people in the cafeteria, rather than the guys.

"Don't worry. I won't let anyone look at you anymore, Noona." Dino exclaimed seriously and J laughed.

"You don't have to do all of this just because I helped you." J looked at him.

"I don't think it's about that anymore." Dino shook his head. "There's this feeling I have, like we're meant to be friends."

"Oh." J spoke, swallowing thickly.

Why was she embarrassed suddenly? Maybe because she had never made a friend at this prestigious school. Everyone looked down on her because she was the only poor student in school while money basically rained on everyone else there.

"I have a scholarship." She voiced out.

That always scares everyone off here , she thought.

"Woww. You must be really smart." Dino gasped and J looked at him surprised.

"What?"

"What?"

"Well I just thought-" J began.

"What? That everyone here are snobs who think they're better than you because of money?" He rolled his eyes.

"Yes." J deadpanned.

"Well I, Dino. Who has more money than everyone at this school combined is asking you if you'd like to be friends and go for ice cream after school today." He smiled.

And J suddenly remembered real life, and her responsibilities.

"I cant." She sighed and Dino frowned, until she continued. "I have to do something after school, but I'd love to be your friend." She smiled with her eyes closed and Dino put a hand to his mouth.

"Wah Noona. You're so cute. I didn't know you had this side to you." He ruffled her hair as she rolled her eyes at him.

Mr lee suddenly came in, he seemed mad when he saw J but his demeanor changed when Dino turned around, and Mr lee saw his face.

"Go." J whispered to Dino, quietly.

"I'll see you tomorrow mm?" He asked before leaving, only walking away after J had nodded her head.

And for some reason, Mr park bowed to him, as Dino passed by.

Jana looked down at the watch on her hand and realized there was still 10 minutes left of lunch. So she got up, heading for the door.

"You're a smart one aren't you?" Mr lee shut the work book and turned to her.

"I'm sorry?" J stopped mid way to the door.

"Picking out the richest ones." Mr lee started to laugh, mockingly at her.

J shrugged and started to leave again but he spoke again.

"Whore."

It was like someone had dropped a bucket of ice cold water on her, and she was freezing up. Her eyes had gone wide and she couldn't think straight for a second.

The old J was back, the one who would get so angry that her breathing pattern would change, the one who never saw the sight of healed knuckles. Always bruised and always bloodied.

"You-" she flared, walking towards Mr lee.

"Oh what is this? Disrespecting a teacher?" Mr lee tsk'd. "We both know you're on the losing end of this."

And J was reminded once again, that she was powerless in this school because she was poor. So she left, clenching her fist and without a word.