The Love Scandal ♪ Nishimura Riki

8 ♪ rumors and gossip

Chapter eight

Some people don't think that a day is enough. Things can't just happen overnight, they say. It's true though. Things can't change overnight like that. Major things take time, it takes patience in order for it to happen eventually. That's why things can't change in one day, or overnight, but at the same time, they can.

You can confess today, and either date or stop liking the person tomorrow. You can run away from home and by tomorrow you may just be all on your own. You can kill someone and either get away with it or go to jail. Lastly, you can get into a love scandal with an infamous artist and have everything reach the headlines all under 24 hours.

Jihyun was definitely the last one of those. She wonders if her parents know about it, possibly her younger brother, it's big news now so they might, but at the same time, it'd be so embarrassing if they did. The amount of people who had looked at her, saying things behind masking hands that she didn't catch onto, was too much. 

The day after the video was recorded, it hit the media. Many online forums had the video attached as the theory of her and Riki dating was perpetuated evermore. Still, the company had yet to barge into the situation and declare that they weren't. What a terrible company, Jihyun had thought.

She stayed in the bathroom instead of going to the cafeteria to avoid unwanted interactions. All of a sudden, it was as if she was the celebrity, being bombarded by questions and opinions that she could barely even comprehend before having to answer them. At least the bathrooms were clean, though, she did ditch eating any meals because she didn't necessarily want to eat in the stalls either.

The bell was going to ring soon, she needed to get out of the bathroom already so that she could leave early. Rohee would understand if she didn't meet up with her in the classroom hopefully, because Jihyun wanted to avoid everything even if it meant avoiding her own friend for the time being too.

She steps closer to the door and her hands approach the latch slowly. Despite having gotten an entire night's worth of sleep, she's still tired, maybe because of everything going on.

"So what do you think? Are Jihyun and Riki really dating?"

She freezes, pulling her hand back before it touches the lock. Please leave soon, Jihyun hopes. The small pats of shoes against the floor get closer to her stall, but Jihyun realizes that they were only heading for the mirror when she heard a bag getting set down. Damn it. She should have chosen a stall closer to the door so that she could slip out furtively but now she couldn't.

"Of course not."

At least someone knew of the truth, that made her at least a bit glad. Regardless of that, Jihyun decided to wait and listen further, it was all she could do anyway since she couldn't escape. Backing up, the girl tried her best to keep her shoes from view, she didn't need them knowing that she was there.

"They have barely even interacted, and plus, Jihyun is too much of a closed-off girl to catch his eye. He's cooler and more handsome, he deserves a popular girl, no? Like me."

It's not inherently an insult, but it's enough to make her heart pulse with rage. Jihyun balls her hand into a fist, of course, it's the quote-on-quote popular girl, the entitled stuck-up students that put dibs on people like they're just items or baubles. She hated that nasty attitude.

"He wouldn't date someone at our school though, he's an artist, and he probably has other artists that he likes, maybe he's actually already dating one of them."

Exactly, that makes a lot more sense.

Her heart jumps in fright. Jihyun flinches at the sudden harsh contact heard just outside of her stall, it's followed by a pained wince and she could only assume that someone was hit, probably slapped.

"Are you saying that I'm not good enough? If anything, I'm a way better option than that Jihyun if he really is dating her."

Don't do it, don't open the door, Jihyun tells herself.

"Ugh, forget it. I'm going to use the bathroom, and watch my stuff."

Poor girl. Getting hit for what, because she's being reasonable? Jihyun doesn't even like the guy, if she wants a chance with him that much then maybe she needs to stop being a scaredy-cat and approach Riki herself instead of insulting her over an assumption. But now (in a way), Jihyun just wished that she was dating him to spite her.

"Hey, it's locked. Hey! Who's in here? Why didn't you come out earlier, huh? You aren't using the bathroom anyway."

Jihyun gates her mouth with her hand despite her cover already being blown.

"Hey, eavesdropper."

"Let's just go to another bathroom, Gyuha, it's not that big of a deal."

"Of course, you don't think it's a big deal, Nara," the girl in front of her stall snaps.

"But—"

"Just shut up!" Gyuha yells. "Ya, eavesdropper get out already," she says, banging slightly on the stall door. "I said get out!"

Jihyun steps back again, the heel of her foot touching the base of the toilet. She just needs to stay silent for now until—

The bell rings.

Finally.

Gyuha groans loudly and Jihyun hears her steps lead away from the stall, and the stuff in her bag shuffle, making yet another noise. "Let's just go."

Then the steps fade out as the girls leave the bathroom and Jihyun only decides to leave the stall after a couple of seconds.

What a lunatic.