Jihyun is stuck in a love scandal with someone whom she hates. This person is coincidentally the stubborn Riki on her debate team and her favorite mainstream artist at the same time. And Jihyun is just a college girl who gets wrapped into a dating s...
"I'm glad that you finally came, Jihyun," the moderator speaks.
When Jihyun steps into the club room, she notices Riki sitting aside at one of the tables, a hood over his head and a lollipop stick perched between his lips. He had so much potential to be one of the most handsome guys she'd ever seen if only he wasn't annoying.
"I have here the printed topic of the debate prompt for SDC. Included are many questions and spaces for the both of you to jot down any of the points you decide are useful or will be useful for the topic at hand."
"Not to be rude or anything, but why couldn't you have emailed this to me instead of calling me here, Taeyu?"
Taeyu, he was only a senior, so Jihyun wasn't that much intimidated by him being here.
"Because I wanted the both of you to be here because I want the both of you to take this paper and work on it together like the team that you will be."
"We can still work on this separately and be a good team during the competition. I'm mature enough for that," Riki said.
"I'm mature enough for it too," Jihyun adds.
"Surely, you both aren't. And working as a team does not mean to just bounce off of each other's statements until the debate closes, it involves genuine teamwork. Points may just be deducted if they do not see you two as a good working team."
"Then why didn't you choose another duo?" She inquired.
"I've said it already before, no need to repeat myself."
"Taeyu!" A loud voice comes in, feminine, annoying, bratty. It's that girl from the bathroom without a doubt, There's no point in checking because Jihyun doesn't know how she looks, but she's sure of it.
"Sorry," he murmurs to the both of them before turning to the doorway and Jihyun steps aside. She notices a girl standing at the door, unashamedly glaring at her as she walks in. "What is it, Gyuha?"
"Brother," she whines.
Jihyun winces at her voice, but the realization hits her later. They're siblings?
"Here, you two. Take this packet and go to the library or the room for study hall, I want you both to work on this so I better see two different handwritings, okay?"
"Taeyu, you can't—"
"Thank you," Jihyun murmurs quietly. She wanted to get out of this situation fast, no, she needed to. Gyuha was insane—and she hated Jihyun too—she couldn't last a longer second in this room with her, not if she wanted to maintain her sanity. Only after she takes the packet from Taeyu does she hear Riki's chair scrape against the floor as he gets up.
Jihyun holds her head down, trying to avoid any gaze exchange that could tip Gyuha over the edge. It wasn't like she could defend herself properly anyway, and if it becomes a bigger issue, then she'll be assumed as the one at fault because of the ongoing scandal. Just the amazing luck that Bae Jihyun has.
Gyuha immediately slides in front of her as she reaches the doorway. Frustration makes Jihyun crumple the side of the paper but she stays silent. She just needed to wait until Gyuha moved, not say or do anything.
"You. Jihyun, right?"
"Gyuha leave her alone. Just tell me what you came here for and get out of her way."
She's just glad that Taeyu doesn't tolerate her behavior, it provides a sense of security in a way. Jihyun waits but Gyuha doesn't move at all, instead, Jihyun notices her freshly manicured finger point directly at her.
"You need to—"
"Gyuha," Taeyu says sternly.
"You can't let this happen, y'know?" Gyuha grumbles like a child. While she's distracted, Jihyun takes the opportunity to quickly usher right by her, but Gyuha latches onto her wrist and she pauses, her heart abruptly racing in her chest. She didn't know why she was so frightened. Her head was still down but she could feel the burning glare Gyuha had on her head.
"Quit it." Riki steps up and strangely he feels like a savior. She looked back to see him standing there, arms crossed as his eyes darted from Gyuha to the hand she had on Jihyun's wrist. Immediately, Gyuha lets go and clasps her hands in front of her body, and Jihyun instantly pulls back. "We have something to do, so can you get out of the way already, Gyuha?"
"Sorry," she mumbles, switching up. She shuffles out of the way and then Riki brushes past the both of them and Jihyun doesn't stay longer to see the glare on Gyuha's face before following him.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
He clutched that, but that wasn't something Jihyun was going to admit or thank him for. He already knows so there's no point in inflating his ego. She drops the packet onto the table—noticing the crumples in it, it's a little embarrassing—and it seems now that both of them have stopped caring about the number of people observing them like this.
"I'm not trying to work with you on this," Jihyun states.
"Likewise."
She huffs and turns the papers her way to read through the topic when Riki's hand interrupts and turns it back his way. "Hey, I was about to read that y'know?"
"And I was already reading it, so if you want to get mad be mad at yourself."
"I am not working like this, I don't have time to maneuver the paper back and forth the entire time," Jihyun scoffs.
"Then don't."
The moment he partially redeems himself by saving her earlier, he screws it up. Childish.
"Just sit on that side, we can angle it for us both to read at the same time," he offers. "I mean unless you want to act like a kid about it."
"You're probably younger than me," she fires.
He raises his eyebrow and glances up at her. "I'll be 19 in December."
She grins triumphantly, "I'll be 19 in May, loser."
"Old," he comments.
"I don't have the time to argue with a kid," she grumbles, reluctantly scooting her chair closer to his but keeping a good distance between them.
"Then stop arguing."
"Listen in order for us to work on this, and actually do well, we'll just have to—"
He stares at her. "Agree to disagree."
Seems like he read her mind, well at least he knows because she doesn't want to reiterate it in the future at all. She nods her head and finally leans over to read the topic at the same moment Riki does.
The importance of building reliable and communicative relationships.
And below the topic reads; aim to involve friendship, families, or romantic relationships in a theme statement.
