Strawberries | SKZITZY

43 ~ At Lia's

"Hyunjin--" Yeji called out. She was at the school backyard where Hyunjin often went to skip classes.

He turned to her just when he was about to light a cigarette. With speed  rivalling the lightning, he shoved it back into his pocket.

"You finally have time for me?" He joked but Yeji's serious face made him instantly regret.

Did Changbin sell me out? Basically, Hwang Hyunjin never planned on telling the girls that they had the video. They were just going to publish it anonymously because he knew how Yeji would react.

"First of all, thank you." Yeji began as she walked to stand closer to him. "Everyone now believes me because of the video."

"Did Changbin tell you it was me?" Hyunjin asked.

"No. But I know its you. Did you get any injuries?" Yeji's expression turned worried, her lips parted and her fingers reached up for his cheek.

"Nope. Not a single of his punches landed on me. Weakling. Plus what do you think I am? I was raised by the streets." He flaunted, lightly pinching his left bicep.

"You fought him alone?" She rescinded her hand.

"Not really. I took the other guys just in case, but the need never arose." He explained.

What really happened was, on that one day when  he missed school, he planned with Changbin and Jisung to go get a confession from Yeonjun. He claimed to be a victim, but they all knew it was a lie. Hyunjin at first approached him nicely when he saw him walking down the alleyways from school. They waited and stalked him until he was alone.

"Ah! Hwang Yeji must very popular at her new school. Why's everyone from your school asking about her?" Yeonjun laughed when he learnt the reason behind Hwang Hyunjin's visit. Assuming  Hyunjin wanted the same thing Somi was after, Yeonjun began yapping about how he was a victim. How Yeji seduced him and whatnot.

One derogatory statement against Yeji was all it took for Hyunjin to get riled up and begin showering Yeonjun with punches.

Han and Changbin had to intervene to remind him of their main purpose.

It didn't take the coward, Yeonjun, long to cave in and give an apology statement to Yeji.

.....

"You could have used words to talk to him, why did you have to beat him until he was bleeding..." Yeji asked frustratedly.

"Did you hear what he said about you?" Hyunjin got defensive.

"Still... you promised to never fight again."

"I didn't promise... I just said I will try. And besides, that idiot deserved it!"

"I don't like it when you fight. It feels worse knowing it's because of me." She sighed out loudly. "What if something serious happens to you? What are you going to do then?" She pulled him by the collar, her eyes welling. 

"I will deal with it. You don't worry about it." He gently squeezed her arm.

"Huh!" Yeji scoffed in disbelief, moving back. "Right... who am I to have a say in what you do anyways?" She turned to walk away only for Hyunjin to hold her back by her elbow.

"Ugh! That's not what I meant." Hyunjin was only trying to avoid an argument and somehow it escalated to this.

"No, it's okay. I understand." She feigned a smile before leaving.

"Ugh what did I do now?" He ran his fingers through his long hair sighing in annoyance. And before he knew it, he was taking a few puffs of the cigarette ; Another thing, he told Yeji he would stop.