ONE STEP CLOSER ✓

3: MYSTERY GIRL

TZUYU's POV

A week had passed since Sana came in the school and became part of the J-GANG but she looked like she had been here forever. Maybe her friends had told her everything about last year because whenever she saw Dahyun, she started talking loudly about tofu and when she walked past Nayeon she showed everyone pictures of bunnies and a picture of Nayeon next to them. Chaeyoung was referred to as "shortie" and she used a tape measure to prove her point. Whenever she walked past me though, I never noticed her doing anything. Well not when I was looking, maybe se showed pictures of giraffes when I had my back turned but I don't care. Being tall is a huge advantage and if she hasn't realized that then she probably is stupid.

"Professor? Can I go to the bathroom?" I asked my Lit professor since I was extremely bored during 5th period.

"Why?" he asked. Is he stupid?

"I don't think you should be asking why I need to go to the bathroom." I replied bluntly. He looked at me angrily and said I could go.

I entered the bathroom and just started washing my hands so that if a professor walked outside they wouldn't think I was doing something else. When the water stopped falling, I heard small sobs coming from one of the toilets. I guessed this girl was very sad because she started crying after a while. I noticed only one door was closed and stood outside it.

"Hey um... are you okay?" I asked the crying girl.

"*sniff*... yeah I'm fine." she replied still sobbing.

"You don't sound fine. Are you sure you're okay? Do you want me to go get someone for you?" I offered to help her because she had started crying again.

"No please don't tell anyone. I don't like it when my friends see me cry. I feel weak." she said which I completely understood because sometimes I felt the same way.

"Hey it's okay to feel that way sometimes. Besides one or two times of crying doesn't make you weak. You're just human. Everyone is allowed to feel that way from time to time." I said while I sat outside the door. She didn't speak so I continued.

"Um... do you want to tell me why you're crying? Maybe I can help you. Besides I don't know you and you don't know me so you shouldn't worry about me telling someone. Even if I did know you, I wouldn't do something like that. You can trust me." I told her, trying to make her feel better.

"I... I lost someone recently. Ever since I feel like a total stranger, sometimes I wish things would just go back to how they were before..." she started crying again.

"Hey don't worry. You'll get over it sometime. I lost my mum when I was seven years old. At first I felt like the whole world was just falling apart, I felt like I didn't belong. But I managed. I hope you will too." I told her and showed her my hand under the toilet door. She caught it immediately and intertwined her fingers with mine. Her hands were soft and small compared to mine. I held her hand and stroked it for a while.

"I just feel like everybody hates me here. I don't show it but sometimes I just wish people didn't dislike me that much." she said.

"I'm sure that not everyone hates you. I don't hate you." I told her trying to comfort her.

"You don't even know who I am. Maybe if you found out you would hate me too." she replied.

"Well then why don't you tell me who you are?" I asked her "I'll tell you too and who knows maybe you'll hate me." I chuckled.

"Oh I'm sure no one can hate you. You sound like too good of a person." she said and let out a laugh. I laughed too when I heard her. She sounded so cute and I was glad she finally started laughing and had stopped crying. I looked at my watch and realized I had spent fifteen minutes in there with the girl.

"Hey um... I'd better get going before my Lit professor beats the hell out of me." I chuckled softly "I guess I'll see you later?"

"Yeah, even though we won't recognize each other." she laughed and let go of my hand.

SANA's POV

"I'm sure not everyone hates you. I don't hate you."

"You don't even know who I am. Maybe if you found out you would hate me too."

"Well then why don't you tell me who you are? I'll tell you too and who knows maybe you'll hate me."

"Oh I'm sure no one can hate you. You sound like too good of a person."

The conversation I had with the girl in the bathroom was being replayed in my mind all the time. I just wished I could understand who the girl was but since I was new in the school I couldn't tell her voice apart from others'. I remember how her hands were though. She had long fingers and her hand was bigger than mine. I liked how her fingers intertwined with mine and how she stroked my hand to make me feel better. Ever since I lost my parents in the crash this July, I've been having these sudden breakdowns when I really need to stay alone. But for once, I was glad someone came to me, I was glad someone cared for me. The girl seemed to understand my situation well since she lost her mother when she was seven as she told me. I just hope I knew who she was so I could thank her in person.

"Hey Sana! Can you even hear us talking to you?" Jihyo said and made me jump in my seat.

"Uhh yeah what were you saying again?"

"Sha ever since you left for twenty minutes in Math you've been acting weird. Did something happen when you were in the bathroom?" Mina asked me. I looked at her not knowing if I should tell her about my breakdowns. I feel like if I told them, they would start treating me like a baby.

"I um... I just saw someone." I decided to only tell them part of what happened.

"Who did you see? Was it someone from G-4?" Momo asked and clenched her fists.

"I actually don't know but I don't think it was anyone of them, she was too nice. I didn't see her face because she was outside the door." I replied. Jihyo looked at me with the look in her eyes.

"What? I just said she was nice! I don't even know who she was and she doesn't know who I am. The only thing I know is she had Lit at the time." I said a bit annoyed at the fact that the girls thought I like every girl I interacted with.

"She had Lit? And it was during 5th period right? I have some friends there, I can find out who she was!" Mina said excitedly.

"I think we should just let the girl be. It would be weird for her to have you guys spying on her." I told them even though deep inside me I hoped they found out who she was. I knew they weren't going to let it go and they would definitely find out so I didn't say anything else.

"No way! We're going to find out who the mystery girl is in no time!" Jihyo said and grabbed Momo and Mina and ran away leaving me on the table.

"Well well. Look who's left alone after all." I heard a voice behind me.