Complexity

I like her smile

Xinyu Pov

For the first time after a month of going to school here, this is the first time I came to school very early because of my schedule for class duty. I'm still thinking about who called me yesterday.

"Who is it?" I just opened the door, the first thing I saw was Sohyun who was already laying her head on the table as usual.

"It's half past 5 in the morning ..." I was confused about her. Did she come early on purpose just to sleep or did she come to school without looking at the clock? I don't know, but I just let her be.

"Sohyun I'll be on duty for a while. Sorry if I bother you" I'm sure my sentence was not heard by her so I just let her be. I cleaned some of the classroom while waiting for the lesson to start. Every time a student came in, I would tell them to slow down because Sohyun was sleeping. They understood because this wasn't the first time they saw Sohyun sleeping from the beginning of class. But it was different with Kotone and Yeonji who entered the class very noisy. I had told them to be quiet but they were even more noisy until they finally managed to provoke Soomin, Nien and Hayeon to join in the noise.

The more they made noise, the more people joined in until I didn't realize that Nakyung, who was usually too quiet, could be this noisy too. They sang and danced in front of the class, enticing other students to join in. Almost half the class did the strange thing in the morning. I looked at Sohyun and it seemed like she was a little disturbed by their noise. I wanted to tell them to be quiet but of course my voice wouldn't be heard because I was outnumbered. I remembered that I brought headphones which were quite soundproof. I used the headphones on Sohyun so she could sleep peacefully.

"Sohyun, excuse me for a moment" I was sure she had woken up because of the noise of these strange people.

"Go back to sleep" I said before finally connecting the headphones to my cellphone and playing some lo-fi song that might calm her down. I watched her for a while and she calmed down again.

"This is the first time I've seen Sohyun being treated well by someone else" Dahyun said approaching the window to close the curtains so that the sunlight wouldn't directly hit Sohyun who was sleeping.

"First time?" she nodded and didn't say anything.

"Does that mean you often see her being treated badly?"

"You could say that" and she left.

"What's wrong?" I glanced at Sohyun who now looked very calm.

"Even though she looks like a good person" The first lesson bell rang. I tried to wake Sohyun up but she looked very tired. So I changed my mind and told the teacher that she was sick. All the teachers who came to teach in my class knew the same thing. Until after lunch, she disappeared and didn't come back until school ended. She didn't take my headphones, she didn't take her bag, she didn't even take her own cellphone.

"Where is she?"

Sohyun Pov

I knew this would happen. I already knew the consequences that would happen if I didn't do their assignments. And here I am, receiving all their beatings. I know I'm not guilty, so I can accept it even though it honestly hurts a lot.

"Are you crazy? Why didn't you do our assignments?" said the "leader" who I had known since junior high school.

don't be afraid

why did Xinyu's sentence appear in my head? I tried to get up, but my body was kicked again by the gang.

"I don't want to do your assignments anymore" I'm sure she must be angry and my guess was right. She came with his cigarette in my hand. It did hurt but I didn't want to scream and attract the attention of outsiders.

"You don't want something like this to happen again, right? Do you want to end up in the hospital?" I chuckled while staring at her sharply.

don't be afraid

"I'd rather die than see you guys again" the sentence I threw out was indeed strong enough to make them stop. But at the same time, they locked me back up alone. And it was already night where there was no way anyone would be at school.

"then die" the last sentence they gave before I was finally alone here.

I had no energy anymore because again they dragged me during lunch time and beat me here until night. I don't know why they spend their energy to insult and bully other people. Basically people have nothing to do. Honestly I feel scared here but I have no one.

If you're scared, you can look for me or call me

"Xinyu ..." I reached into my uniform pocket and I couldn't find my cellphone.

"argh Damn ... am I really going to die here?" I looked outside, only the full moon I could see.

"What time is it ... I have to work" I heard the sound of the warehouse lock trying to be opened and showed Dahyun carrying my bag.

"Why do I always have to be a witness to your bullying?" I just smiled a little while taking my bag that she gave me.

"Don't work for today. Your body is full of wounds"

"Are you going to pay my family's debt?" just one sentence and managed to make Dahyun silent in defeat. She then gave me my cellphone and a headphone that I don't know whose it was.

"The headphone isn't mine"

"Xinyu gave it to you" Xinyu?

"Take it" i just obeyed her words and left, straight to the convenience store where I work.

Xinyu Pov

"Have you heard everything?" I came out of my hiding place to meet Dahyun. I saw Sohyun's strong back that clearly had blood marks on her uniform.

"The place she works is not far from the city library" she said as if she knew what I was going to ask her.

"Thank you" I walked to follow Sohyun.

"Xinyu!" Dahyun called who managed to stop me and turned to look at her.

"Teach me to open the lock like before" I just nodded and followed Sohyun again.

After my panic earlier when I didn't find Sohyun, it turned out that Dahyun saw that she was forcibly dragged by several people during lunch time.

"Seo Dahyun?"

"Are you looking for Sohyun?"

"Yes. Do you know where she is?"

"I don't know. But I saw her being dragged by several people"

"Several people... I think I know where she was taken"

And from there Dahyun and I managed to find Sohyun in an abandoned warehouse with a full wound condition.

"Sohyun... I'm sorry for being late" she was seen using the headphones I gave her again. I kept following her walking and I didn't realize that we had walked quite far.

"Where does she actually work? Why is it so far?" even the distance is very inversely proportional from my house to school. Until finally she stopped in front of the convenience store that I believed was where she worked.

"finally arrived ..." so this far?

Does she always walk this far? From school to convenience store? From convenience store to school? Is this the reason why she always lacks sleep in class? Because she wants to pay her family's debt? She must be very upset because I am always noisy in class.

"Argh Zhou Xinyu you are stupid" I saw Sohyun who forced a smile to her coworker whose schedule was now replaced by Sohyun.

"Can I see her sincere smile?"