Her Bully | BBANGSAZ

F I F T Y F O U R

M I N J I
—

Missing classes is something I cannot do.

I'm up for being the next Valedictorian, and having an absent week is not good for that role.

So far, I've only been absent on days when I have doctor appointments or something else that's important—but sick days? Not something I can do.

So, even if my nose is red and runny, my eyes are dark and swollen from all the crying, my shoulders are sagging from being too heavy, and my hair is a jungle mess—I still push myself to enter that damn school.

I didn't even bother picking her up since she didn't bother showing up that awful night.

Parking my car in the lot, I grudgingly strap my backpack on my back and kick the car door open, climbing out with a bit of a struggle as I beep it locked and drag myself inside our school for another long and dreadful day.

The noise of teenagers all around the corridor is not something I like for my aching head as I groan, squint my eyes, and huddle to a corner while walking forward.

As much as I don't want to be here, I have to do it for the Valedictorian role.

But I also just want to cuddle under my blankets and cry my heart out again.

"Hey Min—Woah." Hyunseo gasps, eyes wide with shock as she stops right in front of me, my head leaning against some stranger's locker as I peek at her through swollen lids.

"A-Are you okay?" she asks, staring at me in disbelief.

I shake my head, not having enough energy to lie as I push my body away from the metal objects and drag my feet towards gym class with Hyunseo.

She follows behind after a second of staring into space as I accidentally trip on my own two feet and nearly fall to the ground if not for the help of Hyunseo.

"Min, you should go to the clinic," she whispers, wrapping an arm around my waist as I cough.

No, if I go to the clinic, they're just going to send me home, and I'd be advised to not go to school for a week and—just no, I can't have that.

"G-Gym," I grunt, clearing my throat from the disgusting sound of my voice.

Hyunseo frowns at me and opens her mouth to say something, but I hiss and grit my teeth to stop her.

"Just, gym," I huff, lolling my head forward. "Please."

She doesn't say anything else and helps me towards the gymnasium; she opens the door and hastily helps me sit down on one of the bleacher seats.

I clutch my stomach and drop my upper body on the next chair, balling up to get some rest because my head's a bitch.

Hyunseo unstraps my bag and places it under the chair, patting my head lightly before rushing to Coach Park.

I can hear her faintly whisper, "She's not feeling well but she doesn't want to go to the clinic," before I drift off to sleep after the whistle blows.

And I nearly laugh in my slumber when I remember the fact Hanni's part of my early gym class.

Boy, is she going to love seeing me like this. I bet she'd take a picture and send it all over the school's database.

That's just like her—she's mean, she's mean—she's mean.

It's so hot, and I can feel sweat dripping down my face at the intense heat surrounding me.

I curl up some more and ignore the sounds of balls bouncing on the squeaky floor and of girls laughing.