o=o=o
“Oh, puh-leeze!” Jiyong rolled his eyes as the girl started going all teary eye, her lower lip trembling.
“You’re hurt” she choked.
“All of us were hurt Dara, so you don’t have to act like this” he sternly said.
“But you’re badly hurt, too!”
“Your boyfriend’s worst than me so you should-.”
“I can’t even go visit him” she pouted. “I’m not allowed”
“Where is he anyways?” he asked.
“In their house”
“Oh well. . . .” he shrugged.
“Ji. . . jiyong? I just want to ask you something. Why. . . .? Why did you lie to Jae about the. . . . kiss?”
“Would you prefer that I told the truth?”
She sighed. “I’m thankful you did that because I don’t want to hurt him and I. . . I don’t really want him to break up with me but I’m just wondering why you did it”
“That’s exactly my reason, too” he said. “If you two break up, you’d go crying your eyes out to me and since you don’t have anyone to hang around with, you’ll start pestering me. But if you two are still together, then you won’t bother me that much, will you?”
“Oh” she mumbled. “I see. Well, I guess I owe you for that”
o=o=o
“Sulli?”
“Yes?”
“Can I ask for a favor?”
“Sure. What is it?”
“Can you. . .?” Dara hesitated. She took a deep breath first before proceeding. “Can you keep Jiyong company?
“Huh?” she asked blankly.
“I don’t think I can talk to him anymore or something like that. So, I was thinking if you could keep him company during lunch”
“Why?” she asked.
“Jae’s. . . Jae’s kind of. . . kind of. . . .”
“Oh, I get it” she smiled. “He’s jealous and he’s not allowing you to go near Jiyong?”
“It’s not him” Dara sighed. “It’s me”
Silence.
“I’ll try” Sulli then said. “But you know I’m a silent type of person, Dara”
o=o=o
~JIYONG’S POV~
Three days. It only took Kim Jaejoong three days to recover. He was back to school, looking like nothing happened to him. I’m a bit disappointed that he didn’t get amnesia, though. But don’t get me wrong. I just wanted to defeat him in something.
And it’s also been three days that the girl’s been ignoring me. She doesn’t talk to me, doesn’t look at me – it’s as if I didn’t exist. At first, when I greeted her and she just gave me a nod, I thought she was acting up again. But after three consecutive days of not bothering to include me in her crazy little world, I realized she wasn’t just acting up. But I’m not bothering myself to ask her why, either. Why should I? Isn’t this want I’ve always wanted from the very beginning?
Before, I kept on shooing her away, but she won’t budge. Now that I’m not doing that anymore, she voluntarily went away. I admit there were times that I wanted to ask her what’s going on, but I didn’t. Once or twice, I was tempted to call her or send her a message but I didn’t. At night, I’m aware that Jaejoong’s with her in her room, watching over her. At daytime, I can’t help but watch her every move, laugh at her jokes that aren’t thrown at me and snort at her stupidity.
I still share the same table with them at lunch. Jaejoong and Dara are usually lost in their own world while Sulli kept me company. I can tell she was trying to be as talkative as she can be to lessen the dead air between us. I find her nice, actually. Though there are times that I feel awkward with the way she looks at me with matching sparkling eyes.
“Why don’t you just find a place of your own?”
“My mom and my siblings won’t survive” she answered. “They all depend on me”
“Why don’t you ask help from your siblings?”
“They’re too young to work” she sighed. “And Mom being always drunk isn’t helping at all. I’m having difficulty budgeting. . . .”
“I think I can help” I boldly said, surprised with myself.
“Really?” she asked with wide eyes.
“I think so” I shrugged. “I’ve got some sidelines. I’ll give you my winnings”
“Oh, thank you” I’ll pay you as-!”
“No” I shook my head. “You don’t have to pay me. Just don’t tell anyone that I helped- whoa!” I exclaimed as she suddenly hugged.
“Thank you! You’re so kind!”
“Okay, okay” I said. “Just. . . just don’t be too touchy”
“Oh, sorry” she chuckled and pulled away. “I just got overwhelmed”
I looked forward and saw Dara watching us with wide eyes. Upon realizing that I was looking at her, she quickly looked away. So, I’m not that invisible to her after all, huh?
o=o=o
“So, you’re my secret admirer, huh?”
Sulli squeaked and gave a surprised jump. I leaned on the locker with my arms across my chest.
“Ji-jiyong, I-I. . . .” she stammered, fidgeting with the stationery she was holding. “Y-you’re early today” she added in a mumble.
“Does your bestfriend know about this. . .?”
“N-no” she shook her head.
“Let’s just pretend this didn’t happen, then” I said. “And I suggest you stop writing err, letters to me because I don’t read them”
“I-I’m sorry”
“Here’s my winnings, by the way”
“Jiyong, I don’t think I can-.”
“Like I said, I’ll just forget I saw you putting a letter in my locker”
“T-thank you” she said as she accepted the envelope containing the money.
I chuckled at the sight of her. “You look funny” I said.
“I’m embarrassed!”
“You should” I snorted, “Out of all the boys to admire, you chose me. You must be crazy”
“I see nothing wrong with you” she mumbled.
My laughter died. No wonder she’s Dara’s bestfriend. They think alike. “So, when did this admiration of yours started?”
Her cheeks flushed. “B-back in f-fourth grade”
“Fourth grade?” I repeated. That was a long time ago!
“Yes” she nodded. “We had an educational trip that time. I don’t know if you remember but I tripped over some dog’s poop. Everyone laughed at me, except you”
“Really? I’ve forgotten about that already”
“Good for you” she said. “I wish I could forget that day, too”
“Well, you-.”
“Sulli”
I looked up and saw Dara with her boyfriend. The latter gave me a casual nod which I responded with the same thing. The girl on the other hand, didn’t acknowledge my presence.
“Hey, what’s up?” Sulli asked.
“We won’t be able to join you at lunch” Dara. “We’ll be dining out”
“Oh, that’s okay” Sulli smiled. “I can manage on my own. You two have fun on your-.”
“What are you talking about?” I butted in. “I can keep you company later”
Sulli turned to me with wide eyes. “You. . . what? I. . . you’ll do that?”
“I think so” I shrugged. “I still got a few questions to ask”
“W-well, that’s settled then” Dara said, looking only at Sulli. “I’m glad to hear that you won’t be eating alone”
“Have fun on your date” I said.
“She will” Jaejoong smiled. “I’ll make sure of that”
I smirked upon hearing his tone. Kim Jaejoong’s being a possessive and territorial boyfriend now, is he?
The school bell then echoed through the hall.
“See you later, Sulli” I waved off as I headed towards class.
o=o=o
“So, how’s Dara?” Seungri asked.
“Why don’t you ask yourself?” I grimaced.
“Why aren’t you bringing her here anymore?” CL joined in.
“Her boyfriend’s back” I simply answered. “That means, I’m finally Dara-free”
“I kind of miss her, though” Seungri said.
“Like she misses you, too” CL scoffed.
“Did you hear someone talk, Jiyong?” Seungri innocently asked.
“Why you rat. . .!” CL exploded, throwing her slipper towards Seungri but the guy was able to dodge it.
“I think this place is haunted!” Seungri airily said. “We should ask Auntie to check this place out so she could drive the unwanted presence away”
“What’s you problem?” CL confronted him.
“Why don’t we just stop talking to each other?” Seungri fired back. “In that way, we don’t have to put up with each other’s attitude”
“I was going to say the same thing!” CL returned. “Good riddance, then. You don’t know how HAPPY I am not that-.”
“FUCK!” I shouted. “Will you just shut up? Both of you?!?”
“Just because Jaejoong’s back doesn’t mean you can just go on venting your frustrations to us” CL said.
“It’s not about that!” I gritted. “I’m so fucking damn tired of you two always fighting”
“I’m tired, too” Seungri seconded. “But she just won’t stop”
“And now, this is all my fault?”
“See? See?” Seungri retorted. “It’s really you who got a problem here!”
“GUYS!” I called off. “Enough already”
“Of course” CL scoffed. “Boys will always side with each other” she finished then walked off.
“Girls!” Seungri exclaimed, dropping himself back on the couch. “I just can’t understand them! They make simple things complicated”
“How did she end up hating you so much like this?” I asked him.
“I don’t know, either” he shrugged.
I looked at him suspiciously. “Did you try to get under her skirt?”
“She doesn’t really wear skirt”
“You know what I’m talking about” I growled.
“No, I didn’t” he said. “I’ve been a gentleman to her actually but then she went all cold and grumpy to me just because I said we look good together before”
“You said that?”
“Yes I did” he grimaced. “I was thinking of making our PRETENSE into a REAL one before but she shut me out”
“I can’t believe this! I chuckled, shaking my head.
“That was BEFORE” he emphasized. “Everything’s different now”
“Maybe she saw right through you before”
“I wasn’t planning to play her” he said. “I was being serious when I told her I wanted our pretense to be real. I admit it took me a while to get over it. good thing Sandara Park came”
“In case you forgot, you can’t have her either”
“I know that” he laughed. “But you’ll never know, right? She might break up with Jaejoong someday”
“Goodluck with that”
“Err” he cleared his throat. “Remember the task in the maze? Where we were sked to kiss our partners?”
I slumped on my seat, silently gritting my teeth. “Yeah, why?”
“So. . . how did it feel?” he asked. “How did Dara’s lips feel?”
“Her lips felt the same with all the lips I’ve tasted” I waved off.
“I don’t believe that” he disagreed. “I think you’re just a bad kisser”
“Want to find out yourself?” I laughed.
“No thanks” he grimaced.
o=o=o
I was walking alone down the hall, with my footsteps echoing around me when I saw Dara. She stopped in her tracks and stared at me with wide eyes. She took a step back and suddenly turned away.
Anger exploded inside me as she did that. I wasn’t able to contain it anymore so I followed her. She was starting to jog away from me now. In response, I quickened my pace, when I reached her; I grabbed her arm and pulled her to one corner with me. I pushed her to the wall, my hands leaning on either side of her head, imprisoning her.
“Why are you avoiding me?” I gritted.
“I don’t know what-!”
“Don’t you dare!” I bellowed. “Don’t you fucking dare lie to me, Dara!” I added, punching the wall on the side of her left head. I saw her flinched and cower.
“Jiyong, I. . .”
“Answer me, damn it!”
“I’m scared” she squeaked. “I-I’m scared of you”
Silence – it filled every corner of my head. It was so deafening that I leaned away and stepped back. I should be happy. I’ve been wanting to scare her off so she’ll stay away from me. But why am I feeling like I’ve been knocked out hard?
“Finally” I cleared my throat. “I’ve been waiting to hear that from you. Good riddance, then”
I turned around and walked away. I fixed my hood up and put my hands inside my pockets. That’s right, Dara. Stay away from me. I guess this means I’m not welcome in their lunch table anymore. That’s alright. I could just go back to the time when I eat alone, walk alone and do everything alone. I don’t need an extra baggage with me.
I was a few feet away from the corner when I heard her too a deep, audible breath.
“I’m scared of the way you make me feel” she said, stopping me in my tracks.
