SpartAce I: School Love Affair

Slowly fitting in

Jae Suk has been noticing some guys stealing glances to their table.

Unless those guys are sneaking a peek of him, or Jong Kook, or Kwang Soo, he is pretty sure they are checking Ji Hyo out.

Ji Hyo, on the other hand, has no idea about this and is just frowning at some jokes that Gary has been bothering her with.

It is such an amusing sight for Jae Suk,  watching a girl being oblivious that some guys finds her attractive.

Of course, he is not surprised with that at all, with Ji Hyo's looks and all.

Yet he still feels kind of responsible to keep those hyenas away from the doe, not that Ji Hyo is the complete gentle-as-doe type, though. He and the others dragged her into this, so they might as well take care of her.

Though he is well aware that Ji Hyo can definitely take care of herself.

"Yah! Where are you going? ", Gary asks with a grin as he watches Ji Hyo marches towards the buffet table during snack time with an annoyed expression in the face.

"Such a short-tempered girl. ", he says, chuckling, as he faces the others.

"And a big eater. ", JoOng Ki adds, his eyes focused on Ji Hyo's direction.

They all follow his gaze and see what he meant. Ji Hyo is taking out her annoyance by stuffing whole pieces of macaroons into her mouth, one after the other.

"She's really a strange brat. ", Dong Hoon states.

But then, Jae Suk spots a guy deliberately standing next to her as if he is getting himself some macaroons, too. He is one of the guys who are glancing at Ji Hyo though.

From his position, he could still see that the guy is attempting to make some conversations with her.

"They're completely attracted to her. ",  Suk Jin says, seeing what he's seeing.

"Yeah. Like beetles being drawn into the light. ", Kwang Soo says.

"We can't deny the fact that she really is good-looking, though. No matter how strange she is. ", Gary states matter-of-factly.

The others might have agreed with tgat, too, considering that no one dared to argue.

"I'm gonna go get myself a drink. ", Jong Kook says as he gets up and heads towards the buffet table.

He goes near Ji Hyo and the guy but does not even attempts to interrupt the conversation, disappointing Jae Suk.

"Gary-ah. Go and bring Ji Hyo back her. ", Jae Suk says.

"Why? "

"Guys might crowd around her. ", he says.

Gary did as he was told.

The strange thing Jae Suk figures out is that Gary may look stupid most of the time, but when he gets fpcused on one thing, he could also appear as someone who should not be taken easily.

He calls Ji Hyo with a stern face and looks at the guy bravely before he follows Ji Hyo back to their table.

"Tssss.. Look who's trying to be friendly. ", Kwang Soo says, staring at Ji Hyo.

She gives him an innocent look and says,  "What? I did not go and talk to him first. ", she says defensively.

Jong Kook comes back to theur tabke after getting a can of softdrink.

"Are you saying that i'm a flirt? ", Ji Hyo frankly asks Kwang Soo, whose eyes went wide with surprise.

"No! I wasn't. ", he defended.

Ji Hyo turns to Gary. "And you. Why do you have to call me like you're some kind of an older brother who sees her sister flirting with some guy? "

Gary shrugs, not knowing what to say. "Because you are? " He immediately covered his head with his arms, bracing himself for the impact of Ji Hyo's lifted hand.

But she does not hit him and turns to Jong Kook instead. "And you.. ", she seeths with clenched teeth.

"What? ", he asks, with an innocent expression that he syrprisungly pulls off despite of his strong, dominating figure.

"Sneakily getting close, pretending to get himself a drink..,", Ji Hyo says with a piercing glare.

Jong Kook's expression looks trapped, as if he had been caught doing something embarassing.

"I--i wasn't! ", he denies.

"Ji Hyo-ah.. ", Jae Suk joins in. "We just don't want you to be abused by those guys. "

"I don't need that, i can take care of myself! "

Gary pats Ji Hyo's back out of the blue, and then says, "Ji Hyo-ah. I'll still protect you even if you don't need it. "

It is so sudden that it caught Ji Hyo off guard and speechless, totally losing her hot head.

The sudden change of atmosphere makes everyone laugh, even the only girl in the group.

"She's laughing! ", Ha Dong Hoon points out.

Ji Hyo tries to stop but fails. "Gary.. He's just so unpredictable! ", she says, still laughing.

"Waaahh. So Gary can turn you that way, huh? ", Suk Jin asks.

"Do you, perhaps, like me? ", Gary asks in a joking aggressive manner.

"Yah! ", Ji Hyo complains.

"Hyung, i think that's a bit overboard. ", Kwang Soo suddenly butts in.

"Why? "

"I mean, how can a beautiful girl like someone like you? ", he says with a serious face matter-of-factly that makes everyone laugh again, except for Gary.

"There's more chance that she laughed upon seeing your face. ", Joong Ki adds.

"Yah! ", Gary scolds the two.

"Either way, we still made Ji Hyo laugh. Yeey! ", Ha Dong Hoon yells loudly.