SpartAce I: School Love Affair

Glares and Stares

"Noona! ", Joong Ki calls Ji Hyo while she is walking into the school campus.
She just looks at him and continues walking as he catches up with her.

"Have you had a good night's sleep? ", he asks. "Ah. Right. You're a good sleeper. ", he remembers.

She casts him a look and he just smiles.

"Did you get scolded yesterday by your aunt after we left? ", he asks.

She struggles to keep a straight face as she remembers what happened yesterday.

It is what she hates the most. Yes, she got scolded, but it was her mother who received the most scolding, questioning her why she would send her daughter off with a bunch of guys.
"Good morning! ", Kwang Soo greets as he catches up with them, making Ji Hyo thankful that she won't have to answer the question anymore.

"Yah! I waited for you at the gate! ", Joong Ki scolds him.

"My mom did not let me leave until i finish my breakfast. ", Kwang Soo says.

"Tss."

Ji Hyo goes ahead, leaving the two by bicker from behind.

But as soon as she enters the building, she meets Gary.

"Oh! Ji Hyo-ah.. ", he greets with a smile.

She forces a smile back, only because his smile is too genuine to ignore.

"She knows that guy?", she starts hearing.

She looks around and sees a few bunch of girls whispering to each other.

She walks away from Gary and goes ahead.

She hastily heads to her classroom with her head straight, ignoring anyone in her path.

One single word from her can cause an issue around the school, that is what she hates about her life.

She sits in her seat. Dong Hoon comes and sits next to her with a smile.

"Shut it. ", she says before he can say anything, and that makes his smile disappear.

"Tss. Short-tempered girl. ", he mutters in his seat.

By lunch, she gets dragged against her will by the trio towards the cafeteria.

The students seems to be surprised to see her there, and she tries to keep a straight face despite the glares and stares.

"I'm gonna kill the three of you. ", she says between clenched teeth.

"Eehy. You do it after you eat, okay? ", Dong Hoon says as he pushes her gently towards the line.

Kwang Soo takes two trays, one for him and one for her.

"What do you like, Noona? ", he asks.

"I think she eats anything but beans.", Joong Ki answers.

"Ahh right. She seems to be a big eater. "

"Let's just get her everything. ", Joong Ki suggests and places one serve of every food for her tray.

"Yah! How can you guys talk to me as if i'm not here? ", she butts in.

"Put more potatoes. I saw her stuff a lot back in camp. I think she likes it a lot. ", Kwang Soo says.

"Oh? Okay. ", Joong Ki agrees and puts more mashed potatoes.

"Yah! ", she butts in again but they ignore her.

As they look around for a table, they see Seok Jin and Jae Suk in one.

"Oh? There's space in there. Let's go join the hyungs. ", Kwang Soo suggests.

"Why would we---? "

"Come on, Ji Hyo-ah. ", Dong Hoon says, leading her to Jae Suk and Seok Jin's table.

She clenches her teeth as Dong Hoon pushes her down to a chair across Jae Suk.

She wants to yell at them, then and there. The things she hates the most is being controlled. She's had enough of that from her aunt.

But before she can snap at Dong Hoon, Jong Kook and Gary arrives to join them.

"Yah, why are you guys dolling her up? ", Jong Kook asks, referring to the trios controlling her.

"Ehy. We're just taking care of her. ", Kwang Soo says.

Gary looks around cautiously before he leans in to say something.

"The students are looking at you guys funny. ", he says in a low voice.

Ji Hyo does not even need to look around like the others. She has noticed it ever since she entered the cafeteria.

"Why? Why? Why? ", Dong Hoon mouths.

Ji Hyo just proceeds to eating her food.

"Since when has she started eating in here? ", she overhears a girl from another table ask.

"Duh. The question is.. Since when has she started hanging out with those guys? ", another one says.

"They seem to be an odd bunch. "

Ji Hyo is certain it is about them. And as she looks up at the others, she catches their stares.

"Don't you really have friends that everyone is too shocked to see you with someone? ", Kwang Soo asks.

"And you don't usually eat here? ", Dong Hoon adds.

"Don't mind them. ", Jae Suk says.

Ji Hyo stuffs her food into her mouth in frustration.

She is determined to just ignore all of it. Until she overheads one statement..

"Do you think she's dating one of them? Who could it be? Gary? Jong Kook?  "

She slammed her fork down the table, startling the boys.

She knows they also heard it, and she looks at them.

Jong Kook is sitting across her, while Gary and Kwang Soo is on either side of her. Is this how narrow people's minds are?

"This is why i told you not to get near me. ", she says to Kwang Soo and the others.

Then she gets up and left with the crowd's stares.