Moonlight | Kim Taehyung

23: Luna

I wake up as soon as I feel a nudge by my side. The sun is shining on my face, so I squint when I open my eyes.

"Good morning," Taehyung says lightly.

I yawn and stretch my arms before saying, "Good morning to you too. Did you sleep well?"

He nods, "Yeah, this is the first night ever since Haneul's accident that I didn't dream about her."

I nod my head slowly as I glance at him and observe his expression. He just sighs and ruffles his hair before standing up.

"We should get going," he says.

I stand up and help him tidy our belongings and carry them back to his car. We silently walk side by side along the path. Our hair is a mess and our clothes slightly wrinkled. My makeup must be ruined too, I suddenly realise.

Once we get into the car, I take out my makeup bag, as well as a compact mirror and begin to fix my makeup as best as I can. I comb my hair and put it up into a bun as Taehyung just brushes his hair with his fingers and puts on a cap to hide the oiliness.

"Ready?" he asks.

"Yep," I reply and put away my stuff as he starts the car.

"Oh shit," I say as soon as I realise I don't have any of my school supplies with me.

"What's wrong?" Taehyung asks in confusion.

"I don't have any of my stuff for school," I reply and bite onto my lower lip worriedly.

He chuckles as he notices my frantic expression, "You don't need to be so worried, I called Aurora. She's going to stop by your place to grab your stuff for you."

I heave a sigh of relief and frown at him, "Why didn't you tell me earlier? You made me worry for nothing."

"Sorry," he says, but he's still chuckling at me.

---

Within a couple of minutes, we arrive at school and I spot Aurora sitting at a bench by the building. I bid Taehyung goodbye and watch as he drives off, until his car is out of sight. I walk towards Aurora with a bright smile spread across my face.

"Someone looks happy," she smirks and hands me my school bag.

"Thanks," I say.

"So, you and Taehyung are together now? I can't believe he already moved on from Haneul," she says as we walk into the building.

"Yeah, I can't believe it either," I say honestly.

"I'm glad you two are together," she says.

Even though she says that, I can't help but hear a hint of jealousy in her voice, but I ignore it. I glance at her and she looks down at her feet as we walk through the corridor.

"Anyways, my first class is here." she stops and says, before entering the classroom, "I'll see you at lunch."

"See you!" I say and continue walking to my classroom.

Once I enter the classroom, I notice that the teacher isn't here yet, but all the students are already seated.

I randomly take a seat by the window, but I soon regret this choice when I hear a girl beside me say in a mocking tone, "Who knew the miserable Park Luna has a boyfriend, I thought she only knows how to be depressed and hurt herself. I feel so bad for that guy, he'll be so upset when he sees those scars on your body and when you kill yourself. He should date me instead."

I ignore her as I take out my notebook and pencil case from my bag and place them on my desk. I flinch and everyone turns to look at me when the girl sweeps my stuff off my desk and onto the floor.

"Are you ignoring me?" she says in frustration.

I continue ignoring her as I stoop down to pick up my stuff. She scoffs and kicks my chair, causing me to fall over. She laughs with her pearly white teeth showing. I glare at her. She has long brown hair with bangs to frame her face. She has big grey eyes and a small nose. Way too much makeup is caked onto her face.

I stand up and smoothen my clothes before taking a seat. I face the front of the room as she keeps staring at me.

"Do you even remember who I am?" she sneers.

Of course I remember her. I met her at the high school I was transferred to, and I suppose now she has come to study here. Why is she even here?

"Min Hera," I say, "How could I ever forget someone like you? A girl with a pretty face, but an ugly heart."

A few students giggle, but she glowers at them and they instantly shut up.

She flicks back her hair back and reveals a hickey on her neck, "Whatever, at least men are in love with me."

I scoff, "Does that mean you have the right to be rude to others and be so judgemental?"

This girl comes from a wealthy family, everyone can see that as she adorns herself with various expensive jewellery. She looks down on people who aren't as well-off as she is. Her mother is a celebrity who spoils her. She's just acting in the same way as her mother. She's acting like she's a queen and everybody else are her peasants who need to bow down to her and do as she says. But, I won't.

"You're just jealous of me," she taunts and smirks, "You're jealous of my perfect life, aren't you Park Luna?"

I chuckle at her naiveness, "Why on earth would I ever be jealous of you?"

"Well, I suppose since you're dating the guy I like, there's nothing to be jealous about," she says with venom laced in her voice. "But, I'm warning you, he'll be mine one day and you'll be begging on your knees for me to give him back to you."

"He's not an object for you to own," I say. "Besides, how do you even know him?"

How did she know Taehyung? Most importantly, how would Taehyung know such a snobby girl like her? I'm slightly curious, so I make a mental note to ask Taehyung when I see him.

"I met him at a cafe," she replies and scoffs in frustration. "I can't believe he'll date trash like you, then to date me."

"He just has good taste in girls," I remark and she rolls her eyes.

At that moment, the teacher walks in and he clears his throat, "Sorry, I'm late."

"Just sorry? We get punished when we're late but when a teacher is late, he can act all nonchalant?" Hera mutters in annoyance under her breath.

"What was that, Hera?" the teacher asks her, almost as if daring her to answer.

"Nothing," she says and scowls.

---

Soon, the class ends and I manage to leave the room before Hera can provoke me any further. It's soon lunchtime, so I sit at the table with Aurora.

"So, what is it you want to talk to me about?" I ask her as we eat.

It's... it's about my parents. My biological parents," she says nervously. "I don't know what to do."

"Tell me," I say gently.

"They want me to live with them, they want us to bond as a family," she says. "But... do I want that?"

"Have you talked to Coral or her and your parents about it?" I ask.

"No... I don't know how I should tell her, I'm afraid," she admits quietly as tears sting in her eyes. "As for our parents, I've been avoiding their calls... I guess I'm scared to face reality. I just want to forget all of this... but I just can't..."

I hold onto her hand and whisper, "It's okay to be afraid, there's nothing wrong with being afraid."

"Come with me to talk to them after school?" she asks me nervously. "I'm scared to talk to them alone..."

I smile at her supportingly, "Sure. What are friends for."

She smiles back at me, "Thank you, Luna."