Mochi

CHAPTER NINE

"The classroom is just too loud today, " I groan inwardly, rubbing my temples gingerly.

I'd been crying all night, so I barely got any sleep. And I slept too late to have the time to apply makeup, not if I wanted to avoid Jimin.

And since he'd stubbornly refused to leave for a few hours, I'd simply resolved to ignore him until he gave up. I'd fallen asleep the second he'd left, but it hadn't been enough time.

From the corner of my weary left eye, I see a pair of tailored slacks, shuffling to sit beside me. I rub my eyes enthusiastically, yawning as I lean against the wall to my right. Whoever it is that is sitting next to me is now trapped, as two other students slide into the bench beside him.

"You look like you had a rough weekend, " the male beside me implies, elegantly long fingered hands gesturing pointedly at my face.

Looking up, I find it to be Seokjin, and I smile wearily for a second before his appearance truly sinks in. And then, I am immediately aghast.

"Who did this to you?" I exclaim, drawing the stares of several of our classmates.

From where he sits on the other end of the room, Jimin frowns, and I am left trying to out it from my brain.

But Jin's sporting one of the nastiest black eyes I've ever seen.

Who would punch him? I don't understand...

He waves his hand dismissively, changing topics like an expert, "what happened between you and Jimin?" He asks, curiosity shining in his one good eye. "He looks like he died and came back to life, and you look just as rough!"

I look up to where Jimin is seated, quickly looking away the second I am spotted. I only got a brief glimpse, but Jin is right.

Jimin looks like shit.

"He's a manwhore, and I'm sick of it." I shrug, outwardly attempting to seem nonchalant about it.

"This is hurting the both of you, you know. Did you follow my advice?"

Seokjin's statement wipes the fury back into my soul, and I want to growl and gnash my teeth all of a sudden.

"No, " I retort venemously, wishing that he would just stop, just leave me alone. I don't want to talk about Jimin. "I didn't, and I'm not going to either."

Jin chuckles softly, and it's such a wheezy, mirth-filled sound that for a second I am totally taken aback.

"What are you laughing about?" I demand, frowning heavily.

"I'm sorry, " he says, hand on his head as if that somehow should make him look more sincere. "It's just that I can't believe how terribly blind you two are."

I frown, but turn back to my serious scribbling in an attempt to close the box I'd unwittingly opened. I don't want to have this conversation right now, or ever, really. I don't really want to think about Jimin right now.

"He's crazy about you, everyone can tell but you apparently."

Ah. So the box is opened, with no hope of returning it's contents, it seems.

"If that were true he wouldn't be screwing everything that moves, " I retort bitterly, unable to help myself from rising to the bait.

"Have you ever tried?"

His question, though not out of the blue as I'd like to claim, is a shocking one. One that I really don't have any kind of valid response for either.

I try.

God knows I try.

My mouth, it opens, but then it closes again the second I have any sort of retort prepared.

"You haven't, have you?" He regards me with a smug grin, he know's he's right.

"Why would I have?" My voice is laced with frusteration.

I feel as if I'm being taunted.

"Why should he be the only one to face rejection?" He counters smoothly. "I say you should give him a little chase. I don't think it would take you long to get exactly what it is that you want."

I snort.

"I couldn't be like that if I tried."

"Like what?" He queries. "Like a woman who knows what she wants?"

I flush, cherry red against the blue of my schools uniform blazer.

"I could help you, " he coos, leaning in until his face is only inches from my ear.

I lean back, and my field of view shifts. Across the room, Jimin sits dulling miserably. Red rimmed eyes and a brightly tinted nose of the same color tells me he has indeed been crying.

And then, he sees me, and Jin, and something like fury crackles within his wine colored irises.

"Is he really jealous?" I ponder.

But then, I think about all the evidence to the contrary and feel incredibly stupid.

Scoffing, I fix him with my full attention.

"How would you help me?"

"Well..." He trails off, eyes ablaze as he loses himself to his own calculations. "Since you won't confront him, your second best option is probably to seduce him."

At first, I want to scowl, be difficult, but then, I think about it. I'm not entirely sure about seducing per se, and only because I don't really think I'd be capable of it, but there might be some merit to the idea.

"He only sleeps with Asian women though, " I point out, "he'd never be interested. And then, when it all ends poorly, I'd lose Jimin forever."

"And you'll lose him if things continue the way they are. Either that, or he'll lose you."

There is validity in his statement, and as much as I'd love to argue with him on sheer principal right now, I can't.

I couldn't deny it if I tried.

"Just think it over, " he tells me, a flash of genuine kindness in his smile as he begins to gather his things.

Like magic, the bell begins to ring, signalling the end of our class period. I hadn't even realized we'd been talking so long.

Actually, I don't even think I caught anything the professor said.