One more time

Chapter 9

As school year passed by, Mina wondered if she would make it. Every single day she was picked on by her classmates. They made jokes on her, crushed her belongings and made her do their homework. Sometimes they also hit her. She got costumed to it and spend most of her time alone in school as no one was interested in befriend her. At home, their parents didn’t know of this and believed the lies that effortless left her lips.

Classes had end and Mina didn’t want to go home. No one was there as she knew her brother was in his football practice and her parents busy at work. The bullies were probably outside waiting for her. It was Friday, which meant the gang had gathered all their school work in order to give it to Mina. It was like a cycle as the more they pressured the most she exceled. Maybe in the future Mina would give a chance and study abroad, as much as her parents had wished.

Mina decided to go to the library as she knew no one will be there. Test period was over and students rarely had the intention of study off schedule so it was mainly a free area. She was the librarian favorite as Mina was a regular. The librarian let her play her videogames on the phone even when this was prohibited from campus regulations. The librarian knew she was a good girl that was struggling at school so she let her be.
Mina used her headphones and let the music involved her in the creepy atmosphere of the game. She was in a survival campaign, being the squad leader and guiding her trope to victory. She was having a hard time trying to pass the level as her squad keep on dying. Her initial decisions on what to do were now harming them as they were short on munitions and warriors. She didn’t want to spend her money on it but she was being tempted to buy new armors and guns. She sighted and paused the game, this wasn’t going to work anyway. 

Mina looked around and noticed that she had been playing over for hours as the sky was turning dark. The librarian wasn’t in the front desk anymore and Mina got worried. She took her belongings and went out looking for her. As she turned on the corner, she heard the librarian voice. She was chatting with a student it seemed, so Mina felt relieved. She was going to leave when she heard Ms. Wang calling her name. Mina was hesitant for a minute as she recognized Jihyo as the student in there but she obeyed and went besides the older woman’ side.

-Yes, Ms. Wang?
-Oh, dear. I was telling Ms. Park that as it’s getting dark, you both should head home soon.
-Yes, I was actually going home right now
-That is perfect, dear. You should then go together and made each other company
-That… uh…
-I think we could figure this out, Ms. Wang. –Jihyo Said-Thank you
-No problem, dear. Go home and enjoy your weekend
-Thank you Ms. Wang

After saying goodbye to the elder, both girls were in at awkward situation. They haven’t talk since the day Jihyo returned the notebook and it had happened over a month. Mina was nervous while walking besides her as Jihyo still hold a bad reputation at school. People keep on saying she was a trouble maker, that she once broke the arm of a boy in grade school and that she had some dangerous friends out of school. Mina was sure it was a lie as Jihyo seemed pretty harmless but the Korean girl had an intimidating aura that make it hard to believe. Jihyo was also a loner and no one had ever saw her hanging out with anyone but a girl from the other class. People assumed the girl was something like a personal servant or something but Mina didn’t know the girl so she couldn’t tell. They keep on walking from the school gates without saying a word when suddenly Jihyo’s question took Mina off guard.

-So… what were you doing so late at school?
She looked at the Korean girl who was looking at her curiously. Mina’s heart started to beat way too much for her liking. Since when Jihyo had such beautiful eyes?
-I was playing videogames- admitted the younger embarrassed
-Videogames? –Jihyo said amused- Isn’t that prohibited?
-Well, yeah… but I have permission…
-Myoui Mina is such a rebel, who could imagine. -said Jihyo laughing happily
-I’m not! I’m not a delinquent, you know! -Mina huffed
-I was just kidding; I know you aren’t. –Jihyo replied- I was teasing you, I saw you playing earlier in the library
-You did?
-Yeah, like, all past month but looks like you really don’t notice when someone is looking at you.

Mina’s cheeks got red at the comment. It wasn’t just the words she used but the way she looked while telling them. That stupid smirk, that annoying confidence. This Jihyo girl was such a tease.

-Anyway –Mina said clearing her throat - what were you doing there?
-Me? I was studying. –Jihyo answered embarrassed- Don’t look at me like that, I’m telling the true. You can ask Ms. Wang
-I wasn’t judging
-Yes, you were! –Jihyo grumbled- Just because people says I’m a mess doesn’t mean it’s true, you know? I care for tons of things and school is one of them
-Sorry, I didn’t mean to…
-It’s ok, I guess it has to be this way.

They didn’t talk that much after it. Soon, they departed and Mina was on her way home, alone. Mina keep on thinking on what had happened and analyzed the way the other girl acted. It was effortless and natural; Mina didn’t get as nervous as she thought she would be while talking with the first grade outcast. She felt really bad, it wasn’t as she could be one to judge, she was after all in the same situation. People judged Mina, she was as lonely as Jihyo was.

Weekend passed by and Mina was ready to go to school. Just a couple of months for the semester to end and then she will transfer. She had decided this was the only reasonable option but before that, she also decided to apologize. She needed to as she knew she had hurt Jihyo’s feelings. She wrote the older girl a letter and wanted to come early as she didn’t have the guts to give it to her in person. She wanted to put it on her desk and pretend it wasn’t her the one that wrote it. She knew Jihyo would know anyway but Mina didn’t want to think on it at the moment.

She crossed the gates of the school, passed by the parking lot and walk straight on the garden, directly to their classroom as fast as she could. She was going in when a classmate jumped in front of her and dragged her inside the bathroom. Mina yelped, kicked and throw her things but the other girl didn’t let her go. Inside the bathroom were the rest of the bullies that used to pick on her. Mina knew what was going on and for the first time she tried to fight back.

-Well, you see this? This stupid is trying to get free! - told the girl that dragged Mina while tossing her in the middle of the room
-Not gonna happen, weirdo. No one is at school this early. -said other one while getting closer to Mina
-Anyway, is not like someone cares about you-said the leader of the group, kicking Mina on the shin
-You went away from us on Friday –said the shortest girl- and now we don’t have our homework done!

The latter kicked Mina again, now on the knee. Mina winced in pain, holding tightly the place. The other girls took Mina’s arms, impeding her to defend herself. The leader came and held a fist of Mina´s hair while slapping her without mercy. Her lips started to bleed and her cheeks redden at the touch. Her fair skin was now damaged and soon enough a bruise appeared on it. Mina cried and begged them to stop but the rest of the girls only laughed. The leader then kicked her again on the knee and Mina yelled loudly. The minions held her arms with so much force that Mina felt they were going to broke them.

-Stop yelling, or else I’m going to hurt you for real.
-Please, let me go
-As if

All of them laughed once more while the gang’s leader started to fill Mina’s backpack with soap and water, making the school supplies useless. The books, notebooks, and of course, the letter she had written, were now ruined. Mina cried silently at the sight of the yellow envelope now damped on the floor.

-You are such a mess
-Looks like all Japanese are trash
-It seems like it

The girls keep on insulting her and hurting her, as their laughs filled the room, it seemed they were all enjoying it. They hit Mina once more and decided it was enough for the meantime. They enclosed Mina inside one of the stalls and were fixing their uniforms when the door was opened.

Jihyo look at them unimpressed as she recognized them to be a bunch of troublemakers. She passed by them when noticed there were textbooks scattered all over the floor. Looking them carefully, she recognized Mina’s belongings. Jihyo’s gaze suddenly changed. It all made sense now. A fury grew up inside of her, like a blaze that wanted to destroy everything that crossed her path. She recalled the time Momo was bullied and hurt in grade school and it only made her feel even more angry. It was happening all over again.

-What did you do? -Jihyo asked, impatient
-What do you mean? -answer one of the girls
-I said, what did you do? -asked once more, this time being evident she mean it
-Is not your business, Park-said the leader looking at her
-Where is she? -asked one last time- where is Mina?
-Who? -said the shortest girl, chuckling

Jihyo held her uniform tight and push the girl against a wall. A loud thud was heard as she kept on gripping the clothes firmly. The short girl asked for help but no one move, still shocked to see Jihyo acting this way. They knew her reputation but as the latter never acted on it they never were aware of it was true or not.

-Let her go! -said one of the bullies, trying to let her friend free of Jihyo’s rage
-Where is Mina?
-I don’t know

Jihyo punched her just once but the short girl lost her breath. The girl winced in pain on the floor, holding her stomach and crying. She didn’t expect it, as well as her friends. Jihyo then turned back and punched the second girl more recklessly, still furious. Jihyo saw the damped backpack near a stall and figured Mina was still in there. She walked in that direction but decided not to free her just yet as she had to finish kicking some ass.

-You are gonna be alright, Mina. –Jihyo said in Japanese - I am here
-The hell are you saying, you bitch! - the gang leader yelled while punching Jihyo’s back

Jihyo fell on the floor and the other girls take the chance to kick her together. Jihyo didn’t make a sound while receiving the punishment, making the bullies angrier. Mina keep on crying inside the stall, felling helpless. The girls started to laugh at Jihyo and then, once again, the door was open.

-Yah¬! Jihyo, why is taking you so long? Are you sick? -asked Momo curiously while walking inside
Momo got inside the room and Jihyo’s heart sink. The bullies look at the new girl with anger and punched her while taking her out of the room.

Jihyo was glad they decided to let her go but still, they dared to punch her. Jihyo’s energy appeared once more and started to fight them all. At the end of the quarrel, all the girls in the bathroom were hurt in one way or another. Momo had called the homeroom teacher, who frown in disapproval while looking at the bunch of bloody girls lying trough the room.

-Young girls, you are so in trouble. –the man tried to hold his angry voice- we are going to the principal office once you all got cured, so now let’s go to the infirmary.
The bullies were the ones escorted by the teacher as they were the ones that looked the most in need. Jihyo surely knew how to put them in place.

Momo hurriedly came inside the bathroom after the bullies were out, only to see her best friend hugging Mina tightly. Momo felt jealous all of sudden but didn’t question it as she was way too worried of Jihyo’s condition: her friend was all bruised and with blood stains all over her clothes.

-Jihyo!

Jihyo let go of Mina’s embrace just to receive a lightly punch on the chest by Momo. The Korean girl laughed sheepishly at the rant Momo went into. They both hug after it and Mina felt once again out of place. Jihyo and Momo held hands and went to help Mina, who was struggling to properly walk as she was very hurt.

-Momo, do you remember I talk to you about my Japanese classmate? This is she!
-So, you are Mina
-Yes… nice to meet you

The Japanese girls were hesitant next to each other. It was so out of place to talk as if nothing has happened. Mina was covered in bruises, with her lip swollen and blood all over her but Momo could tell she was a pretty girl. She had beautiful and delicate features as well as a fragile complexion. Even her soft spoken voice yelled girly. In the other side, Mina was reviewing Momo as well. To Mina, Momo was also quite pretty, not as much as Jihyo but still… She was taller than them and a bit athletic. She had a cute smile and looked like she was very friendly as she kept on hugging Jihyo lovingly. They looked each other eyes and immediately felt danger: they would never like the other.

-This is awkward Jihyo-Momo said- let’s do this some other time
-Yeah, right… so… let’s go to the infirmary? -asked Jihyo while smiling

Momo and Jihyo helped Mina to walk to the infirmary. When they arrived, the teacher had already leave with the bullies to the principal office. The nurse cleaned Mina’s wounds meanwhile Momo stayed besides Jihyo, acting all tender and sweet. Jihyo was a bit reluctant to receive so much love in the open but as Momo had been busy with Sana, she hadn’t had the time to spend with her bestie. Momo felt guilty about neglecting Jihyo and the Korean knew her too well to see through her:

-This is not your fault Momo, it was my decision to help her
-But there were other ways to help, Jihyo.
-They deserved it… you know
-Yeah but… just don’t do this again, please
-I promise
They sealed the deal with a pinky promise as they used to when agreeing on something important.

Momo caressed Jihyo’s hand and the younger melt into the touch. Mina looked at them in the distance and remembered Sana. Were they also like that? Were this how close friends acted? The nurse left Mina after assuring her knee pain would need further revision and that they needed to contact her parents. Oh, boy. Mina was more than scared right now. The nurse went to the girls and look at them with disgust.

-Hirai, I think you have classes to attend-said the nurse unpleased
-I have, but see –said Momo lifting her blouse- they also punch me! I need you to check on me too!
-Yeah, it looks like it –replied the nurse looking at the bruises forming on her torso- put your shirt down for God sake!

Momo grinned and Jihyo laugh so much that it started to hurt. Momo held her hand once more, giving her moral support but the nurse firmly popped out the bubble and told Momo to go sit next to Mina. The Japanese girls remained quiet while looking at Jihyo being attended. The Korean girl pouted slightly at the contact with alcohol and started whining. Mina chuckled seeing this as Jihyo seemed so tough just before.

When the nurse finished, she let the girls go to the principal’s. Mina’s parents were already there and just seeing the state her daughter was in, broke their hearts. Mina was excluded from the meeting with the principal as her parents drive her to the hospital to check on her knee. Jihyo and Momo explained the situation once Jihyo’s mom arrive and was there for both of them. They were send home for the rest of the week until the principal decided how to act on it.

>>>>End of chapter

I know it's been a while since I updated and I'm sorry about it. Is just that, as Minari's condition was shared with us, I felt bad about writing this nonsense about her ~ I know is just fiction but I didn't feel alright. Now that I thought it carefully I decided to keep on going as it actually doesn't hurt her. Thank you for your kind words, I appreciate all your comments on this and I hope you enjoy this too