Gorgeous Geek Chapter XXI: Korean Pride

Chapter XXI: Korean Pride

Jin," said Tiffany in a harsh voice. The gamer picked up his eyes from the ground to his neighbor standing on the other side of the fence dividing the rest of the school from the tennis courts. "Is it true? I heard the news." Jin forced himself to smile. "Yeah. Whatever the rumor is, it's probably true." "Everyone's saying that you're doing this to be popular." At those words, Jin glanced away. "Is that so?" "We've been neighbors for many years now," said Tiffany in a sad voice. She hugged her black notebook closer to her chest. "I know you well. You would never leave your real friends to become popular. That's not you, Jin." "People change." At the answer, Tiffany bit her lip. She noticed that Jordan was busy running laps around the track to hear them. As for the other tennis girls, they were busy rallying on the courts or playing matches. The Coach was busy watching Xuan Lan closely in the far end of the courts. As for the boys' team, they were busy playing basketball in the nearby basketball courts. Tiffany sighed and returned her attention to Jin, who was busy picking up tennis balls. "Who do you really like?" asked Tiffany suddenly, using all her courage to blurt out those words. Jin looked at her in surprise. "Jezebelle or Rin? Who is it you really like? Or is it someone else?" Jin frowned. "Why do you ask Tiffany?" Tiffany dropped her head and felt her hands curled up out of frustration. "Why are you so stupid? Everyone likes you Jin! But now, you keep doing bad things one after another. First, you start to date a bitch. Then, you start to leave your group for the superficial one. Why are you making such horrible decisions?" Suddenly, Jin smiled brightly at Tiffany. "Thanks for worrying about me but I'm really okay. I don't regret my decision, whether they are horrible or not. What can I do? I can't change everyone's minds about me by explaining the whole story. The least I can do is just move forward and continue with my life right?" "Jin..." said Tiffany, shaking her head. "But why? You can at least tell me right?" "You'll believe me?" "Yes." "That's enough for me," said Jin quietly, returning to his task of picking up balls and handing the girls towels. "Thanks for believing in me, Tiffany. I'm glad we're friends. Let's stay friends okay?" "I won't tell anyone," said Tiffany in a hurt voice. "Please tell me why Jin."

"I'm sorry, Tiffany," said Yvette, coming over and placing her hands on her hips. The Korean girl took a deep breath and threatened Tiffany with a hard look. "Jin here needs to do his job without distractions. So, move along now, there's no real gossip for you to sink your teeth in. Go on." Tiffany tossed Yvette a wary look. "Okay. I'll head back to my Journalism class." While tapping her foot against the ground, Yvette growled after Tiffany left, "Seriously. Those Asian Gossip Girls are everywhere! Why can't they mind their own business for once? I can't take it. The game is coming up soon and all people can think about is gossip!" "Should I run after the ball Lolita send flying over the school gate?" asked Jin, trying to think of something to stop Yvette from her rant. "Seriously," said Yvette, huffing. "That girl can't play tennis! Why is she even on JV? What a waste of space! Go get that ball already Jin! Stop staring at me like a hopeless puppy! I hate these people who keep hitting the ball over the fence. We need to save our budget for more useful equipment!" "Like what?" asked Patrick, cracking up from the nearby basketball courts. "Yo, didn't you know? Yvette probably needs those fancy ass tennis shoes since the last one wasn't big enough to fit her ego," said Rick, winking playfully at Yvette. The tennis captain fumed. "Shut up you fools! All you can do is play basketball! You are on the tennis team! You are supposed to be practicing tennis!" "Where honey?" asked Rick daringly. "There are no courts left for us niggers." "Shut up, Rick," said Yvette furiously. "You're not even dressed for tennis! Hell, you rarely even show up for tennis class!" "Woah there," said Rick, holding onto his hood protectively. "This is my hood yo!" "Ignore her, Rick," said Grim, shifting his glasses upward. "It's Yvette after all." "Exactly," said David, running after the bouncing basketball. Javen accidentally threw the basketball too high and over Grim's head. David stopped in front of Yvette, who held the basketball in her hands. "The basketball?" "You," said Yvette, glaring. "Where have you been?" "Huh?" "You completely ignored me during class today," said Yvette furiously, slamming the basketball against David's shoulder. "You didn't even come to the usual lunch spot! What is the matter with you? Are you on your period or something?" David grabbed the ball quickly from her with a blush on his cheeks. "Bye now." Escaping Yvette completely, David went back to the boys who gave him wide-eyed looks. Sighing, David shook his head and said that it was a lot harder to ignore Yvette than he imagined it to be. Rick laughed and slapped his back playfully. Geoff tackled David into a bear hug and told him that it was going to be all right. Grim said he was fully backing David up and supporting him against his strike against his former friend. "There's something definitely wrong with David that loser," said Yvette, walking back on the tennis courts with a water bottle. "Does it seem like he's ignoring me?"

"Maybe," said Venus, licking her lips at the sight of Jezebelle running and slamming the tennis ball down the line against Sophronia. "For a couple of days now actually." "What is up with that?" asked Yvette, scowling. "Ask him," said Venus, still watching Jezebelle on the courts nearby. The score was 6 games to 2 with Jezebelle in the lead. "He's probably fed up with you." "Why would anyone be fed up with me?" asked Yvette again, glaring at David who was trying helplessly to dunk. He was tall but not tall enough to dunk. "I don't know," said Venus sarcastically. "Moving on now, Jezebelle is really hot isn't she? I am so loving tennis. All the girls on this team have such nice legs!" "You lesbian," said Yvette, laughing and returning to her spot near the net. "Let's kick Doubles Three's behinds shall we? Surely, we'll win. How can we lose?" Passing by Yvette, the boy-obsessed Lexi shrieked and tackled Jin into a hug from behind. Jin jumped and dropped all four tennis balls in his hands. The balls rolled onto the court where Sophronia and Jezebelle were still playing an intense match. Jezebelle managed to slice a shot and nearly hit Sophronia in between the legs. Gasping, Sophronia laughed it off and told Jezebelle the shot was in. Looking down, Jezebelle noticed the rolling tennis balls and glanced over at Jin who was trying to control the hyper girl on his back. "Hey you, peanut butter," said Jezebelle angrily, causing both Lexi and Jin to pay attention to her. "Pick up the damn balls! What are you doing? Why are you failing so hard as a team manager? Towel thank you!" Sighing, Jin placed Lexi back on her feet and made his way over to Jezebelle with a clean towel. Jezebelle took it and wiped her face before she went over and held her hand up to Sophronia who with a gentle smile congratulated the Singles Two and shook her hand. Glaring at Jin still, Jezebelle threw the towel in his face and picked up her water bottle instead. "Are you all right Jin Song?" asked Sophronia worriedly. "I'm good," said Jin quickly, folding the towel carefully and picking up the tennis balls one by one. "Thanks for asking Sophronia." "He's being useless," said Jezebelle mercilessly, taking a quick drink of her water bottle. "You don't need to comfort him since useless people should know better." Jezebelle fixed the strings on her racket and rolled her eyes. "Quit whining you piece of cinnamon stick." "What is with Jezebelle?" asked Sophronia, bending over and picking up a different tennis ball. "She won the match and yet, she's in a bad mood." "She's always like that when I am incompetent," said Jin sadly. "You do seem out of it," said Sophronia in a soft voice. The white girl flashed Jin a sweet smile. "You might have been in the sun too long. Maybe you should rest Jin Song. How about I buy you a boba?" Jin shook his head. "Thanks Sophronia but I don't want to bother you. I have a lot on my mind. It has nothing to do with the sun. Anyways, I better run to get that ball out in the streets before Yvette gets mad at me." Leaving the tennis courts after he placed the tennis balls back in their baskets, Jin

jogged out to the gate. Jordan just finished his laps and smiled at Jin on his way out. Smiling back, Jin continued on his way. Jin crossed the streets and picked up the tennis ball. Waiting for the cars to pass, Jin noticed that Yvette was scolding Xuan Lan again. The young girl stood there with her eyes on the ground. Jin frowned. He wondered if Xuan Lan had improved at all since he first met her since Jezebelle worked the freshman girl to death. "Hurry Jin," said Lexi from across the street on the school side. She motioned for him to cross. "Hurry before the light turns green!" "Oh right," said Jin, running across the street with the tennis ball in his hand. Lexi beamed at him as he made it in time before the lights changed green and all the cars drove toward him at once. "I swear. There are a lot more tennis balls on the other side of the street." Lexi giggled. "The boys are to blame for the others most likely!" "Patrick," said Jin with a smile. "Patrick as always," said Lexi, amused. "So hey," said Jin, walking alongside the young girl. "What's up? Lexi right?" "Yup," said Lexi, bouncing over to the side. "Nice to meet you too Lexi!" Lexi imitated Jin's voice by going one octave lower. She bounced back to his side and used her normal voice. "You're pretty Jin so I wanted to talk to you." "Don't you have a game to play?" asked Jin, confused. Lexi pouted. "My partner played a match with Jezebelle instead. I'm stuck doing nothing. Well, not really nothing. I'm supposed to practice on my own but who does that anyways?" "Interesting," said Jin, amused at the thought of him and Jordan fooling around instead of practicing on "their own" too. "So Lexi, how is school for you? You are a freshman right? I'm not so sure." "Yes," said Lexi, sticking out her tongue. "Lexi is definitely younger than Jin so that's good right? Boys like younger girls right? Isn't that the case with you and Jezebelle?" Jin merely smiled weakly at her. Lexi giggled and punched the air. "I ditched tennis practice during lunch so I can attend the science team meeting! There was rumored to be this really hot senior on the team so I had to see for myself! The rumors are true! He was so hot!" "Hot senior," said Jin, thinking hard. "I'm not so sure who that is... I can't really tell who is hot and who isn't... at least for other guys." "Sucks," said Lexi, frowning. Lexi bounced to the side. "Lexi, listen here. You just wasted both yours and Jin's time for being stupid!" Lexi bounced back to Jin's side and shook her head. "I know, I know, but I need to figure out his name! He's too dreamy!" "Ask Jordan," said Jin in offering. "He knows everybody." "I wanted to ask you because you're Korean and that senior is Korean..." "Oh!" said Jin in realization. "Ask David or Grim then. They are part of the Korean Posse. All the Korean senior boys are in that group." "Seriously?" "Yeah," said Jin with a pleasant smile.

"Do you love Jin, Lexi?" asked Lexi in her fake voice to herself, implementing her other persona again. Lexi nodded to herself. "I do. I love him a lot! If only he wasn't taken..." "There you are, cucumber melon," said Jezebelle, elevating her eyes from Jin's PSP. She was watching various older football games again. "Where have you been?" "Uh-oh," said Lexi, running away. "Jealous girlfriend alert!" "Stupid bitch," said Jezebelle under her breath at the sight of Lexi moving on to David now. The Korean male greeted her as she tackled him next. "I hate girls who are so boyobsessed. How unhealthy." Glaring at Jin right afterwards, Jezebelle indicated at the spot next to her. Jin quickly dropped the tennis ball in the basket before he sat next to Jezebelle. His girlfriend immediately smacked him across the head without warning. Jin groaned but didn't say anything back to her. "You're a man aren't you?" asked Jezebelle sternly. "Yes..." "You lost your best friend, big deal," said Jezebelle, shrugging. "If you can't take it, do us a favor and go home. I don't want someone as irresponsible as you picking up tennis balls during my match. I'd rather do it myself! Keep your personal feelings off the court!" "You're right," said Jin in a sigh. "I can't stop thinking about it and-" Jin paused and gaped at her. "How do you know about this?" "Everyone knows," said Jezebelle, rolling her eyes. "You think Rinny will ever speak to you again after what you did cheese brain? Even I am more forgiving than her!" "You want me to return to my old group too?" Jezebelle suddenly laughed really hard. "Oh fuck no. Are you kidding me? This is perfect. You being in the Populars will benefit me so much. This will be a hell lot of fun! I want to see you suffer. I can't wait. Can I come along and see you struggle darling?" Jin dropped his head. "Then why are you trying to make me feel better?" "Who said I was trying to comfort you?" asked Jezebelle, laughing. She bit his ear and then jumped up to her feet. "You're just so pathetic that I had to say something. Look at you. You should like stay away from me before I absorb your geek-ness." Jezebelle dropped the PSP back in Jin's lap. "When you say you're fine, you should at least act the part correctly, stupid." Jin watched Jezebelle leave and walk to the girls' gym. "Where is she going? She has practice after school today..." Checking the time on his cell phone, Jin stood up. "Time to ask for my locker number from Coach." Jin noticed Vance running on the tracks. "This is going to be a long day..." ********************************************************** The basketball game ended ten minutes before the end of school. However, since David's team had such an early lead over the other team, David decided to leave early for the boys' gym. David went over to Coach Marshall, who was busy sleeping underneath his baseball cap, to ask for his locker number. His baseball cap wasn't turned around for once, David noticed.

"You and Grim then," said Coach, holding up a card after waking up from his nap to find David patiently waiting for him. "Why do you need the locker so early?" "I have a hard time finding lockers, Coach," said David quickly. "Do whatever you want," said Coach Marshall, staring at the courts. "Did Kwan and Hermosa won yet?" "I don't know Coach," said David honestly, turning his eyes to the court. At the sight of Yvette, David felt his heart sting. Still, he glanced at the scorecards that hung on the nets. "It looks like they are playing a second set." "All right then," said Coach Marshall, tugging the baseball cap over his eyes. Holding the card in his hand, David was too busy staring at Yvette to pay much attention to what his locker number was. The tennis captain was busy giving Venus orders from the front to notice the intent gaze from David. Sighing, David tore his eyes away from Yvette and went on his way. He knew that Doubles One haven't lost in a long time so he didn't have to watch how they fared against Doubles Three. Even though David asked Coach for the locker number early in order to avoid Yvette, he wasn't lying when he said he would have a hard time finding his locker. While the track team and baseball team members easily found their line of lockers, David struggled to find where the tennis team were. Luckily for David, Sidney as the captain of the baseball team was there to help his teammates find their locker, which meant that he could help David too. "Hey Sid," said David, pointing at his card with a smile. "Help a bud in need." Sidney glanced at the card. "David, where's the rest of your team?" "I'm here early." Pointing at the far right end of the locker room, Sidney said, "It seems like your team is next to Golf. Good luck trying to get out once those guys are done with practice. Smart choice in coming in early." "Thanks Sid," said David, heading over to where the taller boy indicated. Fumbling with the card for a bit, David now had a problem opening his locker. He did everything the card told him to do but the locker wouldn't budge. Thanks to getting lost earlier and having no luck in opening his upper locker, the rest of the male tennis team made their way in to find their lockers even though they received the card after David. "You're still here David?" asked Patrick in amusement. He and Jordan were smacking each other with their rackets on the butt. "Taking your sweet time am I right?" "I'm almost done," said David in a blatant lie. The last one to come in was Jin who was waiting for Jordan to open their locker. Grim said he wanted to take a shower first so he left David with his problem of being unable to open the locker. However, David was too embarrassed to admit this out loud so he waited until everyone was done throwing in their bags, rackets, sweatbands, tennis shoes, and others before he tried again. The only ones left were Jin, who was cleaning up the dirty locker, and Grim, who was still in the shower for whatever reason. "David, do you need help?" asked Jin suddenly, noticing David's struggle still. "No, I'm good," said David quickly, still embarrassed to confess.

Jin frowned and came over. "But David," said Jin, picking up David's card that was left on the bench. "Your locker is 2019, not 2119." At Jin's remark, David hit his head against the locker. "Great." "I'll help you," said Jin, walking down the aisle ahead of David. "Here it is. It should work this time, David." "Thanks, Jin," said David, smiling. David went up to his locker and started the process. Meanwhile, Jin went back to his locker, which was now closer to David than farther, to wash his locker. David glanced at Jin after he opened his locker successfully this time. "Hey Jin. Where did Jordan go?" "He said he had a date with Vic," said Jin immediately, removing his eyes from his locker to David. "So he left as soon as possible. Before he went though, he said you and I should cheer up." "Me?" asked David, surprised. "Yeah," said Jin, nodding. "You don't look too well." "I didn't expect Jordan to notice," said David, dumping in his tennis bag without a second glance. "Same," said Jin admittedly. "But Jordan has his moments." "True," said David, sitting down and taking off his tennis shoes. "What's bothering you David?" asked Jin curiously, throwing all the leftover trash in his locker to the nearest trash can. "If you don't want to say it, I'll leave you alone." "Nothing much really," said David, shrugging. He took off his socks now. "Er," said Jin, not knowing what to say now. "Okay. How's your strike by the way?" At the mention of the strike, David dropped his head. "Lucky guess." "Er..." "Not too well," said David, dodging how speechless Jin became at his words. "Actually, not well at all. It's been shit lately to be honest." Jin frowned. "You should stop going on strike then if you feel this way." "No, no," said David, shaking his head. "After everything Grim has done to set this up for me and the rest of my crew, I don't want to chicken out now. That's just not right." Sighing, Jin shook his head, his full attention on David. "So you're not the only one going on strike against Yvette." "At first, it was only Grim and I," said David. "But now, Grim somehow convinced everyone else in our group to ignore Yvette. Everyone is actually quite happy to join in this strike to 'support' me." "I don't see the point," said Jin, placing in his things in his locker at last. Then he went over and held up the cloth. "Your locker is dirty too. I'll help you clean it." "I don't really care," said David admittedly, glancing in the locker and noticing that he dirtied his things by not cleaning up the locker ahead of time. "Though, I should have. Where the hell is Grim?"

"I'm not sure," said Jin, standing on top of the bench in order to clean the inside of the locker. "I feel bad for Yvette thanks to this strike. Doesn't she usually interact with your group?" "She does." "Then, if you guys are all on strike against her, she can't talk to you guys anymore." "That's the point though," said David defensively. His face pained at the fact though. Frowning, Jin continued to scrub David's locker after he dumped the contents back to David. "She just lost half the people she usually talks to. I feel bad for her. Plus, you look so uncomfortable every time you try to ignore her. Everyone can see that." "I do," said David lamely. "It hurts me to do it." "Then why?" At the simple question, David sighed for the hundredth time. "I don't know really. I thought that if I ignore Yvette, she will come to respect me as a man. All she does is boss me around and control me like a dog. I'm really fed up with that." "I see," said Jin, jumping down from the bench. "I get it. You go with this plan because you want to get some respect from Yvette but now that you are executing it, you feel guilty about ignoring her at all." "It's not guilt," said David quickly, shaking his head. "It's not?" asked Jin in complete astonishment. "Guilt is when I kick a puppy and feel crappy about it right?" asked David, looking straight at Jin in curiosity. "That's one way to put it," said Jin, blinking. "It's not the same feeling," said David in conclusion. He wore his flip-flops on quickly. "I don't know what this feeling is. I just don't like it and I don't like going on strike either. I hate to say it but I have no idea what I think or what I want to do about this. It's just you ask and I answer." Picking up David's bag, Jin went back up and placed it in the now less dirty locker. David helped him this time around. "I actually know how you feel right now." "Impossible," said David, closing the locker. "No, really, I do," said Jin, picking up his backpack. David did the same with his. "Sometimes, there's someone who is close and dear to you but he or she is always there so you hardly show your appreciation to that person back then, but," Jin paused and lowered his eyes. "When they're gone, you wish you had." "That sucks," said David, walking with Jin to the exit. They noticed that Grim was out of the shower and hurried over to David. "You took your sweet time, Grim. Jin? You still have the card?" "Oh yeah," said Jin, handing it to Grim. "It's 2019, not 2119." "Doofus," said Grim to David. "Hurry or else Sid and Eugene will wait on us," said David in warning. Grim left quickly to his locker. "He's been like this since school started," David said to Jin in explanation. "He

really wants to at least confess to Roselle before he graduates." "That's nice," said Jin with a smile. "Oh shit," said David, groaning. "You did know about the whole Grim and Roselle thing right? I didn't just blurt out his secret to you did I?" "I knew," said Jin reassuringly. "Good," said David, combing his hair once. "What's wrong with me today?" Jin shrugged. "But about what you said earlier, Jin, I don't know if it really applies to me. It's Yvette. Sure, she's been around me all the time and shit but do I really find her as such an endearing friend?" "You and Yvette get along very well," said Jin honestly. "I've seen you guys. You're almost inseparable." "It's almost painful to hear that," said David, leaving the gym. The bell rang for the end of school as students rushed out in a hurry. However, David and Jin continued to walk at their own pace. "It's true I guess. I've been with her since freshman year. It's been three years after all. This is probably the first time we stopped talking thanks to this strike. It's mind boggling really." "Like Rin-chan and I," said Jin sadly. Hearing this, David followed Jin's gaze to the football field and saw that Rin Hamada was playing her saxophone even though the bell had rung. To David, she looked completely normal, which made him feel bad for Jin. "Hey, it's all right," said David quickly. "It's cool." "Yeah," said Jin, smiling. "You doing anything after school?" "Not really since I'm planning not to go to Gamer's Club after school today," said Jin, frowning. "I'm not in the mood." "The world has come to an end," said David jokingly. "And somehow, Rick is forced to pick up balls after school instead of me," said Jin in explanation. "I wanted to help but Fi wouldn't let me stay and said that if I stayed behind, she would tell everyone my secret." "What's your secret?" asked David immediately, curious. "I don't have one," said Jin, amused now. "That's why it's so scary." "Got it," said David, understanding now. "Well, you should hang out with us." "Who is 'us'?" "You know," said David, shrugging innocently. "Me and the guys." "I'm not part of your group though," said Jin, feeling weird now. "No, it's cool," said David quickly, smiling. "You're Korean. We're Korean. It's all good isn't it? Best of all, it's the first time Sid has any time to spend with us, what with him and Sherry and all." "What's going on with him and Sherry?" asked Jin out of pure interest.

"You don't know?" asked David, shocked. "Well, I guess not. I want to tell you but fuck, Sidney will kick my ass if he finds out I tell you without asking him first. No offense Jin." "None taken," said Jin, taking out his DS Lite and playing it while walking alongside David. "In that case, I can hang out for a couple of hours until Fi is done with practice. I'll try not to stand out too much." "You won't," said David reassuringly. "And what's with Fi this and Fi that? Does she own you now?" "No, but I have to take care of her." "Bummer," said David, wrapping his arms behind his back in a carefree manner. "Sounds like Yvette and I all over again except that it's okay in your case since you guys are going out but for us-" David stopped abruptly. He almost blushed. "Forget what I just said. I need to stop thinking about ignoring her." Jin smiled at David's reaction. "I see." "Don't smile at me like that," said David, frustrated. "I'm not," said Jin truthfully, looking around. "Where are we going anyway?" "The East Gate," said David, indicating at the crowd leaving the gate near the soccer area. David recognized the Koreans in the mass easily, but Jin was too busy staring at his DS Lite to notice. "The others should be waiting there. If Grim takes forever, we'll ditch him." "Is that really okay?" asked Jin worriedly. "His fault," said David, amused. "Roselle is the only person on his mind anyways." "Interesting." Leaving the gates together, David tried to search for his friends who should be here ahead of him. He saw a couple of people he recognized from his senior class on the grass, chatting. David felt the cell phone in his pocket vibrate. Taking it out, he received a text from Grim complaining about how he completely ditched him. Chuckling to himself, David again returned to his search. "Watch out Jin Song!" At the familiar voice, David turned his head to see Sidney standing a distance away with his eyes in the air. David followed his gaze up to find a zooming white Frisbee aimed at Jin, who picked his eyes away from his game console in time to notice it. Fortunately, someone jumped in front of Jin and caught the Frisbee in one hand. It was none other than David's friend Eugene Kim. This Korean boy had bleached hair and rosy cheeks. He was also tall and extremely skinny. Today, he wore a white sweatshirt along with white pants and white sneakers with black stripes on them. Eugene adorned a black necklace around his neck. "That was something," said Jin, looking at the Frisbee in Eugene's hand. "Sorry for almost killing you there," said Sidney in a playful voice. "It's okay," said Jin, trying hard to smile. "Eugene saved me." "It's all in my daily routine," said Eugene, throwing the Frisbee back over to Sidney as he went over to join the three. "You know, taking notes, sleeping in class, eating noodles, and saving people from flying Frisbees."

"Hey Eugene," said David, smiling at his friend. "Nice way to make an entrance." "I blame Sid," said Eugene, throwing a thumb over his shoulder. "He said I wouldn't be able to catch it if he threw his farthest. I showed him didn't i?" "Luck, Eugene, luck," said Sidney, throwing an arm over David's shoulders. Eugene stole the Frisbee back. "Hey David. Hey Jin. How's life?" "It's cool," said David, shrugging. "Sorry for being late." "Who do we have here?" asked Eugene, leaning down from his towering height at Jin with a pleasant smile. "Did Grim get plastic surgery to look like Jin Song's identical twin? How freaky but at least, he looks better. I approve." "No, it's actually Jin Song," said David, amused. "It's been a while," said Jin, nodding at Eugene. "You and Sidney both." Sidney clicked his tongue. "Since the end of school I believe." "So, how's life for the Bo-stealer?" asked Eugene, moving aside for Sidney to squish in between him and David. Jin's eyes widened. "Bo-stealer?" "He forgot," said Eugene in awe. "Just because you have a crush on Bo doesn't mean the rest of us do, Eugene," said Sidney, tossing Jin a glance. David laughed at the remark. "No, seriously," said David, trying hard to stop his laugh. "Jin, you don't remember?" "Er..." said Jin, thinking. "Wait... Bo was part of your-" "Yeah," said Eugene, interrupting Jin completely. "He was with us until you stole him to form JinRinBo sophomore year by luring him with your best friend Rin Hamada. I still haven't forgiven you for that, Jin Song." "Sorry," said Jin, sighing. "I had no idea." David exchanged a look from Eugene to Sidney. "Wait, wait. Remind me. Why did Bo leave our group again?" "Bo didn't want to at first," said Eugene, keeping his eyes on Jin. "But Jin asked him to protect Rin Hamada so Bo accepted. Don't you remember the last time Bo hung with us?" David shook his head. "You're probably too busy looking up Yvette's skirt at the time then." "Not that there's anything to see," said Sidney, whistling innocently. David dropped his jaw at his friends. "What the fuck?" "I actually remember the last time Bo was with us," said Sidney, leaning to Jin and pushing David aside. "Smooth tactic, Jin, smooth. It must be all those strategy games." "I don't understand," said Jin, frowning. "What did I do?" "Bo grinned at us," said Eugene, explaining to Jin. "You know the grin? The fake one he uses to hide his feelings?" "I do," said Jin with a firm nod. "He told us he was sorry and that he had to join your group because he fell at first sight

at your best friend," said Eugene, shrugging. "I still don't get that. There's nothing good about Rin Hamada." "I disagree," said Sidney suddenly. "Rin Hamada is amazing. She might be on a short fuse half of the time but she's serious and determined in everything she does. She's not slutty and flirty like those other girls in our grade. She actually has class and personality. Most importantly, Rin Hamada has boobs." "She does not," said Eugene defensively. "She's Asian," said David, agreeing with Eugene. "They're not allowed to have boobs." David glanced at Jin, who stared blankly at him. "Okay. Most Asian girls don't have boobs and Jin happen to pick up the exception but she doesn't really count right? Isn't she half white Jin?" "She's part Korean and part Scottish," said Jin, blinking. "There you go," said David, flicking his wrist. "Only half Asian girls have boobs." "My mom has boobs," said Sidney, arguing back. "Let's not talk about your mom, please," said Eugene, sticking out his tongue. "You guys don't believe me?" asked Sidney, a bit disappointed. He went around and placed his arm around Jin's shoulders. "Ask Jin Song. He knows. Am I right Jin?" "Well," said Jin, glancing away. "According to Bo and Kristian, she does. I'm not so sure since I never really look there..." "Wait a second," said Eugene, tossing Sidney a suspicious look. "It makes sense that Bo knows since he sleeps over all the time. Kristian is obviously her boyfriend. How do you know? Frankly, I look at boobs all the time and I haven't noticed them on Rin Hamada." "I have a boob detector," said Sidney, indicating at his face. "My eyes." "Bastard," said David, chuckling. "Being serious now," said Sidney, amused at David's reaction. "She took off her sweater once during science team meeting. Our meetings are usually held after school in that room without air conditioner." "Best way to check out girls," said Eugene, interested. "Seriously," said Sidney, amused. "If I were smarter, I'll join the science team for that reason," said David, laughing. "Wait," said Jin, interrupting the three boys from going on about girls undressing themselves due to the hot room. "Wait. Does this mean that Bo was in love with Rin Hamada back in freshman year?" All three boys gawked at Jin. At last, David said awkwardly, "A bit slow Jin?" "No, I've been thinking," said Jin admittedly. "Is that true?" "He said love at first sight," said Eugene, blinking. "Bo said he left the group for her," said Sidney, shrugging. "Didn't she reject him soon after and he stayed anyways, not willing to give up?" asked Eugene to Sidney since he couldn't rely on David's memory.

Sidney elevated his eyes and thought to himself. Then out loud, he said, "Actually, yes, she did. She said something about not dating until she was done with school permanently. Bo was okay with that though. Look at what happen now. He totally blew his chance." "Why do I not know about any of this?" asked Jin in exasperation. "I don't know Jin," said Eugene, frowning. "I mean if I were rejected by a girl I like, I wouldn't really want to announce it to any of these fools here." "Funny," said Sidney with a twinkle in his eyes. "I would." "That's because you haven't gotten rejected yet, Sid," said Eugene in pure jealousy. "Sid's such a stud," said David, almost envious. "That's why I rarely hang out with you Sid. If you stand with us, all the girls will stare at you. The rest of us are invisible to them whenever you're around. I hate you for that." "More like he's too busy with Sherry to hang out with us," said Eugene, pouting. "I am here today, aren't I?" asked Sidney innocently. "Besides, you know it's not true. Girls dig you guys too. You just don't hear about it that's all." "Right," said David and Eugene in unison. "Actually," said David, remembering. "There's this girl in my tennis period and she was asking me about this hot guy in my group who is on the science team. I wonder who she was referring too, right Sid?" "Never mind that," said Sidney with bright eyes. "Is she hot?" "How unfaithful to Sherry," said Eugene, scoffing. "Not really," said Sidney, shrugging. "I'm asking out of curiosity." "Wait until I tell Stan," said Eugene in a threatening voice. "Not cool, Eugene, not cool," said Sidney, faking fear. "Who?" asked Jin innocently. "Sherry's bro," answered David automatically. "Graduated last year. He's in Princeton, aiming for an astrophysics degree." "I see," said Jin, stunned. Then, he thought of the Korean girl with braids who liked to stare at people's shoes rather than their faces. "I can see it I suppose." "It's ironic," said David, looking straight at his two friends. "We ignore and treat our younger sisters like shit when they're around and then when they get boyfriends and such, we start caring. Stan e-mails me sometimes asking about Sherry since he doesn't want to be a loser to e-mail her himself." "What do you say, David?" asked Sidney, concerned. "Nothing much," said David, shrugging. "We talk about paint ball as usual." "That's good," said Sidney, relieved. "I don't know how he will take the news." "I don't want to know," said Eugene, making a face. "Where's Grim anyways? I thought we are planning to go eat with him since Sidney is free today. And why is Jin with us? Are you coming with us Jin?"

"He helped me out earlier," said David, throwing Jin a big smile. "I want him to hang out with us. He needs to waste some time anyway since his girlfriend has tennis practice after school." "Welcome to the boyfriend waiting for girlfriend club, Jin Song," said Sidney in amusement to Jin, who shook his head. "Mine is volunteering at a library." "Welcome to the singles' club, Grim!" said Eugene out loud, throwing a Frisbee toward the gate suddenly. Much to the other boys' surprise, Grim caught it from afar and shook his head at Eugene. "David and I welcome you!" "Thanks but no thanks," said Grim, handing Eugene back his Frisbee. "You guys didn't ditch me. I miscalculated you guys." "We would never ditch you," said Sidney, flashing a grin at Grim, who scowled. "After all, you'll be paying for the food right?" "Like how Sherry paid for your food on your last date?" asked Grim, pushing his glasses higher up on the bridge of his nose. Sidney dropped his jaw. "That did not happen." "Did it?" asked Jin curiously to David. The Korean Singles tennis player laughed. "It did." "I told her I would pay for her," said Sidney in explanation. Jin nodded in understanding. "She demanded why so I told her it was because I was a dude. Of course, this made her all fired up and told me off about how she was a dudette and that it didn't matter. In the end, she paid for both of us." "Feminist in disguise?" asked Eugene, gasping. "Like Rin Hamada?" asked David to Jin. "I guess," said Jin, not knowing what to say. "But my girlfriend is one and she uses my money every day." "High maintenance girlfriend," said Sidney, winking. Nice choice. "Didn't you pay for Yvette all the time even though you're not her boyfriend, David?" asked Grim, smirking deviously. David grumbled to himself. "I don't think it matters then. David and Jin are not cheap. Sidney is." "Hey, Grim, look," said Sidney, combing his hair with his hands. "Not cool. I am not cheap. Why do you say that? She paid for me once." "Doesn't Sherry also drive you to school and home in that monster truck of hers?" asked Eugene innocently. "We are saving on gas money!" said Sidney in protest. "Why don't you drive then?" asked Grim, amused. "Also, nice to meet you guys too." "Thanks Grim," said Sidney, sighing. "And for that last question, it's because she insists that she drive us to school and back. Besides, I think my car actually wastes more gas than hers if that's even possible." "Excuses," said Grim in mocking.

"You see here, Jin," said David, switching his attention to the underclassman. "Sidney may look like a stud and act like one but he doesn't think like one. He's actually really cheap. Look at the clothes he wears. They only look expensive but I'm sure he got it for half the price somewhere. He has this tendency to look out for sales and discounts." "My secret," said Sidney, offended. "I wonder if Sherry knows about this," said Grim mischievously. "About what?" asked Jin, lost. "That Sidney is girlier and cheaper than she is," said Eugene proudly. "Actually, I wonder if any of his previous girlfriends figure it out. It's actually quite fun hiding this fact from them, isn't it Sid?" "Look at the time," said Sidney, pulling Eugene and Grim away by the arm. "Let's head to that restaurant already. I hear they have a lunch special if we go before the hour ends." "Cheap Sidney," said Eugene and Grim in unison. Standing behind them, David shook his head. "Sorry for my friends, Jin." "They're fun," said Jin, smiling. "Actually, this is the first real time I've ever hung out with a group of boys. The environment feels different somehow." "All right then, Jin," said David enthusiastically. "The boys and I will make you want to be in more man on man conversations like this. It's no fun being around girls and boys all the time. Although I guess it is fun with only girls-" David paused and frowned at the thought. "Which reminds me of back in the days when I used to hang out with only tennis girls thanks to Yvette. I should stop thinking about the person who I am trying to ignore, eh Jin?" Seeing David's face like this, Jin felt bad too. "David I think you should-" "David Yoo Shin! Jin-Kyong Song!" said Eugene, motioning at them from next to a black Honda Civic. "Hurry or we'll drive without you. Grim's not very patient when it comes to waiting or driving you know! Move it or lose it!" "Talk later," said David, hurrying to his Korean buddies. Jin sighed. "David..." ********************************** Hearing Mr. Chan announcing that it was break, Rin was the first one to run off much to the rest of band's dismay. Rin was never like this before. Half of the band blamed Kristian. The other half blamed it on Rin going through a phrase. Running to the equipment room, Rin peeked her head in. Of all the football players, Rin did not spot Bo anywhere. Frowning, she left, only to pass Alejandro who gave her a suspicious look but didn't say anything. "Vance?" asked Rin, standing near the track. Vance stopped in his track and gazed at her. "Yes?" "Nice hearing," said Rin, shocked. The pale boy left the tracks and went up to her. "What is it?" "Do you know where Bo is?" asked Rin, going straight to the point. "He went home," said Vance, apathetic. Rin frowned and dropped her head. "I don't know

why. I don't care to know why either." "Thanks a lot," said Rin, trying hard to smile. "I do know something though," said Vance when Rin turned her back to return to the band room. "Bo said he might leave the group." Stunned, Rin did not turn around at Vance. "Why?" "I don't really know or care again," said Vance shrugging. "What will you do now?" Biting her lip, Rin sighed to herself. "If we split up, I'm more worried about you. Where will you go Vance?" "I know a couple of people from track and my computer class," said Vance, glancing at the couple of track members who ran by and made fun of him for stopping. "I should return to running soon though." "Sorry," said Rin apologetically, turning around and facing him with a fake smile. "I'm glad to hear that you're getting along with other people. It makes me less worried at least. Thanks for telling me! I'll text you later!" After that, Rin ran off in the direction of the main building. Vance had no idea why she would go there instead of the band room but he didn't question her motives since it was none of his business. Grouchy now, Vance returned to running on the track. He eyed all the members on the team for a good few seconds. The girls and the boys were all running at different speed so it was hard to observe them all at once. Still, Vance saw many of them. Even though Vance didn't want to, it was probably time he tried to talk to some of them after that lie to Rin. Hopefully, not all of them were idiotic. ******************************* Surrounded by girls, Kristian flashed his cell phone and showed them his number. The girls were jubilant about copying it down in their own respective cell phones. They were asking him about politics, fashion, and every other subject possible. This was detention for Kristian- he was the center of all the attention. The males were also there but they were less excited about talking to him. After one of the girls moved away to sit back down, Kristian spotted Rin glaring at him from the doorway. Immediately, he stood up without warning. The girls all talked to him at once but he didn't care as he made his way over to Rin. "Hey Rin-chan," said Kristian, leaning against the doorway. "I was passing by," said Rin in an obvious lie. "I'll be leaving now." Grabbing her arm harshly, Kristian said slyly, "Don't be jealous now. It's cute but then we can't really talk understand? I mean how often does my girlfriend come visit me in detention?" "I wish I didn't," said Rin, glaring still. "What's on your mind, Rin-chan?" asked Kristian, pulling her into an embrace from behind. "Forty minutes and you miss me already?" "Definitely not," said Rin, saying her usual phrased. "It's nothing. I'm sorry I came." "You're so cold," said Kristian, hugging her closer to him. "I was showing them your picture, okay? There's nothing to get mad about."

"You said you wouldn't!" "Why wouldn't I show you off?" Rin sighed and dropped her eyes to the ground. "You're such a liar." "I said I wouldn't show it to boys, not girls." Sighing again, Rin turned around to face him. "You're picking me up after practice right? Right?" "Change of subject," said Kristian, smirking. "Clever." "Answer Kristian." "Even if I never intended to," said Kristian, licking his lips. "I can't really say no when you're so straightforward about it now can I?" "I need you to drive me somewhere," said Rin with concerned eyes. "I'm not ready for this," said Kristian, faking an innocent look. "I haven't done it in a while so I need to prepare myself physically and mentally. Also, I haven't bought what I need to buy from-" "Idiot," said Rin grumpily, pushing his arms off. "I need you to drive me to Bo's house right after school. I'm really worried about him. After what Vance told me and after what I saw, I have to go see him..." Kristian's eyes narrowed dangerously. "You want me to drive you to Bo's?" "If not," said Rin, shrugging. "I can ask Vance or my mom." "What is this?" asked Kristian, a bit ticked off. All humor was lost on his face. "How many guys do I have to protect you from?" "You're not Bo," said Rin coldly. "You don't need to worry about that." "I see how it is," said Kristian, laughing weakly. "Okay, then, I'll drive you to my rival's- I mean Bo's house since he's so important to you and you can't just call him on the phone to talk about it." Rin tiptoed up to Kristian. "What is wrong with you?" "Aren't you tired?" asked Kristian suddenly, glancing away and avoiding the subject completely. "Shouldn't you go home and rest instead? I'm more concerned about your lack of sleep. You're not thinking rationally." "I am perfectly fine," said Rin, insulted. "Sure, I pull an all-nighter. Sure, I lost my best friend. Sure, my other best friend left school without warning. Sure, I have three books to read for school. Sure, my life sucks right now. But I don't feel tired at all! Actually, I'm more energetic than ever!" "There's no way to convince you out of this is there?" asked Kristian, disappointed. "I really need to see Bo, Kristian," said Rin in a softer voice. "I saw the look on his face when I was in the nurse's room. He was grinning but it wasn't his usual grin... it was that grin that I hate so much... the grin he used when I told him no a few years ago... it was awful." "Rewind for a second," said Kristian, trying to understand. "You said no to him? For what?" "It's nothing," said Rin, shaking her head. "It's in the past anyways. If you won't help me,

I'll ask someone. It's perfectly fine." "I said I'll drive you already," said Kristian, annoyed. "I don't even know why I'm doing it but I'm doing it. I don't want to see your face like this okay? It irritates me. It makes me feel like shit." Rin's eyes widened in surprise. "Kristian..." "I have this feeling that you're only using me," said Kristian in a low voice, keeping his eyes on the nearest wall. "I feel like I'm also disposable as well. Did you know how happy I was when I saw you? Now, i just feel like crap that you were looking for me for another man. Do you know how that is?" Not knowing what to say, Rin went up to Kristian and held her head against his stomach. "I... I..." "Don't say anything," said Kristian, rubbing her head. "I'm being emo. Ignore me please. I hate this side of me. I don't want pity. Just leave me alone for a while." "Okay," said Rin, backing away from him. "Kristian, I want to say something before I go back to band practice." "I'm listening," said Kristian, taking in a deep breath. "The detention teacher knows me so well that she just lets me do whatever I want now. I have all day if you need it Rin-chan." "Thanks," said Rin quickly. "The thing is I am always with Jin and he's really simple. He's really easy to read and talk to, but you-" Rin paused and shook her head. "No, both you and Bo are complicated. It's very hard to read what you guys think or feel. Sometimes, I feel dumb for not understanding. I just don't know what to say and it makes me feel worthless." "I know you've been trying Rin-chan," said Kristian in a better mood now. Kristian suddenly laughed. "You've tried harder than any of the others. It's okay. It's a guy thing that you should ignore. We just want our girl to know us the best." "I see," said Rin, smiling softly. "I'll keep trying then. And Kristian," Rin walked away and turned around. "I'm not using you, at least not on purpose. I didn't mean to keep bothering you like this. I'll stop." "No," said Kristian, running after her and snatching her hand suddenly. "Please no." "But you said-" "It's an ego thing," said Kristian, tightening his grip on her hand. "I never ever want you to stop using me. Actually, hell, I'll say it out loud. I don't want you to use anyone else but me. Do you get it?" "You're confusing me again," said Rin, frowning. "Forget it. I don't know what I'm saying anymore." Biting her lip, Rin squeezed his hand. "I've never been in a relationship before. Is this how it feels like?" Kristian shook his head, not knowing what to say to that. Rin tilted her head. "I guess I should be fair to you. If you need me, you can use me too." "Really?" asked Kristian, surprised at her words. "Yeah," said Rin, nodding. "I owe you a lot. You're helping me a lot through all this drama and I appreciate it a lot."

"It's what I do," said Kristian, pulling her arm toward the classroom next door. "I hope you don't mind being a little late to your band practice." "Huh?" asked Rin, noticing where Kristian took her. Kristian winked at her and took out his string of keys. Then, he picked out a certain silver one and unlocked the classroom door. Seeing the surprised look on her face, Kristian laughed. "I stole it from the janitor." "You shouldn't do that," said Rin nervously. "I shouldn't do lots of things," said Kristian, countering her and pulling her inside the classroom slowly. "Come here Rin-chan." "Wait a second Kristian!" Despite the protest, Rin was pulled inside the classroom as the door shut behind them. The girls in the classroom next door wondered where Kristian went after he met that girl with the baby face. ************************************** Keeping his eyes outside the window, David only managed to hear some of the conversation around him. While the group ate at the nearest Pho Restaurant, they managed to stumble upon a subject that Jin was the master at- video games. Now, unlike before, it was time for Jin to talk non-stop about how to get 100% on various video games. Right now, Jin was giving advice on Megaman games. "David?" asked Grim, picking his eyes from his beef noodle soup. "Yo," said David automatically, shifting his attention to Grim. "Are you thinking about Yvette again?" asked Grim, annoyed. "I don't want to," said David immediately in response. "It's weird. Because I am ignoring her for the third day in a row, I think about her more than I'm supposed to." "That's why going on this strike will be hard," said Grim, drinking the tea from his cup. "But you have to. You work too hard for three days already to give up now. You have nine more days to go." "I know," said David, eating his food but not tasting it. "Nine very hard days." "Hey Jin," said Grim, turning to Jin who sat on his other side. David was sitting across from Grim while Eugene sat next to David. As for Sidney, he sat at the end of the table as the fifth person. "Switch spots with me. I want to talk to the other two about the game yesterday and David wants to talk to you." "All right," said Jin, standing up and moving to Grim's seat. "Hey David." "Stupid Grim," said David, irked at the routine Grim pulled on him. "He hates talking about emotional stuff so he backed out." "I don't mind talking about it," said Jin, smiling at David. "About earlier," said David, playing with the straw in his cup. "You want to say something to me." "Oh that," said Jin, looking at his empty bowl. "I know it's none of my business but I want

to know whether or not you and Yvette can talk it out instead of going on this strike that will most likely hurt you both." David frowned. "You don't know Yvette, Jin. She doesn't listen to reason." "But you're her friend," said Jin instantly. "She must listen to what you have to say even if she might not agree with it." "It's not that easy, Jin." "I'll help you," said Jin, giving David a determined look. "I'll help you with your decision. If you decide to ignore her, I'll join you. If you decide to talk to her, I'll help you with that as well. I want to help you David. I don't like seeing this animosity between you and Yvette these past few days." Hearing this, David felt some relief through his body and mind. "Thanks man. I need help with this shit. I'm no good at dealing with girls. You at least have a girlfriend so you must be doing something right." "Yeah..." said Jin awkwardly. "I know it might not seem like it but," said David, stirring his soda with his straw. "Yvette is a good person. She's a bit bossy and arrogant but she knows what she's talking about. She works very hard for the team, more than anyone can imagine. I remember nights when she would stay up just to look up information. She really loves tennis and the team." "I can tell," said Jin with a smile. "That is why she's the Captain." "Yvette's also very strong," said David, frowning. "A lot of girls talk about her behind her back. She knows but she doesn't say anything. She also doesn't mind all the teasing from the boys either. She just does what she does without caring what others thinks... as long as the team does well." "You know her very well," said Jin, impressed. "We've been neighbors for a long time," said David with a shy smile. He glanced at the other boys. They did not pay attention to Jin and David at all. "She comes over every weekend to play tennis on my tennis courts. My whole family knows her. We're really close. I change my mind about before. She is an endearing friend to me. Actually, I know her better than anyone else and I can say to some degree that I'm her only friend. Everyone else is scared of her." "Including myself," said Jin with a sigh. "I shouldn't have judged her like that." "No worries, Jin," said David in a friendly manner. "I'm sure she's used to it by now. That's just how Yvette is. Her personality is hard to work with. It's hard to get close to her. But some girls are just like that. People judge them too quickly." "Wait," said Jin, realizing something. David picked up his eyes at Jin. Everyone else did since Jin was standing up now. Jin checked his cell phone. "Tennis practice should have been over by now!" "Crap," said Sidney, checking his cell phone. "Ten missed calls from Sherry!" "The taken guys are in trouble," said Eugene in a sing-sang voice. "Catch you guys later," said Sidney, picking up his backpack in a hurry. "Someone pay for me! Thanks! Bye lovelies!"

"Come back here, cheap Sidney," said Grim, watching the taller boy leave the restaurant in vain. "Great. I hate spending money on a dude." "Here," said Jin quickly, placing a twenty on the table. "For Sidney and I." What a kind dude, said Eugene, surprised at Jin's generosity. You're not a real Korean are you? asked Grim, skeptical. Jin smiled. What is Korean pride anyways? "Jin," said David, looking at Jin with a frown on his face. "We'll talk online," said Jin with a friendly smile. "I'll help you! I won't back down from my words!" "You're a lifesaver Jin," said David, standing up and shaking his head at the boy. "I need to admit something before you go Jin. Something I should have admitted a while ago." "What is it David?" David dropped his head. "I judged your girlfriend big time. I thought she was a slut. But after talking to you today, you can't possibly date a slut. I should have more faith in your taste in girls. Your girlfriend is not all about the boobs and the short skirts is she?" "She isn't," said Jin, grabbing his backpack now. "And thanks for telling me that. I'm sure we can become closer friends from now on. Maybe I'll introduce you to Fi someday. Now, I have to go in a hurry before Fi murders me." "Feisty girlfriend," said David, blinking after Jin closed the door behind him. "Hey David and Eugene," said Grim, holding up the dollar for the tip. "Let's make a bet. Who will be in more trouble? Sid or Jin? Sherry versus Jezebelle." "Jin," said David, amused. "Sid," said Eugene without a doubt. "I'm betting on both of them equally in trouble and will show signs of injury tomorrow," said Grim, placing the dollar down. "No fair," grumbled the other two at Grim and his quick decision. Grim grinned and ordered another tea for the two dollars he was getting from the other two later. ************************************ "Bo?" asked Eun outside his door. She was carrying a tray with slices of apples and oranges ready for her younger brother. There was no answer from the other side of the door. "Bo? Are you okay? Are you sick? You came home earlier than usual." "Sister," said Bo, opening the door and grinning at her. "I'm fine. I am having trouble with Calculus so I need to work on it all day. Do you need me to drive you somewhere Sister?" "No, I have this," said Eun, holding up the plate of apples and oranges. "And I'm happy to see you trying so hard for school. I don't want you to fail like me." "You're not a failure," said Bo, accepting the plate. "Thanks Sister. You take care of yourself and keep yourself safe." "I won't bother you then."

"Thanks." Walking down the hallway, Eun kept glancing back at Bo's door. She heard a click. He locked his door. Bo rarely locked his door unless something was wrong. However, Eun was not strong enough to ask him what was wrong when he was so set on being fine. Eun sighed and shook her head. It was none of her business anyways. Bo was growing up so fast. Eun tapped a finger against her arm. Teenage angst again..." On the other side of the door, Bo left the plate of fruits on his desk, forgotten.

Author's Note
This chapter is really dialogue-centric for some reason... more so than any of the other chapters for whatever reason. Anyways, this chapter is meant to be a bit confusing since everything will be explained later for this arc. I don't think I need to explain whose arc this is. Actually, there might be more than one person I'm aiming at for this arc. I think it's obvious enough so I'm not going to say anything. I am four chapters away from the halfway point and I am only done with one arc. This is not good news since this story might be a lot longer than I want it to be. 100 chapters is even possible at this point. I dread to think this. Should I make chapters longer or...?