Stolen Reality ✓

13. Alone

 The necklace is fixed all except for two pieces.

I stare at it on my desk and bite my lip as I tie my hair back and put on my school uniform.

I had spent the rest of my week off from school in misery. Every day, I keep rethinking over what had happened. The attempt to gather all the members of Bangtan Boys has failed. My hopes to go back to the reality seems to be absolutely dashed. And now I have to go back to school, figure out who my friends are, if I had any, and my classes, in this reality.

Of course, I also have to face Yun-ji which is the worst of it all.

I have to watch her from a distance.

She and I are no longer friends.

When I head downstairs, Mom is sipping on coffee and looks at me, hard. "Do your best," she says, "or you know what'll happen."

Pretty much I'll be grounded and my phone taken away. That's what'll happen. Honestly, though, I deserve to be grounded. I sort want to get grounded in fact.

Jungkook doesn't text me, and of course there is no contact from any of the other boys. So what's the point of keeping my phone? And I don't want to show my face in public more than I have to in case I might run into one of the boys again. So being grounded might help that.

I walk to school, behind a group of boys from my school. They laugh and joke with each other, showing how close they are together, making my chest tighten. I must look like a depressed girl with no friends but I don't care.

My first class is history, and I barely pay any attention. I've always been pretty good in history, so the pile of homework my teacher gives me doesn't worry me too much. Some of my classmates ask why I was gone so long.

"Issues," I mumble in reply.

My teacher gives me a brief visit at my desk when everyone is quietly studying. "Song Nari, are you okay? I was concerned during your absence. I thought of visiting your home to make sure everything was okay."

My teacher and I have a good relationship, and I can't help but feel a little grateful and happier with her concern. I haven't had anyone other than my parents worry about my well-being in this reality so far. "Thanks, Ssaem*," I nod quietly. "But I'm okay."

My teacher gives me a long look before nodding. "Okay, but just know I'm here for you if you need."

The morning drags on and then it's fourth period. Science.

My science class heads over to a different room since we are learning chemistry and can't do experiments and deal with chemicals in a regular classroom. Several students from other classes join this science class, including Yun-ji.

Yun-ji and I would always joke around quietly in the back of the science room, always partner up for projects, always be together. I sit in the back of the room automatically, out of habit. Yun-ji is nowhere to be seen at the moment and I put my head down on my desk. The bell will ring soon, and the teacher will walk in and begin class.

"Excuse me, you're sort of in my seat," someone says directly above my head.

My head instantly shoots up from the desk as Yun-ji stands in front of me.

She looks so different. Her hair is no longer long and silky, but shortly chopped and she looks like she slept in her school uniform. No doubt the administrators weren't too happy when she showed up to school like this. I can't help but wonder if it's because of her parents that has lead her to becme so careless with her looks and uniform.