SONG ABOUT US || Lee Juyeon || Singer AU

Chapter 20; consequences of rumors

Somehow hearing him cussed at everyone and cheering me up did boost my mood up. He was indeed our cheerleader and our angel.

***

Once everyone was outside in the field for recess, I quickly sneaked my way out of the school gates, unnoticed, and walked away without looking back.

I spent the afternoon at the park, sitting on the bench, just lost in thoughts. The afternoon was nice and relaxing, comparing to what happened at school.

I thought before did happen, which is:  what might happen if my secret got out? How it might change things at school. And now, in one morning, my disguise has been taken away from me. I couldn't blend in with the crowd anymore. I couldn't act like anybody anymore. It was a story. I was public property.

Outside of the school, no one knew who I am. So I was, in a way, lucky...but I didn't feel it. Slut. Shank. Bitch. What right did they have to call me those horrible things? What made people so spiteful towards a stranger? A human?

My phone buzzed in my pocket, begging me to unlock it. To get online and see what the world was saying about me. towards me. I had locked my Instagram account and blocked the trolls but I still feel exposed. They see out there somewhere in the world, hating me.

As for Juyeon, why did he bother leaking the photo in the first place? Was he trying me a point? Trying to show me that I didn't belong in his world? He's been so keen that I'd sent that picture to him- maybe it was his plan all along. To teach me a lesson.

If that's true, it has certainly worked.

***

Later that evening, I was held by a sudden fear as I stepped into the house. What if the school noticed I was gone and phoned my dad? Since we'd argued before there'd been a weird tension in our house, a silent wall between us, and skipping school would only make it worse. I stepped into the hallway, he was waiting for me.

"Yoona, what's going on?" I had to make an excuse, quickly.
"Dad, I can explain. It was-"
"Look at this!"

He was holding a sheet on paper. I peered it at it: a blurred image in the center, a message at the bottom.
"Do you know who did that?"
"Wh-where did you get this?"

"Someone put this in our letter-box," Dad said as he let a deep sigh. "Yoona...this is you."

The image on the paper was a low-quality print out of the photograph from the fan blog, my infamous Juyeon selfie. Our names were craved on the topic black marker: "Yoona + Juyeon <3 <3 <3"

I read the message underneath it. My heart sank as my hands trembled. She used to be such a good girl.

Judgment, once again...

"What's this?" Dad said, shaking the paper in my direction. "Who's Juyeon?"
The name sounded dry and bitter in his mouth. It seemed to upset him.

"He's just a kid in my grade, Dad. I barely even know him."
"The school needs to know about this. No-one is allowed to do this to you. I'm calling the principal tomorrow morning."

"N-no, please don't." I stammered, my voice barely coming out. "It won't happen again. They're just idiots joking around. Please don't tell the school."

The last thing I needed from the school was attention.

"Dad..?" There was a slight crack in my voice. Dad heard it too. His face softened, arms raising to embrace me. His hands brushed my shoulder, I flinched, backing away.