judge me once, love me twice | 2yeon

8 | safety isn't ensured

Nayeon looks at the equation on the board.

It's not hard, but with the way her brain has been acting up lately, she can't figure it out.

No one's more shocked than Nayeon herself.

"Nayeon, let's talk outside." Professor Jung pulls Nayeon out of the class, shutting the door behind them. "Are you alright? You haven't been yourself lately, and your work has been lacking its usual umph."

The younger girl can't bring herself to answer, and Professor Jung pats her shoulder with a sigh. "Tell you what, why don't you go to the English room? Their class is just watching Pride and Prejudice, you could use a break."

Nayeon smiles and the loving professor and nods her head.

"That's settled then. You'd better get going, or else you're going to miss the movie." Professor Jung gently pushes Nayeon to leave, and she heads back inside her class. 

Nayeon treads the school hallways carefully. She knows this school like the back of her hand, and she knows every single nook and cranny of a room that the building has to offer.

It's not much, but it's all she's got.

She used to come to the school all the time as a kid, excited when she'd see the older students living her dream high school life.

And the beginning of her high school life was fine as well, at least, until Han Yejun joined.

"No, Ji, I can't."

Nayeon is about to turn the corner when she hears an annoyingly familiar voice, and turns back to her hallway.

"I don't want to go back. I can't go back now Ji, I've done too much to escape."

Escape?

"Han Yejun — which isn't even his real name, mind you — is coming back, I've gotta be a bodyguard for someone, and I've already gained myself two enemies in this damn school." Jeongyeon sighs, and Nayeon can't help but be more confused.

There are so many things going on in her mind.

Her ex's name wasn't even Han Yejun? So was he an imposter—and second, why is she being a body guard?

"I'm scared." Jeongyeon's voice breaks, and Nayeon feels herself empathising with her. "I came here to relieve myself of who I had been brainwashed into, but now I have to deal with someone who knows everything about me. I'll have to move schools again."

Nayeon isn't even the one in Jeongyeon's situation, but she hears her heart shatter.

"I'm trying my best to live a normal life, get normal friends and to get away from the past but now the past is catching up with me and it's just too much to bear it all." Jeongyeon sniffles, "And how did she even find me anyways? Someone must have ratted me out. Was it you?"

There's a little voice on the other side of the call that sounds angry.

"I don't know, Ji! Who else could it possibly be?"

Nayeon doesn't want to intrude, but now it seems like her problems aren't as much as Jeongyeon's.

She decides to head back to Algebra and figure out a plan by herself.

*****

Nayeon doesn't know how to deal with it.

Firstly, she doesn't even know Jeongyeon's life, and isn't even remotely close to her in any way possible.

Next, she doesn't know who the mole is—the person who ratted Jeongyeon out.

And third, Han Yejun wasn't even his damn real name.

Nayeon doesn't know who to relay all this information to.

Sana would think she's a psycho, Momo would stay on her spy agenda, Chaeyoung sees the good in people, Tzuyu doesn't like to be bothered with other people's drama, Dahyun is over-enthusiastic, and she knows nothing about Mina.

Bingo.

Mina!

*****

"What are you asking me for?" Mina doesn't look up at the girl. "About Jeongyeon?"

"Yeah..." Nayeon's voice trails off. "You're good friends with her, right?"

Nayeon's smart, but Mina catches on quicker and can improvise within a matter of seconds.

"Of course I am. What is it that you want to know?"

"I don't want to ask you for information about her, but for information to protect her." Nayeon admits. "Someone she hates is after her."

"No shit." Mina mumbles under her breath.

"What?"

"Nothing." Mina claps, and stands up. "Why does she need protection? She's perfectly capable of protecting herself, Nayeon. I've known the girl since I was a baby and she's been trained in martial arts."

Mina's not lying. She has known Jeongyeon since forever, and yes, Jeongyeon is trained in martial arts.

Nayeon's eyes don't believe her though. "But she said she was scared..."

Mina breaks out into a fit of laughter. "J-Jeongyeon? Sc-Scared?"

It's the first time Mina's laughed this hard in a long while. Nayeon finds it creepy however, and looks at the faces of people who are walking past. They agree with her.

Mina's laughter fades away after some time, and Nayeon waits for her to calm down (which takes more time as well because Mina has another laughing fit).

Mina's laughter finally subsides, and her face turns neutral within a matter of seconds.

"Why do you wanna protect her so bad?" Mina asks, and the other girl shrugs her shoulders. "I thought you two were like, enemies or something."

"I mean...it's not correct." But it's not wrong either. "Besides, you're her friend. Shouldn't you care?"

"Hm...Not really." Mina begins to walk away. "Besides, it's too late for you to be asking me these questions. We have volleyball practice now."

Nayeon doesn't even know how to react.

"We?"