The Bet

I'll help you

In every high school, you have the popular crowd, that group of students everyone wants to rub shoulders with, that everyone wants to be liked by and waved to as they rub shoulders in the corridors. That group of students who rule the school, who are- and know they are- the best. Then again, you have the Class One nerd, that one student who never seems to fit in anywhere, who sits in the dustiest, most isolated corner of the library with his nose pressed between pages of thick tomes, who gets bullied and sneered at because he just doesn't fit in. At Yongbuk High School, two names can easily be fitted into those positions- Son Hyunwoo or Shownu to his friends, and Yoo Kihyun.

***

One day, Shownu and a few of his friends were lounging round on the second floor, when they happened to glance down and see Kihyun being bullied again by a group of students below them on the ground floor. As they watched passively, Shownu said thoughtfully, "you know, I bet that Kihyun kid wouldn't be bullied so much if he didn't look like he stepped straight out of the Trot era."

Wonho chuckled, then thought for a while and added, "you know what, you're on. I dare you to transform that nerd into a hottie that the entire school will be chasing after. And it can't be just his physical appearance.His mannerisms and character needs to change too." 

  Shownu eyed Kihyun, who was backed up against a wall as the bullies threw verbal abuse at him, said skeptically, "it'll be tough... but you're on." At that, Minhyuk added, "you have two weeks. Fair?" Shownu pushed himself off the wall he'd been leaning against and said nonchalantly, "okay, guess that's enough. Might as well get started now, actually," then left the other two.

Wonho and Minhyuk watched from upstairs as Shownu sauntered out to where the bullies were still grouped around Kihyun. "Hey, pick on someone your own size," Shownu said casually as he strolled over. The students all turned in shock- why was Son Hyunwoo defending a hapless nerd?

"Are you standing up for him?" one of them sneered, eyeing Kihyun in disdain. "Why yes, yes I am. Now scram before I turn you all into oozing blobs," Shownu said lightly, but his voice was charged and the bullies immediately fled the scene. Shownu had an iron reputation and fists to match, after all.

He then glanced over at Kihyun, who was now on the ground fumbling for his glasses, which had been flung to the ground earlier. He evidently couldn't see a thing without them, because they were just in front of him, slightly beyond his current reach, but he still couldn't see them.

Shownu knelt and picked up Kihyun's glasses before handing them to him. "T-Thank you," Kihyun stuttered as he fumbled to put them back on, his head lowered and refusing to look up at him. Shownu raised one eyebrow. "Hey, I'm not going to eat you, you know. Look at me."

Kihyun lifted his head obediently, but he still didn't have the courage to look Shownu in the eye. There were tear tracks running down his face and his stuff was strewn over the floor, but thankfully he seemed to be physically unhurt. "Oh, you poor kid," Shownu said, clicking his tongue sympathetically as he helped Kihyun retrieve his stuff. Kihyun stammered, "y-you don't have to help me, I-I'm okay."

"Tsh, you're crying like a baby, of course you're not okay," Shownu said dismissively, and Kihyun immediately wiped his cheeks furiously as he turned bright red with mortification. Shownu reached up to wipe away a stray tear, and Kihyun immediately flinched backwards like he'd been slapped.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Shownu said in amusement, but then he caught sight of the pure, unadulterated terror on Kihyun's face and he stopped short. "You're really scared, aren't you," he said, suddenly feeling sorry for him. Kihyun didn't respond, but hung his head as he stuffed his books and notes back into his overly-large backpack.