YYXY Boarding School The Sequel

Chapter 10

5 Years ago

Hyejoo pulled on her hoodie strings making the hood cover most of her face, she was walking home, or to where she called home for the time being, Yerim was sick that day, she'd been sick quite often, so there was nobody to walk her home. The absence of her older step-sister made her very vulnerable, there was nobody to cheer her up after the horrors of her daily life. Nobody to tell her it was all gonna be okay when they got older. 

She tried her best not to be seen or recognized because those girls never followed her home when Yerim was there, but she had the feeling she was being followed, so her pace quickened. If she wasn't so scared she'd take the long way through the woods, and hurl rocks at trees, as she tried to keep the anger and the need to destroy to a healthy minimum. But it was quite hard when she just felt like screaming all day every day. 

She just stared at the cracks in the sidewalk as they moved beneath her, trying not to focus on anything else. She only had about ten minutes to go before she was home, and she could go see if Yerim felt better, if so they could go do something fun, or if not they could watch a movie, either way, they would have a good time. The footsteps behind her soon were accompanied by slightly hushed voices, 

"Hyejooooo... It's them again..."  The voice said, in a sing-song voice, almost mocking her for her misery. "You gonna do it today? You gonna show them who's boss?" Hyejoo angrily growled to herself, trying to shake away the voice. "Come on, take down your hoodie, show us that ugly face, baby girl." She heard from behind her, making her roll her eyes and walk a bit faster. "Seriously? Ignoring me again? I'm just trying to be your friend sweetheart, and all you ever do is ignore me!" 

"Kill her..."

She shook her head again, trying to clear the voice from it. "Yoohoo, I'm talking, can you listen? Or are you deaf, ugly, and stupid? If I were your parents I would have left you too." 

"I said, kill her, can't you do anything right? The knife is in your pocket, nobody's around, do it, now." 

Hyejoo clenched her fists, she was so close to home, so close to being safe, "Hey! That was a good one! Notice me! Or are you too scared you'll like what you see? I know about you. You're lucky I'd even speak to one of your kind, my older brother was gay and it ruined our whole family. Oh! It all makes sense now, you're parents left you because you couldn't carry on their legacy, because you're a fucking disgrace to science, because you'll never have a family because you just like girls, you throw away god's plan for you're dumb agenda, I get it." 

Hyejoo almost laughed, but still tried to keep her emotions secret.

"Kill this dumbass bitch, right now," 

"Ugh! Turn around and face me! Now!" She screamed, grabbing Hyejoo's arm and turning her around. Hyejoo looked down blankly at the girl who harassed her. "Haha look, we're holding hands, I know you're enjoying it!"

"The knife is right there! Don't be a doormat come on! You fucking idiot! Grab the knife and kill her!"

Hyejoo let out a noise of frustration, "Stop fucking talking to me!" she screamed, forgetting the other girl was there. "What was that?" The small girl said a bit shocked that Hyejoo dared reply to her. "Uhh... I didn't mean that! I'm sorry..." "You think for one god damn second you can speak to me that way?" She yelled, before signaling to the people behind her. Hyejoo took a deep breath, before turning on her heel and running as fast as she could. 

"Oh my god! Why the fuck would you run? You have a knife, stab the bitch, then run!" 

She knew they'd catch her but it was all she could do before one of them grabbed her from behind, yanked the hood away from her face. The group of about seven or so were all spitting insults at her that she wasn't able to hear, she just shut her eyes tightly and waited for them to be done with her.

"Look, they're gonna beat you up again, stab one of them while you can!" 

The main guy, she wasn't sure his exact name, Seungwon maybe? Who was the most popular girl at school, Chaesoul's boyfriend. Chaesoul being the girl who bullied her the most. "You think you can touch my girlfriend and get away with it? I know what your kind is like, predators and perverts every one of you." 

He pressed her against the metal gate behind them, her hood fell from her head and her messy black hair fell about her face. "You wanna fight back, little girl? You wanna try? Or you wanna just get your ass kicked and go home a failure like you do every day?" Hyejoo's ears rang, a defining sound coming from inside her head.

"He's so close, stab him too," 

"Aww, are you gonna cry, little weakling, can't handle the truth?" They mocked relentlessly, "Get that loser, Seungwon!" Someone urged on from behind them, her face already bruised in certain areas from the constant abuse. Then he drove his fist into Hyejoo's face making her fall to the ground, trying to cover her face to resist any more damage. 

"Wait, guys look!" They spotted an adult, known to work at their school down the road, walking along the sidewalk toward them. "We gotta get out of here!" 

"Get one of them before they leave!"

Hyejoo watched them all sprint away, and breathed a sigh of relief, she was spared for once. She stood under her long shakey legs, and hobbled back to her house.

As soon as she made it to her and Yerim's room, she collapsed on the floor next to Yerim's bed. "Yerim! I can't be alone, please get better, please, I love you." She cried, looking at Yerim and seeing she'd fallen asleep.

"Oh... I'm sorry, Yerim." She grabbed Yerim's hand, her whole body had gotten pale and purple veins grew along her hands. She looked so ill, so fragile, and it broke Hyejoo's heart to see the strongest person in her life so weak. "Get better soon, Yerim."