"Brian..." Haeyoon woke up earlier to visit the boy working in the cafe. Initially, she was worried that Jaemin might've come for his morning run but Brian told her that he just left a moment ago.
"Haeyoon..." Brian signals another worker to take over his role for a moment as he approaches the younger girl, "How bad is it?"
Haeyoon's continuous running tears and whimpers were enough for him to understand, "I tried my best to cover it up. Is it enough, do you think?" With her pointer and middle finger, she tugs her collar down to reveal her concealer filled neck.
"Yeah it's covered." Brian reassures the girl, "Hey tell you what, Naeun is in the toilet right now and we were just talking about how she misses you a lot." Haeyoon's ears perked up at the mention of her other dance leader's name and also Brian's partner, "How about she takes you to school? Would you be more comfortable with that?"
Nodding with a stable smile in return to the offer, "I would like that a lot."
As if on cue, Naeun gasps excitedly at the sight of the shorter girl. Haeyoon giggles and runs over to her senior, missing her just as much, "Haeyoon! Oh my gosh, have you been crying? Who made you cry? Lemme at 'em!" Naeun pouts and grabs a handful of tissue from the tissue box on the counter, dabbing Haeyoon's salty water away.
"Perfect timing, Eun. Can you accompany her to school today?" Brian asks his girlfriend, worry laced in his voice.
Naeun shot him a raised eyebrow, the tone he used made her realise the situation. Yes, Kwon Naeun is the only other person besides Brian who knows her situation at home, "Of course! Let's catch up on the way. Let's go!"
Naeun's company definitely refreshed Haeyoon's mind, her cute couple stories of her and Brian made her excited for her own journey to find love. Haeyoon herself told her about the current dance team and how she landed the leader position with Jaemin, the older one shooting her a teasing look to which Haeyoon rolls her eyes away and insisted that 'it's nothing like that'
Naeun accompanied her into the school, Haeyoon practically latching onto her arm as she didn't want to let go of her close friend yet, scratch close friends, they acted more like sisters.
"Naeun noona?" The two girls look up to see the mentioned boy from earlier.
"Jaem Jaem! You've grown so much you big boy!" With energetic strides, Naeun hugs the boy without a second thought.
"Naeun unnie!" Yebin squeals and lets go of Donghyuck's hand as soon as she recognises the familiar figure, "I missed you so much! What brings you here?"
The girl lets go of Jaemin, giving Yebin a tight, loving hug, "Met Haeyoon in the cafe where Brian owns and so I dropped her off."
"You went to Brian's cafe?" Jaemin asks Haeyoon, who simply nods. He was not expecting her to come so early in the morning.
The little group had a little reunion up until the final second of the bell. Naeun assures Haeyoon that she is a message and calls away, rubbing her arms up and down hoping to release some tension in her muscles. Before fully leaving the school grounds however, Naeun mouths to Jaemin to take care of her. Jaemin wasn't sure why she specially had to mouth it to him as she even created a hand barrier on the side of her mouth so that the others wouldn't see the message that is relaying to him. Nevertheless, Jaemin nods and the school day starts.
'What were you trying to say Naeun noona?' It deeply troubled Jaemin that he hadn't seen Haeyoon's refreshing smile or soothing voice the whole day. Currently, sitting in his most hated subject, Jaemin closes the thick health education book. They learn quite literally the same things in their human biology class so why do they still need health class? And with the worst teacher as well: the grumpy, grey haired, granny, Mrs Oak. To the teachers, she is a respectful old woman, being the longest in Nabi High School to teach. But to the students, she is infamous for her detentions for the dumbest reasons alive.
Jaemin couldn't focus in her class and the fact that Haeyoon's slumped shoulders were right in front of him made it worse. Mischievously, he leans his upper body forward and gently kicks the leg of one of her chairs, "Sorry..." Jaemin unapologetically apologises to the girl.
Haeyoon must be in her own world because she didn't even turn back to acknowledge him. Jaemin purposely kicks the chair again, this time more evident as the chair lightly scrapes on the floor. With an unamused face, Haeyoon looks back to meet the grinning boy, "Na Jaemin."
"It was an accident." Jaemin shrugs off, resting his chin on his folded arms, "Pay attention to the class, bubs."
Haeyoon tucks her chair in more, paying attention to the new but old concept that Mrs Oak is going through on the whiteboard. Jaemin grabs a spare paper out of his bag, ripping it to little pieces, occasionally throwing it to Haeyoon. He frowns at her lack of attention on him.
"Are you a baby?" Haeyoon finally turns back, having enough of his little play, "What are you doing?"
"Catch!" Jaemin throws a paper ball, this time with a bit more momentum. But instead of catching it, Haeyoon dodges the hard and spiky ball as it hits the seatmate in front of her.
The student yelps a bit at the unexpected texture on her back, Mrs Oak stopping the lesson at the sound, "Who's throwing paper balls in my class?"
Jaemin points to the innocent girl, "It was Haeyoon!"
"What?! Miss, it was Jaemin." the two had their pointer fingers directed to each other.
Mrs Oak, valuing their class time, did the easiest and most practical thing to her, "Na Jaemin, Choi Haeyoon, detention after school today." Haeyoon shoots Jaemin a dirty look while Jaemin just did a tongue out at her, smiling to himself of his achievements to at least hear her voice for the day.
Strangely, Haeyoon didn't feel like staying under the shades of the tree. With the hardest to hear whisper, she excuses herself from the group, grabbing her bag and walking away from them before anyone could even react to the situation.
"There's definitely something going on with her." Donghyuck states the obvious to the group who only gave him a 'really' look.
"I'm going to catch up to her." Yebin snaps her lunchbox shut, quickly catching up to the girl who went inside the school building, "Hae! Wait up."
Haeyoon didn't expect the company, her slightly widened eyes said it all, "Hey, what's wrong? Is it because you have detention after school?"
"What?" Haeyoon momentarily forgot the positive punishment, the task of cleaning the school's swimming pool occupying her precious time, "No, it's not but thanks for reminding me or else the old hag wouldn't let me live for another day."
"No probs." Yebin giggles in response, "So? It seems like something has been bothering you."
'Yeah.' "No, I'm fine really. Just super tired of school and final year is making me think a lot about the future."
Yebin isn't a fool, she knew her best friend better than that. The way that Haeyoon's eyes voided all happiness and how her body fell limp at every passing second is obvious to someone who has been beside her for almost their whole highschool life, "We'll always be by your side. Never forget that."
"Thank you..." Haeyoon bites her lips, getting a sudden need for a hug, "Can I get a hug?"
"Aww come here, you big baby." Yebin snuggles her friend like a teddy bear.
"That just reminds me of how Jaemin calls his bike 'baby'" Haeyoon rolls her eyes at the thought though a small smile fixed on her face.
"Jaemin huh?"
"What? What are you thinking about now?"
"No, it's just that," Yebin stops, humming for a second before continuing, "do you have a thing for him?"
"Ugh, why does everyone ask me this?" Haeyoon groaned though deep down, she didn't know how to even answer the question. She definitely felt a sort of attraction towards him, feeling empty if he isn't by her side. Haeyoon was saved by a mysterious, loud bang from a nearby locker area, hearing how people let out 'ooh's and 'ouch'es. Yebin and Haeyoon let go of each other, looking at each other with crashed suspicious eyebrows, a bad feeling creeping up on them.
"Did you bribe her?" the tone is filled with underlying rage and jealousy, "Did you give her money so that she would be around you? You should be ashamed of yourself!" Soobin smirks seeing how Jaemin tries to control his anger, "I bet you made a fucking bet about her."
After Yebin left to catch up to Haeyoon, Jaemin followed the two shortly after as he tried to decipher Naeun's message to him. On the way, Soobin grabs the boy by his back collar, briefly choking up as he feels the pressure on his Adam's apple being pressed back. Without any time to react, Jaemin's face swayed harshly to the side in the middle of the hallway. Soon after, a crowd encircled them, Renjun, Donghyuck and Jeno trying their best to split the two apart while the others took entertainment towards their argument.
Jaemin wipes the cut on his lips, blood oozing out of the little abrasion a little bit from Soobin's ring, "You think too little of her. She's worth more than a fucking bet." Jaemin spat out angrily.
Jaemin lets his body do the talking as his fist lands on Soobin's face, Haeyoon pushes through the body of the crowds, finally entering the battlefield of the two boys. The scene in front of her is a mess, Renjun trying his best with Donghyuck to hold Jaemin's arms. Jeno stood in front of the kneeling Soobin, putting an arm out towards Jaemin, telling him to calm down before he gets into bigger trouble. Jaemin didn't realise how the girl was one of the crowds, his anger blinding him into having a tunnel view wanting to demolish every part of Soobin's sickening words.
Haeyoon jumps into the scene, stepping into his view. Visibly, Jaemin's jaw starts to relax and Renjun and Donghyuck no longer struggle to hold him back, "Calm down, Jaem." She knew she could only do so much to tame his anger. The only thing that came to her mind was to bring the boy close to her as her hands would caress his nape.
Knowing that Jaemin is in a better state of mind, Renjun and Donghyuck fully let him go. Jaemin's veiny hands clasp both sides of her waist making Haeyoon gasp a bit at the sensitive contact. Last night's events haunted her a bit. Jaemin quickly retracted his hands, feeling his relaxation replaced with confusion, "What's wrong?"
Haeyoon shakes her head, "Nothing. Please calm down."
"You should be speaking for yourself. You're shaking like a leaf." Like a leaf being smacked harshly by the wind of the whispers around them.
"But you're here so I'm stable." Haeyoon's pace and light breathing eventually matched with Jaemin's.
"Haeyoon." the girl tried to face the boy calling out to her but Jaemin restricted her from doing so, his desperate 'no' and his neck buried deep on her neck made it hard to even breathe, "He's no good for you, baby."
Haeyoon knew that she needed to give the boy some attention or else another problem may arise. She managed to convince Jaemin to let her go but Jaemin made sure to at least have a hold on her hand, intertwining them together, "You don't get to choose what's best for me, Soobin."
Jaemin didn't expect that answer, he thought that she would try to console him or something but it seemed as if he won an imaginary bet.
The disciplinary teacher, who so much happens to be the one and only Mrs Oak, broke up the ring of bystanders as they all scattered around the school, gossiping about the juicy tea that is most definitely going to be spread around the school.
If anyone noticed, I wrote 'positive punishment', that isn't a typo. There are two different types of punishments, 'positive punishment' and 'negative punishment'.
Skinner used this in operant conditioning. Positive punishment 'involves presenting an unfavourable outcome or event following an undesirable behaviour' (Verywell Mind, 2020). While negative punishment 'involves taking something good or desirable away to reduce the occurrence of a particular behaviour.' (Verywell Mind, 2020).
So both types of punishment, positive and negative, reduces a particular behaviour from occurring again in the future but they do it in different ways. Positive involves adding an event or stimulus (eg. doing more chores), while negative takes away an event or stimulus (eg. taking away your phone for a week)
Indeed psychology is very interesting.
from_izzy