"So what is going on between you and San?" Saehi asks me as I am leaving my class.
"I don't know what you're talking about" I shrug and she rolls her eyes.
"You guys have been giving each other the cold should for days now and you wouldn't even sit with us for lunch. I don't even know where you go for lunch because I don't see you anywhere" she huffs.
"Nothing is going on really. I mean it. I am just a little busy. I have a lot of studies to catch up on. No matter how much I study, the pressure is getting to me" I answer half honestly. I was really struggling to keep up with all my schoolwork.
After school, I had two jobs to get to and then if I managed to get home on time, I had to help mom and dad with the restaurant. By the time I freshened up and ate my dinner, I was so tired that I did not have much energy left to study. This led me to wake up before dawn to get my studies done.
Basically my sleep schedule was completely messed up. I was not getting enough rest. I was barely eating 2 proper meals. I was overworking myself.
If this continued, I am sure I would collapse soon.
But I did not have any other choice.
And as for San? He wasn't talking to me ever since the night of the competition and I was also kind of pissed off at him. Even Woojin was not speaking to me.
I'll be honest, it is hard. I don't think the three of us have ever fought this way before and we have known each other since we were in diapers.
It is not like we have never had arguments, we argued a lot but it never lasted for more than a day. This time around, I don't think everything will be going back to normal anytime soon.
I did try talking to Woojin when our shifts overlapped at the Hive but he brushed me off every time.
I had to make it up to Woojin. And I wasn't sure where I stand with San. I was willing to admit where I am wrong but I highly doubt San is. I have to wait till he is ready to admit his half of the mistakes. We'll only be able to talk then.
"I can basically feel your brain waves emitting, cursing San. What's up?" Saehi pokes my cheek.
"We just argued. That's it. You don't have to think too much about it. When he is mature enough to admit his mistake, we'll talk" I shrug and continue walking towards my class.
"Well if it helps, he looks like shit and is cranky all the time. Does that help subside your anger a little?" Saehi raises an eyebrow at me.
"Yeah. A little" I smile and we both laugh.
"See you later. I have Chem" Saehi waves and leaves in another direction. I enter my classroom.
Taehyun is sitting next to my place. He is my bench mate. He talking casually to Beomgyu who is sitting in my place and looking at him talking casually with his air of nonchalance makes my blood boil.
I may be angry at San but that does not mean I forgot what he told me that night. Taehyun orchestrated the entire 'accident' that ended up breaking San's bone and putting him on the bench for an entire season.
San was also here on scholarship. I knew swimming was his ticket to his dream college in the U.S.
Thinking that this blonde boy talking and laughing was the one responsible for putting San's entire future at risk makes me want to strangle him with the straps of my backpack.
"You have a murderous look on your face" Beomgyu comments when I reach my place. I just grunt in response and Beomgyu gets up from my place. I take my seat and keep my vision on anything and everything apart from Taehyun.
Because if I look at him, I'll probably hit him. And Beomgyu as well. He must have been in on this plan. He must know it was Taehyun who hurt San. Still, Gyu defended Taehyun every time I was irked by him.
I don't even want to start thinking about Soobin right now because I am sure I'll end up puking my breakfast, given how my head is spinning just thinking about his name.
Till now only Kai was neutral but that was probably because he is the person I've least interacted with in their group. I am sure if I spent more time with him, I would get to know something ugly about him too.
"Earth to Yuri? Are you there? What happened?" Beomgyu asked and sat in the seat in front of me.
"Just not feeling well," I say and still keep my head down, scribbling in my notebook. I am just hoping that the teacher comes in early.
"Oh. Get well soon. Soobin has been in a very chirpy mood lately. He even told me you guys have plans for the weekend. He is looking forward to it. I assume things are going good" Beomgyu snickers and I whip my head up to meet his stare.
Shit.
I forgot about meeting Soobin at Hive this weekend.
After that night, I did not pick up Soobin's call and neither replied to any of Beomgyu's messages. I did not know how to.
With all the information being sprung up on me, I really don't feel comfortable hanging out with them.
The teacher thankfully enters at the right time and I don't have to give Beomgyu a response.
"What are you playing at?" Taehyun asks from beside me.
"I don't know what you're talking about" I reply without looking at him and take my necessities out and place them on my desk.
"I think you do. Don't feign innocence. I heard about what happened the night of the competition. Yeonjun helped you out with some bullies"
"How do you know that?" now I face him and I hope he can see my glare.
How did he know about that?
There was no one else apart from the bullies, Yeonjun, and me. I highly doubt that Yeonjun told him about that incident. Maybe before my mind would have straight away led me to believe that Yeonjun must have told it to everyone but after the conversation we shared that night, my mind is ready to defend Yeonjun.
"Then you left with Yeonjun as well. But before the competition, you were with Soobin. So I can't understand what is your angle. Usually, if someone is trying to bag one of the Royals, they focus on one before trying with another. You are spreading your net wide" he continues like I did not speak.
His accusation makes something in me twist and turn and my mother's warning about rich people weave into my line of thoughts.
I ignore the voices in my head and try to keep my voice as calm as possible, given how we are still in class and the teacher is still giving a lecture.
"I don't understand what you're saying. Now let me focus on the class" I scribble something in my notebook but my mind is too occupied to really comprehend the lecture.
"I think you know. You have all three of the brothers wrapped around you. Kai doesn't care enough to get involved because he thinks they are old enough to understand if someone is manipulating them" he shrugs.
"But they are like brothers to me. Whatever happens, we always stick together. So if you plan on playing your games and trying to divide them, you have another thing coming" This is probably the first time his voice is anything but casual.
"I have no interest in any of you. So you can relax" I bite out my words, reminding myself time and time again that we are in a class and we have a large audience.
"The rumors would speak otherwise" his eyes are sharp, assessing me, trying to find a crack in my face that will let him pick apart my thoughts.
"The Royals of all people should understand how baseless rumors can really be" I scoff and he narrows his eyes at me.
"And whatever you're insinuating, keep it to yourself because I don't want to hear it" I snap.
"Oh, I am not insinuating anything. I am calling you out. And consider this a warning as well. Don't delude yourself into believing that you belong with either of them. Stay where you belong" And with that, he gets up.
He puts his bag on one of his shoulders and the leather jacket on another. He does not even acknowledge the teacher and the teacher pretends he does not see TaeHyun as he casually walks out of the class.
Beomgyu looks at Taehyun with confusion and then looks at me but I turn my face. I don't want him to see me like this.
I sit in my place, my tears burning in my eyes but I refuse to let them fall.
A/n: Royals has crossed 2k reads. Yay!!!