Jisoo left the student council room and headed to the shoe lockers but she was surprised to see Bobby leaning against them.
"Bobby, what are you still doing here?" Jisoo asked. "I thought you already left."
"Well, you said i could leave but i didn't say i would." Bobby stood straight. "And besides, you're not the only one i'm waiting for."
"Hey guys!" Hanbin suddenly showed up, waving his hand. "I'm sorry if i'm late. Did you wait long?"
"No." Jisoo replied. "I also just got here myself. Where are the other two, Jinhwan and Yunhyeong?"
"Oh, Yunhyeong already left while Jinhwan is still with his baseball club." Hanbin opened his shoe locker and took out his school outdoor shoes.
Jisoo did the same. The three of them then started heading out from their school building. They passed by the baseball field where Jinhwan and his teammates were still practicing. Hanbin waved at their friend who returned it by waving back at them.
"Speaking of clubs, what club does Bobby belong to?" Jisoo asked curiously.
Hanbin flinched. He looked at Bobby who was walking a few steps ahead of them. When Hanbin made sure Bobby wasn't able to hear what Jisoo had just asked, he leaned closer to Jisoo and whispered.
"As far as i'm concern, you didn't hear this from me, okay?"
"Okay." Jisoo nodded.
"Well, Bobby is actually part of the baseball club with Jinhwan." Hanbin's voice came out weak and he rather looked sad. "He's the team's ace pitcher while Jinhwan's the catcher. A perfect combination if i say so myself. But something happened during the first semester. There was a fight that Bobby got dragged into. The student council found out about it and prohibited him from attending any club activities for a month as a punishment."
"That's awful." Jisoo exclaimed. "And what about now? I'm sure Bobby's punishment has long been over now."
"That's the thing." Hanbin smiled sadly. "Bobby never came back to the club. He never came for their morning practices since that incident happened. Jinhwan has actually been trying to convince him to go back but Bobby's just too stubborn to comply."
"Hold on, i don't understand." Jisoo scolwed. "If his punishment was already over, why wouldn't he go back to the club? Don't tell me it had something to do with those rumours i keep hearing about? Are those rumours true?"
"Rumours?" Hanbin frowned.
"Yeah. Rumours regarding him being a troublemaker."
"Nah. He was just misunderstood." Hanbin insisted. "If you want to blame someone, blame the student council."
"Who?"
"Listen to me Jisoo and listen to me well." Hanbin cupped his hands towards his mouth. "The people Bobby fought that day were not even from our school. They were just a bunch of hooligans who were trying to extort money from one of the students studying here. Instead of rewarding Bobby, the student council chose to punish him."
"I don't understand." Jisoo's scowl deepened. "Why would they do that?"
"Isn't it obvious? They made an example out of him." Hanbin growled. "I bet Bobby wanted to go back to his team but the student council just wouldn't let him. What happened to Bobby would serve as a reminder to all of the students here to never get themselves into trouble."
"Yah."
The two of them flinched when they heard Bobby call for their attention.
"What are you two doing back there?" Bobby's eyebrows twitched. "Hurry up or we're gonna miss the train."
•••••
Jisoo was almost at the train station when she suddenly received a text message from her uncle.
"I'm sorry guys." Jisoo told the two boys who turned towards her. "But i need to go to my uncle's shop first."
"Aww~ you're not going home with us?" Hanbin pouted.
Jisoo smiled apologetically.
"Well, do you even know how to get there from here?" Bobby asked. "To your uncle's shop, i mean."
"Yeah." Jisoo looked around. "I think i can find my way there just fine. I remembered this particular street while we were on our way here. I can start from there."
"Alright, then." Bobby yanked Hanbin's bag, pulling him towards him. "We'll see you tomorrow at school."
"Yah, Bobby Kim! Let go of me now!" Hanbin struggled but Bobby was just too strong for him. "Bye Jisoo! Be careful on your way there!"
•••••
"Look who's here." Hoonie stopped mopping the floor when he saw Jisoo enter the establishment. "If it isn't our little princess."
"Hi Jisoo." Mino also stopped wiping the tables and greeted their boss' niece. "The boss told us you'd be coming here today."
"Oh? You're here already?" Yoon suddenly showed up with a tray tucked at his side. He just finished delivering a customer's order. "If you're looking for the boss, he's inside the kitchen."
"By the way." Hoonie stopped Jisoo from taking another step. "How's your first day of school? Found anyone you're interested in yet? What about the girls studying there? Are they cute?"
Just like Jisoo, Kang Seungyoon or Yoon for short was also a highschooler. He was a senior in another school. Lee Seunghoon or Hoonie for short was a second year college student majoring in business accountancy while Song Minho or Mino as what most his friends preferred had just entered college studying fine arts major in painting.
They were introduced to her yesterday by her uncle. To be honest, they were a little too friendly for Jisoo's taste but they were also as kind as they could get and she didn't mind that at all.
"Boys will always be boys." Bae Suzy, the other cashier rolled her eyes at Jisoo. "That's why i'll never get serious with a boy."
Bae Suzy was a conceited 22-year old beauty who never got to finish studying as she was having a financial problem at the moment. In order to support her needs for everyday life, she began to work in TOP's shop as a barista and cashier like CL.
"You liar." CL scoffed at the younger girl. "I see you everyday with different boys at your side."
"Don't misunderstand me." Suzy crossed her arms. "I did say i'll never get serious but i didn't mention anything about not dating anyone of them."
"And that's why we don't get along, noona." Hoonie laughed. "Boys like us still have feelings you know. We still get hurt everytime some girls try to play with our hearts."
"Yeah." Mino seconded. "And not all boys are the same."
"Can you all please go back to your assigned works?" Taeyeon, the shop's manager finally intervened. "And let Jisoo meet with the boss."
"Neh." The workers returned to their works.
"Forgive them." Teayon smiled at Jisoo apologetically. "They're just excited with you around here. It's not everyday the boss' relative gets to visit us here."
"It's alright." Jisoo waved her hand.
Jisoo just shook her head amusingly. She laughed softly before entering the kitchen. There, she saw her uncle talking to two more men who were leaning and sitting on the countertop.
"Jisoo!" TOP greeted his niece. "I'm glad you're here. I want you to meet two of my friends."
The two guys stood straight and faced her, smiling.
"Jisoo, this is Kwon Jiyong." TOP patted the taller guy. "He runs a clothing business with his fianceé."
"Hello." The guy called Jiyong waved at her.
"And this goofy looking guy over here is Lee Seungri." TOP jumped to the other guy. "He manages a ramen shop next door."
"Nice too meet you, Jisoo." Seungri held out his hand and Jisoo took it. "Your doting uncle talks about you all the time."
"Nice to meet you too." Jisoo smiled at her uncle's friends. "I'm Kim Jisoo and thank you for taking good care of my uncle all this time."
"What a nice girl." Jiyong complimented. "Beautiful and polite. You're very lucky to have her as a niece, TOP. Now, i can't wait to introduce her to Dara."
"Pfft! Oh please!" Seungri snorted. "We get it. You're getting married to your beautiful fianceé. You don't have to rub it on our faces."
"What? You're jealous?" TOP teased. "If you want a lovelife, there's someone outside this kitchen who is still available."
"Oohhh~" Jiyong joined in. "But i'm not so sure if our Seungri here can be able to handle her. CL is not like the other girls out there. She has this certain aura around her that keeps boys like Seungri away."
"Oh, shut up." Seungri gritted his teeth. "You were just misunderstanding my kindness to her as a love but let me clarify one thing here. I don't like that girl. I'm just curious about her, that's all."
They laughed including Jisoo. Jisoo didn't expect that one of her uncle's friends liked CL who also happened to be her uncle's employee. What a coincidence.
"Jisoo. What do you want to eat for dinner?" TOP suddenly asked. "We can order something on our way home or do you prefer home cooked meal?"
"Anything is fine." Jisoo answered.
"Well, how about ramen?" Seungri suggested. "My treat."
And so, Jisoo had ramen for dinner. She was joined by her uncle and his friends. They talked more especially about Jisoo's first day of school and were later joined by Dara, Jiyong's soon-to-be bride.
•••••
Jisoo was now in her room, doing her homework when she noticed the light that was coming from the room that was directly facing hers turn off. She checked the time in her clock and saw that it was already midnight. She contemplated before getting her phone lying on the table.
Are you still awake?
-Jisoo
Jisoo looked out from her window and noticed that the light turned on again. That might've been Bobby's room.
What now?
-Bobby
Sorry to bother you this late at night. I just wanted to know where your room is.
-Jisoo
You brat. I'm going back to sleep.
-Bobby
Wait. Aren't you curious where my room is?
-Jisoo
I don't care.
-Bobby
Alright, alright. Geez! You're so uptight. I'll see you tomorrow then.
-Jisoo
Jisoo sat aside her phone to finish her remaining homework and headed to bed. Jisoo just hoped that nothing troublesome would happen tomorrow.