"are you okay? are you hurt anywhere? where the hell is that stupid girl, i swear i'm gonna-"
"don't." izumi sighed, tearing her gaze away from the window. "just let her have her moment, it doesn't matter anyway."
"doesn't matter? izumi, the girl stripped you in front of basically the whole school and almost killed you by throwing ice over your head! you still have scratches all over your arm from the shards!"
"yah, hyunjin, haven't you realised?" izumi questioned. "everyone was drunk, after sobering up they realised how dehumanising it was. look at sooji's desk." hyunjin glanced over, noticing the scribbles all over it.
"what about it?"
"she's been getting death threats since this morning. everyone's been talking shit since morning." izumi sighed, leaning back in her seat. "she ruined herself, so there's no point in rubbing salt into the wound." she shrugged.
"aren't you being too nice? you deserve to beat her up." seungmin spoke up. izumi sighed, shrugging her shoulders.
"let's just drop it, please." izumi pleaded, crossing her arms. the two boys sighed, but complied since izumi had already gone through a lot.
"but one thing i don't understand is why you even went, i thought you hated parties?" izumi mentally groaned at the dreaded question that she hoped wouldn't come up.
"i do." she answered. she suddenly remembered changbin, how the same conversation had played out last night. she hadn't even seen him at all after that, usually they had practice over the weekend but izumi didn't attend. "is changbin here today?" she questioned, turning to seungmin who was closer to changbin.
"hm? changbin hyung? yeah, we walked to school together." seungmin answered. izumi stood up from her chair and exited the classroom without another word. the two boys let her leave, wondering what was going on.
"is changbin here?" izumi questioned, stood at his classroom door.
"seo changbin? he went to practice rooms since he has a free period first." the class president of his class explained.
"oh, thank you." izumi bowed, before hurrying off to the dance studio. entering the separate building, she headed towards their usual room, finding changbin stretching his limbs.
"izumi, what are you doing here?" changbin questioned, panic clear in his voice as he avoided her gaze.
"do i really have to answer that or are you going to explain?" changbin sighed, dropping his arms to his side. "what are you hiding from us, changbin?"
he sat down on the floor, sitting cross legged. he patted the space beside him, signalling for izumi to sit down. the girl walked over, sitting down next to him. "the thing is, well you see..." changbin trailed off, a sigh escaping his lips.
"you can trust me changbin." changbin nodded, taking in a deep breath.
"my parents might be getting a divorce. they've been arguing for days, my dad leaves the house almost every night and my mum stays in her room, crying her heart out. because of that i kind of began drinking. not a lot, but something to do to pass time. i know it's bad and i'm still underage, but it was just something out of idiocy."
izumi sighed. "i wish you told me sooner, instead of turning to alcohol. you know all of us are here for you, we'll always be here for you. sometimes you just have to take the first step so we can give you a hand."
changbin smiled, a chuckle escaping his lips. "aigoo, when did you get so wise and serious?" changbin questioned, patting her head.
"since you made stupid friends," she rhetorically answered. "also stop being friends with that woojin guy, he's such a bad influence." she scolded. changbin chuckled, nodding his head.
"i'm with you on that one."
-
"it's all your fault!" izumi was suddenly shoved into the lockers, a tight grip wrapped around the collar of her shirt. her wide eyes glanced up at the culprit, only to come eye to eye with sooji. she was surprised that the girl had enough strength to lift her off the floor like this, it almost scared her.
"let go." izumi gently slapped at her hand but sooji continued to hold on tight.
"it's your fault! take responsibility! you made me look bad, when it's your fault!" sooji screamed, catching the attention of all the students in the hallway. they immediately circled around the pair, whispers spreading like wildfire.
"you're kidding right? first you threaten me, then you publicly strip and embarrass me, and now you're saying it's my fault? you really know how to play the victim, huh?"
"wow sooji did all that?"
"i'm never going to her parties again."
"honestly she's just a bully."
"isn't she just doing it because she's obsessed with hyunjin?"
"no way, is she a yandere or something?"
"let's just stop this now sooji. you've already lost, okay?" izumi reached up and attempted to pry sooji's hands off, but sooji's grip suddenly tightened. izumi's eyes widened as she struggled to breathe.
"take responsibility." she muttered, creeping izumi out and causing fear to run through the girl. "it was your fault."
"cha sooji, what the hell do you think you're doing?!" she was immediately shoved away, causing her to fall to the floor as izumi gasped for breath. "izumi, are you okay?" hyunjin immediately attended to the injured girl.
"cha sooji, to my office right now." the principal, who hyunjin had called after seeing what had happened, was glaring at the young girl. the crowd of students, along with sooji and the principal dispersed and only hyunjin and izumi remained in the empty hallway.
"i'm fine." izumi gave a weak, reassuring smile, rubbing her neck.
"what do you mean fine? if you're hurt then say you're hurt, you idiot." hyunjin sniffled, causing the short girl to look up at him.
"what the..." izumi trailed off, wondering what kind of situation she was in. "are you crying because of me?" she questioned, trying to peer at his face as he attempted to cover it up.
"seeing that you're already teasing me, i guess you're fine." hyunjin mumbled, attempting to discretely wipe away his tears as he pushed her away. izumi grinned nodding her head.
"hundred percent fine." hyunjin chuckled.
"i'm still taking you to the nurse's office." he pointed out.
"ah, why?" izumi whined. "i hate that place, why do i always end up there?" hyunjin flicked her forehead.
"stop getting hurt and worrying me then, idiot."