Bo Ra watched Chan as he dragged Na Ri in the opposite direction down the hallway, away from the crowd. A short lived wave of relief washed over her before she turned her gaze to Jungsoo who was already looking at her, a cold glare in his eyes.
"Can't say you didn't deserve that slap." He commented while the students that had gathered around nodded in agreement. "Why are you doing this? I never did anything at all to you!" She raised her voice at him, feeling nothing but anger in that moment. Jungsoo smiled but it wasn't a sincere smile, it was the type of smile that sent a chill up your spine, as though something sinister was behind it, a dark plan or cruel intention that could destroy a person in a mere second.
"You're right. You didn't do anything to me but do you wanna know something, Bo Ra?" Jungsoo took a step closer to the girl, bending down to level his face with hers. Bo Ra felt her heart race in her chest, her anger fading away only to convert back to fear. There were so many things she didn't want others to know. They'd never look at her the same again. Her whole reputation relied upon the truth never being unveiled and yet it seemed as though her long reign as the respected class president was about to come to an abrupt halt.
"Nobody ever did anything to you either, especially not In Ho. Did you ever think about him or how he felt? Did you ever even once stop to think that maybe, just maybe, he wasn't okay?" Jungsoo shot at her, filled with the emotions he had so desperately tried to hide from her. Not a day went by that Jungsoo didn't miss In Ho, from the simple things like his infectious laugh and bright smile to his caring side that would always forgive others and prioritize their problems. Maybe that's why he ended up the most unhappy. Giving away all of your own happiness for the sake of others and receiving none in return was bound to leave nothing but an empty hole where a happy soul once was.
"I wasn't the one who pushed In Ho! Chan did that all on his own. You can't seriously blame me for his death when Chan's the one that shoved him over the balcony railing!" Bo Ra raised her voice but Jungsoo had managed to plant a seed of doubt in her mind. She knew the facts, she knew Chan was the reason In Ho wasn't alive, she knew In Ho had died at Chan's touch, she saw that with her own eyes and yet Jungsoo's words had left her questioning herself. Perhaps it could've all been prevented. Maybe if she would've stopped In Ho from drinking he never would have lost his temper at her that night. Maybe if she would've told him the hurtful truth sooner they never would have been on that balcony in the first place. Perhaps if she just would've calmed him down instead of yelling at him he never would've raised his hand as though he intended to hit her, maybe then Chan would never have reacted.
"You're just totally avoiding what I asked you so I guess I'm gonna have to be the bad guy and remind you of what you did." The corner of his lips turned up in an arrogant manner, feeling more than ready to jog her memory of her awful deeds. Bo Ra froze, her feet glued to the spot as all eyes landed on her. She wanted to scream and yell and even cry but her trembling body wouldn't listen to her brain's signals. In that moment she felt helpless and weak. For the first time in her life she no longer had the upper hand in the situation. She couldn't control her actions or feelings let alone anyone else's and it terrified her.
Jungsoo turned to face a portion of the crowd before pointing his finger at Bo Ra, all students giving him every ounce of their attention. "Bo Ra isn't who she led you to think she is." He began, shooting her a smirk before facing a different section of the crowd. "Bo Ra drove In Ho into thinking suicide was his only option with her constant lying and cheating!" He announced to the anticipating students. A chorus of gasps soon followed his statement, egging him to continue on but he hesitated.
A small part of Jungsoo didn't want these people knowing In Ho's past. He felt as though they weren't worthy of hearing about his struggles but Jungsoo didn't want them living under the pretence that she were some kind of saint while she blamed Chan for In Ho's death.
"You cheated on In Ho with your current boyfriend, Dongwoo. Don't even try to deny it because I saw you at that party and so did In Ho." He glared at Bo Ra who frantically looked at the faces of those around her, silently begging this to all be some bad dream that she would wake up from soon.
"-And if that surprises you guys, I bet you didn't know that Bo Ra was pregnant at the time of October 14th!"
"That's enough! They get it. You win!" Bo Ra yelled, tears streaming down her face as her nails dug into her palms. Running away seemed like her only option but her feet defied her commands to move, leaving her to stand in the middle of a crowd that were quickly turning against her.
She couldn't help but wonder if the emotions she felt now were even an ounce of how Chan felt everyday. She pushed away the thought of him, not wanted to show any sympathy towards the boy who killed In Ho. Bo Ra had never been sure of how to feel about Chan, she wouldn't say she was in love with In Ho or anything but she definitely felt something for the boy and Chan's action had caused a strange and foreign throb in her heart for what felt like decades.
"Do I though? Do I really win? What's my prize? Is it my friend back because that would be fucking fantastic!" Jungsoo's voice began to crack, the hard wall that hid his emotions beginning to crumble around him. "I'm not the one that killed him!" She screamed at the top of her lungs as student's heads turned to and fro between the pair, not knowing where to look.
"He sat on the edge of Mapo bridge and contemplated his options because of you! Not me or Chan or anybody else! All you and your cheating and lying to his face about it! You were his girlfriend and you didn't even know he felt that bad!" Jungsoo's loud yells echoed in the dead silent hallway, every student hanging onto his words. "You didn't see the cuts on his arms or the tears he constantly fought off. You never saw him at his worst...or did you? Did you just choose to overlook it? I just-he's gone forever." Jungsoo's voice grew smaller as his eyes began to water. He glanced down at the watch on his wrist just waiting for the bell for school to ring.
"If you were such good friends then where were you when he was on that bridge? Why weren't you with him, huh?" She smirked, regaining her calm composure, her voice clear and absent of any emotion. Her words sent a dagger through Jungsoo's heart. She was right, where had he been? Why wasn't he there for In Ho?
The bell sounded, accompanied by the groans of multiple students as they dispersed into the direction of their classrooms for attendance but the pair stood facing each other. Bo Ra wiped the tears that were dribbling down her face before striding towards the shocked boy. All confidence he felt before had faded away to nothing, replaced with heartache as all his missed opportunities to help In Ho replayed over in his head.
She leaned close to his ear, a small grin painted on her face before she spoke. "If I go down, so do you." She pulled away before turning in the opposite direction for her class but stopped when she heard him call her name.
"So what happened to the baby? I'm assuming you aborted it right? I can see how that would be convenient for you. Just dispose of your mistakes as though they never happened, right?" He spat at her, expecting her to turn around and yell at him or maybe even slap him but instead she continued on her way, not sparing him a single glance. He stood alone, watching as her figure disappeared into the crowd of gossiping students. "I'll make sure you know exactly how lonely In Ho felt."
"Na Ri?" Chan turned to the girl as students filed into classroom 43. Chan noticed that instead of glaring at him like they normally do they didn't acknowledge him at all which to Chan, meant a great deal. He felt as though this small breakthrough was progress in the right direction.
"Mhm." She turned in her seat to face the boy she had grown to adore. "Wanna come to mine tonight? My mum would love to meet you properly and she's a decent cook. You could stay for dinner." He suggested. Ever since his mother had met her the previous day she had non stop talked about the girl.
Na Ri felt uneasy in that moment. She knew her dad would not approve of this idea but she didn't want to let Chan down either. He didn't notice her look of discomfort, his attention focused on the feeling of her thumb running over his hand in a soothing manner.
"Sure." She said softly, choosing to push the nagging feeling of negativity away. She wanted to spend every waking moment with him, as though every moment together could be their last. She wanted to tell him about her past and about everything she felt when she looked at him and this dinner seemed like the perfect opportunity.
He smiled at her fondly, his heart pounding in his chest at the mere sight of her. Their eyes met for a brief second before Na Ri tore hers away at the sudden entrance of their teacher. Her hand shot under the table and onto her lap as her cheeks burned red, an action Chan found adorable.
"Relax. She didn't notice us even sitting together." He reassured her with a laugh but she ignored him, not wanting to draw attention to them. Truthfully, Na Ri was nervous that the teachers had indeed been watching the CCTV and would question their gathering at any second. Chan rolled his eyes at her but reached under the table, his hand finding its way to hers and interlocking their fingers. He saw her watching him from the corner of her eye but he pretended not to notice her, acting oblivious to his action as though it wasn't even him holding her hand.
"Lee Bo Ra?" The teacher called, glancing up from her book to search for the girl.
"Has anybody seen Lee Bo Ra?" She questioned but nobody answered. Na Ri and Chan glanced around the room, noticing her unusual absence.
Chan leaned over to Na Ri, cupping his hand over his mouth as his lips hovered inches from her ear. "Mission accomplished." He whispered with a chuckle.
What Chan didn't know was that his world was just days away from crashing down and Bo Ra was the least of his concerns.
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So, I have writer's block for the first time writing this and therefore am HIGHLY disappointed in this chapter so honestly, I'm so sorry for this utter shit.
The next chapter will be more Chan and Na Ri focused but will also be the beginning of the end.
ALSO CAN I JUST SAY LOVE YOURSELF: ANSWER.....I have mixed opinions. Not the biggest fan of 'Idol' but I adore 'I'm Fine' and BOI CAN I JUST SAY I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR 'EUPHORIA' TO OFFICIALLY DROP FOR AGES.
My question to ya'll is what's your favourite Disney Channel movie. Mine's either High School Musical or Starstruck.
Thank you for 38K reads.