A few days later, Byulyi returned to school.
After her grandma had woken up that day, the doctor had run several checks, before declaring that she was ready to be discharged when she wanted to. Byulyi, of course, was ecstatic.
Seokjin and Jisoo, and occasionally Mr Kim, had gone to help her take care of her grandma for the next few days after school. The F5 members had gone to visit her grandma twice as well. For that, Byulyi was really grateful.
However, Seokjin and Byulyi hadn't talked about their conversation since that day. They were so busy taking care of Byulyi's grandma that they didn't have the chance.
It was time to put that all to an end when Byulyi returned.
It was lunch time the day that Byulyi had returned ro school. Seokjin took the initiative, walking to Byulyi's table and asking her out for lunch that day. Jisoo had... well, of course, tagged along. Byulyi knew that it was going to be awkward but... it wasn't.
It was worse than awkward.
"Byulyi..." Jisoo frowned, staring into her pale soybean stew. "I'm sure you heard my apology that day at the hospital, didn't you? Once again, I wanna apologise."
"Me too..." Seokjin said. "Even though you were the one who abandoned me first, it was my fault for getting mad. I should have talked it out nicely. I'm sorry..."
"Yeah," Jisoo nodded encouragingly. "I don't object anymore. I was foolish. I'm really sorry, Byulyi. I hope you and I can become good friends too. Is that possible?"
"Why wouldn't that be possible!" Seokjin looked at Byulyi hopefully. "She's an easy-going person, isn't she?"
"Aw, that's so sweet." Jisoo smiled. "Thank you, Byulyi. You're the best. I can't believe I treated you that way before."
And that was how the meal went. Byulyi hardly had the chance to speak, because Seokjin would say one sentence and Jisoo would say the next. At the end of the meal, Byulyi was sure they were back as friends, but it sure didn't feel like it.
They walked back to the classroom, three of them side-by-side, but Byulyi felt as if that conversation about friendship never took place in the first place.
Attempt one, failed.
Back in class, things were more light-hearted. About a week had passed since the day Hoseok had accused Jieun of stealing his watch, and the matter had almost been swept under the carpet.
Hoseok had made a report to the school, who chided him for bringing such an expensive item to school. People in school were mostly supportive of Jieun, because no solid evidence had been found yet. Some people, who were mostly Jieun's anti-fans, however, thought otherwise. They felt that Jieun was the most likely to have stolen the watch.
Jieun was much better. With her F5 members on her side, she felt happy. Plus, her classmates were supportive of her too. Even Hoseok had dropped his accusations against her and started being friendly again. She really thought everything was going to get better.
However, Yoojung didn't seem to think the same way. Whenever she had the chance, she brought up the topic of the watch. That day, was no different.
"If the culprit isn't caught yet..." Yoojung scratched her chin, doodling on a piece of paper on Jieun's desk. "It means that he- or she- is still out there with Hoseok's watch. But why?"
"Why?" Jieun laughed. "Yoojung, please. It's a gold watch we're talking about. The person obviously stole it for the money."
"Really?" Yoojung furrowed her eyebrows. "Why does my tingling instincts tell me otherwise, then?"
"Are you still at it?" Jimin dragged his chair over, laying his head on Jieun's table. A few strands of his hair flew onto Yoojung's piece of paper. Jimin squinted. "What's that?"
"Shh." Yoojung glared at Jimin, sweeping his hair out of her way. "If Lisa was right, there was really only you, Seokjin and Yoongi..."
Jieun looked at the paper carefully. In tiny scribbles, Yoojung had scribbled the words:
ji
seok
yoon
Yoojung looked up at Jieun. "You're out."
ji X
seok
yoon
"Yoongi..." She turned and looked at Yoongi who was sleeping like a dead log as usual. "Always sleeping - virtually impossible."
ji X
seok
yoon X
"Seokjin..." Yoojung looked up at Seokjin who walked into the class with Byulyi and Jisoo. "Love life is already messed up enough - out."
ji X
seok X
yoon X
"Urgh." Yoojung sighed, ruffling up her hair frustratedly. "We're back to square one again."
"No, we're not."
Yoojung, Jimin and Jieun turned, only to see that Jungkook had just woken up from his afternoon nap after having his usual heavy lunch.
"What do you mean?" Yoojung sighed, staring at the paper. "The three suspects Lisa mentioned she saw before leaving are all here-"
Jungkook didn't even bother explaining. He took the piece of paper, snatched the pen from Yoojung's hands and scribbled something on the paper. As Jungkook went back to sleep, Yoojung, Jimin and Jieun glanced at the paper and gasped.
ji X
seok X
yoon X
LISA
~
"Oh my god, he's right." Yoojung exclaimed, hitting Jimin on the shoulder. "He's totally right."
"Okay, chill." Jimin held on to Yoojung's hand firmly
to prevent her from hitting him some more, but they locked eyes and he immediately let go.
"But why?" Jieun frowned. "I don't get it. I didn't see her touch Hoseok's bag while she was sitting at Hoseok's table talking to me."
"She sat at Hoseok's table?!" Yoojung exclaimed out loud, before realising and immediately lowering her voice. "She sat at Hoseok's table?"
"Mmhmm." Jieun nodded slowly. "But only to apologise. She didn't anything funny... I think?"
"What were you doing while she was talking to you, Jieun?" Yoojung asked excitedly. "Were you like maybe doodling or like eating or like distracted by something else?"
"Um... I was looking at her. We're talking, right?"
"Oh..."
"She's not like you, Yoojung." Taehyung pulled a chair over as well, squeezing himself between Jimin and Jieun. Now all five members were cluttered around the two desks belonging to Jungkook and Jieun. "She listens to people while they're talking."
Jieun laughed.
Yoojung ignored Taehyung. She was still being extra careful around him because he was, after all, still going through a heartbreak.
"Class? Get back to your seats!"
The gang looked up. Ms Ahn was here. It was time for class to begin. Taehyung and Jimin hurriedly pushed their seats back to their desks and Yoojung turned around to face the front, shoving the piece of paper into her pocket.
"Class, please submit your art worksheets to the front now. Those people who didn't bring your worksheet, please stay back after class."
Jieun reached into her bag, pulling out her file and searching for her worksheet.
"What's wrong, Jackson?" Ms Ahn asked suddenly. Jieun looked only to see Jackson put down his hand slowly.
"My worksheet is missing, Ms Ahn!" Jackson exclaimed, continuing to dig through his bag and below his desk. "I can't find it!"
"What?"
"This morning... I put it under my desk, then didn't touch it!" Jackson exclaimed. "I spent the whole night doing it last night, I have no idea-"
"Okay, okay." Ms Ahn looked slightly annoyed. "You're holding up my class. Why don't you search for it after class later?"
"Ms Ahn!" Jackson exclaimed. "I refuse to start class until I find my worksheet! You know how I barely do my art homework, Ms Ahn. If I said I did it this time, it really means I did it!"
"Jackson, do you want me to throw you out of the-"
"Ms Ahn!" A hand shot up next to Jackson. It was Lisa. "Just now during Math class, it was a mess. Everyone's worksheets might have been mixed up then. I have a suggestion. Why don't we get everyone to search bags?"
"It's gonna take up so much-"
"Please? Ms Ahn?" Lisa asked. "Jackson will bother me during class if he doesn't find his worksheet."
"Okay, fine." Ms Ahn relented with a sigh. "Class, open up your bags and search for Jackson's worksheet.
"What?!" The class whined in unison.
"I know it's unfair, class," Ms Ahn said. "But we have no choice. Come on, let's go. Stop wasting more time."
So everyone did as told.
Jieun put her bag on her lap, pulling out her file and books and placing them on her table, so that she could search for Jackson's worksheet. Well, obviously it wasn't there.
"Eh?!" Someone called out at the front. "I found it!"
Everyone grumbled as Minhyun triumphantly held up Jackson's worksheet in his hands.
"How come it's with you?" Jackson frowned, snatching the worksheet from Minhyun's hands.
Minhyun scratched his bead. "No idea. It must have slipped in somehow since you're sitting right behind me. Sorry, everyone."
Ms Ahn rolled her eyes. "Okay, class. Thank you for your cooperation. You can keep your books back into your bags now."
Everyone sighed, starting to pack their bags once again. Jieun smiled. Thank goodness Jackson found his worksheet, or she might be accused again of-
"WAIT-"
Jieun stopped halfway, as Hoseok jumped up from his seat, walking towards her slowly. He was squinting at something on her desk.
"What's wrong?" Jieun asked cautiously.
Hoseok reached over, pushing away an English textbook and there, lying amidst a pile of books, files and worksheets lay something shiny... and gold.
Jieun blinked. It couldn't be-
It was Hoseok's watch.
~
"MY WATCH!"
Hoseok lunged forward, grabbing hold of his watch quickly. Jieun glanced up at Hoseok, whom she was expecting to look angry, but surprisingly, he just looked stunned and... disappointed.
Everyone in class turned around to look.
Ms Ahn sighed. "What now?"
But Jieun was too stunned to answer her. What was the watch doing inside her bag? Had it really been in there since the day Hoseok accused her? But she had never even touched his watch before and barely even looked at it when he showed her the watch. Why would it suddenly appear in her bag?
"Hoseok, wait, look- I can explain-" Jieun swallowed hard. How was she supposed to explain when the watch was already found inside her bag?
Jieun turned her head and looked at the class. Their eyes were focused on Hoseok and her. Did they really think she stole the watch as well? She looked at Yoojung, Jungkook and the rest. They all looked as stunned as she was.
"Lee Jieun, you- You- I really thought I wrongly accused you of doing something so dishonest-" Hoseok took a deep breath. "I even felt so bad I started treating you extra nicely after that day- I-" Hoseok shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe you-"
"No, Hoseok!" Jieun frantically waved her hands, hoping to get Hoseok's attention. "Really- It's really not what it looks like-"
"What else can it be!" Hoseok exclaimed, holding up his watch. "I trusted you, Jieun. I didn't at first, but after even Jungkook spoke up for you, I trusted you. I can't believe you would betray my trust just for this."
"Someone tell me what's going on!" Ms Ahn interrupted. "Why are you two making a racket in my class!"
"Ms Ahn!" Hoseok pointed at Jieun. "She stole my watch!"
"No, I didn't!" Jieun yelled. For the first time in her life, she knew she had to stand up for herself. This was ridiculous. All the evidence pointed to her and she had absolutely no idea why. "It wasn't inside my bag all week - I don't know why it appeared here suddenly!"
"Everything points to the fact that you took the watch during lunch break last week and put it in your bag." Hoseok snapped. "You dare say the watch wasn't inside your bag all week?"
"I really-" Jieun stopped short. She hadn't actually checked her bag all week. When she retrieved books from her bag, she hardly looked inside. She hadn't even cleaned her bag in months because of how busy she was catching up with work. What if... the watch really was in her bag all week? "I-"
"There!" Hoseok pointed at her. "Ms Ahn, she's the culprit! She's the one who stole my watch!"
"You both-" Ms Ahn began.
"I didn't!" Jieun insisted. "Even if the watch was inside my bag the whole week, I swear I wasn't the one who put it there."
"Wow..." Hoseok laughed. "I can't believe you're saying this, Lee Jieun. We're already at this point and you're still trying to squeeze your way out of it. Just ask the class - who believes Jieun's story?"
Jieun turned her head slowly, looking at the class. All of them stared back at her with blank looks on their faces. Even Yoojung, Jungkook, all her closest friends - they all stared on, completely stunned
Hoseok laughed. "See? Not even your closest friends believe you now, Lee Jieun. No one else believes you, not even those people who believed you previously. They finally see your true colours."
Jieun looked around the classroom once more. She looked at Jisung, who gave her the banana milk a week ago - hands down, eyes on the floor, lips pursed. She looked at Lisa, who apparently apologised and said she wanted to be friends with her - lips pursed, smirking almost.
Hoseok was right - no one was on her side this time. What happened to Yoojung and the rest of F5 who believed in her previously? Jieun felt tears well up in her eyes.
This time, she was all alone - for real.