My number.
My number...????
I started gaping at the gorgeous guy, not knowing what to say. The rest of the friends I've just made in my department started teasing us, and whistling— to my annoyance.
I was about to reject his offer until another department-mate suddenly came forward in shock.
"Wait....you couldn't be Baek Hyunbin? The one without a profile picture?" She exclaims, a hand over her mouth. "In the group chat."
Huh. There was a group chat?
"Oh Soojung, I think you weren't inside the Veterinary Science Department chatroom. I'll add you later. But first...." The girl seems to prompt me to address the issue at hand. "Why don't you get his number?"
"Oh...Sorry. I have a boyfriend." I reject, much to their disappointment. Hyunbin's eyes seem to be upset, but he reverts back to a polite smile to avoid making me feel guilty.
"I see. But if you're going to join the group chat, I might still have access to your number. Is that alright?" He tilts his head in a troubled manner.
"Well...it's okay." I nodded my head politely.
"Anyways, who's your boyfriend?" The girl asks once again, curiosity in her eyes.
Just then.
Flashbacks of the constant stress that I went through, when it was revealed that Jungkook was my boyfriend in high school— it sent shudders down my spine. I decided to evade the question for now.
"You don't know him, and he's in another department." I said. Technically— it wasn't a lie. "Shouldn't we go to the auditorium? The orientation is starting."
Fortunately, it was able to deter them from asking more. As I headed off with the rest of my department towards the venue, a voice catches my attention.
"Look, aren't they a perfect couple?"
And when I turn towards where they were pointing at, my eyes laid sight on Jungkook and...
Sooyul.
________________________________________
Fastforward
I won't lie.
The sight of Jungkook and Sooyul together somewhat stirred something in me. Unease. Discomfort. Maybe even a bit of jealousy. Afterall, they literally look great together.
As the thoughts occupied my head like an ominous cloud, I dunked the beer one after another, catching the attention of Hyunbin.
"...You okay?" He questions after examining my expression. "Need a tissue?"
"Huh?" I stared back at Hyunbin, as he points out something at the corner of my mouth. Ew. There's curry at the edge of my lips.
I reject his keen proposal of wiping it with a tissue. Instead, I wipe it with the back of my hand unglamorously, before getting dizzy again from the alcohol.
A few of the departments were crammed in a cafe bar after the orientation, a sort of after party. After hearing the word 'alcohol' and 'food' paid by 'seniors', I came without hesitation.
But my troubles which I dunked in a wave of beer seemed to catch the attention of my department mates. They looked at me with worry, as I gulped down jugs of beer after another.
A senior, seeing my drunkened state, suddenly approaches me. Hyunbin seems alarmed when he puts his arm around my back, touching me carelessly.
"Sunbae, I don't think—
"Oh. Are you Hyunbi...Hyunsuk? Go order more food." He shooes him away aggressively, much to his disdain.
When Hyunbin hesitates, he glares at him. "I said to get more food, didn't you hear?"
The rest of the freshmen, afraid to offend the senior, prompts him to do so. Hyunbin was left with no choice but to leave me with the overly-touchy senior.
The senior, who smells of smoke and alcohol, wraps his arms tighter around me. At that time, I was too dead drunk to notice.
"Let me take you somewhere." He whispers into my ear, sending alarm signals and red flags. As I begin to seem more aware of what is going on, I try to shove him away— but to no avail. My body was too weak to even walk properly.
And so he pulls me up, taking me out of the bar and to the street. The rest of the freshmen looked at each other helplessly— not knowing what to do.
In the midst of this, I manage to secretly press the call button on my phone to the first recent contact. But before I could reveal the location to the recipient, the senior notices and glares at me with disgust.
"Hand me that." He orders, with a dark expression. I try to pull away.
"I said. Hand. It. To. Me." He demands, his voice in a tone of anger. Terror soon overtake my senses, and my first instinct was to run.
As the adrenaline passes through me, I manage to take control of my body and gave a full low kick to his groin. The senior collapses in pain, and I start limping as I ran the fastest I could.
"You little bitch!" He catches up to me, pulling my hair and slapping me in the face. "You think you're so great?!"
My eyes shut tight as he pulls back his hand, preparing himself to punch me. But before he lands the hit, however....
Silence.
I didn't feel an impact. When I open my eyes, a figure is huddled over the other, landing hits onto his face. Realisation soon overtakes me.
"Jungkook!" I ran towards them, pulling him away from the senior— who was beaten up to a pulp with blood oozing out of his nostrils. "Don't, I'm fine now."
Jungkook's expression was dark with anger. His fists, which were curled up to a fist, seems to soften up as I held it.
"Are you alright?..." He gently embraces me, while checking my face for injuries. When he sees the corner of my bloodied lip, his eyes shifts to heartbreak.
He gently carresses my right cheek that was red from the senior's slap. A mix of anger and pain was evident with the touch of his trembling fingers; Jungkook seemed mad at himself for not being able to save me earlier.
"I received a call from you, but all I could hear was your screams. I ran here immediately after hearing that you were here." He explains in a soft, pained voice. Jungkook's eyebrows furrowed together in frustration. "I'll protect you better, I promise."
At this point, people started to gather around the scene, one by one. Jungkook notices my fear and looks around the place, which was dimly lit by street lights. His eyes caught sight of a flashing neon sign at an alleyway.
"Soojung." He held me gently, "let's rest somewhere."
"Your house?"
Jungkook shakes his head. "That's too far. I have an idea." He points, towards the sign he saw earlier.
"Let's stay for the night."