" There he is." Aera pointed her fingers at Mr. Kang and took a step towards him after letting go of Sunghoon's hand. Sunghoon surprised, looked at his hand and sighed. He then came towards her, stopped her from going towards the teacher causing Aera to look at him blankly,
"Why?"
" Let's run away."
" But Mr. Kang will-"
Sunghoon held her hand and dragged her away, skipped school for the first time in his life. Aera was confused and just looked at him, asking him where he was going to but he just smiled at her while protecting her from getting caught. He brought her to the school building and bumped into Jake again. They stopped, watching each other-
" Did you meet the teacher?" Jake asked Aera.
" Actua-" Before Aera could finish her words, Sunghoon dragged her away.
Jake sighed.
" Then go! do what you want !" Jake said angrily and left the place.
-
" Where are you going?!"
Aera was surprised when the teacher caught her from climbing the gate. " Sunghoon, we got caught."Aera stopped from what she was doing and tilted her head to see if Sunghoon was there as he was waiting for her outside from the gate.
" Come here!" Aera was nervous as the teacher suddenly brought a long ruler and walked towards her.
" Sunghoon," Aera called for him and reached her hand while lowering her head, so the teacher will not recognize her.
" Are you there?" Aera called for him again.
" How could you leave me." Aera pouted and gave up.
" ARGHH!" The teacher screamed, the same as Aera as someone suddenly broke the window.
"Who is that?!" The teacher gasped for breathing, realized the person used a brick to hit it. The teacher changed his direction, walked away to search for the person who broke the window, and just forgot about Aera.
Aera let out a relief.
" Aera, come here." Sunghoon stood on the bench and looked at Aera with a gummy smile.
Sunghoon held her arm and helped her to climb the gate. Aera hit him hard,
" I almost got caught because of you!"
Sunghoon laughed, " I'm sorry. I was searching for this bench."
Aera hit him again but he just faked his pain,
" I don't want to be your friend anymore if I am going to get detention tomorrow."
" I'm sorry, okay? You are with me now, right?" Sunghoon pinched her cheeks and messed her hair as she was still mad at him.
She walked away, left him behind.
" Aera, wait for me!"
" Go away!" Aera said to him causing him laughed.
" I will protect you, Aera."
" No." She sticks out her tongue and walked away.
" Are you sulking?"
" Hey, Song Aera."
Sunghoon laughed more and locked her head on his arm causing her screamed while hitting his chest.
" Let go of me!"
" Let's eat Jjampong."
" No ! Let go of me!"
" Let's eat~"
" Argh!" Sunghoon groaned in hurt when Aera bit his arm causing him to let go of her. She ran away before Sunghoon chase for her again.
" Are you a puppy?!"
" Why are your teeth so strong?"
" Bla Bla Bla" She teased him.
-
" Eat slowly ." Aera ignored him and slurped the noodles without wiping the sauces on her cheeks. Sunghoon reached his hand to wipe it off but she avoided him by covering her cheeks with her palm.
Aera was about to drink her water but Sunghoon suddenly grabbed it from her and drank it all. Aera annoyed,
" Stop stealing my drink!"
She groaned causing Sunghoon to laugh.
" First it was Jake and now, you. I'm getting tired."
Sunghoon bit his lips when that name was mentioned again. " Jake..?"
" Yeah, Jake-"
" What do you want to drink?" Sunghoon asked her to change the topic as he felt jealous.
Aera shook her head, " I don't want to drink anymore. You will steal it too."
-
" Where did both of you go yesterday?"
Yebin asked Aera curiously. Aera just smiled, the moment Jay was kissing her best friend crossed his mind again. At the same time, Sunghoon approached Aera and gave them strawberry milk.
" How are you feeling now?"
Aera rolled her eyes, " I'm still mad at you." She said but she took the strawberry milk from Sunghoon and drank it without feeling embarrassed.
" I want to drink it too," Yebin said to Sunghoon.
" I will buy the new one for you later," Sunghoon replied to Yebin.
Aera looked at them, " Do you want to taste this?
" You drink yours." Sunghoon stopped Aera causing Yebin to pout.
" I never get a strawberry milk from someone," Yebin said.
" I told you I will buy the new" Yebin laughed at Sunghoon.
" I'm kidding, Sunghoon." She leaned her body closer to Aera, teasing both of them.
At the same time, Jake arrived at the school while holding strawberry milk. He fixed his eyes on both of them and bit his lips before walking towards his seat. Yebin looked at Jake, greeted him but he ignored her as usual.
Yebin looked at Jake," Whose drink is this?"
Jake looked at the strawberry milk that he was holding and took a glance at Aera.
" For you," Jake replied to Yebin and handed her the drink. Yebin was surprised-
" Really?"
" Yeah."
" Why? Why did you give this to me?"
Jake rolled his eyes.
"It's never too late to shut up and mind your own business." Jake rest his head and listened to music as usual.
Yebin smiled.
" Thank you, Jake."
-
" Do you know the reason Jay is absent today?" Sunghoon asked Yebin and she quickly shook her head and took a glance at Jake.
" I don't know about him."
Aera looked at Jay's seat and sighed, felt broken again.
" Is he okay, Sunghoon?" Aera asked him and he shook his head, his smile slowly disappeared.
" Why are you worried about him?" Yebin asked Aera making Sunghoon watched her.
" Nothing. He is our friend, right?" Aera replied.
Jake messed his hair, " What a lie." He replied making them looked at him blankly.
Jake ignored them after glaring at them.
" Shim Jaeyun, come out !" Everyone suddenly shut their mouth when they saw Mr. Kang went into the classroom with some students from another class. Mr. Kang took out his steel ruler and dragged Jake to the center of the classroom.
" What are you doing, Mr. Kang?" Sunghoon tried to grab Jake from Mr. Kang but Jake pushed him away and put Mr. Kang's hand away from his collar before going to the center by himself.
" It's him, Mr. Kang.." The students said and avoided Jake's gaze on them.
Aera gasped when she realized the students were bullying her yesterday. The students had a lot of bruises and wound on their faces making Aera curious about what was happening.
" Are you going to be a murder ?" Mr. Kang scolded Jake angrily but Jake didn't scare at all and crossed his arm.
" Why did you pick a fight with them?"
Jake took a glance on Aera,
" Because they are annoying." Jake groaned in pain when Mr. Kang punched him.
" They said they didn't do anything to you but you still fought them."
Jake wiped the blood away and raised his eyebrows.
" Yes, That's true."
" Are you having a mental problem?" Mr. Kang asked him angrily.
" They were bullying a girl. That's why I fought them."
" You don't have any proof." Mr. Kang replied.
Jake looked at Aera,
" I told the victim to meet you.' He paused.
" But the victim was too busy with her own business."
He gave her a glare when Mr. Kang hit him with the steel ruler hardly.
Jake groaned in pain but he quickly bit his lips and pretended that he was okay.
" You were the one breaking the window by using a brick yesterday, right?
Aera was surprised and felt more guilty.
Jake looked at Aera again and he nodded.
" Why did you do that?"
Jake cleared his throat.
" Why should I tell you, old bastard man?" Again, he got punched in the face.
Jake sighed heavily.
" All of you are annoying as hell."
He got punched again.
" Tell me the reason or I will drop you out from the school." Mr. Kang warned him.
Jake took a deep breath, avoided Aera's gaze on him.
" I don't like it when someone wanted to hit a girl. That's why I broke the window to stop that person hit the girl."
" Nonsense." Jake bit his lips.
" Tell me the truth." Mr. Kang said.
" Fine."
Jake looked at Aera,
" I wanted to skip the school. That's why I did that."
Jake got hit by the steel ruler again and was forced to kneel.
He followed the words and sighed heavily.
" Shim Jaeyun will get suspended from school."
Jake nodded,
" Yeah. school is for bastards anyway."
He stood up and walked past Aera.
He then grabbed his bag and left the classroom by using the back door.
" Shit everyone here."