shades of yellow » han seojun ff

18. pale

TO HELP HER catch up with classes, Yeonwoo had enrolled in the academy Sujin recommended. Sua, Jugyeong, and Taehoon were students there, to make it even better.

After school, she split up with her friends to buy some extra workbooks her teachers at the academy suggested she buy.

As she walked towards the academy, she received a ring from Sujin. "I'm on the way, don't worry. Is the teacher there already?"

"Change of plan." Sujin's voice was breathless, as if she was speed walking. "Jugyeong's been kidnapped."

"What?!" Yeonwoo halted, causing a man behind her to bump into her. After apologising, she whispered frantically into the phone, "What do you mean kidnapped?"

"She was taken by a whole gang bullies to a karaoke room, but we don't know which room. Meet us in front of the karaoke building near the academy. We can ambush them—"

"I'm closer, so I can search for her first."

"No, wait for us first!"

"We've got no time to waste! What if—what if these bullies are dangerous? I can't let her be alone for that long." 

She was thinking back to when she and Seyeon were victims. What if these were the same bullies that had targeted them? The same ones who lied and said Seyeon had bullied them? 

Sure, they had been reprimanded and humiliated, expelled for their fraud, and she had delivered her statement in court to make that happen. But what if they were still up to their nasty tricks? What if they had never learned anything? Whatever the case, she would love nothing more than to deliver a well-earned kick to them all.

Sujin's voice was panicky, as the realisation of what the girl was about to do set in. "Yeonwoo, don't—"

"I'll see you there." She hung up before Sujin could dissuade her. 

Feet pounding against the pavement, she sprinted towards the karaoke building and hopefully, towards Jugyeong.

—

She burst onto the scene, panting with her efforts. A group of rowdy high school boys in red and blue coats stopped their singing and stared at her. She scanned their faces and could not help but be hit with a wave of disappointment that they were not the same bullies.

"Who's this?" One of them said.

Ignoring the question, Yeonwoo rushed towards Jugyeong, who was numb with terror and disbelief. "Are you okay? Did they hurt you anywhere?"

"They didn't hurt me. But how did you know I was here?" Jugyeong asked, eyes as wide as a deer's.

"Sujin called me. Let's go." Yeonwoo took her hand and was about to leave with Jugyeong when the apparent ringleader of the gang held out an arm to block her.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Where do you think you're going with her?" When she glared at him, he laughed. 

She was the same height as him, and that slightly intimidated him. "Seems like angels are raining from the sky. But we didn't invite you. We invited Han Seojun. Who are you?" 

One of the gang members suddenly exclaimed, "It's her, Sungyong!" He rushed to show his the leader his phone. 

Sungyong laughed again, then showed his screen to the girls. It was a photo of Yeonwoo and Seojun, the latter holding her face. Tenderly. 

"Is this you?" He then showed them another photo, which was of Jugyeong and Seojun in the cafeteria.

Yeonwoo scowled, and he said scathingly, "Looks like he's been building up a harem. And with such pretty girls. So are you Han Seojun's girlfriend or is she?"

"Neither." She pushed Jugyeong behind her. "You're really pathetic using an innocent person in the middle of your stupid gang fight."

Sungyong leaned in, his face ugly and grotesque under the blazing neon lights. "Are you calling me pathetic, little girl?"

"Not so little. I'm the same height as you." Yeonwoo smiled placidly. "And yes, I am calling you pathetic."

"It's none of your business, so why don't you just clear off?" With the tip of his finger, he pushed her back on the shoulder, causing her to stumble. This incited a few laughs from his friends. "Go home to mummy and play with your dolls, whatever you stupid Saebom kids do."

"What would your mummy say if she saw you like this? Would she be proud of you, taking someone for your own preschool revenge? Go pick on someone your own size."

Sungyong cracked up. The rest of his gang surrounded him and the girls, all watching with growing interest. "Just shut up, you bitch. No wonder Seojun doesn't want to date you, you're too bitchy for a girl. You were pretty until you opened your mouth to talk."

Yeonwoo took a step towards him and spat out, "Do you know what I hate most in the world? Bullies. They took everything away from me. They took away the one thing I cherish most. They ruined my life. 

"You bullies think you're so great. But unfortunately for you, bullies are nothing but garbage, the scum of the world, stupid losers who know nothing but how to act stupid. And you," she stared him down directly in the face, "You, are the worst of them all, you ugly fucking jerk."

Without warning, Sungyong struck her outright on the face. Like in a movie, her face snapped to the right. Jugyeong was horrified and made a strange, strangled noise. Even Sungyong's gang were dumbstruck, horrified that their leader had slapped a girl.

A trail of blood ran from the corner of Yeonwoo's mouth down to her uniform. A red hand-shaped mark sat on the side of her left face, which pulsated with blood that ran hot beneath the fragile skin. After seeing how hard he had hit her, Sungyong seemed to come back to his senses. 

He laughed nervously. "Hey, I didn't mean that. You provoked me, that's all. It's your fault."

So, Yeonwoo slapped him back.