(a/n: short chapter and ending ahead so clench your butt cheeks.)

"Jaeshin noonah! Are you okay?" I snapped out of my reverie when I saw Nox in front of me. He cupped my cheeks and looked worriedly at me. "Is noonah okay?"

I let out a forced smile. "I-I'm okay.." I said and slowly pushed his hands back to him. I stood up and looked at Jaehyun in the eyes. I sent him my sharpest glare and turned around, leaving the library.

My tears started forming in my eyes. I tried to wipe them away, but they just kept on coming. I didn't go to our store and just headed to the house. Thankfully, Dad wasn't in his usual seat in the one-man couch.

I rushed to my room, locked myself and cried. My back faced my door and I hugged my knees, burying my face between it.

He could've just said that he was in a relationship with Bora instead of me assuming here and assuming there.

No.

Bora should have told me there was a 'them'.

•••

I didn't sleep well last night and I didn't have a good dream. A nightmare, to be exact. I went to school earlier than my usual early and stayed in the corner of the room, staring into space.

I saw Yejin enter and her shocked face was immediately replaced by sympathy. She dragged a chair, placed it in front of me and sat on it. I looked at her with my eyes trembling. "Why didn't you tell me?" I asked in a whisper.

"I want you to discover it all by yourself. I.. I want you to be strong for once, Jaeshin. That's why I often shout or whatever at you.. and I'm sorry for that, but you can't stay weak forever." She said carefully.

"Have you been in this stage?"

"My crushes were assholes so no one likes them but me but bullying and gossips," She smiled like staring into a fire. "It changed me. I was no more the naive girl I was before. It was like I can switch from a lamb to a wolf.. or take form as a lamb but be as menacing as a wolf."

I didn't take in what she said in. I was hurt. "I know I'm not the type to say curse words but," I sighed. "Bora is a bitch." She chuckled and patted my shoulder. "She is."

"Jaeshin? Yejin, what happened to her?" Maeyoung asked and rushed towards us. I was gonna say something but Yejin silenced me with her smile. "I'll do the talking."

•••

Bora and I avoided each other for the whole day. I was with Yejin and her friends while her.. of course, she's with her boyfriend. I just avoided making eye contact with any of the two.

Even Nox was avoiding them. Jaehyun was trying to tell him something but Nox shut him up by putting an eraser inside his mouth. Nox tailed behind me for the day and Yejin and her friends are fine with that.

It was finally dismissal. I've been waiting for this shit to come. "Are y'all gonna transfer?" Younghee asked her friends and Yejin nodded. "Yeah."

"Where?"

"In that school near my apartment and our house." Maeyoung and Kira hugged Yejin. "Mi, don't leave!" She just laughed and hugged them back. "Why don't you five transfer with me?"

"Yeah!" They then turned to me and gave me meaningful smiles. "How about you, Jaeshin? Are you gonna transfer?" Yan-ne asked. I smiled back and nodded. "Yes." I then felt a tug on my skirt to see Nox with glossy eyes.

"Noonah, you're leaving Nox??" I picked him up and kissed his cheek. "For now." I smiled at him. "Noonah, how about you won't leave? Just Jaehyun hyung and his girlfriend?" The other girls wheezed, trying to hold back their laughter.

I slowly put him down again. "That's bad, Nox, right? I have no other choice but to transfer," I glanced behind Nox and saw the two of them happily talking to each other. "Wait." I told Nox and walked towards them.

When I got in front of them, I slapped Bora hard on the face. I can feel it. I am no longer the cowardly Jaeshin I was. Is this what Yejin felt?

Jaehyun hugged her, making me look disgustingly at him. Bora covered her slapped cheek with a hand. "Jaeshin.."

"Don't call me that, you traitor."

She broke out of Jaehyun's embrace and tried to hug me but I swatted both of her arms away. I took one step back away from them. I sent her a dirty look.

"I hope you realized that you left me alone." I snapped and turned back, feeling like someone new.

•••

[ END. ]