11th➳

I left the party early by running away from the mansion. After blurting out our differences, I stood up and ran out of his room, down the flight of stairs and out of the front door with the help of the maids serving around the mansion.

Still, this was a Cinderella moment. Running away from a mansion, pretending to be someone I'm not. I just can't believe my life ever since Joshua entered it. I'm getting involved with rich people here. The ones you see on dramas. The ones who are always usually arrogant to the poor ones. I shouldn't get involved with them because them because of what they are capable of.

They could get away with mass murder with the money they have. And then they just frame the ones without money because they don't want to ruin the perfect reputation. It's just not fair at all.

I know Joshua. I know he isn't one of them. He's different. But you'll never know if he's masquerading behind his gentleman ways the same way I did tonight. I don't know him well enough to find out the truth.

Arriving back at the now closed convenient store, I took out the extra key I stole from the back room and opened the convenient store door but didn't forget to lock it when I headed inside. I didn't want the morning news to be about the stolen convenient store because I didn't lock the door properly.

I headed into the back room and changed out of the dress. I shuffled around the cabinets and found the box where my dress was usually kept in. I actually forgot the fact that before I left, I told Sunggyu to store it in there.

 I put back on my original clothes and headed out of the back room. I double checked the store, making sure everything was in its original place before walking out and locking the store. Afterwards, I began my journey back home. It has been an exhausting night with everything that has happened.

♥

Mom was still awake when I came back home. It wasn't a surprise to see that she was drinking instead of sleeping. For her, it's as if her life heavily depended on soju and every other alcoholic drink they have to offer.

I ignored her when I walked into the living room/kitchen. I continued to ignore her until I reached the front door of my room. I wasn't fast enough, though. Because that was when she spoke up, "Nari-ah..."

I opened the door to my room, pretending I didn't hear anything from her.

"I was stupid. I was drunk. I didn't know what I got into," she unnecessarily explained herself. Whatever she was trying to explain about. "That was then I felt my hair being pulled. I made a mistake. I accidentally spilled my drink on her."

Now I understood what she was trying to say. She was explaining about the Jiae incident. Like I wanted to listen to it, really. It was her mistake and her problem to handle so why was I getting caught up with it?

"She called me a reckless wretch. I must've called her something, too, because the next moment I found myself involved in a fight." I heard Mom start sobbing. "I'm sorry I couldn't raise you up properly. I'm sorry you have me for a mother. I'm sorry I couldn't do anything for you."

I turned around to look at her. She was sobbing alone there by the table, with the empty soju bottle in her hand. I looked at her with sympathy. I muttered, "I'm sorry, too, eomma."

♥

Omo! I saw you yesterday!! Was the boy with you yesterday your boyfriend? Omo, I'm jealous! He's so handsome!

J.

As I was walking to school, a message suddenly popped up. It was from Jiyeon, since I recognized the way she ended her text. Always a space below the text with the initial of her first name.

Upon being reminded of the "date" I had with Joshua yesterday, my mind shifted back to the night scene, where I saw the line being drawn between us. No one was supposed to cross that line. Yet, Joshua and I were found guilty of building a bridge to meet each other halfway. I was stupid accepting him as a friend. I should have continued hating him. If only it weren't for Dad whose fate crossed together with mine a decade later.

"Kwon Nari, wait for me!" a voice called behind me.

I turned around saw Joshua jogging up to me. At the sight, I quickly turned back to the front and sped-walked away from him. I didn't want to talk to him after what I told him last night. I didn't know how to face him.

"Yah! Kwon Nari!"

I thought Joshua would at least be smarter than me. Though it looked like he wasn't because he couldn't get a clue on what was going on. Can't he read the signs?

 I continued on walking faster until I disappeared into the school's building. Having Joshua sit next to me was not good at all. How exactly do I avoid him when he sits next to me in class?

"Kwon Nari." Someone then appeared in front of me, which gave me a mini heart attack because they just popped out of nowhere. 

It was my maths teacher. 

I should really remember their names. He had a smile on his face, which surprised me because he always had a disappointed or annoyed look on his face when he sees me. "You haven't been causing trouble these days. I'm surprised."

"Nae, nae," I replied, nodding my head at him. I was frantic because Joshua was about to catch up to me any time soon. "Saem, I have to go to class now."

This made my maths teacher chuckle with glee. "Even heading to class now! I'm proud you're becoming a better student now, Kwon Nari-sshi. Keep this up until the end of the year and you'll enter a good college school."

I didn't need a lecture right now. I needed to head into class before Joshua casually treats me like his friend again when I tried to tell him about the line between our worlds. Sometimes, we decide to push away the good things because we're afraid we might break it when it's in our grip. We appreciate it and adore it so much we don't want to be the person breaking it or getting hurt by it in the end. I was afraid. His noona was the person who forced my mom into court, although it hasn't happened yet. It began clear how we're supposed to beㅡdistant from each other.

It pained me to stay away because he was such a great friend, but I don't want things to get worse. If there's something I've learned from life, it's to stop something before it gets worse. Like treating cancer before you're on the last stage. I don't want to live my life in regret.

In the classroom, instead of making my usual sharp remarks to the girls who looked at me and whispered to each other, I sat down quietly in my seat. My leg was already shaking anxiously because footfalls were heard. Jisoo's footfalls.

"Well this is a surprise." 

Hmm, some people just don't know when not to speak to me. 

"Our Nari is unusually quiet. I wonder what she did this time that made her quiet. Too guilty?"

Kim Jang Soo, the girl I call Kim Jang, walked over to my table and gave me a smirk. I gave her an annoyed look and asked, "What's your problem now, Kim Jang? Just because I'm not talking doesn't mean I did something wrong. Wae? Is it because you miss me talking? Keurae, you could have told me earlier, Kim Jang. You didn't have to drag it out."

"I told you to stop calling me by that name!" she screamed at me.

"And will you stop annoying me?" I asked her. She was quiet, so it made me nod my head. "Bwa bwa. (See) You wouldn't even stop annoying me, so why should I stop? It's useless asking, Kim Jang-sshi."

Kim Jang Soo looked frustrated as he flipped her hair and walked out of the classroom with a nosy friend of hers following behind her. This girl will really never learn.

Joshua arrived a little after Kim Jang Soo left the classroom. Him taking longer to come into the classroom meant the maths teacher must have held him captive and talked to him about useless things. Being a good student, he must have more things to tell him about.

Joshua entered the classroom with a bright smile and his eyes shaped as crescent moons. Some girls even stopped talking to watch him walk to his table, letting out a dreamy sight. What exactly do they see in this guy that made them fall head over heels? Isn't he only friend material?

Of course, I wouldn't know anything about this thing called love because I've never been in love before. Love sounded like an icky sickness I didn't want to catch. Like every kid out there, I'll never fully understand what's so special about it and why people wanted to be in a relationship so desperately.

"Yah, Kwon Nari," Joshua called, taking a seat. He sounded like he was going to scold me but the smile on his face wasn't going away and I found it contagious because the next moment, I found myself smiling as well. "Oh? You're smiling?"

I quickly covered my mouth with my hand and tried to wipe the happy grin off my face but it wasn't working. I just asked him, "Oh, wae?"

Joshua ruffled my hair and immediately, I received glares from my fellow classmates. I guess it's the jealousy taking over them. "You're adorable, Nari. I was calling you a moment ago. Why didn't you wait for me?"

"Geu... geu... about that, um, I was in a hurry because... um, well, I needed to do something so I went ahead and, er, yeah," I stammered, scratching the back of my head. I still don't know why I was talking to him right now. I clearly told myself to stop, but why was I rebelling against my own wishes?

"Keurae? What was it then?"

Damn it. I'm standing on thin ice right now. Quickly shuffling inside my desk drawer, I pulled out the first thing my hand touched. "Um, for this."

"How To Take Derpy Selfies," Joshua read the book's title aloud. "And why did you borrow that book, Nari?"

I flipped the book around to read the title myself. With my cheeks turning red, I explained frantically, "I... I had to borrow a b-book a-and I thought this b-book's cover and t-title was f-funny!"

Joshua laughed at me. "You're still so kid-like, Nari."

Yeah, and now I'll be like a kid who avoids adults they're not familiar with to you.

♥

During break, I was dragged out of the classroom and into an empty alleyway at the back of the school by Minah and her gang of girls. I wasn't surprised that this was happening; it would happen sooner or later anyway.

Minah shoved me against the wall which reeked of new paint. It burned my nose and now my back hurt. Thanks a lot, Minah. 

"Neo," Minah said, spitting the word out. Geez, at least keep your sanity, Minah. "I don't like the way Joshua treats you."

"And I don't like the way you're treating me," I spat back, staring into her eyes deeply. "What is your motive here, Minah?"

"Isn't it obvious? I like Joshua Hong Jisoo. You're an obstacle I'm trying to eliminate. If I'm going to be Jisoo's girlfriend, I don't need some girl always by his side." She pursed her lips and applied red lipstick onto her lips, making her look like a chicken. "I don't care if you guys are just friends or not." 

"But I care if you abuse Nari, big or small," a voice said, which made everyone turn their heads at the direction of where the voice came from. There by the entrance of the alleyway, Joshua walked in. "What are you doing, Minah?"

"Ji... Ji... Jisoo oppa," Minah quietly said, taking a step to the side. "W-w-what are you doing here?"

"What are you doing to Nari?" Joshua asked, walking closer to where I was, making the girls step aside. By now, Joshua stood next to me, carefully examining the expression of the girls.

"N-nothing." Even the princess Minah was cowering behind her friends. "I was just... just..."

Joshua smiled at her as he waited for her answer. It just happens that Joshua always come to my rescue when I don't even need him and that he'll always appear by my side. "Can't answer because of the guilt? Shin Minah, I'm going to let you off with a friendly warning. If you threaten to hurt Nari physically, verbally or mentally, I won't let it slide. Okay?"

Minah was quiet in front of Joshua, just how it's supposed to be.

Joshua smiled again before grabbing onto my wrist and dragging me out of the alleyway. A teacher spotted us but Joshua took lead and ran as quick as our feet could take us.

"Jisoo! That teacher might give us punishment points!" I told him, panting heavily after we lost that teacher. We stood behind the trees in the less crowded area of the school compound. It was cooler here since there was a tree for shade.

Joshua was panting heavily as well as he glanced at my direction. "When did you care so much about that?"

"When did you not care about it?" I asked him back, tucking in the shirt that got untucked when we escaped from that teacher.   

"Relax, Nari. That teacher didn't see us properly to give us punishment points. Even if he did give us punishment points, I'll take full responsibility for it," Joshua assured, giving me a smile.

"How are you going to do that?" I stared at him with bewilderment.

"I'll buy you a meal."

Now that sounded promising. "Call."

He smiled back. "Call."

I guess no matter how much I try to push him away, he comes back to me like a the different end of a magnet pole. There's a saying for it. What was it again? Oh, right. Opposites attract. Because despite the both of us having different lives, we still somehow to reappear in each other's lives.

~Author's Notes~

If you have read my fanfiction Dear Diary, you might have realized Minah there :3 Minah's a beyatch everywhere, oops xD mianhae Minah unnie! (Technically, she is older than me) (also, I just realized that Minah is from Click Your Heart, but Kwon Minah is bae <333)

Guys! I made a teenfiction collaboration with a friend on Wattpad and it's called Paper Planes :) If you're interested or looking for a teenfiction to read, I hope you do check it out and show it some love :)) <333 It's published on his profile so here: leowlun33

Also, I might be late on this but, who watched Seventeen's special stage to girl group dances? Minghao got me from the start and everyone else toppled over one another over and over again, omo, imagine us handling their comeback heol. 

I can't wait for their comeback, omo, oppa, stop teasing us with your teaser pictures <333

Thanks for reading this update, HEH! Also for the 1K views for this book, love you lovely Kimichies! <333

xoxo

Byun Sang Kyung