3rd➳

Stepping into the school's grounds felt like flying off to a foreign country; it always felt off and different and you could never know what could happen when you're there. School is like a battle field. You either make allies or enemies. When you're a one-man standing person, things get tough from there.

As I walked down the hallways, there were people who looked at me and whispered something with intimidating eyes. I wasn't surprised seeing that they were from my class. What has good girl in disguise, Kim Jang Soo, spread around class this time?

Entering my classroom, a few girl students crowded together and stared at me while whispering something to their friend. After putting my bag down, I got annoyed with them and walked to where they were all gathered.

"Wae? Can't take your eyes off me?" I asked them, throwing my hands into my pockets as I examined their expressions. With a louder voice that gradually grew, I said, "If you have something to say, I told you to say it in front of my face!"

They all turned their heads away, looking annoyed and having that scoffed look on their faces. They cleared their throats but didn't say anything in reply.

"Wae? Can't say it?" I asked, taunting them. Slamming a fist down on the table loudly, I said, "So if you can't say anything in front of my face, don't even bother to say anything."

One of them mustered up courage and said, "You were seen in a police station."

"Mwo?!" I asked, raising my voice. It surprised a few of them because I saw some of them flinched in their seats.

They repeated in a louder and clearer voice, "You were seen in a police station."

I was astonished by this. I let out a scoff as the corner of my lips rose a little. "Mind your own business, oh?!" I eyed the five of them carefully. "You guys must be very jobless, huh? Learn to mind other people's privacy."

Seeing that no one was talking and they refused to meet my eyes, I let out a satisfied grin.

Before walking away from the nosy group, I said, "Next time, learn to close your mouths."

The girls said nothing in reply and I was glad that they didn't.

When the teacher entered the class, everyone else settled down and kept quiet. I sat in my seat and played with my pen by flicking it around the table. It was fun and somehow entertaining. I managed to smile a small smile which gradually grew wider and wider.

"Class, settle down. We have a new student today," the teacher said with an excited smile. There was a sudden chatter but the teacher shushed them, "Settle down. Shall we introduce him?"

Another guy? I groaned loudly in response.

"Is something wrong, Ms. Kwon Nari?" the teacher asked me, raising an eyebrow as he turned to face me.

"Another boy?" I complained, messing up my hair. "It's getting old with all the boys that transfer to our class."

"Do you have a problem with that?" the teacher asked, folding his arms over his chest.

"Duh! Guys are annoying and gross. Now there's another one transferring into our class? Geez man!" I stressed out, leaning back in my seat.

"That's immature of you to think that way, Kwon Nari-sshi. Guys aren't like that anymore. They have totally matured from their kids state," the teacher informed me.

"Yeah! Now they've turned more perverted!" one of the girls in our class said, laughing along with her friends.

"Settle down class. There shall be no discussion about boys and their ways now." The teacher gave everyone a stern look before proceeding, "Please welcome Joshua Hong Jisoo."

A boy walked in with a sweet, gentleman smile. While everyone was staring with interest and googly eyes, I continued to stare at him as well but with no same intentions as the other girls. He just looks oddly familiar that I can't put a finger on it. Now where have I seen that sweet smile before?

"Okay, Jisoo. Introduce yourself," the teacher urged with a friendly smile. Now that looks forced.

Joshua bowed and smiled another striking smile. "Annyeonghaseyo. My name's Joshua Hong Jisoo. I'm your new classmate. Please take good care of me!"

I bet majority of the girls had already fallen for him.

"Why are you so handsome?" some girl suddenly blurted out.

See?

While everyone was talking for Prince Charming, Peter Pan continued to dream of her sought out adventures. That's right. Her. I like to classify myself as Peter Pan because, like him, I didn't want to grow up. Like him, I continue to act like I'm just a kid. Like him, I continue to believe in faith, trust and pixie dust. And like him, I don't believe in this petty feeling called love. 

It's the enemy, I can say as well.

"Well then, Jisoo, I have a feeling you'll be quite famous around here. Now let's see... you can sit next to..."

Everyone knew there was one place left unoccupied. It was only because anyone who sat next to me will be caught running up to the teacher to beg to change their place elsewhere. Which was why everyone was staring at my direction right now.

"I feel sorry for him. He has to sit next to her."

"She'll probably distract him so much his grades will drop."

"She'll spoil his mind with childish thoughts. Tsk."

"If he becomes different because of her, I'm going to kill her."

That last one ticked me off. I turned around to look at the girl which the voice belonged to. With a smirk on my face, I said, "To die... would be a great adventure, wouldn't it? And to live in a jail would be even more fun, right, Minah?"

Minah, the girl who sat behind me, puckered her lips which she obviously applied makeup to and looked away, rolling her eyes.

"Now, what did you say? The kill her thing?" I provoked her. "Sounds fun, doesn't it? Tell me the experience you'll have if you actually somehow manage to murder me, Minah."

"Jisoo, sit next to..." The teacher groaned. Well, aren't I his favourite student? "...Kwon Nari."

"Basically, just sit down at the only seat that's empty, new kid," I said, tapping on the empty seat next to me. "Though know where the line is. Don't cross it."

Joshua smiled instead of throwing me a weird look. What an odd ball. Shouldn't he respond like the others?

After Joshua took a seat, the students continued looking at me but stopped when the teacher began his class.

After classes were over, I caught Joshua staring at me like there was something on my face. I even stared back at him to make him look away but that didn't workㅡhe was still staring at me. And it was getting creepy. "Um, is something wrong, Mr. Joshua Hong?"

"No, no," he answered, rubbing his chin. "It's just that you look so familiar..."

"I could say the same to you too," I said, nodding. "But! No need to waste time staring at me. It's creepy. Stare more and I'll throw a punch as a greeting gift."

"Hmm... maybe we've seen each other... in the mall?"

I shook my head. "Haven't been to the mall for two weeks now."

"The cafe?"

"I don't go to cafes. The smell of coffee burns my nose."

"The pet shop?"

"I don't own a pet. Why would I go to one?"

"The library."

"I don't go to one. It makes me sleepy there."

"The convenient store?"

I gave it a thought. There was a cashier dude that smiled a sweet smile... "You're the cashier?"

"Yeah! I work there! So you're the girl thatㅡ"

Before he could finish his sentence, I slapped a hand on his mouth. In a whisper, I told him, "When I remove my hand, you are not allowed to finish that sentence. Arasso?"

Joshua continued on staring at me with a shocked face but nodded slowly afterwards.

"Good." I slowly removed my hand from him and he didn't continue his sentence, which relieved me. If the kids knew I was working a part-time after knowing I was in a police station, they'll start talking. Again. "Now keep it a secret. Arasso?"

"You sure like to demand things. Don't you ever think about the other party?" Joshua asked, knitting his eyebrows together as he messed up his hair that was down.

"Don't need to know, don't need to care. You need to live carefree without letting anyone keeping you down. Just keep having fun, that's my motto," I told him. Heck, I don't even know why I was still talking to him.

"Having fun is all right. I'm just saying you should also care about other people and their feelings," Joshua softly told me.

I scoffed. "Ha! Tell that to the kids here in this class. Do they look like they care about me? No. Of course not. So why should I care too? It's a waste of time."

Joshua furrowed his eyebrows as he stared at me. "You should at least think about the other personㅡ"

"Stop giving me a lecture. You're making me tired," I said, putting a hand in front of his face to halt him. Yawning, I said, "Do your own work, Jisoo. I'm going to play."

"You should study," he said.

"You should shut up."

Suddenly, the sound of a chair scratching against the floorboard was heard. Then footfalls. Then a sound of a slap.

I looked up at Kim Jang Soo, who stood in front of the table of mine. Ignoring the stinging pain and the sudden silence, I stared at her and stood up by slamming my hands on the table. "What's your problem, Kim Jang?"

It's shocking news to everyone to see innocent but annoying Kim Jang Soo slap someone. They'll start talking, I know it.

"You shouldn't treat the new student like that," Kim Jang Soo reasoned out with a meaningful stare.

"Oh, and it's okay to treat me like this?" I asked her back, folding my arms over my chest.

"You deserved it."

"Oh, so I deserve everyone turning a cold shoulder every time? I deserve it, huh? What about you guys? You guys deserve something to. A punch in the face would be nice, now, wouldn't it?" I asked with a raised voice.

"You're so immaㅡ"

"Immature! I know! But let me tell you something, Kim Jang. No, let me tell everyone something." I stared at Jang Soo then around the classroom to stare at my classmates before turning back to look at Jang Soo. "You guys are nothing but kids who are spoon fed. You're still being taken care of by your parents. Me? I don't have anyone. Why am I immature? Because I didn't get to live my childhood properly! You want to talk about me? Keurae! You can! Come up to my face and say it!"

"Kwon Nari," Joshua softly called, tugging onto the sleeve of my uniform.

I ignored him and continued eyeing the other classmates. "Think about it carefully, oh?! You guys have brains. You guys get better grades than me. Think! Why are you treating someone like this? If this is the way someone is, do you really have to hate them, oh?! You guys are really clueless. Even if you have a brain, it's no use."

Nobody spoke a word.

"Wae? Now you can't talk? Wae? You guys are always gossiping. Haebwa! Do it then! Say something then!" I provoked them. 

"Kwon Nari," Joshua called again, in a sterner voice.

I snapped my head to stare at him. With a raised voice, I asked, "Wae?"

Joshua's soft eyes were then replaced with a pair of stern ones. With a slightly raised voice, he said, "Stop it now."

"Stop what, huh? Stop my only way to justice?"

"This is childish. Cut it out now."

"Make me!"

Joshua gripped onto my wrist tightly and continued staring into my eyes. "This is why no one wants to be your friend. You're too childish."

I broke free from his grip with force. "You think words can hurt me? You think words can stop me? What are you, my appa?"

"I said: stop it."

"No, no. I want to see this. You were a gentleman when you walked in. Are you suddenly going to change? Into a bad boy? The Hulk? Let's see how far you can go, Hong Jisoo."

"Keman," Joshua said sternly.

"No! Let me see where it'll go. Let's see, Hong Jisoo!"

Joshua then pushed me backwards with a lot of force which made me stumble onto Jang Soo's table, making it fall down.

I looked up at Joshua and smirked. Getting up, I brushed my shoulder and said, "Well, I guess you're no longer a gentleman, seeing that you just made a girl fall down. Nice to know it's just an image made to fool girls."

After watching Joshua breakdown a little, I smiled a satisfied smile before walking out of the classroom using the backdoor.

I learnt something today as well.

Never trust a boy.

I've also realized something.

I hate Joshua Hong Jisoo.

~Author's Notes~

Jjang! A new chapter! Hope you enjoyed it :))

S.E.L.C.A! (share, enjoy, love, comment always!)

xoxo

Byun Sang Kyung