Na Jaemin's POV

"They're whAT!?" I exclaimed, our entire group looking anxiously between one another. It was the next day, and we'd met up at our radiator at the school before we had to go to class.
"Chenle's getting adopted!?" Renjun gasped, and a guilt-stricken look was written all over Chenle's face.
"It's not confirmed." He reassured them. "But they're coming round this afternoon to talk to me and stuff."

"You know you've gotta act like a fucking brat right?" Areum told him. "You can't get adopted."
"I know but I can't be mean!" He sighed. "I'm too shy to do that."
"Then we'll stay by you." Haechan added. "Some of us can be real bitches at times, you just have to copy."
"Not looking at anyone in particular or anything." Jeno mumbled, glancing at Haechan as he spoke, causing Chenle's dolphin laugh to erupt from his lungs.

"That's it!" Jisung spoke up. "Just laugh a lot! It's so annoying they'd rather dump you in a ditch than adopt you after hearing that laugh!"
"Okay, I was atTacKEd." Chenle stated, pretending to look hurt.

"What kind of idiot adopts a 17 year old child anyway?" Areum retorts. "They're just fucking weird."
"Yeah," Mark sighed. "You're legit leaving the house in like 2 years."
"Who knows." He sighed. "We just have to hope they change their mind."

I lost interest in the conversation at this point, my eyes finding their way over to Areum. The only problem was that her focus was somewhere else, or, rather, on someone else.

Park Jihoon. The notorious third year fuck boy. Here he was, walking past, basically eye fucking Areum as she basically did the same back, and I nearly vomited in my own mouth. I have to admit, I've known Areum for a long time, and she's basically the playgirl of fuckboys, if that makes sense. She loves to mess around with guys, but only if she knows they just want a shag. And when I say mess around, I mean lead them on, but she never actually does anything with them.

That's why loads of guys go for her. It's like a competition: 'who will be the first to do it?' And it's quite sickening to be honest. Behind her stoic exterior she's a really nice, funny girl, so I don't understand why she lets them go near her or why she plays along for a while.

Fine, whatever. I'm jealous. Yeah I like her, but I know that she's not interested in me or in looking for a genuine relationship. This flirting suits her just fine, according to her.

"So, about this party." Mark changed the subject, pulling me and Areum out of our trances. "Is Hana really going?"
"I've already told you she is." Areum told Mark. "Are you doubting me."
"Of course we are." Renjun replied. "You always get us into sketchy things."
"Just because you saw oNe person vaping at that last party doesn't mean I always get you into sketchy things Renjun." Areum laughed, causing he rest of us to as well.

"Ooh, I wanna try vaping." Jisung mumbled.
"Oh my god LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE!" Renjun joked around. "Jisung you better not."
"Vaping isn't cool Jisung." Jeno told him.
"Yeah." Areum seconded. "What you wanna get on is the weed. That shit's intense."
"And how the fuck do you know that?" I butted in, laughing slightly and still keeping the atmosphere sarcastic. "You've never touched a joint in your life."

"But you've seen some of those third years walking round looking fucking stoned right?" She told everyone, and we all nodded. "Are you not even curious about that shit? It looks great."
"I swear to god can't you just be a normal girl?" Mark sighed, holding his head in his hand.
"But that's not any fun." She retorted, smiling. "We gotta live a little kids. Break the rules, mess around. We've got no parents to tell us what to do, what's right and wrong-"

Suddenly the bell rang, cutting Areum off from her speech.
"See you all later." Chenle smiled, him and Jisung waving as they walked off together. Those first years, always worried about being late for class.

"I'm gonna go too." Mark added. "I wanna get my seat by the window before some dick steals it."
"Try not to fall on your way~" Haechan teased, waving him off jokingly.
"We all should probably go." Renjun spoke up, looking between the other four of us.

"I really fucking hate Literature." Areum sighed, as the five of us set off to our class. "It's all just fucking nonsense and I don't see why it matters."
"Me too." I replied, resting my hands in my pockets and trying my best to look cool. "It sucks ass."

Renjun, Jeno and Haechan know about my crush on Areum. I would tell the others, but I don't want to make things awkward for everyone. Plus, if more people know, there's more of a chance that she'll find out. Also I've been friends with those three longer that the others, and this crush I've had on Areum seems to have lasted fucking years. I don't know why I can't just get over her already.

"Oh shit." Areum sighed. "I just remembered I sit next to Jihoon's friend."
"Who? Jinyoung?" Haechan asked, and she nodded. "Jaemin, can't you just swap with him."
"You better not." Renjun butted in. "We've got Mr. Chae and he's a real asshole."
"True." I sighed. "Just turn around and talk to me, I sit like right behind you."

The lesson wasn't too bad, we didn't have to write any essays or whatever so that's good. Areum was sat at her desk, we sit on the right of the room so she had her back against the wall, making it easier for her to talk to me when we got bored. However it also meant she was directly facing Jinyoung.

We were all busy doing questions from the textbook, Areum still leaning against the wall, when Jinyoung decided to speak up.
"So are you getting with my hyung?" He asked, finishing writing his sentence before looking up at her. As I thought, she ignored him, turning to look at me before saying:
"Should we get coffee after school Jaemin?" She asked, deliberately ignoring Jinyoung. He called her name, but she continued, leaning her elbows on my table. "I really feel like some caffeine today."

"Hey whore." Jinyoung blurted out, cleary annoyed that he was getting ignored. At this Areum's eyebrows raised, and she turned her head to look at him in shock. I did so too.
"The fuck did you just say?" She asked, her voice low despite the background noise from the rest of the talking class.
"Oh look, it answered." He retorted.

"Do you have a fucking problem?" Areum curtly asked, eyebrows furrowed as she turned to face him. I could tell she wanted to punch the shit out of him.
"Yeah, I do." He replied. "You wouldn't answer my fucking question."
"You can't just go round calling people whores." I butted in. "That's fucking rude."

"But isn't that what she is?" He sassed, faking a sense of innocence. "Always fucking with the third years."
"I feel like you need to get your fucking facts straight you ass wipe." Areum's voice got slightly louder, but only to talking level. "My personal life has nothing to do with you."

"Well it kinda does when your fucking around with my best friend." Jinyoung raised his voice, and the class slowly got quieter.
"I'm not doing shit!" Areum yelled at him, standing up out of her seat. He did as well, and on instinct I did so too. The class became silent, and the teacher looked over.

"Jeon Areum." The teacher called. "What are you doing?" Obviously, he was ignored by both of them.
"Oh, so you're just using him?" Jinyoung continued to taunt her. "So you can please your whorey ass?"

Something in Areum's eyes sparked with anger, and the fire had now started to burn. She lifted her arms, pushing him by the shoulders into the table behind him.
"You wanna say that again!?" She yelled back, and I immediately tried to move the table out of the way to get to Areum. This has happened before, and it doesn't end well.

"Jeon Areum!" The teacher yelled again, but still no one payed attention to him. Jinyoung, who was leaning against the table, suddenly started chuckling, and stood up off the table.
"Oh, so you're pushing me now?" He laughed, walking over and pushing her back by the shoulder with his right hand intimidatingly up against the wall. Now I've gotta do something.

I walked round so I was stood behind Jinyoung, I grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him away.
"Get the fuck off her." I warned him, stood facing him eye to eye.
"Oh yeah?" He scoffed. "What are you gonna do about it dreamie~" I didn't answer, and he punched me in the face.

So obviously.. I punched him back.

We starting brawling, taking hits here and there while the teacher ran to go get help. At one point though I noticed Areum trip up Jinyoung so he'd fall directly into my punch, which I found pretty funny, but in the end some guys from the class ended up holding us back, one of them being Jeno.

"What the fuck are you doing?" He whispered to me, holding my shoulder. "You'll get fucking suspended."
"But did I look hot?" I asked, glancing over at Areum.
"Oh my god." He sighed. "I can't even believe you and your fucking fragile masculinity." Jeno then let me go.
"Just because you're gay as fuck for Renjun." I whispered back, and received a playful knock on the arm.
"Asshole." He mumbled.

"Bae Jinyoung. Na Jaemin. Jeon Areum. Leave immediately!" The teacher yelled, a few of his colleagues behind him escorting us away.
"We'll come by to get you guys at lunch." Jeno told me, and I nodded, walking off with Areum. The teachers took us to wait outside the counselling office, and Areum and I sat together, leaving Jinyoung on the other end of the seats.

"Thanks for that before." Areum piped up, keeping quiet so Jinyoung wouldn't hear. "I know I don't say shit like this a lot, but thanks for sticking up for me."
"Hey, it's alright." I replied, holding the ice pack up to my eye as that's where it hurts the most. Jinyoung also has an ice pack, courtesy of the school nurse.

"I'm not gonna lie," she continued. "It was kinda scary. I wasn't expecting him to push back like that." She suddenly looked up at me. "I didn't look scared, did I?"
"Only a little." I smiled. "But that's understandable. I would be if I were you."

"But you're a fucking pussy." She laughed, and I pretended to look offended. "Nah, I'm joking. Thanks again, and I'm sorry that you got hurt." She looked up at me with a genuine expression filled with guilt, which I've hardly ever seen from her before, and I felt this tingling sensation all over my skin, accompanied by my heart almost missing a beat as my breath hitched.

I feel like this is the moment my heart truly fell down a fucking cliff for this girl.