"Eomma, I'm leaving!" I shouted while slipping on my shoes. Oh, how I wished I didn't have to wake up so early just to go to this godforsaken school. And on top of that, I now had to ignore Jin because of Jisoo. This school was ridiculous.

"Y/n!" I heard Taehyung's voice from behind. Pausing my little marathon, I turned around and saw him grinning. I wondered what he was up to this time. "Hey, I thought we could walk to school together and catch up." I raised an eyebrow at him, giving him a stern look. But he continued grinning, undeterred. Oh well, he could tag along if he wanted.

My hand reached into the small pocket of my bag, retrieving my water bottle. I handed it to him. "Help yourself." Then I turned around and started walking again, hearing him gulp down almost half of the water as he quickened his pace to keep up with me.

"So, what's up? How are you settling in?" Taehyung asked, his smile still intact. I frowned, finding his question quite interesting. "Do you want me to answer honestly?" I asked, trying to maintain my own cold demeanor. He responded with a pleasant smile and a shrug. "Go ahead."

"Well," I said, pasting a tight and fake smile on my face as I turned to face him, "this school, you, your friends, and every other student can suck my ass!"

"Whoa, young lady, keep it down. Cussing in public could get you in trouble, yeah?" he hissed, glancing at an older couple who were giving us disgusted looks. "As if I give a fuck," I mumbled and kept walking.

"What the hell did I do to you?" Taehyung quickened his pace to match mine. "Why do you keep following me everywhere? I don't want to get involved with you popular kids or whatever you dumbfucks are called anymore. I'm already stressed enough because of Jisoo and Jin!" I grabbed his collar, snapping at him, "And you rich kids keep interacting with me and bringing me more trouble."

He gently grabbed my hands, freeing his collar. Frowning, he asked, "What do you mean? What did Jin and Jisoo do?"

"Jin maybe likes me, I don't even know why. And Jisoo wants me to stay away from him. And I don't understand how the heck I'm supposed to do that when I'm practically dating him in front of the whole world?" I rolled my eyes, feeling frustrated just thinking about the situation.

"Y/n, just say that you don't like Jin, and I'm good," Taehyung said, his voice filled with concern.

I let out a heavy sigh, realizing that Taehyung genuinely cared about my well-being. "It's not that simple, Taehyung. We're just pretending to be in a relationship to keep the bullies off my back. I don't want them to bother me anymore."

Taehyung's expression softened as he processed my words. "I had no idea, Y/n. I'm sorry for assuming things. If it's causing you so much trouble, maybe we can find another way to handle this. You shouldn't have to sacrifice your own happiness for the sake of others."

I looked at him, surprised by his understanding and empathy. "Thank you, Taehyung. That means a lot to me. Maybe we can figure something out together."

He smiled warmly. "Absolutely, Y/n. You're not alone in this. We'll find a solution that works for you."

With a renewed sense of hope, we continued walking towards the school, engaging in a more lighthearted conversation. Taehyung's presence provided a much-needed distraction from the ongoing drama, and for the first time in a while, I felt a glimmer of optimism.

---

The classroom buzzed with excitement as the time for our group project approached. It was a chemistry experiment that required collaboration between the students. I had paired up with Jennie, Lisa, and Rosé, and we were ready to showcase our knowledge.

"Where's Jisoo? The project is starting in about five minutes," I said, checking my watch. The project was an integral part of our internal grading, and I couldn't afford to lose any marks. I wondered where Jisoo had disappeared to.

Jennie held her phone to her ear, tapping her fingers impatiently on the wooden desk. "She's not picking up either. Maybe she's skipping this project, or she paid Mr. Smith to let her off."

"I can't believe she'd do that," Rosé chimed in dramatically, clutching her chest. "I need these ten marks! I guess I'll go check the corridor. Maybe she's there," I said, deciding to take matters into my own hands. "You guys wait here."

As I walked down the corridor, I caught sight of Jisoo, but to my surprise, she was with Jin, hugging him.

My face scrunched up in a mixture of disgust and frustration. What new drama was I supposed to face now?

---