Guts (EXO)

The Concept of Caring Too Much

Hyerin stared blankly down at her desk. She didn't care less about school and everything that came along with it, so she usually used the time wasted in this hellhole to think about other things. Like her never ending problems, for instance.

She found herself stressing over stuff she wouldn't have bothered thinking about a year ago, like figuring out what to do with their missions and finding a way to talk to her mysterious attacker. Then there were the other things like Chanyeol's protectiveness and her own temperamental issues. Although she would have normally dismissed it, she just couldn't seem to not think about her little quarrel with him the other night. She felt incredibly guilty after their dispute, but Chanyeol needed to stop treating her like a baby. She more than appreciated his concern, but sometimes, it was a little too much.

The other boys didn't help either.

"Man, if you saw Chanyeol this morning...he was a mess," Xiumin said at lunch yesterday.

"He was sulking in class and looked brain dead," Kyungsoo added, putting away his empty bowl. "You did some serious damage to him."

"Hey, I don't think it's entirely my fault," Hyerin said in her defense.

"Oh, yes it is. The only time I've seen Chanyeol like that was when they lost a game," Kai said. "And trust me, that is the only time he sulks like that."

"You guys are not helping! Why am I even sitting with you?"

"Guys, stop messing with her," Suho said, rubbing her back. "It's not her fault. She just spoke her mind."

"Yeah, and look how that turned out," Tao said, raising a mocking eyebrow at the girl.

Hyerin was disrupted from her train of thought when a hand slammed down on top of her desk. Her head jolted up, only to find a certain group of extremely irritating girls standing before her.

Right. They were also one of her problems now.

Hyerin leaned back against her chair and crossed her arms. "What do you want?"

"You really don't get it, do you?" Hara spat icily from behind Hyeseul. Hyerin almost laughed at her.

She shrugged uncaringly. "I guess I really don't." 

Hyeseul sat on top of Hyerin's desk, crossing her legs and resting her elbow on her knees. "How many times do I have to tell you to make you understand? Stay away from them," the chestnut haired girl hissed through gritted teeth.

"You don't understand," Hyerin started. "I can't, okay? Even if I wanted to I can't because there's just something–you know what? Whatever. Just think whatever you want to think."

"It's such a simple order, you little twat! Stay away!" she yelled, earning the looks of the other students inside the classroom.

Hyerin stared wide-eyed at the girl sitting on top of her desk. "Why the hell would I take orders from you?" she spat. "You're not any of their girlfriend. You're no one to them. They don't know you and if they do, you're probably just another girl. You're as much as a nobody as I am. So can you just leave me alone?"

There was a brief moment of silence before a girl from the pack stormed over to Hyerin, about to slap her in the face. If not for Hyeseul's arm blocking the girl's way, she would have hit Hyerin.

"Stop," their leader commanded.

Hyerin looked up at Hyeseul curiously as she stood up from the desk.

"Nobody, huh?" she said in an eerily quiet voice. She laughed bitterly before turning around to leave, the others silently following behind her.

"You seriously don't know who you're facing, Hyerin."