be my girlfriend | k.s.w

14

Mirae sat at her desk as she flipped through the pages of her history textbook, trying to catch up from the lesson she missed the other day.

"Mirae, you don't have to stress, it was basically material we already know and your by far one of the smartest people in our class, you'll do fine." Haerin dragged her tone as Mirae continued to read through her notes.

"I don't think I should think that and for your information, I am definitely not that smart."

Haerin scoffed sitting down in the seat next to Mirae and rested her head on the desk.

"Don't you think Joha's been acting slightly odd?" Haerin mumbled receiving a confused hum from her friend.

"What do you mean?"

"Like she hasn't been hanging with us during breaks as much and she's always at her desk." Haerin pouted as she stared at Joha's back who was busy with whatever was in front of her.

"She's just busy."

"That too but she never replied to my messages or receives my calls and when I ask her about it she just says she'll check it later..."

Mirae finally paused her studying for a moment and looked at Haerin, thinking back to the last couple weeks and how Joha has been treating them.

"I guess she's been a little bit cold... but it's not like she's avoiding us, I hung out with her the other day. I'm sure it's nothing, if there's something she needs to tell us she will."

As if on cue a loud laughter bursted into the room as Hana and one of her friends walks in, stopping right in front of Joha's desk.

Knowing about their past, Mirae stood up ready to go over there and break Hana's neck if she had to. However, to her surprise, Joha stood up, linked her arm with Hana and walked out the classroom as they laughed together.

"What just happened..." Haerin stood up as well, completely shocked at what happened.

"Did we see that right?" Mirae turned to face Haerin, still in disbelief.

How did Yoo Joha, their best friend, become suddenly friends with Kim Hana, Joha's former bully.

"There's no way their friends, do you remember the things Hana did to Joha?!" Haerin exclaimed, holding onto Mirae's hand as the two of them overlooked the scene.

"Hana must have done something, maybe she's picking on Joha again. We have to do something. I'll call you if it's serious." Without a second thought, Mirae grabbed her phone and ran out the classroom. Looking up and down the hallway, she tried to look for any familiar silhouettes.

Unable to see neither Joha or Hana, Mirae began running towards the very end of the hallway, near the entrance and courtyard, hoping that that's where Joha had headed.

Turning corners quickly, Mirae suddenly collided with another student as she stumbled back, falling on her butt. Her phone, which she held in her hand, landed face first as she tried to break her fall, cracking the screen. Looking across at the person she bumped into, Mirae's eyes widened, getting up quickly, forgetting her phone on the ground.

"Eric are you okay? I'm so sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going." Mirae helped Eric up as he brushed his pants and laughed.

"That's fine, that was actually pretty funny." Mirae smiled at his response, glad that no one got hurt.

"Where were you running to? You seemed to be in a hurry." Eric asked while fixing the collar of Mirae's shirt which had wrinkled.

"Oh right! Did Kim Hana pass you?"

"Oh yeah she did, not long ago, I think she was with Joha... are they friends?"

"That's what I'm trying to find out, anyway thanks Eric and sorry again, I'll see you later!" With a wave, Mirae ran off again, not looking back.

Eric chuckled, holding his hand up in a wave as he watched her turn the corner of the school building, out of his sight.

He sighed and turned around, ready to head off to where he was going to before. But before he took a step, he saw Mirae's phone on the ground.

Picking it up he saw that the screen protector was cracked severely and even the edges of her phone had scratches on them.

He noticed that, although she had a screen protector, she didn't have a phone case, just a plain, white phone.

Running his hand over the cracked screen, the phone lit up showing Mirae's lock screen which happened to be a photo of Sunwoo, when the two were playing basketball.

Reality hit as Eric sighed, putting the phone in his pocket as he walked off into the hallway.

-

Mirae ran around the corner of the school building as she stopped at the restricted area. She could now hear Hana's laugh on the other side.

Walking around the flimsy sign, Mirae picked up her pace as she got to the side of the building, hoping Joha was okay.

Pulling herself into view, Mirae stood in front of the three girls in shock as she watched Joha stand against the wall, Hana and her friend in front of her.

"What the hell are you doing Kim Hana." Mirae said as she walked in between her and Joha, facing Hana as she watched the girl laugh.

"What do you mean what am I doing? I'm talking with Joha, my friend." She smirked making Mirae even more annoyed and frustrated.

"You don't think I know what you've done to Joha in the past? I'm letting you know now, leave her alone unless you want me to get involved."

"Since when were you my bodyguard?" Mirae spun around looking at Joha as she pushed herself off the wall and walked closer to the confused girl.

"I said since when we're you my bodyguard?"

"What? Joha what are you talking about?"

"I'm saying that I can have friends other than you, now if you'll excuse me I was having a conversation with Hana before you interrupted."

Mirae stood with wide eyes as she watched Joha walk away, her cold eyes still piercing through her. She heard Hana laugh before feeling a hot breath behind her ear.

"If you steal something if mine, I'll steal something of yours, two can play that game." Mirae held her fist tightly as Hana walked away, harshly bumping into her as she ran up to Joha who still hadn't turned to look back at Mirae.

After a couple seconds, Mirae walked out from side of the building towards the unrestricted school grounds. But before she could pass, she was stopped by a teacher who stood in front of her, arms crossed and shaking their head.

"Miss Min Mirae, I think a bright student like you should know that this is a restricted area?"

"Yes ma'am." Mirae mumbled, still too shocked to care.

"And you should also know that this means you have gotten yourself into detention."

"Yes ma'am."

"Now follow me."

Mirae dropped her head as she reluctantly followed the teacher, passing Hana who was snickering and whispering something to Joha who calmly stood there avoiding eye contact.

As she walked through the hallway, many other students shared surprised glanced seeing Mirae in trouble.

Mirae kept her head low, still in disbelief that she had just lost a friend. And of all people to Hana. Anger grew as she walked through the hallway. Angry at Hana for ruining her friendship with Joha, angry at Joha for choosing Hana over her, angry at the teacher for only getting her in trouble. But most of all, she was angry at herself. She didn't know why, but a slow, growing hatred consumed her as she followed the teacher, whilst gaining sympathetic looks from the student.

Among those students, Joha stood watching, with mixed feelings of annoyance, reassurance and guilt, but what was done is done, there is no way to undo her actions and words.