The Girl With The Iron Will

Dethroned Rooftop Prince

"It looks better down there but it's a trap. The world is twisted, and the both of us are in it."

EXO, Trouble

Even as I did my exam paper in school that day, head throbbing like it was constantly being knocked by the dull side of a hammer, I couldn't forget the look on Jae Woong's face when he left my apartment that morning.

I knew he really did like me. I saw it before he left. I saw it in the shine of his eyes following that kiss, the quick blinks he had following my little outburst, the parted lips in denial, and the disbelief on his face when he watched Kris talk to me. He hadn't expected to lose to someone I was supposed to hate – someone I did kind of hate – and that loss was overwhelming to him.

I, on the other hand, was ridden with guilt and wanted to hide it behind all the mugging; some part of me was lambasting the other part of me for even thinking of breaking up at this time. Sure, Jae Woong had said that he wanted to make the most of our time before I left for my studies in America, but there was one thing he hadn't banked on: me actually wanting that time with him.

And that was where I felt the most guilt; for actually showing him that I gave him that chance, only to be the one who took it back.

He had been genuinely attracted to me, I'm sure he was. But what good did it do, if he wasn't going to be the same goofy person during our nightly jaunts than the guy with the celebrity act whenever we were in public?

He loved showing me off, and it was his nature to be proud and materialistic, but I wasn't too keen on the idea. Which was why he was speechless that I even had feelings for an idol, someone the both of us had, up till now, made fun of for keeping up an act.

Don't think about it, Jang Mi.

Just do the papers, and leave the exam hall as soon as you're done.

***

Exam week came and left, as if it wanted to hurry up and leave us drained and exhausted in its wake, and suddenly it was my last exam paper. By this time, most of the seniors were zombies on autopilot; everyone seemed to just want it all to end before they could celebrate with their friends.

As I finished my last paper, I walked out of the exam hall with a long sigh, heading to my locker to clear out the last of my things. While my peers were going to celebrate the end of our academic year with drinks, or a late night out, I wasn't able to join it because my mother and I were going back to China to spend some time there.

The locker hallway was quiet and filled with few people as I went up to my own locker. I unlocked my locker, taking out my remaining books and things and stuffing it into my satchel.

"Yo, noona."

I shut my eyes, slamming it shut as I turned around. "Not the time, Seungri," I told him, "My last braincell isn't keen on arguing with you today."

I began walking and he fell into step with me. "Wasn't going to piss you off more than you already look," he commented, "Let me guess. You didn't study enough for today's exam?"

I made a motion to hit him on his hand that was in his cast still, and he ducked, smile not even faltering. "I did study enough, thank you very much. What do you want, Seungri?"

"I just wanted to say hello," he said, "And of course, thank you. For being such a great senior to me. I was thinking about you the other day and it started to sink in; you're not going to be here to foil my plans every now and then."

I gave him a look. "Are you saying you miss me?"

The sophomore shrugged.

I narrowed my eyes. "Did Baekho's punches drill some sense into that thick skull of yours?"