A/N: Chapter 3 of Tiger of the Wild's. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own. Girls of the Wild's belongs to the amazing Zhena.
Special thanks to the reviewers and to the readers who Fav/Alert this story, I really appreciate it.
Episode 3
Queen's home...
"What is it?" Moon Young frowned, leaning against the ropes as she watched Queen practice against a punching bag. The two of them were in the basement where the ring was located for training purposes. The poor thing was already battered by the powerful punches and kicks; it probably couldn't last another year. "Say something! Huh? You're the one who called me over in the middle of the night. Did you call me just to show off your boxing ring. Hey~!"
Pant. Pant. The blonde stopped her training to catch her breath, leaning a hand against the battered object but didn't acknowledge the pink-haired girl's words.
"I see!" Moon Young continued with a cheeky smile. "You're scared you'll lose against me at the Wild's League, aren't you? So you called me here so I can't train. Am I right~? Young lady? Don't worry, I'll cut you some slack. There's no need since you'll be seeded."
"...you think..." Queen finally spoke but with a small voice. "...I'm...a monster...?"
"Eh?" Moon Young stared at her for like the longest time as if she didn't understand a word the blonde said. "What? Did you worry about it all day."
"I'm not..." Queen turned to look at her friend with the saddest look possible. "I'm not, am I?"
"Gosh! You're so cute!" The pink-haired girl busted up laughing, holding onto the ropes to keep from falling over. "Did that bother you that much? Oh, my! You even gave him a slap!" She continued laughing and even pointed a finger at Queen. "If your fans hear about this, they'll be disappointed! What a big baby! Ugh!" She winced as a pair of sparring gloves smacked her in the cheek.
"Come up here!" Queen ordered after throwing the girl a pair of boxing gloves, clearly pissed off at what Moon Young said, especially the part about being called a big baby. "Let's spar a round!"
"Hello?" Moon Young blinked before smirking, putting on the gloves eagerly. "Don't think I've just been sitting around 'cause I haven't been competing. You got it all wrong."
"Okay, come on!"
The next morning...
"Arghh!" A loud voice cried out with disappointment early in the morning, totally not something one would want to hear the moment he wakes up. "Sausages! You promised me you'll cook sausages!"
"Stop doing that!" Another voice spoke, trying to calm the first one down. " He's busy!"
"Sorry! I forgot." Jae Gu apologized as he checked his younger siblings' backpacks, making sure they had their supplies or any homework that is due. "I'll cook sausages tomorrow. I promise."
"Jae Gu, I hate you!" The boy screeched at his older brother, banging his fists on the table. "Mom used to cook sausages for me all the time!"
"Jae Hyeong! Stop crying!" Jae Gu, clearly under stress, snapped back, causing his younger brother to sit with his mouth shut, trembling as he suppressed the urge to scream however his eyes couldn't hold back tears.
"...I promise." Jae Gu said quietly as he returned back to checking, feeling regret turn in the pit of his stomach for yelling at the boy. "Next time." They need Mom...He thought has he walked with the twins to their bus stop, Jae Hyeong was still upset and busy wiping his tears with his sleeves. No matter how hard I try I can't be their mom. Jae Hyeong, Jae Som...I'm sorry. He waved them off before proceeding to school himself. Everyday is a war. When will life get easier? But for now...I'm in trouble. I'm late for school.
"Good morning!"
"Ack!" He jumped, startled when I appeared right beside him with my bag slung over my shoulder. "Oh jeez, Tobi you scared me. Also...what happened? Your hair's a mess." Indeed, I had the most outrageous bedhead the world's had ever seen but I just shrugged my shoulders without care before fixing the tie around my neck.
"I set an alarm for earlier but unfortunately I am still fighting jet leg. Hwa Yeon left for work earlier than usual so she couldn't drive me here so I ended up walking instead." I peered around the corner for a minute before pulling back. "Oh wow, there's a giant burly woman standing guard by the gate. There's no way we'll be able to defeat her if we go head first."
"That's why that option is clearly a no go. Don't worry, I have an idea." Motioning with a finger, we walked a little further away from the gate and stood before the brick wall. "Okay, give me a boost." I complied and hoisted him over the wall. Once he was inside, I followed suit, huffing and grunting till I was safely over on the other side.
"Phew, we made it." Jae Gu said.
"We aren't the only ones huh." I commented and we both tilted our heads up to see the first of many late comers vaulting the wall with ease. Climbing over the school wall happens everywhere, but here...it's not only unique...but also visually shocking. Jae Gu and I sat with our backs to the wall as we watched the girls jump over before making a beeline to their classes.
"I'll see you for PE class!" Jae Gu said as we parted ways to our respected class. According to him, the only way to get out of this school is to study.
Studying abroad may be tough at first, but I may be able to get through and take back enough credit for a semester. I thought to myself, watching whatever the professor was scribbling on the board before writing notes as well. However...my pencil stopped writing and I felt a cold shiver up my spine from the eyes of every girl in the class. What's wrong with these girls? Stop staring at me!
Ding Dong~
"Oh my goodness..." I looked up as Jae Gu rushed in all sweaty the moment the bell rang. "I thought those girls would never leave me alone. I swear I could feel their eyes on me the entire time!"
"You're telling me." I mumbled and he realized that there was a group of girls surrounding us, all laughing and giggling. "I feel the exact same way."
"Everyone!" A booming voice rang out and we all turned to stare at the speaker. "Don't move and listen up!" She had on the traditional kendo uniform and wielded a wooden sword. She was also wearing large circular lenses glasses and her black hair was kept in a bob that frames her face with a straight fringe. "I'm Seub Seul Lee, the captain of the fencing club! I guess you've already heard of us!"
Except for us. Jae Gu and I gave each other a knowing glance.
"I'll only take 3 people with kendo experience to join our club. Become a member of the best club at Wild's!"
"That's hilarious." Another voice spoke up and the kendo girls were pushed aside for the newcomer. "The best at Wild's? You even failed to win a medal last year."
"Dal Dal, you...!"
"Everybody! Watch this!" The one known as Dal Dal ignored Seub Seul and snapped her fingers. Her two helpers immediately produced what looked like a large concrete cinder block and held it on both ends. Taking a deep breath, Dal Dal lifted her right leg straight into the air before slamming it down upon the cinder block heel first, smashing it into smaller pieces without much effort.
"That was so cool!"
"She rocks!"
These girls are crazy! My jaw must have dropped to the floor because I clearly wasn't ready for the awesomeness that I just witnessed. A simple kick...breaking that cinder block into pebbles...that's too insane.
"You know taekwondo is the martial arts that represents Korea right? Join us! We hold the championship for 7 years straight!" Dal Dal said with a grin. "Only 2 people will be allowed through a tournament match!"
"Look at what you've done." Another voice spoke and a bandaged hand placed itself on the smaller girl's shoulder.
"Moon Young!" Dal Dal snapped irritably when the hand removed itself from her shoulder. "Gosh! What brings you here?"
"Phew! What a mess." The pink-haired boxer commented as she walked into the room nonchalantly. "How pathetic! Step aside, tiny!"
Grrrrr! How dare she come in here to steal my show! Dal Dal growled through clenched teeth.
"Hi guys." Moon Young stood before us, one hand raised in greeting while the other one was in the pocket of her jacket. "I'm Moon Young, president of the boxing club. I'll keep this short and sweet. No need for scrubs, we are only going to accept one person! Who has the strongest punch in this class? Or...since he's weak and can't fit in at school...a boy who wants protection would work, too."
Is she talking about...? Jae Gu stared at her before looking at me. You or me?
Dunno...I shrugged my shoulders in response. I'm pretty sure she was referring to you though. This was the first time I was able to see what kind of clubs were available at Wild. Before departing for the next class, he quickly excused himself and dragged Moon Young some place where they could chat in private.
"What? Did you raise your hand to join the boxing club?" Moon Young asked.
"No, I meant..." He fumbled a bit before holding out the check that Queen threw at him. "Please...give this money back to your friend."
"Eh? Just keep it." She told him. "She's not going to take it. You'll probably just get hit again."
"But..."
"Well, if you really want to, do it yourself. She'll be late today." Moon Young turned to the side and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "She is often late for school because of her family business though...I wouldn't recommend giving back the money cause she'll just get mad. By the way, why don't you join our club?" She gave him a questioning look. "A club activity is mandatory at our school."
"No, it's okay." Jae Gu replied. "I've never done sports before...well I'll think about it." I must not spend my energy on such things. I have no time to spare...
"Okay. Well, if you need any help, let me know. I got your back." Moon Young replied with a thumbs up and a wink.
"...Okay." What's...that thumbs up for?
My plan failed! Moon Young thought to herself furiously as they parted ways. Jae Gu! I thought he was a pushover. Her plan included bringing Jae Gu to the boxing club, become more friendly while teaching him boxing, establish that she is the most trustworthy upperclassmen in the school, and then earn full points in the "maiden-like" category. Sadly the first step didn't go as well as she had planned.
"What was all that about?" I asked when he returned into the classroom. Since we shared the same PE class, both of our classrooms merge together to form one big class.
"A-Ah! It's nothing!" He replied before pulling out another set of clothes. "Next is PE...Should we just go to the restroom to change?"
"I mean...I wouldn't...a...argu...argue..." My sentences were choppy and my voice stuttered because all of the girls started stripping right in front of us, paying us no mind as they did what they had to do. A lot of things were flashing right before my eyes. "AHHH!"
"Cough!" Jae Gu added as his face got red.
"Right! I forgot it's a co-ed school now!"
"Ah!"
"Shall we go out to get changed for shy Jae Gu and Tobias?" One of the girls teased.
"I'd never cared about things like this before at middle school."
"We'll go!" Jae Gu spluttered, grabbing the back of my uniform and dragged me out. However the girls grabbed us and we ended up back into the class room.
"It's okay, we're mostly done anyway. You boys have 5 minutes."
It should be the other way around! screamed Jae Gu as the door was closed shut.
"Ahaha, these girls sure are shameless huh?" I laughed nervously as I pulled out my own set of clothes. "There's nothing we can do so we should probably get changed." As we started stripping out of our uniforms, Jae Gu realized that the girls from our class were all staring at us through the window.
"Oh nice body~"
"So cute! Look at the elephant printed underpants!"
"The other one has dog printed underpants! "
Of all days...it had to be this one...Blushing like mad, I turned my back to the window and finished dressing without uttering a word. Jae Gu was also scrambling to put on his clothes and once we were ready, the two of us hurried to class.
Outside...
"You only have PE until you join a club." Mr. Wilds himself was outside as he stood before us proudly. "Since it's limited, I hope you enjoy with great enthusiasm! Today, we'll play dodge ball. Be careful not to get hurt! Anyone feeling under the weather?"
"Sir...may I sit this one out?" Jae Gu raised his hand almost immediately. "I'm a bit dizzy."
"Gee- one of our boys is sick today!" Mr. Wilds stated with shock before nodding his head and motioned with his hand to the stands. "Alright. You're exempted. And what about you Tobias? What says you?"
"Uh...Um..." I glanced to see the girls staring at me like I was fresh meat. "I-I think I'll participate sir." I'm probably gonna regret this soon...but at this rate, I'll be able to intermingle with some of these girls.
"Atta boy! That's how you do it!" Mr. Wilds clapped his hands with approval before grinning broadly. "Okay everyone, let's begin!"
I have to just focus on studying and save my energy for the part-time job. Otherwise, I'll collapse. Jae Gu thought as he sat on the side line, watching the field turn into a battle royal. Then his stomach grumbled loudly in complaint. I'm starving since I skipped breakfast...
"Target in sight!" Dal Dal said as she spied on Jae Gu at a distance. "Jae Gu...today, you'll be mine! I studied all night yesterday!" In her hand she had a book called How to win a man's heart. I'll conquer you, Jae Gu Song!
Hmm...? The boy's ears perked up when he heard the sound of something rumbling towards him. "What's that?!" In comes Dal Dal, dragging behind her a stack of tires all tied with rope and attached to a harness that was around her chest. The boy just stared in shock, not knowing what to say or feel as the girl came to a stop in front of him.
Step 1. In case of a relationship between a younger man and an older woman, a man is attracted by a strong woman!
"Hey~ Isn't it Jae Gu?" Dal Dal asked innocently before holding up two fingers in salute. "What's up?"
Step 2. Play hard to get by keeping it cool.
"Well, I'm kind of busy." She said, not giving him a chance to reply. "Bye!" She tugged on the ropes before holding her head with a hand, feigning a faint. "Ah~!" She collapsed dramatically to the ground with a whimper. "Ah, my head! I'm so dizzy~"
Step 3. The key is to show that you can be weak at times!
"Gee~ I get this every once in a while..." She groaned before putting on a cute face, "Jae Gu~ Usually, I'm not one to ask for favors...but could you...?" She stopped when the boy disappeared, leaving an empty stand behind.
Rooftop...
"There shouldn't be anyone here." Jae Gu looked around to make sure he was correct before releasing a sigh of relief. "This school is full of weirdos." He walked over to lean on the edge of the railing and looked. Pheww...School life here is hard...how am I gonna hold out for 3 years? But, there will probably be more male students next year, more than just Tobi and I. If it wasn't for the scholarship I'd take a year off.
He fumbled inside his pocket and took out the check and stared at it for awhile. I don't feel comfortable carrying this. I should give it back asap. With all this money, how many sausages can I buy for Jae Hyeong? I'll cook them for him tomorrow.
TRRR~ TRRR~ TRRR~
"Eh?!" He looked up at the sound of an approaching object. "Eh...?! What's that!?" Shielding himself from the gust of wind, he looked away as the hellicopter touched down not too far away from him. However because the wind generated from the blades was strong, the check slipped from his fingers. "Ah! No!" He shouted as he looked at the piece of paper that had gone beyond his grip. Oh, my god!
"Watch your step, young lady!" He turned to see two figures coming out of the helicopter, one of them was dressed in a dark suit and tie, shades covering the eyes. "Mr. Park will be here to take you home later!"
It's her...what terrible timing! Jae Gu panicked on the inside when he recognized the blonde haired beauty that had emerged from the aircraft. Their eyes met and he was at a loss of words.
"...Jae Gu Song?"