Tae Yeon may have said it before, but it was so true that it simply had to be reiterated. One of the downsides of going clubbing on a weekday is school.
That being said, naturally the downside to going clubbing on a Tuesday is that the day after is a Wednesday; the day after that is a Thursday; and only then is it finally Friday. Which of course means, that when Tae Yeon finally comes to her senses and remembers what transpired whilst she'd been slightly drunk – she had to drag herself out of bed to attend the remaining three days of school before she could finally crash in her bed and feel remorse for her actions.
Skipping school wasn't an option.
Not with Min Kyung crashing in her apartment and insisting on driving her so that he could 'scare off eyebrow boy's advances on her, and restrain her from groping him' (he still had no concrete proof that the boy Si Hyun saw her dancing with was him – not that that halted him) and the prospect of her mother calling her home to discuss her truancy.
She'd rather spend an extra hour in the morning constructing another layer of defense to protect her from Young Do's more through annoyances than have to suffer through her mother attempting to pry inside information from her.
Caught between a rock and a hard place. Young Do your head's as hard as a rock, and my mother's house is the hardest place to be in.
Min Kyung had attempted to gather details about her night in the car – so she'd drowned him out by singing very loudly and very obnoxiously along to the songs blasting on the radio. He entertained her until they pulled up to Jeguk's ominous gates, where he resumed his pestering until Tae Yeon relented and admitted that she'd seen Ha Kyung.
Min Kyung's fingers drummed on the steering wheel and he was always so relaxed and it was beginning to seriously piss her off. "They think you're on a social welfare scholarship right?"
Tae Yeon made a non-committal noise.
"That's why you looked like you would rather be swallowed by a hole in the ground than get into my car the other day."
"Rich people thrive on assumptions," she said, and refused to let Young Do's face pop into her mind as she did so. "I'm just being generous and indulging them. You being here contradicts their assumptions and probably gives them a headache."
Young Do's furrowed brows appeared in her mind despite her intentions.
"I bet Ha Kyung gave them a massive headache then," Min Kyung scoffs. "You should have anticipated seeing someone you know."
Students were passing by where they were seated in the car, giving her dirty looks as they took in the superb paint job and complex dashboard. Even if it wasn't Min Kyung's special car (which was apparently too good for Tae Yeon to ride in); it was still expensive. Tae Yeon didn't care about whether or not they had headaches now, not when she was starting to feel her own approaching.
She felt brief sympathy for Young Do and how meddled he was due to her, and squashed it down.
They muttered lowly under their breath as they passed her, and she found that she didn't even care if they assumed she was sleeping with Min Kyung in order to climb the social ladder – she'd already made a pretty big mess of herself, and might as well ride out on top of the wave.
'Stay low, blend in' I said. What happened to that?
Less of a what, more of a who.
"I know a lot of people, and considering you cling to me all the time you should've guessed one of them recognize you. Especially if you didn't want to get caught trying to flirt with some guy."
Tae Yeon purposefully ignored his comment so as not to give him the satisfaction of acknowledging that she had been dancing with anyone. "Whose clinging to who?" she quipped instead.
"You're just lucky you didn't see him there."
Even without Min Kyung making quotation marks in the air, she knew who he was referring to and her fists clenched involuntarily.
It was bordering on cliché really, how quick her reaction to him was. Recently, Young Do had been the one to set her veins alight with anger, to drag dry remarks out of her lips. So much so that she'd forgotten of a time before she attended Jeguk: even if it was only mere weeks ago. Tae Yeon had welcomed the distraction of a good quarrel – no matter how childish it was.
Apparently not distraction enough.
"You promised we wouldn't talk about him," she said, voice strained.
Her hangover was ceasing, yet a new one was already forming at the sound of Min Kyung's voice. Young Do would definitely only serve to worsen it, and for once she felt like she might have lost the upper hand.
There wasn't a clear way to regain the advantage, other than to act like she wasn't having an internal freak out at the prospect of how easily she'd released her inhibitions in front of him.
Her eyes were threatening to slip closed, and she was very tempted to tell Min Kyung to drive her back home. Or take her with him wherever it was he was headed today, with whatever sorts of errands he was going to carry out. If she was lucky he'd be helping his parents, if she wasn't she'd have to spend incredible amounts of time inhaling cigarette smoke in dark places.
The fact that it would be an obvious sign that Young Do had gotten to her was the only thing preventing her from doing exactly that.
"I'm just saying that for someone who practically refers to him as he-who-shall-not-be-named, you didn't think a great deal about how to avoid him," Min Kyung says. He was enjoying the attention being thrown his way, winking and grinning at the girls whispering about him.
"For the love of God, stop. They already probably think I'm sleeping with you for rides to school," Tae Yeon said, grabbing Min Kyung's hand from where he was waving through the open window, and he grinned back at her. "Besides, he's probably too sophisticated for clubs like that now, knowing how learned and well travelled he is. Plus, if you were that worried you should have warned me yesterday."
"You seemed pretty fine to me when I spoke to you. Drunk, but fine."
"I wasn't that drunk. Yet if I sounded drunk to you shouldn't you have been more worried?"
Min Kyung snorted. "I'd be more worried for the boy you were with. If anything you'd be taking advantage of him. Si Hyun said you seemed pretty intent on groping the daylights out of him."
Tae Yeon groaned and sat forwards to sling her backpack over her shoulders.
"Plus, Lord Voldemort was out with me yesterday, in a different club. You're right though," Min Kyung said, as if the fact that Tae Yeon had managed to guess accurately was very amusing to him.
Sick bastard.
"He seemed to be bored out of his mind there. He's got better manners though, he didn't say it explicitly."
"Min Kyung," Tae Yeon said as she swung the car door open. "I don't care."
He pursed his lips as she stepped out of the car and adjusted her skirt as she stood on the pavement. She hadn't gotten the slightest bit drunk for a while, and it was pretty disorientating. Especially when the sun made an appearance from behind the clouds causing her to wince. The urge to fidget with her hair was there, and she was having trouble keeping her mask in place. Squirming as everyone appraised her would do no good, so she held her head up high instead even if it felt very put on.
"You may have outgrown him with your fancy new uniform and loud friends," Min Kyung said as he appraised her, and she could see that look in his eyes - bordering on pity and she was about to shout at him for it. He continued to look at her instead, as if chalking up all the things that had changed in her over their years of friendship. She wasn't sure if he seemed saddened or glad for them. "But the feeling's not mutual."
Tae Yeon slammed the door shut at that, and he winced. She contemplated taking out her keys to put to the paint job and make true of her threat, so that the rest of the school could add crazy to their list of adjectives for her, and barely resisted.
Next time. You step one toe out of line and we'll see if you're still laughing then.
"Don't pick me up," Tae Yeon said as she spotted Eun Sang and Chan Young. "I'll take the bus home with Eun Sang."
People were continuously edging closer to gather snatches of conversation, so she switched to Mandarin; even if there was nothing important enough to disguise. It had felt rusty talking to Ha Kyung yesterday, and ever since it had just been her and Min Kyung hanging out she'd had nowhere to put it into practice. The fact that she could speak the language was already out in the open, so she no longer cared. People knowing that she wasn't Korean wasn't a major concern, not when there were other things that they would find far more interesting.
"As you wish. Tell me if tall dark and eyebrow-y bugs you," Min Kyung replied in a half-decent Chinese accent. It wasn't one hundred percent accurate, and had been picked up from hearing things thrown around (especially curse words), but Tae Yeon had known him for long enough that the words made sense anyway.
He'd known Mandarin since she had learnt Korean, because it was the only way they could communicate and had served useful until now. Although in the beginning he'd completely butchered his pronunciation. At least now it was familiar enough to understand.
She'd known no Korean when they'd first met; not until her mother had forced her into tuition when they moved here. None of that had been nearly as educational or as fun as playing with Min Kyung, and now her language was indiscernible from a native.
"Bye loser."
"Bye jagiya," Min Kyung said in very loud Korean. "I love you."
This caused an uproar in gossip and Tae Yeon sighed. She was too tired to deal with this. Perhaps she could sneak in an extra fifteen minutes of sleep at lunch. Tae Yeon turned as he zoomed off, Chan Young and Eun Sang approaching her quickly.
"I'm hoping that you know him," Chan Young comments.
"Ironic because right now I'm hoping that I don't."
Eun Sang laughs at this and hooks her arm through hers and Tae Yeon allows herself to be dragged towards their homeroom. There's about five minutes left before the bell rings and it appears Min Kyung has finally given up on his mission to make her repeatedly late.
"Where's Bo Na?" Tae Yeon asks and Chan Young gestures vaguely.
"Helping Young Do and Tan wake Myung Soo from his hangover. It's messy and for unknown reason my girlfriend is apparently an 'expert' at it."
Eun Sang's nose crinkles and Tae Yeon decides that she most definitely does not want to know.
"I'm just glad Tan didn't get drunk. He gets all creepily affectionate."
"More creepy than usual?"
Eun Sang swats at her and Tae Yeon shoves her playfully.
Chan Young steps in between the two of them so that they stop.
"Speaking of Bo Na, she asked me to invite you to Myung Soo's studio after school to study."
"Are you sure?" Tae Yeon asks, because she's sure that Young Do is on the verge of discovering something and isn't sure that they'll still be friends when this is over.
Tae Yeon has a habit of ruining things, and this probably isn't an exception.
"Yeah, Chan Young. She's already beaten you for number one, are you sure you want to give her even more of an advantage?"
Eun Sang manages to quell her fears just like that.
It's weird, how both these conversations and Tan's warnings, Young Do's threats can all take place in the same halls.
"Funny," Chan Young says as he sticks his tongue out. "So you'll come?"
Tae Yeon nods despite her urge to go home and nap.
"Young Do will be there," Eun Sang says and her concern is genuine and endearing and Tae Yeon decides that that is how these conversations can happen, because Eun Sang is a genuine, sweet person that Tae Yeon will never be able to compete with.
"I think if anyone should be scared, it's Young Do."
Chan Young's probably right. This doesn't stop Eun Sang from worrying as Tae Yeon takes a seat, and it's obvious from the way Eun Sang is eyeing Young Do's table worryingly.
How could it be that Tan can see me for what I truly am, Young Do's on the verge of discovering what's beneath the act, yet the two of you think I'm someone who deserves to be protected?
"I'm fine, Eun Sang. If worst comes to worst, Min Kyung got me a can of pepper spray for my birthday last year."
This soothes her, even if it's a joke. The can is most definitely real though.
Then the rest of their class enters and Eun Sang knows better than to openly question Young Do's intentions in front of an audience, so Tae Yeon relaxes and slumps forwards on her desk and decides that missing a couple of minutes from homeroom won't be that bad.
Quite predictably, the actual studying does not last all that long. It had started off well, with Tae Yeon helping Eun Sang with her English whilst Bo Na chatted incessantly with her about American and English music - to which Chan Young remarked he was glad he only understood three quarters of what they were saying because it was such nonsense. Eun Sang merely laughed and attempted to join in, until she'd run out of vocabulary to use and had resorted to quoting horror movies.
They'd all laughed at each other and it had been nice. Tan was there too - because even if he wasn't permanently shackled to Eun Sang like Chan Young and Bo Na; he still saw the need to stay in the same room as Eun Sang at all times. Granted, he was listening to his music in the corner splayed across the sofa, and perhaps that was why Tae Yeon found him so tolerable.
Tae Yeon had to admit, Myung Soo's studio was nice. It was all open space, and Bo Na had explained that it was a place for him to do his work, which usually comprised of developing photos or mixing tracks, or seeking refuge from his very strict parents and sleeping over. Proof of this was littered everywhere, with headphones on the table and photographs pinned up on the wall behind the table they were sitting at. Most of them featured the inhabitants of the room (she could spot the one of her that Myung Soo had snapped when they'd first met) and one of them even had Young Do smiling. Bo Na caught her staring at it.
"It's one of Myung Soo's most prized possessions, it doesn't happen all that often."
Tae Yeon said nothing, especially not with Eun Sang suddenly scrutinising her as if looking for something. She could handle the scrutiny from everyone else, but from Eun Sang it just felt wrong.
Luckily enough for her, Myung Soo flounced into the studio then. Unluckily, their studying just went to hell from there, and Young Do was trailing behind him.
What Tae Yeon had anticipated, was Young Do pressing her until she admitted the whole truth - what she hadn't been anticipated was Young Do acting as if nothing had happened. She was grateful, yes. Anxious: a little. The first time he'd played the silent card she hadn't been worried in the slightest, she knew that she had the upper hand and that he was flailing after her. Now however, he was the one holding the cards and giving her a taste of the medicine she'd given him for the past weeks.
When he caught sight of her his mouth lilted into what was almost a smile - if the photograph was any sort of indication of what it normally looked like. He was younger in the picture, and looked hardened all the same, even if only slightly more innocent. His hair had covered his forehead and his eyebrows, which were now his distinguished feature.
She remembered how Min Kyung had been noting differences between her and how she was in the past, and wondered if every time Tan and Myung Soo (maybe even Bo Na) came in here they did the same.
"What are you doing?" Myung Soo questioned as he made a direct line for where Tan was laying down, and immediately jumped on his stomach and they all winced as Tan jerked upright.
"Studying," Chan Young said and Myung Soo pulled a face as Young Do walked towards the table, sticking his hands in his pockets and looking over Tae Yeon's head and staring at her notes. Instinctively she pulled them away and Young Do grinned, knowing that she'd been ruffled.
"Boring," Myung Soo sang, and Eun Sang began packing up her books.
"We won't get anything done with the two of them here, trust me," she explained.
"I'll have you know that I'm very hardworking Eun Sang," Young Do said as he stood back to allow her to stand as she made her way over to sit besides Tan who had finally managed to push Myung Soo off of him. Myung Soo pouted and Tan took his headphones off to hang them around his neck.
"Not hardworking enough apparently," Chan Young said as he stood up and followed Eun Sang, Bo Na following suit so that when Chan Young sat on the armchair she could seat herself neatly in his lap. Young Do made a gagging gesture as Tae Yeon slid past him to sit as well, and when he followed he walked closer to her than usual, and his stare was scalding her skin.
It wasn't heavy or dark, as she'd expected it to be. There wasn't a trace of alcohol in her system anymore, yet the atmosphere between her and Young Do was light like it had been yesterday.
It unnerves me.
Tae Yeon sat on the long sofa to one side, and Young Do took it upon himself to sit on the other end, swinging his legs up to lay across her lap. She shoved him off, aggravated, and Myung Soo took it upon himself to sandwich himself between the two of them and Tae Yeon wondered why everyone seemed to think that she was the sheep in this situation.
They sat there for a couple of minutes, talking idly about school and Tan chimed in with his own English - heavy with an American accent that sounded butchered - until Myung Soo jumped up. "I'm bored," he declared.
"What do you suppose we do about it?" Young Do drawled, and his arm slung around the back of the sofa so that it was laying behind Myung Soo and his fingers could nudge at Tae Yeon's shoulder.
"Let's play a question game to know each other better," Myung Soo decided, clapping his hands together and Tan groaned at the prospect.
Tae Yeon briefly wondered if this was part of Young Do's game plan to find out more about her subtly, yet he looked surprised and pleased, and his arms were long enough to reach her and nudge against her neck. It had always been sensitive, and she flinched slightly.
His grin widened even more and she really wanted to punch him.
"What sort?" Bo Na questioned, and her eyes were bright and of course she would be the type to like games.
That's very cute Lee Bo Na but now isn't a very good time.
"Each person asks a question and everyone has to answer?" Chan Young offers and the group nods and Tae Yeon braces herself.
"You can start then," Tan says and now Tae Yeon is incredulous because there is no way that even Kim Tan is agreeing to play a game.
Tan looks at her and shoots her a look and now Tae Yeon really wants to punch him as well because she'd always thought that Tan had been conspiring against her and this only serves to prove it.
"Where are you from?" Chan Young asks, and it is an easy, simple question that is meant to break the ice and if Chan Young thinks he is being subtle in trying to help alleviate the tension that is quickly rising as Young Do continues to look like he has already won a game with no victors, he is fooling himself.
"Seoul," Bo Na says.
"Seoul," Young Do seconds.
"Seoul," Myung Soo repeats. It's unsurprising, because they're all chaebols and the heirs to big businesses based in the capital, they're old money and born and bred here, so that people know their faces from the minute they enter that bright hospital room screaming and red faced.
Everyone turns to her and she can see Young Do's head cocked to the side no matter how she tries to position herself so that she can't see him due to Myung Soo.
"Beijing," Tae Yeon declares and although she'd already decided that morning that there was no harm in people knowing her heritage, she thinks she might have said her name as she says the name and her accent comes out. They all look interested so she continues. "I didn't live there for long, but my parents are both Chinese and that's how I know Mandarin."
No one asks any more questions, and Tae Yeon internally sighs in relief.
"And here I thought you were unique, turns out its just because you're not Korean," Young Do says and the words are cutting but the way he says them is still victorious and they hold no sting.
"Seoul," Tan says, and they've travelled back into chaebol territory.
"Gwangju," Eun Sang offers.
"Seoul," Bo Na finishes and then it's Bo Na's turn to ask a question and bets are on that she asks another buffer.
This feels like a very toned down version of truth or dare. How long until it turns dangerous?
Myung Soo this is mild for one of your ideas, what do you have planned?
Bo Na ponders her opportunity for a while, and shifts so that she's better seated on Chan Young's knees. Tan pulls a face. Bo Na begins to tap her chin and then looks at Chan Young before her eyes light and she grins. "When was the last time you were in a relationship?" Bo Na asks and something in Tae Yeon's stomach tightens uneasily.
"Never," Young Do says and he settles further back into the cushions. "Girls are usually too clingy for my taste."
"More like you're not to any girl's taste," Tan says and they share some sort of inside joke and Myung Soo pushes Young Do.
"Never," Myung Soo says. "All of my crushes have ended in heartbreak," he says sighing dramatically and swoons into Young Do's side.
They all look at Tae Yeon and she doesn't even blink. "Three months ago." She can see the cogs whirring in their minds, and know what they are calculating.
"That's just before you finished school," Bo Na says and her mouth is pulled into a rather cute pout.
"Then I guess it's lucky I transferred here to avoid awkward encounters." Tae Yeon's heart does a funny tugging in her chest and she curses it. She doesn't have time for feelings or boys, not anymore.
I shouldn't even be playing with you, Young Do-ah.
They skip the rest of the answers because they're currently involved in one, and no one really wants to hear them gushing about their significant other because they have to witness enough of it everyday.
It's Young Do's turn and Tae Yeon's stomach clenches in time with her heart. His smile is eased and relaxed and although it's a nice change from his self satisfied grin, the context it's in is unsettling.
"In the last breakup you had, who broke up with who?" Young Do asks and Tae Yeon knows that he saw her flinching when he called her jagiya, and knows that he's digging around this calamity to see what exactly lies within that the can use to his advantage.
"Yoo Rachel," Myung Soo muses and the name sounds familiar but she can't match it to a face. She'd heard about the legendary queen of Jeguk who had reigned before she got here - she'd left after her engagement with Tan broke and deemed it beneath her. "Her words are cold, and stopped my beating heart."
"You said you've never had a relationship," Chan Young points out.
"You're such an anti-romantic. Try it again and I'll steal Lee Bo Na from you."
"I doubt it," Tan says and Myung Soo looks betrayed.
Then it's Tae Yeon's turn and she looks as disinterested as possible; it comes naturally because the subject had grown tired long before she came to Jeguk. Min Kyung had asked incessantly after it and she'd dismissed it. She can tell that Young Do is expecting some sort of sob story, one of heartbreak that had her fleeing her old school to come here, to act like a bitch and harden her exterior.
It gives her great pleasure when she announces that it was her.
No one speaks and Young Do freezes.
Perhaps regaining the upper hand wasn't that hard after all.
"Cha Eun Sang," Tan declares proudly, and quickly. He's covering for her, and Tae Yeon doesn't know why because she does not want to feel indebted for him, even if he's growing slightly more tolerable.
"Tan," Eun Sang says after contemplating it for a while and Tan doesn't laugh along with her and bops her on the nose.
"Eun Sang," Chan Young says and Bo Na hits him at the same time Tan sends him a deathly glare. "She used to be very tall and very scary. My style."
"Tan," Bo Na says in retaliation, and then seems to remember that Tan is actually in the room and it quickly dissolves into blushing.
"Cha Eun Sang," Young Do repeats.
Ah, so that's what that tension is. And here I thought the two of you were refreshing and simply just upset over something normal – but of course it was a girl.
"Lee Bo Na," Myung Soo says and Young Do whistles lowly.
"It seems as if you've all dated quite incestuously. Should I be worried?"
"Of course not Tae Yeonie, you can be mine," Myung Soo says as he clutches at her hands and it feels quite nice as he laces his fingers with hers.
Bo Na claps loudly to cover up her earlier embarrassment.
Myung Soo seems to be spurred on by the recurring theme.
"Who was your first love?"
Tae Yeon's throat dries.
"I'd rather not say," she says tentatively, and the answer's safe and leaves a lot to be desired; yet there's no way she can say more without feeling like she's choking. It's surprising enough that her voice comes out at all, even as it sort of feels like she's drowning suddenly.
"That's no fun," Bo Na pouts even if there's no real conviction behind it, and Tae Yeon feels her temples begin to throb and doesn't even ahve it within her to glare at her.
"Tells us about him instead," Myung Soo suggests, and Tae Yeon suddenly finds herself immensely interested in the hand stitched hem of her skirt.
She decides to accept the scapegoat Myung Soo's offered her, because it's a better reality than allowing Young Do to interrogate her mercilessly about it.
"My first love was," her mouth twists into a wry smile as she thinks about how best to phrase it, how best to describe him. Something in her mind flashes and her smile turns even more sardonic. "A stupid boy." She can see that if Young Do's interest wan't peaked before, it definitely is now. "One who was my friend first, and I did the stupid thing and fell for him. I liked him, and it hurt to be around him when he only thought of me as a friend - and when he found out about my feelings for him: he broke my heart."
There's a sudden pang in her chest as she says this, and she pushes the pain aside, focusing instead on the warmth of when they were happy together; pointedly ignoring Young Do's blank look and the way everyone else is listening intently. It feels way too much like a therapy session, and it's threatening to choke her.
"We dated for a while," she says, and this time her smile is slightly more genuine, her heart pounding as she thinks about it. "And then I broke up with him."
The room's silent when she finishes, and she begins to fidget despite her constant training to not do exactly that. It doesn't hurt - the breaking up with him, how they'd treated each other in the beginning (which she'd skimmed over because she wasn't sure she could handle retelling how their friendship had turned sour so quickly, how bittersweet it had all been); not if she focuses on how happy they had been for a while.
"First loves are destined to fail," Myung Soo says reassuringly after a while, and Tae Yeon flashes a smile that is forced and practiced, and just hopes that it will effectively fool them.
"Hey," Tan shouts defensively, and Tae Yeon finds herself laughing at his offence because pain at Tan's expense is incredibly entertaining.
"Please. If anything your first love was Young Do," Bo Na snorts.
"And first loves are only destined to fail if they're your friend first," Tae Yeon muses and Eun Sang claps, even if her accompanying giggle sounds rather strangled.
"Chan Young and I were friends first," Bo Na shouts defensively, and the memories of her relationship are already fading from her mind as the conversation moves onto different topics; their game already forgotten.
"Myung Soo shouldn't have asked those questions," Eun Sang says thoughtfully as they walk towards the bus stop. Chan Young had been abducted by Bo Na, and they were walking together in companionable silence, backpacks slung halfheartedly over their shoulders as they trudged along lazily.
Despite the fact that she'd told Min Kyung not to pick her up; she can't stop her eyes from scanning the street to look for him. Tae Yeon can handle him for the most part - after insisting he sleep in her apartment whenever he went out drinking so that she didn't have to worry, her tolerance for him was sort of inevitable - but she doesn't think she can withstand him today.
Not after reminiscing about what my life was like less than a year ago.
"It's fine," Tae Yeon insists even though there's a bitter taste in her mouth as she does that betrays her. "Was Tan really your first love?" She asks.
The topic change is clumsy, even if it's in conversation with Eun Sang, but the other girl is too nice and open and trusting so it's executed perfectly.
Eun Sang blushes prettily. "Yes, it's kind of weird considering how Myung Soo enjoys preaching about failed first loves."
"From what I've gathered of your relationship, he's put you through enough pain to warrant a label as a failure in itself," Tae Yeon says, and the cold words are flying out before she has the time to stop them - the pain is still fresh no matter how hard she tries to not think about it.
"You don't like him very much, do you?" Eun Sang says, and the words lack venom as they reach the bus stop and sit down.
"Not particularly," Tae Yeon says carefully, because there's no way she can explain her dislike to Eun Sang who won't understand her perspective. "Then again, I don't think he likes me that much either. And yet you're not storming up to him and insisting he stays away from me."
Eun Sang doesn't look all that offended, but does have the grace to look ashamed.
"Young Do's more dangerous than Tan," she answers.
"Debatable. I'm pretty sure that illegitimate or not, Tan has some serious sway with Jeguk. Neither of them are particularly threatening to me, but the way you think I need protecting is cute," she pinches Eun Sang's cheek who's looking at her bewildered.
"Why don't you like him?"
Tae Yeon sighs. "Because he's like Young Do. Because Young Do thinks just because he has money and is the heir to whatever company, he can push people around. I don't appreciate that. Especially when people threaten me upon our first encounter."
Eun Sang processes this. "I know what you mean, about the pushing around. It's kind of hard not to know," she pauses. "Theyre not always like that, they're just particularly touchy - even if they refuse to admit it."
"Unfortunately for them I'm equally as touchy."
Tan, you really are blessed to have a girl as patient as Eun Sang. Treat her well or I'll mess you up.
"I was there," Eun Sang says suddenly. "When you first met Tan. Did he threaten you when I wasn't looking?"
Tae Yeon contemplates her answer. "You wondered how I knew he was illegitimate, right? Because I never brought it up. How I knew he was the Chairman's son?"
Tae Yeon's sure that like Young Do Eun Sang must have at least entertained the thought of her being at Jeguk due to someone's good graces: using her as an informant.
The prospect turns her stomach.
"He knows about me too. You didn't hear the threat because you didn't understand it," the sentence is slow as she rolls the words around in her mouth. "Ex-wife or not, the Chairwoman knows him, so he knows everything that Jeguk knows about me. The story I told about my first love was the sweet version. I endured a lot throughout it, friends first or not. Even if it feels weird to sit next to you and talk about endurance," Min Kyung's torso pushes its way into her mind, blood trickling down his face. Her stomach twists violently. "You didn't hear the threat because even if its insensitive to assume this, you've never been threatened by the type of person Tan, or Young Do is. The threat reserved for people who know exactly how to threaten back."
When the bus rolls up Eun Sang is silent, and as they step onboard they immediately change the topic of conversation.
The next time Young Do sees her is at lunch the next day. He sees her besides him in class of course, but there's something different about it now. She's placing food on a tray, and although she's been here for almost a month she's still something of a novelty, judging by thew ay people continue to shoot her dangerous looks when they near her.
His own tray is full, and as she stands there coldly collecting utensils, he's reminded oddly enough of post-engagement dissolution Yoo Rachel. Abandoned by all allies yet determined to not be affected.
You'd eat your heart out sister, if you saw how her act is much better than yours.
Perhaps that's because Tae Yeon does actually have friends, not like how Rachel had only had seasonal friends like Bo Na. He knows that they're in the broadcasting room as Bo Na and Eun Sang finish something off - Tan and Chan Young probably in there too. Not that Tan would provide Tae Yeon with adequate company anyway: Tan's about as friendly as Young Do is.
Myung Soo's probably somewhere in the library taking a nap: which leaves Tae Yeon without her usual parade of soldiers.
The last time they weren't around we ended up arguing in a hallway. What will happen this time?
Young Do walks up to her as she turns to move to a table, smiling winningly.
She pushes past him.
Rude.
"Jagiya," he calls and he can tell that her blood freezes.
When she turns her face is blank. "What?"
"Eat with me." He says. It's phrased as a question but they both know it's not.
"Tempting," Tae Yeon pretends to consider. "But I'll have to refuse."
"You'd prefer to eat by yourself then?"
Everyone's eyes are glued to them, prepared for Young Do's normal hazing and he wonders if they can't tell that it's a different situation.
"Yes," she says, swivelling on her heel.
His arm wants to sling around her shoulders, so that everyone knows that messing with her is strictly limited to him - but he refrains because she's stubbornly insisting on remaining individual.
Not that it's going that badly for you.
Can you not see I want to help you?
"Don't be stubborn," he murmurs and when he walks she follows without saying a word.
Now you listen?
He's sitting down before he even realises what table it is. Without Tan around he'd lapsed back into the past; and is sitting at his pervious favourite table, in his old seat.
Tae Yeon says nothing, and after all that fight it's a bit of a letdown. It takes until she places her tray down on the table, so that she'll be in the seat in front of him that there's an uproar of gossip and he suddenly sees what Tae Yeon doesn't. Remembers the implications of sitting there.
Tae Yeon pulls the chair back and Young Do jumps out of his seat.
Tae Yeon tilts her head to the side, and she is infuriatingly calm and she's either acting or relaxed, calm or choked up in memories and she's too unpredictable but by now he's learned to coke with it. "SIt here instead," he says quietly, so the onlookers can't hear.
"Why?"
"Because I say so. I already warmed the seat for you," he says and then in two strides he's crossed to the other side of the table, sat in the chair and swapped their trays.
She groans and makes an offhand comment about how tired her legs are and how she doesn't have the time for his moodswings, but she sits down anyway and Young Do ignores the roar of chatter as she does so. He's drowning them out so he can't hear them, but he can guess the gist of what they're saying.
"What does this mean?"
"Choi Young Do's sitting in the transfer seat!"
Young Do is resolutely ignoring them so Tae Yeon follows his lead and remains oblivious. They say nothing for a while; Tae Yeon eating and she eats about as much as Myung Soo, delicately working her way through her bowl of noodles.
"Your revelations yesterday were pretty enlightening."
It's then he realises that he'd started all of their conversations, but this is the one time it's not because he already ahs something prepared to taunt her with.
Tae Yeon looks slightly more relaxed, as if deciding that she realises why he's called her here. Apparently she likes uncertainty about as much as he does. "I like to think I'm quite interesting."
"Maybe we could divulge more secrets."
"I see your search remains fruitless then," she says offhandedly. "But if I tell you all my secrets that's not a fun game for you, right?"
Young Do's mouth quirks.
I knew you'd be fun.
"And Eun Sang thought I was bullying you."
"Ridiculous. If anything I'm playing with you," Tae Yeon agrees and for a while there's nothing but the sound of chopsticks clanging against plates.
"You spoke Mandarin, right?" Young Do asks, and he tries to disguise his eagerness for her answer.
Tae Yeon leans back in her seat slightly, and nods. "My second language."
"Then what's your first?"
Young Do can see her contemplating what answer to give.
"English. My family moved there when they found out my mother was pregnant again."
"The whole one child thing?"
Tae Yeon nods. "What about you?"
"I speak Japanese, although it's mainly limited to persuading people into paying my company copious amounts of money for dodgy workmanship and questionable morals."
Tae Yeon actually laughs, and Young Do wonders how differently the last couple of weeks would have been if their first encoutner ahd beeen like this, if he hadn't gone on impulse and decided to see what kind of victim she'd be.
"Remind me not to invest in your company."
"I will, although I wouldn't recommend that. We're set to rise in stocks by one percent."
Tae Yeon laughs again, and Young Do finds himself smirking too.
"I revealed a lot yesterday," she says and she's already finished her lunch.
How much do I miss with you?
"Except the actual identity of your first love," Young Do interrupts.
"Friends first". Maybe Min Kyung.
I'll have to watch how you interact with each other more closely next time.
"Yet you didn't, and there's one thing I'm curious about," she continues as if he hadn't pspoken. "How did you and Tan become friends?"
Young Do chews it over. Questions about Tan are common, and he's sure it's mutual. They'd reached a point in their lives where the two were practically synonymous with each other; whether that be when they were friends or enemies.
People inquire after their fights, their history, what they do. Who would win a fight.
Never how it all started.
Everyone who had been around in kindergarten didn't have to ask; people were engaged in their teens but were forced into friendships as toddlers. Everyone who had come later were too preoccupied with ensuring they stayed clear out of the way.
Why has this lasted for so long?
"Convenience," Young Do decides finally and Tae Yeon looks so unimpressed it's comical.
"Is everything about convenience? Majority of people here have money, how much more convenient could it get?"
Young Do snorts, and Tae Yeon's eyes widen at hearing something other than harsh words leave his mouth. It's a low sound, quite like the occasional whistle he emits. Only this one sounds more conversational, friendly even, and he speaks quickly to cover it up.
So much time trying to deconstruct your mask, and you've ended up shedding mine.
"Spoken like a true welfare student. Tell me, do you aim to plan an uprising?"
"That depends," Tae Yeon says as she reaches out and snags the jelly cup from Young Do's tray. He hadn't planned one eating it anyway; but the action is still all too close to friendship. She doesn't say anything as she rips the plastic lid off and begins scooping it out with a spoon. "What do you think my odds are?"
"Considering how no one's tried to put wheatgrass juice in your locker or torn up your books, pretty decent," Young Do says conversationally. "Like it or not, Jeguk needs someone to be in charge and the previous queen vacated her position just before you arrived." Yoo Rachel was most definitely the queen, whether anyone acknowledged it or not. "And your constant defiance is causing a sense of respect for you - unwilling or otherwise."
"Good to know," Tae Yeon says around her spoon. She sucks it out of her lips with a plop. "Not that the idea of ruling over a bunch of pretentious people who enjoy spreading rumours about me is all that appealing."
"It grows on you."
"Careful there Young Do, if you convince me too much I might just take away your title," she mocks.
"You should be the one looking out, we're already playing a game, you don't want this to turn into a war."
"Was that a threat?" she asks, and her lips are tugged into what Young Do refuses to believe is a smile.
"What exactly is he threatening to do?"
Ah Tan, you always know how to kill the heartfelt moments.
It's some sort of sick consolation by the fact Tae Yeon looks even more unimpressed with Tan than with him.
Her arms cross over her chest as she leans all the way back in her seat. "To engage in a war. I suggest you ally with him, and he might just last a while."
Tan's hand appears on his right shoulder, and his grip is tight.
"Young Do, can I speak to you for a moment?"
"Do I have a choice?" he quips, and then Tan is dragging him out of his seat and out of the cafeteria.
I thought we agreed to be friends. Even so, isn't Myung Soo supposed to be the one dragging both of us?
There's barely anyone outside when they get there, Tan dragging him far into the courtyard until there is no one in sight. Apparently he deems that this is good enough, and relinquishes his grip on Young Do's arm. Young Do's got a couple of inches on Tan, and it was quite amusing to see him ordering him around, amusing if it hadn't been irritating as hell.
"I thought we were past the stage of dragging each other around," Young Do says as he rights himself, purposefully making a show of rubbing at his shoulder from where Tan's fingers had dug into the bone.
"Aren't you taking this too far?" Tan asks as he stands in front of him.
Young Do regards him, as he always does. He's come quite far from the quaint boy he'd been when he'd told Young Do about his illegitimacy, a long way from the boy who hadn't known how to handle the weight that had been thrust upon him at birth.
"Aren't you taking this too far?" Tan asks, and Young Do isn't sure if he's being serious.
You drag me out here, for this?
"I'm not quite sure what you mean. Do you not like my hair? I was trying out a different gel."
"Suggesting a war? Really?" Tan's voice has reached that pitch where it's wavering between annoying and I-want-to-punch-you-in-the-face.
Young Do raises his eyebrows incredulously. "I know your emotions have a limited range from mopey, to sad-angry and hopelessly devoted to Eun Sang, but I thought that it was within even your capacity to recognize a joke."
Tan sighed that long suffering sigh of his, and Young Do wondered how they had become friends; if it wasn't just because it would be more effort to drift away gracefully when he'd already grown used to his aggravating attitude.
"Don't you think it's time to give up?"
"Aren't you taking this whole concerned friend act too far?" Young Do counters.
Tan cocks an eyebrow, and it occurs to Young Do that Tan thinks he's in the right in this conversation.
You're more deluded than usual.
"You say I'm taking things too far; but can you promise you won't do the same?"
What's that supposed to mean?
Young Do doesn't dignify this with a response, and Tan sighs again, clearly frustrated. "Why can't you just admit you like her?"
Young Do laughs at this. Because the idea is ridiculous, even for Tan's lovesick brain. "So you're the one who told Hyo Shin I'm seemingly endeared with her," Young Do scoffs. "We don't live in some magical mystical world where people fall in love at first sight and make heart eyes for the rest of their lives – Chan Young and Bo Na are a rather sickening exception."
Just because you were stupid enough to fall in love with a random girl doesn't mean we're all idiots.
"I said no such thing," Tan says, and now he's looking amused as if Young Do is in denial.
I've known her for two weeks. This is extravagant, even for you.
"I am glad to know that he's come to the same conclusion however."
Tan's look has changed to smugness.
"An incorrect conclusion," Young Do says. His teeth are gritting and the impulse to slam Tan's head against the floor is returning, truce or not.
"Don't you remember Eun Sang? Are you saying you're not exhibiting those same signs now?"
Cold, Tan. She must really have you concerned if you're so willing to play that card.
"Bringing up the time I thought I had feelings for your girlfriend is a low blow Tan-ah. I thought we agreed that that was more intrigue than actual feelings."
Tan arches a brow, and it pales in comparison to Young Do's own expression. "You're saying you're not attracted to her in the slightest?"
"Attracted, yes." Young Do remembers her hands running over him, how her lips had parted as she'd exhaled. He'd wanted to run his thumb across her bottom lip, wish she hadn't moved when he'd wanted to tuck hair behind her ear. There was simply something alluring about her – the fact that she was so reactive to him. "Less in a girlfriend way, more in a I wouldn't mind relieving some of this tension in a more pleasurable manner," the idea had never crossed his mind before, but now that it's there it'll definitely be hard to uproot. "Although I'm sure Eun Sang wouldn't approve of that either, and isn't she the reason you're here in the first place?"
Tan's self-satisfied smirk flattens into a line. "She's worried about Tae Yeon; I'm worried about you. She's not your usual victim, and I think you know that. Don't you remember the last time you tried to provoke her? She ended up embarrassing you," Young Do felt his blood rise to a boiling point at that.
One of the advantages of being friends was that they knew each other like the back of their hands – convenient when you needed something done, inconvenient because they knew how to irk each other.
"And you're lucky that Myung Soo didn't take offence. Not to mention your counterstrike didn't exactly go successfully, did it?"
Ah, Tan. You really should have stopped whilst you could fool yourself into thinking you were ahead. Now you've just made me vengeful. Because I never did get my revenge, did I?
"You're right, Tan-ah. Don't worry about me either, I'm sure Tae Yeonie and I will keep the casualties to a minimum."
He begins walking back to class, and grins when he doesn't hear footsteps trailing behind him.
Eun Sang, there's only so far you can make your boyfriend go. He knows when he's lost.
The first bell's rung when he reaches their classroom, so people are just beginning to filter in. Tae Yeon's already there of course, maintaining her golden student image, and Bo Na's seated on her desk, chattering animatedly about something Young Do doesn't really care about.
Young Do doesn't bother to sit down, still fresh off his conversation from Tan. The fact that Tae Yeon had still one-upped him and he hadn't managed to level the playing field yet has resurfaced in his mind and its back to unnerving him, no matter the fact it very much feels like he's winning considering how he caught her knowing Ha Kyung; how he now knows very intimate details about her life.
Not enough. Not if Tan still thinks she's ahead.
"Jagiya," Young Do calls, and Tae Yeon turns and acknowledges him. Her eyes harden again this time, so different from how easygoing everything had been before Tan had interrupted.
She's still seated and even though he's towering over her, he's casting a shadow on her face, she doesn't cower in the slightest.
"I enjoyed our conversation at lunch," he drawls and Bo Na has swung her legs around so that she's looking at him too, as if he'll possibly be intimidated by her angry owl act. "Only I am curious. I don't appreciate it when people lie to me," he says and Tae Yeon's eyebrows shoot upwards.
"And what lie would that be?" she asks, and as people continue to enter she stands to lessen the distance between them, arms coming to cross over her chest.
He expects her to move her hair to one side, but it's already tied in a ponytail so she settles for tilting her head back to look him in the eye.
How cute.
"You said that you dated your first love, but I'm having trouble understanding the fact that anyone would date you."
There are far more people in the class now, and Young Do knows he's managed to hit a sore point again. Knows because her mouth twitches into a snarl and he'd seen how tight her smile had gotten after discussing it yesterday, is willing to bet her aversion to jagiya is somehow linked.
"Says the one who has to trip girls to get their attention, how do you get them naked by spraying them with water?" she quips and her eyes are pure venom.
Young Do laughs low because the memory of Eun Sang is fresh in his mind and he takes a step backwards through the aisles, palms raised as the bell rings again signaling the beginning of class.
None of their classmates make a move, all frozen as they watch this play out. Tan's made his appearance and is standing near the doorway, and judging by the way Eun Sang isn't trying to get him to do something she hasn't noticed him yet.
"Harsh words won't hide the truth for long, haven't you learnt that by now?" he asks. Her Chinese name is on the tip of his tongue, but he wants to keep it a secret for now, until he decides how best to use it. There's a nagging feeling in his stomach but he refuses to let it stop him now. "I'm sure you've never had a boyfriend. That you're bitter and came here hoping for something new."
"Fuck you, Choi Young Do."
Young Do tuts. "Such vulgar words, who taught you those?"
"Your mother," she whips and Young Do can feel whatever resolve he had cracking at those words. It's a simple, everyday comeback that had become popular from American sitcoms and the like; but it still hits home.
You've managed to hit the nail straight on the head without trying once again.
She makes to leave, and he backs up along the aisles until they're where the teacher's desk is, and he blocks her way. "Your heart must really have gotten broken," Young Do whistles and her fists are clenching so hard he's sure there will be small crescent shaped marks in her palm. "Someone must have embarrassed you in the past for you to be so cold now."
Tae Yeon's mouth opens and closes, and she hisses, closing her eyes. He counts ten seconds as she inhales and exhales, and he's sure that she's trying to calm herself. Her backpack's on her back and one hand comes to grasp at the strap as she continues to breathe slowly.
Don't slow down now, not when this trainwreck is going so well.
Tae Yeon pushes past him, and she looks on the verge of tears – whether angry or sad he's not sure, and a strange pang appears in his chest. It's alien and strange, quite like her, so he does what's natural and sticks his foot out so that she trips, falling to the floor.
Her backpack apparently wasn't on securely, and slides to the floor, landing on her knees. Tan is glaring at him by now, and he can hear someone jump to their feet from behind him, and he doesn't bother to check to see who it is.
All he can see is Tae Yeon on her knees, hair falling out of her ponytail now and her chest is heaving with what is either sobs or rage and he's willing to bet it's the latter. When she fell her skirt had lifted and he'd glimpsed her black underwear (don't all girls wear shorts under their skirts nowadays?) and he's sure the rest of their class had too, but instead of feeling that familiar pang of arousal all he feels is the urge to be sick.
"Is this how you landed a boy? By dropping to your knees? Is that why you left? Because you gave him everything and were embarrassed? Can you still look Min Kyung in the eye?"
The words are cruel even for him, because he'd never known that he would make crude comments about something as sensitive as that – but he remembers how easily she'd reacted in his presence, how warm and open she'd been and can't help but consider the possibility. He's not sure how he feels about it, and it's too late now for him to think about it thoroughly.
Tae Yeon stands, and her legs are shaking and just as he's about to add something else, probably more of a hindrance than help.
Before he can say anything however, she's whirling around and a hand lands on his face, barely missing his nose. It lands high on his cheekbone, and it's exactly where the bruise she'd noticed had been. He knows it's not on accident.
"That was for assuming you know anything about my friends, for thinking that you have the right to talk about them," she says and her chest is heaving and the teacher still hasn't appeared.
Then she lunges forward again but Young Do is stuck to the spot, and she punches him in the ribs, and he's had enough hits to know it's going to bruise.
Lucky it wasn't the back, I have enough old bruises there.
Not that that stops it from hurting like a bitch.
No one has spoken, or even attempted to shout at him for what he's said. Tan is still standing in the doorway, and that's when he realizes that the teacher is pushing her way into the classroom and appraising the situation warily.
It's not their usual social welfare teacher, or even their horribly pronounced English teacher. Instead, it's a quaint old man who looks like he might faint at the prospect of having to yell at Young Do.
"What's going on here?" he asks, and Tae Yeon chooses that exact moment to pick up her bag from the floor. The teacher looks at the red marks on her knees, from her bag on the floor and the flustered look on her face.
"Nothing," Tae Yeon says, and she bows even when the rest of the class is still standing on their feet. "We were just playing around when I fell, Young Do ensured that I was okay," her words come out in a snarl even though her mouth is contorted into a sick smile.
"I'm feeling rather dizzy right now," Tae Yeon says and then she's pushing her way out of the classroom and the teacher is demanding order.
Tan appears and places a hand on his shoulder, and pushes him back until he's in his seat.
Everyone's throwing him dirty or concerned looks and he deflects them all. He zones out for the rest of the day, because all he can think about is the haunting look in Tae Yeon's eyes.
A look that said, be careful.
Young Do might have been the one to trip her, but he was sure that sooner or later she'd ensure he ended flat on his face.
I've never believed in regret, yet right now that's all I feel. You asked me if my talk of war was a threat, was that the answer you were expecting?
When did I decide that was the answer I wanted to give?
Ah, it's 1.08AM and I have just finished writing this - forgive any mistakes because I was too lazy to proofread. Things are escalating and I hope I'm doing them justice! The next chapter is the chapter I've been looking forward to the most - and features the appearance of Yoo Rachel and Choi Dong Wook.
What fun. I do love me some Rachel.
What do you guys think? Think Tae Yeon's going to be getting her revenge more successfully than Young Do? Think her reaction was fair / too far?
Never as good a reaction as Jan Di's spinning kick on Boys Over Flowers of course.
The whole conversation between Tae Yeon and Eun Sang was kind of unnecessary but I like their friendship, and although Tae Yeon appreciates Eun Sang being worried for her - she's more than used to having to deal with everything by herself; especially because Min Kyung gets her involved in all sorts of shenanigans (I've had pretty good feedback on Min Kyung too and I'm sooo glad).
I also hate how speech heavy the question scene was but it was a means to an end, got stuff out there yo.
Next chapter will be done whenever, but seeing as I am willing to do anything other than study hopefully soon! As always I love the comments you guys read me, and I'll respond to them :) If you guys want to drop me messages about what's up with you or anything (as some of you do uwu) hit me up on my tumblr!
Until next time!
(And now I collapse from exhaustion).