Chapter 3: Endlessly

"Xiaoyu you shouldn't have went home so early yesterday," Asami was telling me with a big smile on her face. "We went to see a late night premier of the New Fast and the Furious 8." I just rolled my eyes while I continued to eat my lunch; when she talks about seeing a movie she means giving head in back seat of the movie theater. Asami continued to talk about her evening with Kou, as I tried to tune her out and focus on eating the bentou Hirano brought for me. I looked past the girls to see Lili standing outside of the door. Even though she's been here for months she refused to change her school uniform. She wore a fancy green sweater with a green and red plaid skirt. Instead of the usual white button up with a blue and white plaid skirt. She was standing out in the hallway talking to some guy from another class; it looked like she was getting confessed to but she turned him down.

Asami followed by line of sight over to Lili and ascoffed at the attention she was recieving. "Geez there's she goes getting another confession. I just don't understand what the guys see in her."

"Oye, whoever is in charge of classroom duties, I have the notebooks I collected from yesterday. Come to the teacher's lounge during the break to get them," the teacher announced before leaving the classroom. I looked over at the board and saw Keiko and my name listed for classroom duties this week.

"Alright well come on Keiko, lets go get the notebooks."

"I haven't finished eating yet, can't you get them yourself? I'm sure they're not that heavy." Keiko explained while taking another bite out of her lunch.

I looked over at Hirano for a little bit of help but she just shrugged her shoulders at me. "Fine," I said giving up trying to convience Keiko to come with me. "I'll be right back."

I walked out to the hallway and began to shiver because of the cold breeze coming through the archways of the school A piece of cloth hit me on my cheek. Once I removed the cloth I saw Lili sitting in the tiny school quad eating lunch by herself. Without even giving it a second thought I walked over to her and handed her the cloth. "Is this yours?"

Lili looked up from her lunch and took the cloth out of my hand and put it her pocket, "Thank you." She tried to ignore my presence by continuing to eat her lunch in silence. I was about to turn away from her but I turned back and said, "Y-you know, you could eat lunch inside when the weather's freezing like this."

She looked up slightly from her food, "I'm not welcome in there besides the sun is shining so it feels nice outside. It feels just like Monaco right now."

"Is that where you're from?"

Lili gave me her full attention as she set her food down beside her, "Why are you talking to me? I know you're friends don't like me so-"

"It's not that I don't think they like you, I think you just intimidate them."

"Hmm, how childish." She returned back to her food and continued eating. I left and went to go look for the teachers' lounge. The notebooks were heavier than I thought, I had to use my legs to open and close the door.

"Seems a little heavy for a girl to carry by herself. " Kazama was standing in front of me with a smug look on his face and his hands in his pockets. "We're you the only one on class duty?"

I struggled trying to keep the notebooks from falling from the top, "Well Keiko was supposed to be helping me but she was still eating, and well-"

"She couldn't just come and help you carry them?"

"... I guess not..."

Kazama stopped in front of me and picked off a stack of books from the top to carry them.

"Thank you."

We walked down the hallway in silence until we came to the classroom, "My class is right here, you can just put the books back on top and I'll take them inside." He nodded as he placed them back on top and opened the door.

"Hey Jin," a guy with fiery red hair called out from around the corner. "The guys are all waiting for you c'mon."

"I gotta go, see ya around Xiaoyu." I watched them both leave before I walked into the classroom and placed the notebooks on the desk.

"I see someone is getting along with Kazama." Hirano made note of our prior interaction.

I laughed at her little observation, "He was just being nice was all."

The bell began signalling the last ten minutes of lunch and all the students started piling back into the classroom. Once Lili entered the classroom all eyes immediately turned to her.

"She certainly knows how to keep the attention everyone in the room," Asami noted. "Even if she does want friends she could just simply head towards the guys. Then when she's surrounded by all the guys she'll be happy. I mean she's always scheming for some guys attention."Asami continued on.

"Isn't that what you do though?" the girls stopped talking and started looking at me.

"Xiaoyu what are you saying?" Hirano asked nervously.

"I mean you guys always talk about her getting everyone's attention but you guys are trying to get all the boys attention too."

Asami answered, "We don't do those things for just for guys to like us though."

"Bullshit you were just talking about growing your hair longer because Kou likes girls with long hair. You all say you don't like her but the fact that you guys talk about her means that she's a big part of your life. It's really ugly to bad mouth someone just because you're envious."

Asami became flustered and stood up from the desk, "What was that, making someone feel bad and all. I guess you're true colors are finally showing, nobodies jealous of anyone in this room. C'mon Keiko I think its time we swtiched desks."

I took my seat in my usual spot trying not to make eye contact with anyone, "You can change seats if you want to Hirano, I won't be upset if you leave." I didn't want her to leave me here alone but I knew how she felt about them. She got up and left me sitting at the desk by myself.

Once classes ended for the day I went to my locker to gather my things to go home. Lili came up beside me and leaned her back on the adjacent lockers. "You didn't have to stand up for me in there you know."

"I know I just was tired of hearing them say those nasty things about someone they never talked to."

"Hmph but now you're friends are angry at you."

"If they don't want to talk tome because of something like that then, I guess they weren't really my friends to begin with."

"I guess that's right."

The next day Asami and Keiko continued to avoid me while Hirano continued to bounce back and forth between us. I took my lunch outside and sat in the corner of the school building trying to prevent anyone from seeing me wallow in my sorrow.

"Hmm what are you doing eating lunch by yourself?" I looked up to see Jin leaning over the window above me, "Where are your so called friends?" I wasn't in the mood to hear JIn mocking me.

"Just go away Jin, I'm not in the mood today." I pulled my knees into my chest hoping that he'll get the hint to leave me alone.

"You know sitting down here sulking isn't going to solve your problems. Through word of mouth I heard you had some troubles with your friends," Jin explained while climbing through the window, he sat down beside and waited for me to speak. "Tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing I'm just feeling kind of lonely right now. I'm thinking I should just go and apologize to get back on their good side."

Jin came up and put his arm around my shoulder, "It's only natural that you'd feel that way, you shouldn't feel bad though. You were only doing what felt right."

I relaxed into Jin's grasp a little, "Why are being so nice to me?"

Jin shrugged, "I don't know. I guess I still feel like I owe you from last week." He let go of me and stood back up.

"You know beneath that stern exterior, you really are a nice person."

"If you say so."He gave me his hand to help me stand up. Although we're not friends I'm glad Jin went out of his to comfort me. "Sorry, you had to see me like this."

Jin put his hands in his pocket. As I gathered my things off the ground, soon the red headed guy came up and leaned out the window beside us. "Hey Jin what are you doing out here?" The guy was pretty muscular and was about the same height as Jin. His attention turned to me then looked back at Jin, "Oh did I interrupt something?" The guy continued to observe me, "I have to say I didn't really think you went for girls like her."

"Hey what's that supposed to mean?" I asked standing directly in front of his face.

"We were just talking," Jin interrupted while placing his hand on my shoulder. He was trying to calm me down but I just shook off his gesture.

"Are you ready for tonight, Jin?" We've got some new bidders that want to challenge you."

"Challenge you? Challenge you to what? Are you going to fight someone?"

"Geez Hwoarang, you talk way to much." Jin's face grew irritated as he shot Hwoarang a mean glare.

"I thought you said you weren't getting into trouble anymore?"

"It's not that big of a deal. It's just a couple quick matches it's not like anyone is going to get killed."

"That's kind of cute Jin, having a girl protect you." Hwoarang interjected while chuckling.

"She's not protecting me, she's just nosey." Jin finished while climbing through the window to meet Hwoarang.

"Wait a minute Jin, give me your cell phone number."

Jin gave me a puzzled look, "For what?"

"So I can make sure you come back safely tonight." Hwoarang started laughing as Jin pulled out his cell phone. "If you don't answer my texts I'm going to come find you."

"Yea, yea whatever. You're so stubborn."