Jun-su was like a storm that takes over everything in its path. Within just a few hours of his first day, he gained the kind of fame that had taken Iseul an entire school year to achieve.
He was already hitting it off with all the school bullies. Girls were drooling over his tall, athletic build. Given his past academic record, the teachers already had high expectations for him.
To put it simply, he had become the star of everyone's eye in just a few hours..!
As for Iseul's group, Ara didn't like his vibes, Min-ji was moody and today she is in no mood to be impressed by anyone, Do-hyun was burning with jealousy, and Iseul watched silently as Jun-su took over the classroom just as he had taken over his room and house.
What else could he do but stay silent? He couldn't scream at everyone to ignore him or tell them that he was a manipulative, a third class actor. He just wished that Jun-su wouldn't bother Sia.
Da-hee was the only one in their group who was head over heels for Jun-su. After finding out he was Iseul's step brother, she had practically gone crazy. She always had a bit of a flirty nature.
"All these bastards turned out to be traitors. Look at them treating him like a god. They've completely forgotten about me," Do-hyun fumed, watching his friends hover around Jun-su..
"You were the one who left your own friends to stick to our group. No one even invited you here. Now deal with it! You shouldn't take anything for granted," Ara said, showed him mirror,
"Did your grandmother say that too?" Do-hyun joked, and everyone cracked a smile. Ara shared at least one quote from her grandmother every single day.
Shaking his head and taking a sip of his juice, Iseul's peace vanished when he saw Jun-su heading toward Noe Sia's seat with a mischievous glint in his eyes. Ara and the rest of the group saw his smile fade and followed his gaze to Jun-su... and then followed Jun-su's eyes, and saw Sia.
"Hey bro, where are you going? Your BP may drop from the stench. Only Iseul had the courage to endure that smell," a boy from Do-hyun's old group shouted playfully. The whole class erupted into giggles.
"What's so funny about that? This joke is older than my grandfather," Min-ji said with annoyance. She never had anything to do with Sia, but she had always hated bullying. Being around Ara had finally given her the courage to speak up.
Listening to Min-ji, Iseul's eyes remained fixed on Jun-su, who turned back to look at the boy who had made the comment....
"It would be better if you smelled yourself for once atleast. You smell like you live with dead rats," Jun-su replied. If he was getting along with the class bullies, it was for a reason...! He was no less than a bully! His smile, sharp sarcasm caused an absolute uproar in the class.
Min-ji and Ara exchanged smiling glances. The finally liked him a bit.
"Hahaha, bro, actually I'm busy with sports, so..." the bully tried to laugh it off, showing his yellow teeth, but Jun-su raised a hand and cut him off.
"I play sports too. Sports don't stop us from showering!" With an air of indifference, he turned around and sat on the seat in front of Sia, crossing his legs. He had turned the chair around so that he was facing the entire class, including Kang Iseul..!
"Sia... Noe Sia!! Look here, please. Sia... what do you see in my eyes?" He blinked innocently, leaning his face forward. Almost every student in the class was watching them.
"Stupidness," Sia replied shortly. She looked quite satisfied with her answer.
"Wow, amazing, brilliant!" He spontaneously started clapping. "Seems like you've looked a bit too deep into my eyes." He said genuinely pleased..
"Now ask me what I see in your eyes," he said, acting very flirtatious.
Ara's eyes went to Iseul. The unease on his face was obvious.
"Please ask... please, please, please. Okay, I'll just tell you anyway. In those beautiful eyes of yours, I see..." He dragged out the word 'see' while shooting a mischievous look at Iseul. "...I see my 'almost" brother, Kang Iseul !"
"Ohhh..." "No way..." "Lol..." "Ohoo...." playful shouts erupted from different corners of the class..
Sia clenched her fists, staring at him in a rage.
Jun-su felt a sense of thrill at her suppressed anger. He reached out and fearlessly tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.
"You lovely wild girl! Why do you waste time on memories of people who don't value you?" Resting his chin on his hand, he began to study her closely..
Her features were quite plain. Yet, there was an attraction in her face that can pull others in. Having had fifteen girlfriends..., Jun-su knew there were many types of beauty. Sia had that rare kind of beauty.... the kind that might not make you go crazy at first sight, but if you looked closely for a while, it became hard to get her out of your head.
"I told you not to touch me again!" Sia said through gritted teeth, pulling her hair back from behind her ear.
"Or you'll hit me with your shoe!" Jun-su finished the threat for her, looking like someone who truly deserved a good beating.
They were talking in low voices now, so no one else could hear them..
"Is this the start of a love triangle?"
"Look at Iseul, he's not even blinking."
"He's jealous..."
"Why did those two break up anyway?"
"Iseul is dating Ara. That must be why."
"Ara is so beautiful. Jun-su and Ara should be a couple."
"Iseul isn't bad looking either."
"But Jun-su would look better with Ara."
The whispers in the class were loud enough for Iseul, Ara, Jun-su, and Sia to hear them easily....
"Why is no one 'shipping' me and Ara? I think we look great together," Do-hyun pouted, and Min-ji glared at him..
"The pair of you two could look like Beauty and the Beast," Min-ji teased, making Da-hee and Ara laugh softly.
"What's that supposed to mean? If I say something about someone's looks, your inner grandmother wakes up. But if someone calls me a beast, you just laugh!" Do-hyun fumed at the injustice in dramatic way.
"There's a difference between bullying and telling the truth," Ara said indifferently, making the girls laugh again. Do-hyun watched her with dramatically hurt eyes.
This lighthearted laughter didn't felt good to Iseul. He wondered what Jun-su and Sia were whispering about. Why hadn't Sia hit Jun-su with her shoe yet for touching her hair !?
He wanted to get up and go to his own seat, which was right behind Sia's, but the whole class was watching... He didn't want to make a scene. But he had decided he would talk to Sia! He would tell her that Jun-su isn't what he seems. He just wants to pass the time with her.
Yes, breaking all vows of being strangers, for the sake of their old friendship, he would warn Sia about Jun-su!
********
Leaving the school gate, Sia turned around, completely surprised by a familiar voice. Pushing through the crowd of students was definitely Kang Iseul. she licked her dry lips.
"I want to talk to you. Can we go somewhere quiet ?" He looked quite nervous, fixing his hairs, blown by wind, with his hands. She nodded slowly and walked ahead silently. Iseul followed her. Five minutes later, they were under a beautiful green tree. Students were all around them. The soft sunlight felt pleasant.....
"That Jun-su... he's the son of my father's fiancee."
"Yeah, he told me..." Sia said simply.
"Oh, he told you? Well..... but listen, he is an absolute actor, a fraud, a cheat, and a lunatic!" He emphasized every word..
"This is very much obvious," she replied, shrugging her shoulders calmly, which surprised him.
"If you know what he's like, then what were you talking to him about for so long ??" he asked desperately.
Sia looked up at his frustrated face.
"I was cursing him, and he was saying things that deserved more curses." She said this with such calm that Iseul felt a bit of a laugh and a bit of a headache at the same time.
"Look, Sia, that guy is a total fraud. He's not worthy of being friends with....." He paused. Sia continued to look around expressionlessly. "He's not worth loving either!" He took a step forward. Her indifference was making him angry.
"Iseul! Thanks for your concern..." She looked up.. thanked him softly and vanished into the crowd of students, leaving Iseul standing alone.
He wanted to stop her, but by what right?
He wanted to make her understand, but by what right?
She was undoubtedly smarter than him.. she could make the best decisions for herself...
Someone inside him tried to encourage him, but he shook his head and dismissed the thought....,
*********
"Sia!!" Another familiar call reached her on the way. She took a cold breath and didn't stop, but she slowed her pace until Park Ara caught up with her..
"Even though we're classmates, we walk the same path every day like strangers. It feels so weird ! You should walk with me on the way back.." As usual She spoke all in one breath,
"Ara, I....."
"Yeah, yeah, I know, you like being alone, you don't want to be friends..... but what's the harm in walking together? No one should be that much of a loner..!"
"Exactly, right, agree!" Jun-su appeared out of nowhere like a ghost, startling them both unpleasantly.
"The way to my house is same too. We'll walk together from now on ! Okay??" He wasn't asking, he was commanding. Ara and Sia both dismissed his command instantly...
"Sia, is he harassing you ?" After what happened in class today, Ara had to ask.
Jun-su shot that beautiful girl a sharp annoyed look.
"If he does, I can manage it myself !" Sia said in serious tone. She quickened her pace. She wanted to get rid of both of them.
"What's the harm in taking help from others ???" Ara was fed up with her obsession with being alone.
"The harm is that we get into the habit of depending on others.... and then "others" get fed up with us!"
"So is that why the distance grew between you and Burrotharr Iseul?" Jun-su was amazing at making guesses. For a second, Sia felt a flash of fear toward him.
"Youre home is right there.. why are you still following us?" Iseul and Ara's house was a bit further back. But both of them seemed determined to keep walking with her. And Jun-su even had the audacity to stop and question Ara.
"Because you're following her too. I can't just leave a girl alone with a strange guy like you." Ara put her hands on her hips, looking like a grandmother. Sia watched Ara closely. A soft smile flickered across her face and vanished.
"I'm fine, Ara. And I'm stronger than you think.. Just because I ignore school bullying doesn't mean I'm weak. It means I don't consider them worth my attention! It's all fine, you can go home." It was the first time she had spoken to Ara so softly. Ara just stared at her for a second....
"Are you sure ?"
"Yes..." Sia noded...
Ara gave a sharp look to Jun-su's stubborn smile, waved at Sia, and ran toward her house..
"What a clingy girl," he said with total arrogance after she left. Sia neither paid attention nor was surprised. She had already realized that this guy definitely had a screw loose in his head.
"Your house looks like a haunted house, and you wander around like a witch yourself. It's no wonder poor Iseul ran away in fear..... Paint the house a bit. When was the last time it was done ? Pay some attention to yourself too. You are actually quite attractive! Why do you keep your face hidden in your hair? Cut it a bit in the front. You'd look pretty.... You'd look cute in pigtails..... You'd look sexy in a high ponytail..... If you cut it to your shoulders....." He was cut off mid sentence when she suddenly screamed and ran forward. His surprised eyes saw an extremely thin, very old man sitting on the porch. He had his arms open and was now holding Sia close..
With immense shock, Jun-su watched Sia clinging to the old man like a child, crying like a baby....
For some reason, he had been sure that Noe Sia was the type to make others cry, not cry herself, but now...
"There, there.... my child... don't cry.... my very brave, sweet girl.... my lioness..... my doll....." Her grandfather was encouraging her, and in her emotion, she had leaned her entire weight on his frail body. He had to sit on the porch to support her. Realizing her weight, Sia controlled herself and pulled away from his chest.. Hundreds of emotions were attacking her at once. It was hard to control herself, but she had to..
"Grandpa...!! how are you? And what are you doing here ? You should be in the hospital.... Where are Uncle and Aunty ?? How long have you been sitting here ?? Were you just sitting outside ??? You should have called me, I....."
"Easy, easy, easy.... put the brakes on this train." He laughed, smoothing her hair.
A short distance away, Jun-su watched the grandfather and granddaughter with smile, folded arms, and head tilted....
"I had a key to the house, didn't I !? I just came to give you a surprise. I told your uncle and aunt only after I got on the train that I was going to Gwangju to see my Sia. And I threatened them that if they ruined my surprise, I'd never speak to them again. Those poor things had to stay quiet..."
"But you should be in the hospital, Grandpa...." she said restlessly. Her face was a mix of joy and concern.
"What would come out of that ? Four more days to life ? I don't want to spend my last moments staring at hospital walls for those four days... Here..... Even if I only have two days of life left, I want to live them fullest, with my Sia.. In this house where my whole life was spent.. Where your grandmother's memories are... Where the feeling of your father's first steps to your first steps lives.... I've made my decision! If you have a problem, leave the house.." The way he joked at the end made both Sia and Jun-su laugh. The grandfather's attention shifted to Jun-su. Sia looked away in annoyance..
"Oh, is this our Iseul ??" The grandfather stood up emotionally. He probably wanted to hug him too.
"No, this isn't Iseul, Grandpa....." Sia said annoyingly, stepping between them....
"But I'm also a very good friend of Sia !" Jun-su said, and moved Sia aside by her arm and hugging the grandfather. It felt to him like he was hugging a skeleton. He looked at the old man counting his final days with sympathy....
"I've ordered food. Let me heat it up. You go freshen up until then. And you aren't leaving without eating, boy! Come with me.... And what's your name?" Holding a hand of each, he led them inside excitedly.
Ignoring Sia's glares in warning, Jun-su draped his heavy arm around the Grandpa's shoulders affectionately.
"My name is Jun-su, Grandpa! And Sia calls me 'Joon' out of affection...." He winked at Sia, hiding it from her grandfather. Sia's blood boiled like crazy....
"She calls you that 'out of affection'?" The grandfather looked suspicious. He looked at his granddaughter with surprised eyes....
"Yes, she calls me that affectionately....." Jun-su said, nodding vigorously to reassure him.
Sia shook her head, she had decided to clear the matter with grandfather later, and kissed his old viny hand....
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