"What are you doing here?" she asked in surprise while closing the door behind her. With her bag slung over her shoulder, she was ready for school.
"I came to pick you up.... the walk from school to your house is wayyy too long," Jun-su said with absolutely fake concern while wearing a wide and bright smile.
"I've walked this path my whole life. I can walk it for one more year," Sia sighed and began walking. Jun-su left his bicycle behind and started walking backward alongside her.
"Come on! I took this bike out specifically for you..!" he pouted, speaking as if they were old childhood friends.
"Do you really think I am going to sit on that bike with you?" She was secretly a little impressed by his sheer persistence. Beside, she wanted to erase last night's encounter with Iseul from her mind, which was the only reason she was even entertaining this idiot's nonsense. She hadn't been able to sleep peacefully yesterday night. The weight of yesterday was still crushing her mind. Her grandfather's sudden return, the unexpected friendship between Jun-su and her grandfather, and then Iseul showing up late at night, and then... Remembering more, she wiped her face with her hand to dissolve the lingering thoughts.
"If you won't sit, I'll force you! If you're stubborn, I know how to get my way too!" he said, thumping his chest with a look of genuine intent before running back to grab his bike. Sia took the chance and started running. She wanted to get faaaaar away from Jun-su's reach, but in her distraction, she slammed hard into the solid frame of a man coming from the opposite direction..
He was very stout but short, with scary old scars on his face and draped in heavy gold jewelry. His expression was like stone. He looked like a total thug. The men standing behind him didn't look like angels either. After a quick glance at the three of them, Sia decided it was best to act like a stranger. She bowed politely, apologizing as she tried to walk past, but the stout thug grabbed her bag from behind and stopped her. Somthing like this was totally expected from a thug, so Sia mentally prepared herself for the worst. Her heart, however was trembling like a dry leaf.
"Hey, girl! Where is the house of Noe Tae-sik?" the gold toothed man growled, eyeing her from head to toe.
"She's that bastard Tae-sik's daughter!" another man lanky as a bamboo stick with a face and body covered in tattoos remarked, looking back and forth between his phone screen and her. The third man, who looked the most "decent" in appearance, stood silently with his hands behind his back. But Sia's sixth sense told her this man was the most dangerous of them all.
Hearing her father's name from these thugs was a signal of immediate danger. They even recognized her. Her fear was natural.
"Sia! Are you getting on the bike or should I..." Jun-su shouted as he approached, slamming on the brakes. His serious, questioning eyes moved from the three thugs to Sia's face, which had gone white with terror.
"Hey, boy! get lost! We need to have a word with your friend," the stout thug snarled.
"She's not my friend, she's my girlfriend! We're very close. If you have a problem, talk to me. Maybe I can find a solution," Jun-su said with an air of confidence that left Sia stunned. He pulled her by the arm, tucking her behind him. She had expected him to run away at the first sight of trouble, but here he was.... standing like a shield in front of her..!
"I know how to beat the 'hero' out of boys like you," the thug sneered, flashing a pistol tucked into his waistband. Sia felt the soul leaving her body. She instinctively gripped Jun-su's arm, her nails digging into his skin. Jun-su cast a single glance at her terrified face.
"Sir, I'm not playing hero. I'm just fulfilling my duty as a boyfriend!" he said, putting on a pathetic, helpless expression.
"Your duty will....." The stout thug stepped forward aggressively before the "decent" looking man grabbed him and pulled him back.
"Are you Tae-sik's daughter ?" the dangerous one asked.
"Yes!" Sia replied obediently to the direct question, though her heart was thudding.
"Where is your father ??"
"I don't know. He just sometime disappears for a month or two without telling us anything." She tried her best to hide her trembling hands.
"When was the last time he came home ??"
"The last days of February, i think," her voice flickered.
"Give me your phone..!" When he reached out, Sia handed it over without a word of protest. Jun-su turned his head to look at her in shock. How could she just hand her phone to a thug? But Sia's face was calm, as if she truly had nothing to hide. So, Jun-su stayed silent too.
Both their eyes were glued to the man. The man's eyes were glued to the phone. He hadn't expected a teenager's phone to be this "dry.." He checked it thoroughly. On the surface, there was nothing, yet something felt off. But what?
"Is this the only phone you have ?"
"Yes.." She immediately held out her bag as if inviting them to search that too. At this moment, she wanted to look like a weak, frightened student so they would pay her as little attention as possible.
"I've saved my number in this phone. The moment your father comes home, call me! If you tell us yourself, it's for your own good. Otherwise! our people will be lurking nearby. We'll find out when he comes and goes anyway!" At his threat, she nodded vigorously. Throughout this, Jun-su was silently noticing the expressions of all three thugs.
As they turned to leave after a few more threats, Sia's trembling voice stopped them and Jun-su in their tracks.
"Excuse me...! I'm not in a position to ask for a favor, but please..... don't come to our front door. If you need to ask anything, just call me. I'll come out and answer every question. Actually, my grandfather is very ill. He won't be able to handle a threat or a scary situation like this. So Please..." The tears entering her grey, glass like eyes were involuntary. Jun-su moved his troubled gaze from her joined hands back to the thugs, who exchanged silent looks before walking away without a word. They headed toward a white van parked a short distance away. Jun-su's eyes followed them. The last person to enter the van was the "decent" one.. Before getting in, he looked back. In that moment, his eyes met Jun-su's, and a cold shiver ran down Jun-su's spine.
Jun-su was a brave and strong headed, but the man on the other side was no ordinary thug! He was a cold blooded criminal. There was something in those lifeless eyes that terrified Jun-su to his core.....
"Get on, quick," he commanded as he hopped on the bike. Sia, already shaken, sat behind him without a word.. As their bicycle passed the white van, they could feel the heavy gazes of the thug inside fixed upon them..
*******
"Hey, wasn't that Jun-su and Sia !?" Ara almost screamed to Iseul as they were on their way to school. She spotting the bicycle speeding past....
Iseul stopped and watched the bike disappear in the distance, in shock. The girl sitting on the back, struggling to manage her long hairs, was undoubtedly Noe Sia. But why was she on the back of Cho Jun-su's bike !? Overwhelmed with shock, he quickened his pace.
On the other side, as soon as they reached school, Sia jumped off the bike and tried to head inside, but Jun-su grabbed her hand and dragged her into a secluded corner, ignoring her protests.
"What is this rudeness? What do you want !?"
"You act like such a big shot normally, so why did you tell those thugs to call you out for questioning? Are you out of your mind ??" He was genuinely worried and frustrated.
"Otherwise they would have come into the house! Don't you know the state of Granpa's health ? What other option did I have?" She snapped, pulling her hand away in helplessness.. Regardless.... she was genuinely grateful to Jun-su. It was only because of his presence that she had summoned the courage to stand up to those thugs..!
"Look, Grandfather might be weak, but he's a man! Let him deal with it. Actually best option is, you try to contact your father immediately so those thugs don't bother coming to your house again." She just shook her head at his advice.
"Why are you getting so worried? This is my problem, I'll solve it!"
"Solve it !? How ??? Did you see their eyes ? They looked like they could eat a person alive." He was still under the spell of that last cold stare....
"You don't act like my guardian angel. I'm grateful to you for today, but don't come near me again. If you're scared, just sit quietly. Why are you exhausting yourself?" she hissed in a low voice. She needed time to process all this...
"Goddamn ! Why don't you get help from the police ??" he asked, grabbing her arm again, this time he asked in gentle tone.
"Police ?" she laughed mockingly. "Do you know ? When I was little, my father was accused of murder ! Murder !! There was so much evidence and so many witnesses against him, but his connections were such that they pulled him out of that case like he was the a most innocent human on earth.... And Later, if a policeman ran into him, they'd greet each other like old friends! Not like a cop and a murderer. Now you can imagine if I try to be smart, they'll get alerted. Right now their focus is only on my father, but if I tried to take action against them, they'll come straight after me. And as you've probably guessed, "my life" isn't the only thing I have to lose! I have no options..... it's all over! I have no way out! Damnit! That cursed man from hell (Noh Tae-sik) has made my life a living hell too !" Covering her face with her hands, she began to lose control and ran away.
She tried her best to hold it together until she reached the classroom, but on the way, it felt as if she had lost to everything. She didn't even know what she was crying for anymore. Everything hit her at once..
Students walking in the corridor turned in surprise to look at that sobbing girl, her cries growing louder with every step. When she entered the class, Ara and Iseul entered at the same time. Like everyone else, they were stunned to see Noe Sia in such a state. Wiping her face with the back of her hands, she walked blindly toward the last corner of the class. Realizing her mistake, she retraced her steps to her seat. She threw her bag down and collapsed into the chair... Just then, Jun-su entered the room. Something snapped in Iseul. He lunged forward and grabbed Jun-su by the collar. Jun-su's counter punch was instantaneous.
Within a seconds, the two were locked in a violent brawl. Iseul thought, Jun-su must have done something to make Sia cry, while Jun-su was simply fighting back against Iseul's useless attack. The whole class erupted into noise. Students gathered outside the door.... To be honest, the fight was completely one sided. Iseul's strikes were nothing against Jun-su, yet he wouldn't stop...
"Oh my god! It's officially a love triangle !"
"The female lead should have been Park Ara.."
"If Jun-su lands one solid hit, Iseul's bones are gonna break!"
"Iseul is a cheater, he doesn't deserve Sia."
"Imagine! Fighting for someone like Noe Sia....!"
The students started their usual background commentary. Meanwhile, Jun-su and Iseul fought as if settling a debt from a past life. The noise, the chaos, the punches. It all stopped when Sia screamed at the top of her lungs.... A deathly silence fell over the room.
"STOP IT! Just fucking stop! I can hear your bullshit, you hypocrites..! Is someone else's life just a show for you ?? Just die!! All of you! Just fuckin die!"
"What is going on here ?" Mr Kim's angry, shocked voice made everyone freeze. The students outside the door began to scatter at his scolding..
"Sir! A love triangle..!" one student dared to whisper in response to his question.
"Jun-su! Iseul! Sia! All of you, to the staff room." At his command, Jun-su and Iseul brushed off their clothes and glared at each other with murderous eyes, while Sia gripped her hair in her fist in frustration. Her head was splitting with pain. Darkness began to creep into her vision but she ignored it and tried to stand. The very next moment, she hit the floor with a thud. Ara caught her head just in time, preventing it from hitting the ground..
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