Chapter 4: III

Iseul didn't think much of Eun-jin's plans of making a secret club. The steel blue haired girl has little to no clue how and who will her friend even invite, but Iseul didn't mind making more friends. 

 

     'Ah well, that's for another time. I won't be meeting Eun-jin today anyways.' Her mind wanders to the present as one of the classmates she's gotten in good terms with, Hwang Ae-ri, continues to rant as they do their school work in the library. 

 

     "I swear that old lady hates us to the bone, Iseul-ahhh. My brain is going to get fried from all the work she gives us." Hwang Ae-ri, a rather short girl with bob plum hair and lively mauve violet eyes, is always a fun person to hang out with due to her infectious enthusiasm. Iseul was lucky to be classmates with such an energetic person as Ae-ri was always so animated and expressive. "Thank god for you or else I'll be falling behind so bad. Like, ugh." 

 

     "It's pretty overwhelming, but just do it little by little." Iseul laughs as the girl continued to grumble about one of their teachers, Mrs. Chang, who gave more workload than what was barely acceptable among students. "Here, the answer to that problem is-" The two spends more time solving problems before Ae-ri whisper-cried for a break. 

 

     As the two wind down, the plum haired girl suddenly raises her head and looks Iseul dead in the eye. "Iseul-ah, tell me you're free later. We're going to this new café near my place, it's super cute." 

 

    "Yeah I'm free, I'm not hanging out with Eun-jin today anyways!" At Iseul's answer, Ae-ri's grin faded. "Something wrong Ae-ri?" 

 

    "You're...not hanging out with Park Eun-jin often, are you?" When the steel blue haired girl shakes her head, Ae-ri sighed in relief. "That's good, I mean....You can hang out with whoever, Iseul, but that girl just...She gives me some weird vibes, you know?"

 

     Iseul certainly couldn't deny that her friend was an oddball at times, but Eun-jin was overall harmless....With her gamer lifestyle and lack of interest in exercising, the light caramel brown haired girl had little to no toned muscles and had the worst stamina! "She means well, for the most part."

 

    "You're not even denying she's weird..." Ae-ri sighs, "I mean, yeah that's probs the case but I don't know, I've heard some rumors about her..." 

 

Iseul couldn't imagine Eun-jin's rumors being anything aside from her fashion statements, but even those were relatively harmless. Still, Ae-ri's popularity allowed her to interact with almost anybody, and she wasn't a gossip queen. And so, the steel blue haired girl does her best to listen with a neutral face at least. 

 

    "Some girls have been telling me that Park Eun-jin switched schools because of a fight." At Iseul's encouraging silence, the plum haired girl expands, whispering to avoid being scolded by the librarian "Those girls said they went in the same school as her, and apparently a fight broke out in a book club that she joined. Everyone in the book club got violent, fought each other and some got even seriously wounded but somehow only she came out with not even a scratch."

 

    "Isn't that weird? I mean it's a book club, that's like the place for quiet peeps, but all of a sudden they went for each other's throats?? And only one person got out unharmed?" Ae-ri hugged herself, goosebumps rising in her arms. "Not a single club member complained about her though. Everyone was snitching on each other, but Park Eun-jin was the only person they never tried to sold out to the officers...Isn't that crazy?" 

 

     "That...sounds concerning, but I just don't see Eun-jin being responsible for that." Although slightly disturbed at the rather morbid story, Iseul didn't think that her harmless oddball of a friend could ever be responsible for such a thing. "We don't know what really happened so there's no reason to accuse her like that. Still, thank you for telling though Ae-ri. I appreciate it."

 

     "That's true...But there has to be a reason there's a rumor in the first place, right? Oh well, I just hope that's all it is, a rumor." Ae-ri replies back casually, her frown returning to its default beaming smile. "How did you two meet though? I honestly would've never thought you two would be friends, like, at all." 

 

     "Oh, we just started talking at lunch on..." Iseul didn't want to tell her friend that Eun-jin was being bullied during their first meeting, fearing that it might cause more misunderstandings about the light caramel haired girl. "She said hi first and then we just became friends after that. She's really funny and loves games...Ae-ri?" The steel blue haired girl's head tilted to the side at her friend's confused expression.  

 

     "Wait...didn't we go for burgers for the first time after school that day?" At Iseul's nod, Ae-ri's questioning gaze remained even more confused. "Girl, you were with us during lunch." 

 

It was now Iseul's turn to wonder. She clearly remembers spending her lunch with Eun-jin, that was the first time they've introduced themselves after all. 

 

     "We got to the cafeteria a bit early and then we agreed to eat at the rooftop, we were there the whole time until lunch was over."

 

Discomfort was settling in the pits of Iseul's stomach as she looked into Ae-ri's just as disturbed gaze. Her friend wasn't pulling a fast one on her, Ae-ri genuinely believes she spent lunch with them when Iseul was clearly with Eun-jin. 

 

Uncomfortable silence befell between the two. 

 

By the end of the break, Ae-ri was back to her usual cheery self and Iseul was smiling once again. 

 

Both girls never spoke of the uncanniness of that day ever again. 

 

Not until it was far too late, unfortunately. 

 

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When school finished for the day, Iseul was quick to join Ae-ri and their other friends as they all ready to exit the school. The steel blue haired girl just wanted to forget about anything that happened today and have a good time with her friends then go home and spend time with her family.

 

Her mood was already back to normal and just as they reach the gate-

 

     "-Ryang Iseul." A cold and curt voice of a boy breaks the friendly atmosphere in their group as Iseul turns to face a rather tall schoolmate with sleek midnight black hair tied into a short low pony tail and intimidating gunmetal blue eyes that seem to want to glare holes with how narrowed the male's gaze was.  "Can I talk to you for a moment?" 

 

Her friends all sent worried looks her way, even Ae-ri looked as if she was ready to grab Iseul by the hand and bolt. She doesn't blame any of them for acting so. 

 

Standing before them was none other than one of the the most popular boys in their school, Byun Young-chul. He was rather popular for his looks and for being quite the smart student with amazing athletic abilities...That and for his anti-social personality as he interacts with absolutely no one unless its related to school work. 

 

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For him to ask for someone, was bizarre in and of itself. 

 

    "Sure thing." Still, Iseul didn't want to be rude and hoped that the boy before her was reasonable at the very least. So she sends Ae-ri and their other friends a comforting smile before walking away with the popular boy. "I'll be back real quick okay?"

 

As she followed him back into the school and both of them were in the lockers where there were no students left, Iseul tried to calm her beating heart that was pounding a little too quickly from slight nervousness. The steel blue haired girl has no reason to feel afraid, confident that she had done no wrong to the boy. And so with a polite smile, she breaks the uncomfortable silence first.

 

     "So, you wanted to talk about something?" The boy nods. 

 

     "You're friends with Park Eun-jin right?" When Iseul nods, Byun Young-chul's already cold gaze seemed to freeze even more. "Do you know where she is right now? I need to talk to her right away." 

 

     Iseul would be lying if she wasn't afraid by this point with how grave her schoolmate's voice is, but she also fretted for her friend in question. "I'm not sure actually, but I can message her for you!" Pulling out her phone, she contacts her friend via text. While waiting for a reply, the steel blue haired girl gives him a harmless smile. "If it's okay to ask, why do you want to meet with her?"  

 

For a solid few moments, Byun Young-chul only stared at her, seeming to assess her for something she has no idea of. When it dawned on him that she truly has no idea, his gaze lessened with its intensity as his mouth opened. 

 

     "I just need a word with her." Nothing more, nothing less, and Iseul doesn't push for an answer. She knows that if the male truly had malicious intentions Eun-jin wouldn't stand still neither will she. She only nods and looks down as her phone beeped. 

 

Eun-jin 'ㅂ' 

I'm at the usual spot, can you take him here? Pwetty pweaseee? 

 

Okeyy, can't stay for long though I'm hanging out with Ae-ri and the others...

R u gonna be okay? 

Eun-jin 'ㅂ' 

You da best, Iseul-ah~~^3^^3^^3^

ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋDw Dw, pretty boy has nothing on the great Park Eun-jin! ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

 

Hearing a cough, Iseul's gaze flickered back to the midnight haired boy and she smiles sheepishly at his impatient gaze. 

 

     "Sorry about that, yeah she's still in the school. I can take you to her." The boy nods in thanks and Iseul doesn't waste anymore time, guiding him to their hangout spot, the empty classroom that no one ever goes to. It doesn't take long before they arrive and sliding doors opened so suddenly that Iseul even jumped. "Eun-jin?!" 

 

     "The one and only!" The grinning girl replies before glancing at the only boy, "Come on in distinguished sir, I'm sure you have much to ask." 

 

Byun Young-chul's gaze was glacial at this point, hostility clearly so present in his eyes as he briskly entered the room-uncaring that his shoulder rudely bumped unto Eun-jin's. 

 

Iseul felt the atmosphere dropped to such a cold degree that she couldn't stop herself from sending a worried glance at Eun-jin's way. Much to her surprise, her friend was every bit unfazed at the hostile glare being sent her way, even going as far as giving Iseul a hug goodbye. 

 

     "Go have fun, Iseul-ah, thanks so much for the help today." Patting the girl's back, Eun-jin giggles and beamed. "I'll see you tomorrow after school okay?" Hesitantly nodding, Iseul hugs her friend back, noticing the girl's hold tightened for a brief moment. The steel blue haired gives them one more unsure smile before walking away to join her other friends. 

 

And as Iseul walks out of sight and hearing distance, Eun-jin closes the door behind her. Her entire friendly persona melting away and leaving behind a completely different person so far from the Eun-jin Iseul ever knew. 

 

She was relieved that Iseul had other plans today, less she sees the truth far too early. Eun-jin was also glad for another thing. 

 

     "You saw it." Instantly, Byun Young-chul cuts to the chase, voice hard and unforgiving. "What do you want?"

 

     'Good, you have enough brain cells to not even hint anything to Iseul, otherwise I would've no choice but to erase you early on in the game.'

 

     "No need to be on aggro mode, believe it or not I'm on your side." The light caramel haired girly lightly starts, turning around and pulling a stretchy headband from her pocket. Styling her hair simply so that her bangs were pulled back, revealing eerie pitch black. "Well, I want to be anyways, everything is up to you." 

 

     "Cut the bullshit, what. do. you. want?"

 

     Eun-jin sits on the teacher's desk, managing to look down on the midnight haired boy, lips forming an unsettling grin. 

 

     "Your ability is quite interesting, just what I need from a tanker for my team." Pitch black eyes were void of any light, unhesitating in meeting the freezing gunmetal blue as the boy raised a hand and a machete materialized. "Congrats Byun Young-chul, you've earned yourself a spot in my special club." 

 

Eun-jin's smile widened. 

 

     "Let's make a deal of a lifetime, shall we?"

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