"Uhm, well…are you sure about that Miss Song? You know, this section is actually pretty troublesome and their unclean record of attitude logbook can prove out to their…well… unyielding behaviors, so I wouldn't actually recommend that section to you" voice laced with concern trying to touch the mind of the younger, bringing her into consciousness that her desired section of desire is clearly something regretful in the end, however, this doesn't seem to affect the Korean any sooner
"Hmm, I see…but, if you wouldn't recommend it, why is it even included in the option, Miss Pillarion?"
Chaeryoungs' POV
Miss Pillarion was about to protest, but then she stopped, like she's contemplating something…
Did she finally realize it?
She just looked at me knowingly to my eyes, looking some answers inside my orbs, while the girl beside me has no idea whatever is happening…I actually find it amusing, not annoyed at all, I don't even get why this nice girl is being bullied anyways? She seems kind judging by her non-perceptible gesture of compliance and Conduct of politeness lacing at her every action, and the way she speaks, her voice is unhinged with hostility, and she's humble; gentle at everything she holds, like each item her hands touch costs more than the value of gold, and each time she talks with other people, she makes sure to drop those knowing knife like words so it won't harm the person she's communicating with, so…it somehow puzzles me by the thought that until now clouds on the top of my head, 'how come a nice and lenient walking green flag fur ball gets to get bullied by a bunch of red vexed hyenas?', even though I only knew few information about her and considering that I haven't met her long enough to be acknowledge that we've known each other for
Silent glances with hidden messages were passed on to with Miss Pillarion and vice versa, as we keep our silent communication running and the only non-verbal gesture was nod and shooking of heads , I sensed that this made Epione find this situation unsettling, judging by her unconsciously scratch her nape, fidgeting her leg and playing with her fingers while eyes couldn't rest due to the sudden shifting which doesn't even last a second
Well, anyone who walk in this room would actually find this as an uncomfortable position, judging by the silence that is as loud as when you said cheer up and break-a-leg…to your crippled friend
"I suppose you are sure by your decision miss Song, So who am I to deny a simple request from a reverent and prowess exchange student, with that…as a finalization, I'm giving you permission to shift to other section…of your choice and I am certainly expecting a lot from you, coequally to you as well…Miss Paramnesia, since I can tell by your actions that both of you are hiding some peculiar ingenuity, now tomorrow, you should come back in this office so I could give you your permission card and give it to the registrar so they could shift you to other sections, that's all for now, and enjoy the rest of your day'
...
After Miss Pillarion dismissed us, we left the room and stayed outside for some split seconds, but before we completely take a walk, I can't let a second to slip a simple gratitude towards her action to protect me earlier
"Hey, Chaeryoung, thanks for saving me earlier, it really meant a lot to me, and if it weren't for you, I might look like a burnt tortilla wrapper by now" I thanked her while showing my smile, which she reciprocated with a chuckle, then lightly ruffled my hair, which I didn't mind though
"That's no biggie, I'm sure anyone might've probably do the same thing if they ever found you in that situation, but of course if they have morality living in their system, and besides, that's what friends are for, right?" she replies as she rests her arm on my shoulder then starts striding her feet into the school hall which I followed voluntarily,
"Real friends won't leave you behind when you're in trouble, in fact, they're at your front protecting you, and if you're ever going into a war, they won't let you fight alone, cause they'd rather be badly bruised with you, than…be safe and woundless without you, like what my father always say to me 'better loose a tooth, and gain a scar, than loose a friend that you just left in a war" she uttered looking in front, she was raised respectfully right, but this actually made me frown a little, I remembered that I just rejected her friend request earlier, so how come she still considers me as one, it's not like I'm complaining, I just wonder how come she's not sulky or mad at me, why would she still care?
"Well this made me think, I refused to accept your friend request earlier, why did you still save me from the bullying though?" this made her furrow her eyebrows and scrunch her nose
"Refuse? I believe you didn't" she chuckled earning a confused look from me
"But, I marked the 'No' checkbox, and I didn't write my name"
"oh that? *Chuckles* I'm afraid you didn't actually refuse my request" she grins while fishing something from her pocket, what she took out, is a folded yellow pad paper I hid under her desk earlier, unfolding it; showing me the marked 'No' checkbox, at first I have no Idea why she's showing me the paper, not until she removed the yellow tape covering the remaining words of the checkbox, so from 'NO', it turned to 'NO PROBLEM, I OPENLY ACCEPT YOUR FRIEND REQUEST!:)', and how come I didn't see the yellow tape earlier?
"so, that means you and I are officially friends now, which means I can't let anyone hurt you, cause friends don't let each other to be hurt and be alone, that's why, I won't leave your side, at the same time, you shouldn't leave my side" with a happy smile, she raised her thumb and nods at my right hand, signaling me to do the same which I did, then later on she hooked her thumb against mind then lifted both of our index finger upwards
"Now it's official, we're Chinggu!" She exclaimed with a gummy smile
"C-Chingoo?" I asked with my signature confused look
" it's a Korean term for friends" she grins in responds, wow, her Canadian accent is honestly impressive
"Oh okay" I nod in response, still a little new with this friend thing, well I couldn't blame myself though, it's actually my first time having a real time friend
"we should probably go now, so we could take a rest at our designated home" she bids out, realizing that we've already reached the School gate, this made me crease my eyebrows
"but we still have remaining classes yet, including the afternoon class" I respond making her hum in response
"We don't actually need to attend the rest of the class, since we will have a different subject teacher, and we could actually burrow some notes to some other students if we ever missed a lesson or two, so you don't need to worry about it" she replied with a cheeky smile
"is that so? Okay, well, see you tomorrow then I guess, , and take some rest especially that you are badly beaten up, you need to regain your energy, and uh, before I forgot, I'm sorry "my last few words made Chaeryoung furrow her eyebrows in return
"What are you apologizing for?" she asked tilting her head
"Well, because you were badly bruised because of me"
This made her stifle a laugh, then later on turned into a giggle, huh?
"Silly, you don't need to apologize for anything, trust me, this bruises and wounds are nothing, and it's my choice to save you in the first place, whether you needed help or not, I'll still save your face from 'turning into a burnt tortilla wrapper', also, if the situation was reversed, would you do the same thing I did for you?"
"well of course"
"precisely my point, you see Epione, helping someone is not something you should do not just because it's a moral law, because there are no laws or considerations that must be followed actually, when you're a good person, then you naturally do good actions, vice versa, it's not a law, it's all part of our nature, being kind was never meant to be taught, they're just reminding us of who we are and what are we supposed to act and do towards others, practicing the seven heavenly virtues we're never considered a skill, it's supposed to be a habit, and a favorite hobby, but who am I to say this all to you when in the first place you already knew these? Right? Epione?" she uttered, wait, how does she knows my name, none of the teachers have called my name yet, only my family name, but before I could even speak, she beats me up to it
"well, I gotta go now, thanks for the time Epione! See you tomorrow! Let's just meet at the school gate a quarter past an hour of the time before the school starts, bye-bye and be safe!" she bids to me for the last time before rushing off and hopped in a black Volkswagen, I smiled by her action, but thinking that she can run like that as if she doesn't have any fresh bruises or wounds hugging around her body in the first place makes it oddly strange for me, but I decided to shrug it off, then wore my protective helmet, and hopped on my motorbike, one of the main reasons why I have this vehicle is because my part time job is a pizza delivery girl, and since it's not a full time work, they only give me few pizzas to deliver, one at a time, this has been a routine for me ever since I step into high school, every time I go home from school, I change my clothes Into my working uniform, then drive straight to the Pizzeria to fetch and deliver pizzas to different varieties of costumers with great, similar, unique or even peculiar taste, but we never judge their taste if flavors, since everyone was born with different prints of taste buds, after work, I head straight home, if I saw that uncle is drunk…I'll be needing to use the window of my room, it is actually hard to handle a drunk uncle, specially my drunk uncle
As I checked the house, the door is locked, Uncle must've gone somewhere else, it's his day off today so he doesn't have any work, this made me happily unlock the door using the spare key found under the bunny figurine, then stride my way into my room, if I will be allowed to be honest for a split second, I feel more freedom when Uncle's not around, cause whenever we share the same roof, the air inside just doesn't feel right, the thick and sensed atmosphere makes it suffocating, as I'm changing into my work uniform, I walked in front of a body sized mirror then slowly observe those bandages hugging my back, until when should I be in this position?, Heaving a heavy sigh, I took a quick glance of myself, before finally leaving my room with my working bag, then made sure that the house is locked again, before riding myself to work
"hey buddy how's it going?" one of my coworker, Rodie greets me as he keeps himself busy by sorting all the papers of what I'm guessing as orders for delivery for this evening shift
"Always the same as usual" casually, I answered as if it's the most ordinary answer I could possibly tell
"Let me guess, school sucks huh?" grinning, he asked me
"I can't possibly tell whether it is good or bad, taking an option doesn't matter whether it'll be a rough road as long as there's an awaiting destination, but if you never take a ride in the first place, now that sucks" my response made him chuckle
"you're darn right, now go to the counter, Missy had been waiting for you, and the pizzas, though both didn't know you'll come this early" I nod my head in response then went inside the Pizzeria, that classical air-conditioned Pizza smoke with roasted veggies, pepperoni and high quality tomato sauce is the first thing that greets me in the shack, though it's almost evening, there's still group of people who occupies the store, some are actually familiar faces to me, like the happy old couple who likes to sit near the huge stand air-conditioner, the teenage girl, about at the age of 18 or 19, who likes to sit on her favorite spot, beside the window, with headphone on her ear, as she listens to whatever genre she's listening to, while she plays with the ribbons of her sweatshirt, one thing I noticed about her right from the first day I saw her in this shop, is that she always wear sweatshirts, and last is a middle-aged man dressed in suit who likes to sit in the corner table, never puts his matte black cap down, shades resting on his big humpy nose bridge, covering his non-seek-able eyes while he reads his classical criminal mystery novel book as he momentarily puffs some thick smoke from his pocket-sized vape as he drinks his small bottled whiskey using his black leather gloved hands, sometimes I wonder if I'm being too much of an observant, or, I just always see them everyday so their presence is familiar and noticeable for me to not forget a simple and small detail about them
I went to the counter and greet the cashier with a smile, though she haven't seen me yet since she was getting the food from the back kitchen's window, I waited a little while
"alright, order for number 12!" *clicks the number 12 button on the computer*
"Oh hey Epione! How's your day?" Missy asks with a wide smile while placing the tray with a plate of two slices of pepperoni pizza and one large Iced tea drink, I guess that's the order of number 12
"well, what can I say, a pain in the back?" I answered as if I'm still not sure if I said it correctly, though it is factually accurate considering all of my bruises and cuts on my back, if you could still remember the bullying session earlier
"well, whatever happened to your school or house, I'm pretty sure it's one that caused you to come to the store this early, yes?" she asks using her western American accent while I was left nothing to do but just nod in response, as I slightly glanced the costumer 12 who's now taking her order while she's holding a beeper with a number twelve written on it, it was our regular teenage girl, judging to my peripheral vision, I didn't know she was wearing round type glasses,
"I guess you could say that, expenses are getting expensive these days, so I gotta work hard for future purposes, and I know scholarship is helping a lot, but not enough when you have other responsibilities left to you" she nods in understanding, then walked to the back kitchen's window
"Hey Bruce! Epione is here! Are the pizzas prepared already?"
"Yep! Twenty large Hawaiian Pizzas are fresh and waiting to be delivered!"
"Twenty? That seems to be a lot! is that person trying to throw out a party or are they feeding a whole huge refugee?, uh could you carry all those boxes Epione? You know we could ask one of our delivery guys to help you out with those," she ask with pure concern plastering her face
"no it's okay, carrying those boxes are just a slice of pizza for me" grinning, I threw out my punchline, which she only chuckled in response
"alright, get your boxes and don't forget to log in, by the way, they changed it to biometric, so you won't be needing a log card anymore" she reminds me
"alright! Thanks for the heads up!" I threw out a grin and a thumbs up to her as I went in the back Kitchen
As I've finished logging in, Bruce greets me with a small smile
"Here ya go buddy!" he hands me two large plastic bags, ten boxes each
"Thanks!, By the way, where are these pizzas heading to?
I asked out of curiosity
"Oh that! Wait just a moment, aaand here ya go, it says here, Pizzas are heading to… Cornelia St. In De'Cozzzy apartment, room 201" he replied while handing me the paper so I won't get lost
"thanks, I'll get going now!"
"Drive safe buddy!"
"are you really sure you could carry those?, Those twenty boxes are no small joke Epione"
"It's my job Missy, besides, I've been carrying numbers of boxes in my life, this could just be a workout" I answered her while slightly flexing both of my arms holding these plastic bags in a playful manner
"alright, just drive safe and return immediately" she reminded, to be honest, she sounded like a mom giving reminders to her teenage kid whose about to go out on a night party
I went out the shack and decided to strategically put one plastic bag of pizza boxes in my storage box, realizing that there are more space inside, I put the other plastic bag inside as well
Zipping the box bag closed, I made sure no Pizza will ever fall out before hopping on my motorbike then drove to the said address
The weather is actually nice for a motorcycle ride, the air hits nicely on your face, I'm actually wearing a head helmet, so it doesn't cover my face up a bit, and the air is not that contaminated, at least not that much, the traffic is less likely to be found, and people are actually peaceful today,
The ride was silent, but it was a peaceful moment for me, it just took me 40 minutes to get to the said apartment, and the security guard as well as their reception is actually nice and friendly
Carrying twenty boxes of large Hawaiian pizza is pretty simple for me, and it just got easier when their elevator is working perfectly fine, how nice, I just found out that room 201 is on the fourth floor, which was not a big deal for me though, striding through the numbers on top of their doors, my eyes kept looking for room 201, until I...found it!
"there you are!" I had a mental mini celebration for finding it a little quicker than what I expected, making sure that no Pizza had spilled from its boxes, I knocked on the door four times and waited for it to be opened by someone, but after some good ten seconds, no one came out, I knocked for another time, this time a little louder, making sure that someone will come out tonight, I was about to knock again when it was opened thankfully by a person, a tall blonde Korean person
"Oh- I'm so sorry I did not hear you when you were knocking earlier, have you been standing there for a long time?" the girl asked
"Oh, no it's no problem, it was just less than a minute, or less than half of a minute, so it's okay, it's my job to wait miss" I assured her
"oh that's good, uhmm, are you the pizza delivery girl?" feline eyes are scanning my figure in a friendly manner
"uh yes!, Yes I am, it says here you ordered for twenty large Hawaiian Pizza? With some extra packs of Carolina reaper hot sauce as per requested by the caller?" I ask reading the small paper, making sure the orders are correct
"Yup! That is my order!, Thanks for carrying all of these, it must be very heavy"
"No it's okay, it's just a slice of pizza for me" I grin, throwing out my punchline, which she titters in response
"*chuckles* Slice of Pizza, that's a good one" she remarks, then took the two plastic bags of pizza boxes from me, then placed it on the carpet of their room
"how much would all those pizza costs?"
"That would be 250$" I replied with a small smile
"great! Here's a 300$" she said while fishing some hundreds from her wallet then later on handing it to me
"Thank you, please wait for a moment, let me just get you your change" I said, still not removing my politeness
"Oh no, keep it, keep the change"
"w-what? No, pardon but your change is about 50$, I can't let you tip me that much" I refused to take her change, but she refused to take hers either
"no, I know you are working hard, are you a student?" she asks, how did she know
"yes, but how did you know?" she only smiled and shook her head
"I know you won't work this hard if you're not taking any serious expenses, and being a student is hard too, I can second to that emotion, so take my change as your tip, you deserve it" this made me smile in response
"Well, if it actually can't be help, and you're honestly willing to give it to me, then thank you very much ma'am, this means a lot to me, you actually saved my two weeks expenses, please do have a great night!" she smiled in return
"you too! Be careful driving around the streets and have a great night to you too!" she waved then closed the door, I turned my back against the door then decided to leave, for my next pizza delivery
Someone's POV
I picked the two plastic bags containing pizza boxes then approached the four girls sitting peacefully on the huge couch
"Girls! The Pizzas are here!" I exclaimed which earned their whole attention
"Y-Yuna, When I said you should order pizza, it was meant as a snack, not as a freaking meal for one whole month! Why would you order twenty large Hawaiian Pizzas for five people?! Is this night actually a sleepover? Or a pizza mukbang?!" one girl exclaimed frustratingly
"Oh please! Lea, I'm sure we could finish this all in one sitting" I assured her while placing the boxes on the coffee table
"I noticed you took a little longer talking with a delivery guy, I bet you had a little pet talk with him" Jin teased while wiggling her eyebrows
"No, it's not a guy though, even better, it looks like a delivery teenage girl, I actually felt happier that I got to encounter her, cause she said she is a working student, and I know how hard it is to become a student and a worker at the same time" I explained earning a nod from her
"well, do you know her name?" the girl beside me asked
"Well, I thought it's a little personal if I asked her name, and she doesn't have her nameplate anywhere on her uniform, so I can't tell her name without asking her, why'd you ask though?"
"Nothing, just got a little curious that's all" she answered with a smile
"oh, okay, of course you would ask, you're Chaeryoung the curious explorer after all,,*chuckles* by the way, how was your first day?" I asked her
"well, it was nice, some people are friendly, and the teachers are doing pretty well on their job, but one thing I never like about some parts of the school is that bullying was never monitored properly, so I still gotta do some more observations, and some research history about Hallowhand University, since dad is holding the Incheondong Military Base, it's also my job to search for hidden dirty secrets of that school, cause I sense something is absolutely wrong about that place, I don't know what it is yet, but I know it will lead me somewhere, I'm not just an exchange student, I know dad sent me here for a sole purpose" she answered while biting her second pizza slice
"well whatever it is, good luck, I hope you succeed to whatever you are doing" I said as she smiled, then we all continued to eat while chatting some random stuffs and trivial stories
"By the way, thanks for requesting some extra Carolina reaper hot sauce, you still know my favorite"
"No problem"
….
Epiones' POV
"woah, it's your 25th large order of the night, good job!" Missy greets me when I came back from my 25th deliver, and the last costumer is a little grumpier than the previous ones I've had so far
"It's no biggie, this only means that I'm doing my job properly" I smiled while logging out using the biometric attendance, after my turn, she also went to the machine to log out, then we went outside the store, it's actually nice to be surrounded by nice cowboys and cowgirls people, they're genuinely friendly, I remember they welcomed me with a big warm smile despite the fact that we share different accents which I don't think is ever a big deal after all though
"nice work today Epione, see you tomorrow"
"Thanks, you all did well too, see you all tomorrow" we bid each other our goodbyes
"hey, be safe on the road alright?, it's almost midnight already, so drunken zombies are roaming around the streets" Rodie notes while a frown is plastering his face
"I will, thanks for the concern, I better get going now, you drive carefully on the streets too, see you tomorrow" he nods then waits for me to hop in my motorbike, I nod my head to him before driving off to my home, if I could still call it as one
…
It didn't take that long for me to reach our house, it has no hint of light, indicating that no one's home, uncle hasn't return yet?
I took the spare key under the bunny figurine then was about to unlock the door, but it took me a split second to realize that the door wasn't locked in the first place, did I forget to lock it earlier?, I'm pretty sure I double checked the dreadlock earlier before completely leaving the house, cautiously, I entered the house trying my best to sneak as quietly as possible just in case there was a culprit who broke into our house and might wake alarmed once they sense that there's someone home already
The first place that I checked was the living room, but, it was no culprit at all, would I be considered a bad niece if I think that a culprit might've been better to see in the living room and not a drunken uncle? where emptied bottles of beers are scattering shamelessly on the floor and some on the couch, he seems to be in deep sleep considering his loud snores and in a starfish sleeping position while letting the television running, whilst his eyeglass is placed uncomfortably on the coffee table, he looks…wasted
I actually don't want to disturb his slumber any further, but I also can't leave a dirty living room, where the couch reeks on alcohol stains and the television runs while the news anchor speaks about a certain celebrity which I'm not familiar with
Not wanting to wake him up, I took a garbage bag then collected all the emptied bottles then took some wet wipes then wiped the coffee table, I took his eyeglass from the table then hooked it to his collar shirt, I turned off the television, and since if I carry him up to his room, he might wake up and starts lashing out to me which is driven by excess intake of alcohol, so I decided to leave him sleep on the couch, I first adjusted the misplaced position of the sofa cushions then carried him to lay on his back comfortably on the couch, I also left a clean empty bucket just in case he wakes up with a churning stomach and never makes it to bathroom leading him to throw up messily on the floor, which is actually inconvenient
I made sure he sleeps peacefully before walking my way upstairs to my room
The moment I step inside my slumber comfort zone, I immediately slumped myself into the bed, letting my whole body sink into the soft cushion that I've been longing for the whole day, I'm originally planning on taking a quick shower before I sleep but I think I'll just do it for some other time for my eyes are as heavy as all my problems in life collected into a whole sack, I never noticed that I was slowly drifting myself to a dreamless sleep
…
I wake up to another sense of consciousness by my alarm clock ringing loudly earlier in the morning, lowly groaning with my eyes closed, my hands tried to search for the loud device, once it felt something solid and vibrating, I took a peek with my half lidded eyes then turned off the alarm, laziness is honestly with my side today, but, I have to reject it's offer of calling out the day and waste it in this cozy room, with that, I did the 123 method, then do some little stretches to remove those lazy synovial fluids from my bones and starts doing my morning routine, it's just a regular morning an ordinary person do everyday, well, except for the part where I brush my teeth twice
I checked myself in front of the mirror, once I'm satisfied with my look, I slung my bag around my shoulders then took my keys and helmet on the drawer
Stepping down the stairs, I checked if uncle is still sleeping in the living room, and he is, just a little deeper than last night, I then went to the kitchen and cooked some eggs and burnt some toast with a proportion of serving that's enough for the both of us, I heated up some water in the kettle then made myself some classic lightly sweetened black coffee although even a hint of sugar won't make my day anymore sweeter, I then took a couple of burnt toast with a sunny side egg in between then take myself in a comfy seat on the dining chair then decides to just finish my breakfast there
I took a quick finish of my breakfast before striding my way outside the house then ride myself to school
….
The golden Sun's rays gently hit my skin, it's giving some convenient amount of heat which is decent enough to stay under the exposure of the golden blessing in the morning for a short amount of time, somehow I'm grateful to be blessed with dark brown eyes since this is definitely a perfect description of the first week of summer
I parked my motorcycle on the small parking area in front of the school then placed my helmet inside the insulated storage bag, luckily, wearing my ID is one default unforgotten hobby of mine, otherwise I would've struggle making up excuses on why I've possibly forgot to wear my ID, though 'forget' is enough to be a clumsy excuse
I showed it to the security guard then stride my way in the campus, I remember that miss Pillarion will give me a consent card to transfer to other section in her office, so that's my first objective for today, I just have to wait for Chaeryoung since she said that we'll meet at the school gate at 7:30 I actually don't have any problem going to school this early, in fact, I love the atmosphere of a breezy dawn with a light kiss of Sunray, it somehow makes me forget of the occurring global warming which has been an undying trend from the past few years.
But my unsorted thoughts were interrupted when a familiar voice called up to my name, it was loud yet soft and it was clear enough for me to confirm that it is actually me who's the caller is in needing of
"Epione! He-...hey, *pants* good morning" she greets whilst catching her breath with both her palms resting on her knees, it looks like she just ran from a long meter marathon
"Good morning to you as well Chaeryoung, but forgive me for asking; why does it seem like you came from a track-and-field-race? We're you perhaps running away from someone or something?" I asked politely, again, I'm still not used to this 'friend' set up, I couldn't blame myself either since it's my first time having one
"oh *pants* hehe sorry, I wasn't running away from something or someone, I just *fixes composure* phew!, damn I literally ran from the car up to this school gate to my maximum speed cause there was a small and slow traffic on the way here and the Volkswagen can't slide through the lane because of its size, so I immediately hopped off then sprint my way to school" she explained as she's slowly regaining her stable respiration
"But, why though?" My eyebrows creasing in confusion
''hmm? Well it's because I don't want you be alone in this school gate and wait here for a long time"
…
Well that's the most genuine thing I've heard for the first time of my cycle
*At the Head Counselor's office*
"I hope you have a great journey throughout your senior days, I'm expecting a lot from the both of you, and of course, enjoy and don't put too much pressure to yourselves, remember, High school has the most fun memories throughout your learning years" we smiled then took the consent cards from her hand
"thank you miss Pillarion"
"thank you miss Pillarion"
…
We went outside the office then starts to walk our way towards the registrar's office when Chaeryoung decides to strike a conversation
" I'm glad we're on the same section, that way we could watch each others' backs and help each other in lessons the we find complicated" she utters excitingly
"Yeah, it is convenient for the both of us, but, thinking about it, did you already know that I'm also transferring to that section before you even made your decision?" she went silent for a moment, is she contemplating for her answer?
"hmmm, would you believe me if I said I don't?"
"It depends, but whatever your answer may be, I'll still believe you, cause as far as I know, 'friends' trust each other, now it depends whether you'll keep a lie or not" she smiled then released a wholehearted little laugh
"alright, even so, I'll tell you the truth, it feels bad pulling a lie to you" she chuckled softly before she starts narrating her said story
….
Third Person POV
Chaeryoung was walking alone after she pulled a believable excuse just to escape herself from her classmates who pulled her from her peaceful seat earlier…for the second time, 'sorry but I think all the fish sticks and wedges you gave me earlier made my stomach boil in an inconvenient manner, I'll just excuse myself to the bathroom real quick, I'll maybe see you later in class, bye!' it fortunately made them believe and let her go eventually
As she was quietly walking around the campus, some students wants to accompany her supposed to be alone time, and being an independent girl Chaeryoung is, she was at least polite as she declines the offers of boys and even girls who wished to be part of her mini tour around the university
Her feet led her far enough to reach the Head Counselor's office, as what is written on the newly polished wooden door, she wasn't originally planning to eavesdrop to whoever is talking inside, but curiosity is found around every corners, so she thought it wouldn't hurt to listen even just for a bit…longer, since the loud cussing and slamming of objects was enough to gain one's attention
"No more words from you, now that you've signed this paper, you are all free to go, and Miss Paramnesia, I may have to give some more words with you so you have to stay for a while, the rest of you, go back to your designated class, you'll just see each other in Section Dream-5 classroom"
She heard someone with full authority speaks inside the office, she didn't miss to hear some scoffs and shuffling, when she felt that the door was about to be opened, she backed out immediately then quickly pretended to be a lost student who tries to find her way back to her designated classroom by looking at the Campus map picture that she took earlier from the main bulletin board through her phone
Her acting was actually bought by the students exiting the office and doesn't seem to care about her presence at all, which she is thankful of, once they are far from her sight, she thought that it's a little too much of invading someone's conversation, so she was about to turn her back around and leave then just let the two people talk inside
"I know your state right now miss Paramnesia" one person starts which made Chaeryoung halt from her steps, what does she mean by that, she thought to herself
"I beg your pardon miss Head Counselor-"
"Stop with the Head counselor Honorific, call me Miss Pillarion"
"y-yes, miss Pillarion"
"as I was saying, I know your current situation right now, and I've been hearing news about you being bullied physically and verbally by different groups of students here in the campus, some of them are fraternities am I right?"
"…yes miss"
"Don't act like you feel guilty, you shouldn't feel it that way, they deserve proper punishment, but to my position right now, expulsion is not enough for them, since they're all from very powerful families, and one of them is the son of the owner of this University, if they found out that you're the one who reports it, they won't stop bullying you and even step it to another level, they might even bully you outside the school premises, life is not fair for all of us, but all we need to do is understand the situation, you, you are smart enough to understand, and I know by now you still won't report your situation to any higher authorities if not because of my daughter, Eunoia kept telling me all about the bad and cruel things they've done to you"
"And other people are making it worse and making themselves dumber cause they're playing blind for not seeing what they've been doing to you"
She's completely aware that she doesn't have any relation to the girl the older is referring to, she doesn't even know who she is and what's her full name, but oddly made her lightly rage inside of her guts when she heard those sentences coming from the said Miss Pillarion, ever since she was a child, her parents always taught her to be kind and defend the others who can't fight back, and by that moment, she hates seeing other people cry because of bad people, and even though she's still just a stranger to her, and her friend request was declined by her-, well at first she was upset by the girl, thinking that she's picky and rude, but as Chaeryoung 'unintentionally' heard their conversation, her mind involuntary understands why was the other girl never want to befriend with her, so she smiled at that thought then erased all the gossips and rumors their classmates was saying to her about the girl
'don't go near towards that girl, she's a freak, and she hurts people"
"You shouldn't get involved towards that monster, she's rude to everyone, and she also smells"
"don't go near that pig alright?, Cause she's ugly; she is also smelly"
"She has a very bad attitude, she might look quiet and kind, but she hides a monster like personality"
"Don't go befriend that trash, because her attitude is rotten, she'll hurt you, and she's so weird, that's why she's been called a freak, and a crybaby"
"That's right, she's a crybaby because she cries even at small things"
She has a mental note to not believe at words that easily, because actions are the ones who justifies unofficial facts
And now, she confirmed to herself that her classmates just gave her false information about that certain girl add to the fact that saying that girls' name is like a taboo to them
Thinking that she'd heard enough, she decides to leave them be and just go back to the classroom, it's actually their vacant time today since their teacher was called out by a student for her to attend some meeting of all Math teachers, that's why the classroom swiftly transitions into a supermarket, and she got recruited by some circle of friends which led her now eavesdropping of two people, in an office
…
As she reach the classroom, of course loud noises are expected, yet she didn't mind it and just proceeds to occupy her seat as she hears some whispered praises and compliments from her other classmates
"Hi Chaeryoung! Where have you been? we could've accompany you"
"No it's okay, I just had a mini detour myself" she waves off with a gentle and polite smile she could ever give
"I hope we could hang out more Chaeryoung!"
"Yeah! That could happen, I don't see why not" she smiled then took out her phone to chat her friends from Korea, she went to their group chat to see 10 new notifications from it, and it all says about them who followed Chaeryoung to go to Canada but only for a week, they said it's just for documentation for their school project, so in the group chat, they've talked about picking a huge apartment where the four of them excluding Chaeryoung could fit comfortably, but since Chaeryoungs' apartment is spacious enough and is ranked as five stars, she offered hers instead to save money, it's actually her dad who picked that one for her right before she even arrived to Canada, De'Cozzzy apartment is actually a good quality stay place
"the freak seems to take a little while in the guidance, she probably messed something up, big-time" She heard someone talking in her front, but she keeps her eyes on her phone, probably one of her classmate again, who is she again? Their class president'? Ssaarih? Ssatish?
"yeah, by the thought of it, I'm thinking something, like messing her up"
"Like what?"
"well, just some insults, and I also got frustrated earlier when my mom scolds me for just a simple issue and cutting my allowance short"
"so you're going to hit her just to release your frustration?"
"Not originally, but since you opened that term, I liked that idea more, so yeah, I'll hit her"
"But, what if she say this to the teachers?"
"what are you? Some kindergarten? Oh the teachers are gonna know, we'll be in big twouble!, Of course she won't say it to the authorities, I've done many things to her, For many times now, and do we even got in trouble? No, are you still expecting that a coward like her will tell? I don't think so"
"And our classmates?"
"They won't tell, they're scared of me, and they don't like to be included in troubles, I'm the class president here"
"Well, whatever you say president, besides, you're smart enough to know your actions"
"well of course"
That idea is disagreed by Chaeryoung, this made her think of some ways to stop that certain group of Ssatih from bullying not just the girl, but to other students as well who can't defend themselves due to some disadvantages and incapacities, as per requested by her father to her, one of her objective that she's taking with focus
'hey, remember the school project that we have to do here in Canada? Well, can one of you apply some makeups to yourselves? But not like princess or queens or anything, you should look beaten up, but just apply some on your body, since we'll cover your face with a tote bag, it's for the scene that we'll shoot later on, it's a scene where someone is taken hostage"
One of Chaeryoungs friend asked from their group chat, taking this as a perfect opportunity, she immediately volunteered and told them that she'll do the makeup right away, with that, she took her shoulder bag then takes her way to their comfort room, remembering that their class secretary is the one holding one of the keys of their CR, she approached him
"Hello"
"oh-oh hey! C-Chaeryoung! What's up?" he was startled at first, not expecting the Korean girl to approach him, he then rested his chin on his knuckles while leaning in then gave her a wink and wiggling his eyebrows 'attractively'
The flirty gesture was sadly ignored by Chaeryoung then went straight forward to her prior intention
"May I borrow the key to the Comfort room? I heard that you're the one who's holding it" he chuckled then fished something from his pocket with his coy smirk
"Yup! And I also heard that you're attracted to guys who are tall, muscular, and as charming as me, may I accompany you to the comfort room miss? You might need some comfort from a skillful good guy like me, privately" he asked while chewing his gum, still not removing his smirk, this doesn't made Chaeryoung find it attractive at all, and if she could scrunch her face in disgust, she might have done it earlier, so instead, she declined the offer
"no thank you, I'm fine by my own, now may I please have the key?" she smiled, trying to hide her growing repugnance towards the guy
"before I give you the key, you need to give me a kiss" he said playfully while showing his cheeks while putting the keys on his lap
"I'd rather pick the lock" she smiled forcefully before turning her back from the guy
"Fine, here it is, don't sulk pretty girl, I just thought I'd get a chance from you, but if you ever change your mind, you could just wink at me and I'll be running to warm you up, anytime, and anywhere, you can waste all your energy on me, I'm the best attractive mate you can find" he boast with a wink while handing the key to her
"it's such a good thing I don't know how to wink, and will never try to learn it, also, could I be honest? I actually find you unattractive the longer I look at you, goodbye"
She smiled and took the key from the said secretary then strides her way to the comfort room, leaving the poor guy slightly dumbfounded
Once she finally got in the latrine, she fished the makeup kit in her bag then starts applying some waterproof and smudge proof foundations, lip tint and powders on the different parts of her body, it actually took her some minutes to finish her makeup, after she's done, she checked herself in the mirror, once she's satisfied and thought that it's realistic enough, she went back to the classroom, only to find the huge ruckus that she knew she immediately need to stop-
Epiones' POV
"wait, you've mentioned makeup some multiple times in your story, does that mean that the bruises you showed in the office were fake? And you're just acting like you're actually hurt? Also, kudos to your cry-acting" I ask with pure disbelief
"Yeah"
"b-but why do you have to lie?" she smiled softly
"do you hate liars?" I frowned a little by her question
"well, if that lie can take a huge effect and damage in the future then…" I paused for a moment
" it is okay to hate liars Epione, but sometimes, people manipulate the truth to lessen the pain of someone, or to save someone from danger or cautions, that's a white lie, would you still hate a liar when you know they had to lie to save you? Would you be subjective and just think that lying is sometimes good to some people, or you'd rather stay being objective and keep hating liars because whatever their intentions, lying is still bad?" her questions made me contemplate for a moment, she does make sense
"we'll come back to this topic later, because we're already in front of the registrar's office" she halts our movement when she noticed that we're already at our destination
I knocked three times before it was opened by someone, his hair was slicked back and neatly combed, he also wears a casual suit and black leather pants and newly polished black shoes
"yes? May I help you?" he asked while adjusting his eyeglasses, it looks like a usual model for someone with astigmatism
"Yes sir, we're here because we would like to transfer to other sections, we have our consent card from the Head Counselor with her signature on it" I explained while politely handing him the card, Chaeryoung did the same
"hmmm, let's see, well…okay, this one is approved since it was already signed by the head counselor, I'll just get your new schedule, which is the official class schedule of dream 5, as per stated here, you can come in if you want while I fetch your cards" he moved to the side to give us more space to enter, which we complied, then he closed the door then proceeds on shuffling to the drawers to get our said schedule
We took a seat at the stools placed intentionally for guests, then waits for him, the only sound that we can here is the shuffling of papers, other office items, and the small vibration produced by the air conditioner
"alright here it is, It seems that both of you are on the same section, take this and show it to your new adviser, she'll eventually add you to the master list of that said section, that would be all, have a good day" we smiled then thanked him before we left the office then proceeds on walking our way to the said classroom of our new section
The Sunlight showers at us gently while the soft breeze nips our skin, this pre afternoon wind is secretly hiding a blasting heat later on, probably before noon
We have to pass one building to reach our classroom, and surprisingly, Chaeryoung does seem to know where she is going, she probably memorized the whole campus' architecture right before she entered the school, it's not practically difficult to believe that she's actually born with a bright and adept mind
As we reached our classroom, which is on the third floor, the door is partially opened, but no one is inside, however, there are some bags placed on some chairs, it seems like someone got here earlier than us then just went out for a walk or something
With that, we entered the classroom and placed our bags to the backbenches which we think as unoccupied yet,
Not planning on going out and taking another walk, we decided to settle to our seats for a while and have a little chat
"So Epione, since it's still early in the morning, and our new class section regularly starts at eight, do we have some tea that we could spill today?" she initiated with a sly grin earning a puzzled look from me
"sorry?"
"I mean, since we're friends now, it's normal for us to talk about some topics about ourselves, rather than just be busy at our own worlds with our phones right?, Also, this is better for us to get to know each other more, well… unless you want to gossip about other people instead" she suggested whilst playfully quirking her eyebrows up and down
"Oh, I actually don't like to talk about people behind their backs" I reasoned out which she chuckled in response
"that's good to know, well me either, moreover, forgive me in advance for asking, but how come you keep on getting bullied by others? You seemed nice and friendly, which honestly made me hard to believe that you are being maltreated here, I know my question pops up out of the blue, but I'm just curious, at the same time…confused" I looked down hearing her question, how do I start it?
"H-hey, look, you don't have to answer if you're not ready and comfortable yet alright? Sorry, it's just me and my random silly questions-"
"no it's okay, well, how do I say this, uhm, well maybe if you're in the forest where scavengers and wild predators are roaming around, you think a small peasant could survive in the wild?" I asked her which made her lightly drop her smile slowly forming into a frown
"And, where do you put yourself in that wild?"
"The weak and fight less prey" I simply answered looking at the ground
"is that how you see yourself?"
"it is how others see me, and it's how I feel myself, each time I see my own reflection in front of a mirror, I see nothing but a frail figure" I felt my vision to be a bit fuzzy, how come I cry every single time even for a moment like this? she showed a sad smile
"that's, not how you should evolve yourself Epione" she started
"you know, my dad always tell me, 'not because other people made a judgement of you, you'll depend yourself
based on their words of perspective, because by the end of the day, the way you see yourself is the only thing that will matter to show them who you really are', if you think you're weak, it's because you are believing them, you are believing their word about you…being weak, but if you ignore those, then you'll be stronger than you expect" she followed
I smiled at her words, but I slowly dropped it
"you know, I've tried ignoring their words before, but I only made a fool of myself, cause what happened when I tried defending myself, I realized that I am weak and defenseless, and I only justified their statement towards me…a useless peasant"
"well, wanna know my perspective?" she grins
"what I see is an innocent flower who's still waiting itself to blossom at a perfect time, you're not weak Epione, you're just kind and nice enough to not fight back, judging by your figure, you hate fights and a prime mediator of it, a pillar of peace as some would say, and I would actually find it difficult to believe that you murdered someone or done some other existing crimes, you couldn't even seem like you could kill a fly" she reasons out which I only smiled in return, am I really like that? I guess I couldn't tell
"do you think the people bullying you deserves a second chance?" she followed a question
"Everyone deserves a chance Chaeryoung" I simply said
"I guess you are those forgiving type, heck if I just stab you with a knife right now and said that I'm sorry and say that I didn't mean it, you might even forgive me right away" she joked around
"well, I actually would, if you have a sole reason for that"
She face palms to my answer
"Epione, you can't…always be like that, people might and will actually abuse your green flag personality" she reminds me but I only respond to her by a simple shrug
She sighed before asking for my phone, which I gave it to her without hesitance
She then typed something to it then later on giving it back to me, I checked my screen to see that she had just imported her mobile number to my phone with a nickname♥️ 😇 Chaeryoungiee😇♥️ set by her herself
"you can call me anytime, in this way I can save and help you when you're in any trouble and I'm coincidentally not around near you at that moment" she explained
"oh, okay thanks, but you don't really need to do all of this though, I mean, transferring to other section just to keep an eye on my safety is a little too much for me, I don't want to be just another burden to you" she frowns in response
"I'm doing this because I want to alright? So you actually can't do anything about it, also, I hate the atmosphere from our previous section, there are huge numbers of human polymers in there that each time they stay under the Sun light, they smell like formaldehyde, that's why whether you like it or not, you'll be seeing this face more often," she grins while pointing at herself
"also, my dad wanted me to have trusted friends when I got here and promote peace and social harmony to everyone in this campus, so I'm just doing my job" she continued which I nod in response
"Oh, about that, did your dad actually chose you to stay in Canada as an exchange student?" I asked which she nods in response
"yup, for good, and since my Sister is busy taking care of the company while taking classes, so she has a lot on her plate, so I'm the one who volunteered to be an exchange student here to 1; learn your cultures and format of education in this school, and report all the bad doings and if there is, illegal actions done in this campus and 2; well… iiitt'ss… something a little too private, but I won't spill it not because I don't trust you though, it's because you'll get in trouble if you got some confidential information about it" she utters
"Oh is that so? That's okay, I don't want to push it any further, but you said that your sister is taking care of the company?" I asked
"yeah, since she's the eldest amongst us three siblings, dad believes that she's the most mature and responsible one to handle the company"
"Ah, I see"
"how about you? Do you have any siblings?"
"I guess, I don't?"
"you guess?" she creased her eyebrows in confusion
"Yeah, I was raised by my uncle alone, my parents aren't around with me while I was growing up, and Uncle doesn't seem to open that topic about them to me, he said we should forget worthless people" I answered trying hard not to make my voice a little sad, I'm trying to keep this mood and conversation a happy one, her mouth then forms an 'o'
"oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know" sincerity and sympathy is plastered on her face
"no, it's okay, you were just curious that's why, at least you're nice enough to say sorry" I chuckled lightly
"do you…ever feel alone at some times?" she asked slowly
"hmm? Well, I do feel alone most of the time, but it's not a bad thing for me though, it's just like…some quality time for myself, also, about my parents, I don't feel lonely whenever I remember them, I also don't sulk about their lack of presence either, since for what I know, you only miss someone because of the memories they left you that held a special place in your heart and core memories, and if you know the old saying, the longer you have it, the more valuable it will be, making it harder for you to let go" she nods wordlessly, while contemplating for some response that she could possibly reply to me
"well, wherever your parents are right now, I'm sure they left for a reason and with a sole purpose, so it is good that you're not holding a grudge for them, cause you can't judge a bad weather not unless it rains and causes huge destruction to many people, and remember this, if your eyes got heavy like Columbus clouds, you could pour that rain on my shoulder, I'll stand like a sister to you" she quotes which I agreed upon, she's as smart as Plato and Aesop combined, and I felt the most affection towards her
"thanks, I'll keep all your wise words in mind" I chuckled
"that's good to hear" she reciprocated the gesture
"I guess we still have 20 minutes left before the class starts, and since time sometimes winds up a little faster than usual, we could waste the remaining minutes here, just chat with each other and share our different cultures if you like" she commented
"That sounds great" I trailed her words
Our chatting about our personal life continued for some minutes not until it was interrupted by someone or I could say some group
"Well well if it wasn't my favorite nerdy slave" some dissected voice came from the classrooms door, completely interrupting our friendly discussion, we raised our heads up to look at the sudden caller, realizing who they are made my stomach lightly flip in a bad way
"where's our assignment trashy nerd?"
Oh dear...