Chapter 36. Class Reunion (2)
I ran away from the constant nagging of my friends. Oh, of course I lied and said I was going to the bathroom. I squatted down near the restaurant. Wait a minute, I’ve seen this scene somewhere before… I don’t seem to fit in with noisy places. It’s strange, I feel like I want to avoid such places. But since it’s been a while since I’ve seen my friends, I thought I can’t go like this, so I got up from my seat and took a deep breath. I hesitantly grabbed the doorknob and pushed it. The sound of glasses clinking. The sounds of many voices mixed together came into my ears. In the midst of them, Jungkook-sunbaenim stared at me with a smile on his lips.
At that moment, there was no sound, and it felt like it was just me and him. I looked straight into his eyes. Deep-set, twinkling eyes, girlish eyes, strong eyebrows. It was the first time I'd ever looked at his face. Then, as if pounding into my ear, a familiar voice rang out.
"Hey, Lee Ji-eun, hasn't she changed since high school? She's really good at picking up guys."
"F*ckㅋㅋㅋBut that senior is such a waste. She's so different from Lee Ji-eunㅋㅋㅋIt's such a waste for men"
"Leave it alone. If a guy is that good, it must have been hard for her to seduce him. She deserves applause."
"rag"
Again. Being treated like this. I forgot all about it and thought it wouldn't be like this at the reunion. I thought everything would be okay once I turned 20, but it seems my classmates weren't like that. Maybe I was just getting excited for no reason. I hurriedly packed my bag and left again. Through the glass window, I could see Jungkook, who seemed busy serving and taking orders.
I glanced at him and saw my shabby reflection in the window. It seemed pathetic to wear such clothes for a class reunion. My hands shook like crazy at the thought that, in a way, the stories about me and him earlier might have been just gossip. He and I felt like a stark contrast. Come to think of it, why did I act so nonchalant with the famous seniors at school? Since when? Why did Jimin-sunbae confess to me, and why did he care so much about me? So, come to think of it, maybe I was already the subject of gossip in college.
Not wanting to think about anything, I ran to wherever my feet would take me. Even though my breath was pounding down my chin, I didn't stop. My heels were scuffed by my shoes. I ran without looking ahead. Then I bumped into someone's back. I gasped for breath and grabbed my forehead. The person I'd bumped into turned around, and I saw a familiar face.
"Huh? It's Ji-eun."
He was so drunk he couldn't even stand properly, so he staggered and pointed at me. It had only been two days since the start of the vacation, but his already thin figure looked even thinner. Dark circles had sunken under his eyes, and his skin was pale.
"...Senior?" Ji-eun
"Hello~~" Jimin
The senior, who had been greeting me with a drawn-out speech, fell to the ground, resting his head on my left shoulder. I was so shocked that my body froze.
Out of habit, I gently stroked his head, then hurriedly slapped my hand away and woke him. He seemed to be sleeping soundly. I couldn't just leave him on the street, so I took him home. He was quite light, so I was able to carry him home easily. He looked pitiful lying on the bed. I laid him down, roughly attached a bandage to his heel, and lay down on the sofa to try to sleep.
Chapter 37. The Flower of Obsession Will Bloom Someday
I opened my eyes as warm sunlight poured in through the window. Jimin-sunbae was sitting on the living room floor, staring at me for some time now. Judging by his expression, he seemed to be dying to know why he was there. I spoke in a hushed voice. “Senior, I brought you here because you passed out after drinking last night.” He scratched the back of his head as if he agreed and looked embarrassed. Then he put his hand on my head.
"Thank you" Jimin
I slapped his hand away. I'd decided I wasn't going to hang out with them anymore. He frowned at me, and I slashed my hand at him like a knife.
"You know... Senior, what you said last time... You said you'd do whatever it took to make me like you." Ji-eun
"I'll dismiss that. Please, don't pretend to know anymore."
"What...? Why? What did I do wrong? I apologize. Please don't do that." Jimin
"It's not your fault, senior. I just wanted to do it. I wanted to tell not only you, but the other three as well." Ji-eun
"Why... why are you doing that? I absolutely can't do that. No, I won't. I'll go beyond pretending to know you and show you that I like you." Jimin
"...Senior, please leave" Ji-eun
At my words, he looked angry and his face was filled with tears, and he grabbed my shoulders and met my eyes.
"Don't push me away, Ji-eun. Okay? Please...please!" Jimin
He yelled at me. I yelled at him too.
"Get out! Get out!"
He looked down at me with a surprised expression,
"Even so, you can't escape me,
I can't escape from you either."
After saying those words, I slammed the door and left. As soon as he left, my legs felt like they were giving out and I sank to the floor. My shoulders felt throbbing. Still, this was the best I could do. I didn't want to live the same life as before. I also left messages for Yoongi, Jungkook, and Taehyung. Let's not pretend to know each other anymore. Jungkook came to my house as soon as he got the call, and Yoongi kept texting me saying no. Fortunately, Taehyung texted me that he understood and the texts stopped.
After that, Jimin-sunbae contacted me every single day without fail. The constant calls were simply annoying, so I sometimes ignored him and blocked him. However, if Jimin-sunbae didn't answer his calls, he'd come to my house, and all the other seniors started doing things they'd never done before.
For example, if she saw me talking to a man outside, she'd drag me out and try to kiss me, or worse, she'd try to physically assault me. Even if the man was just a part-timer or someone in need, she wouldn't let me talk to him. There were worse things, though...
They were no longer the kind seniors I'd known, but rather terrifying, fearful beings. Some might wonder, "Is that all I'm afraid of?" But they're completely crazy now. They're no longer the same people I used to know.
Chapter 38. A Whirlwind of Emotions
There was only one week left until summer vacation ended. In a week, I would have to face them face. Because of them, my phone, which had been quiet, started ringing like crazy with notifications, and there were hundreds of calls. Now, just hearing the notification sound made me cringe and give me goosebumps. How did I end up like this? Now, I was afraid to even go outside. The outside of the house had always been a prison to me.
'Bang bang bang'
Someone came. The only ones who knew where my house was were Jungkook and Jimin. It had to be one of them. I did my best to pretend like I wasn't home.
"Ji-eun. It's me. Jeon Jung-kook." Jung-kook
Jeon Jungkook. Just hearing his name now gives me goosebumps. How on earth did he manage to kill his own personality? He spoke from outside the door, as if he knew I was home. He's a senior I'll have to see once I get to college anyway. So, thinking I'll just give it a try, I opened the door.
"Ji-eun. Why aren't you answering your phone?"
As soon as he saw me, he hugged me. Very tightly. I tried to get away from him, but he didn't push me away at all.
"Why are you so skinny?" Jungkook
"Seniors act like this..." Ji-eun
"It's your fault that we ended up like this. If only you hadn't sent me that text telling me not to pretend I didn't know, it wouldn't have happened." Jungkook
He hugged me even tighter than before. I slapped his shoulder and yelled at him to let go. He looked out for the neighbors and came into our house. As soon as he came in, he let me go.
"I'd rather have Taehyung as senior..." Ji-eun
I muttered something so he could hear. He raised an eyebrow and looked down at me.
"Don't call that kid's name. I'm jealous." Jungkook
"Senior, do you like me? Why are you like that when you don't even like me?"
"Oh, I like you. Not just me, but the other three all like you. No, I love you." Jungkook
"...Senior, that's not love, it's obsession." Ji-eun
"Is this obsession? I'm just doing this out of pure love for you." Jungkook
Those words froze me. Is this love? It was absurd, but also scary. I resented myself for having been briefly thrilled by their actions in the past. I had just played into their hands without noticing their backs. The actions of people who would commit murder just by talking to a man were simply actions for the sake of the person they loved.
I had to push him out of my house. After forcing him out, I leaned against the wall. The dark and gloomy house felt spacious today. Of all days, Taehyung came to mind. I hadn't contacted him since my text. Unlike my other seniors, he was there for me. I called him. After a long, drawn-out ring, I heard his voice.
_"...Hello?" Taehyung
_"Senior...I'm having a hard time" Ji-eun
With those words, my eyes filled with tears. He asked in a surprised voice, "Where are you?", and I told him, "See you at the playground." I trudged toward the playground, tears in my eyes. As soon as he saw me, a worried expression appeared and he gently hugged me. He gently stroked my hair and spoke to me.
"Don't pretend you don't know," Taehyung said.
"Please pretend you know for now.." Ji-eun
"Have you gotten thinner, Ji-eun?" Tae-hyung
"Senior. Were Jimin, Jungkook, and Yoongi originally scary people...?" Ji-eun
"What are you talking about? What did those dogs do to you?"
Up to episode 15, it was actually a prologue🤭
The real story begins now🥳