Anyway, I'm not the one who went
You've changed so much. Because of those bad guys.
2nd semester of 1st year of middle school.
Yeoju was late to join a large seven-member group of girls, including Jiwon, whom she had been close with since elementary school. (Group members: Jiwon, Yerin, Minhee, Eugene, Hyeri, Yeyoung, Yeoju)
But from the beginning, some people did not look kindly on the female protagonist.
Yeoju wasn't comfortable with her new friends, but she just got along with them because Jiwon was there.
One day, Ji-hoon Park, Ji-won's boyfriend, and Ye-rin, who is famous for having many male friends in the group, were playing around when Ye-rin ran away and Ji-hoon chased after her. The female lead and Ji-won witnessed this.
최여주
(Saying softly to Ji-won) "If someone saw you, they'd think you were dating. Say something to Ji-hoon."
지원
“…It’s just a joke, what’s the big deal?” (His expression hardens slightly.)
A few days later, a long text message arrived on Yeoju's phone.
예린
"Hey, I heard from Jiwon that you told our group that I was flirting with Jihoon?"
예린
“You’re not Jihoon’s girlfriend, so I don’t understand why you’re acting like this. Did I do something wrong to you?”
예린
“I really don’t think it’s right to talk behind my back like this.”
예린
“I only heard it from Jiwon, so I don’t know your position, but if you see this message, contact me. Let’s talk face to face tomorrow.”
The heroine was so surprised.
Jiwon, who she believed was her best friend, felt jealous and tried to warn Yerin, but instead framed herself.
He couldn't shake off his good image, so he turned what he wanted to say to Yerin onto Yeo-ju.
The next day, in front of Yerin and a few others, Yeoju explained.
최여주
(Hands shaking slightly but significantly) "I never said anything like that. I'm serious."
예린
(Avoiding eye contact) “Jiwon said that…”
최여주
"Jiwon, did I do that?"
지원
(With an innocent expression) "You said, 'Yerin was acting like a fox to Jihoon'."
(Yeoju's point of view) That expression again.
Jiwon was a cute, innocent, and kind child that everyone acknowledged.
So, since elementary school, there were many kids who wanted to be close to Jiwon, and Jiwon built up a good image.
Jiwon had occasionally made disrespectful remarks toward me since he was in elementary school.
But every time that happened, I was concerned, but I pretended it wasn't a big deal.
I didn't bother to find out because it was obvious that everyone would just believe Jiwon's words because of his good image.
The more you lie and pretend to be good, the more pure that expression becomes.
I can't believe I'm seeing that now... Every time Jiwon made that expression, things always went the way she wanted.
So I was at a loss, thinking, ‘In the end, they’ll side with Jiwon.’
But a sentence from the text message that Yerin sent suddenly came to mind.
I heard from Jiwon that you said to “our group of kids” that I was flirting with Jihoon?
Since I never said anything like that, the girls in the group also testified that I never said anything like that.
The misunderstanding has been cleared up. However…
As if he suddenly felt a sense of crisis… Jiwon said something.
지원
"We weren't like this... Let's not bring this up again and just pretend it never happened. Let's be close like we used to be."
If I stay any longer, I feel like I'm going to get screwed... I want to keep my good title... It was just his way.
The kids also say that they should stop talking about this incident.
Everyone came, and I could have received an apology… but in the end, I didn’t receive one. An apology.
In the end, the misunderstanding was revealed, but things went the way Jiwon wanted.
I didn't even get an apology from Yerin, who misunderstood me.
Yerin did not apologize, instead saying, “I am also a victim.”
As a result, I lost the will to accept an apology from those bad people that wasn't even sincere.
Now that I think about it, the group had been with Jiwon longer than I had, and they didn't like the fact that Yeoju had joined the group, so I think they agreed when Jiwon asked not to mention the incident anymore.
The heroine was bitter, but she endured it. That was how she survived in the group.
After that incident, another incident occurred.
This time, Minhee misunderstood Yeoju.
Why was he only doing this to the female protagonist? The female protagonist couldn't understand it for a while.
The guilt just kept growing. Is it because I'm lacking something?
Yeo-ju had a hard time explaining herself again, and when the misunderstanding was cleared up, she accepted Min-hee's apology.
Maybe it was because there were kids who didn't apologize, but I was so grateful to Minhee for apologizing.
In this way, the female protagonist's self-esteem hit rock bottom.
But in the meantime, Jiwon, Jimin, Hyeri, and others spoke to Yeoju.
혜리
"Minhee doesn't want to hang out with you. Honestly, she doesn't even know why she put you in the group."
최여주
(frozen expression) Really…? What do you want me to do? I hate him too.
The heroine's heart was pounding, but she tried to act cool.
From then on, Yeoju gradually lost her smile.
The last incident in the first year of middle school.
The female protagonist was living in a group as if it were a survival game.
The group split up, so Yeoju spent time with the other kids she thought she was close with.
One day, Eugene and Hye-ri were playing a serious prank.
The location is a veranda-style lounge with a small artificial well installed within the school.
Eugene and Hye-ri tried to make Yeo-ju fall into a well as a joke.
I knew it was a joke, but the kids' hands were secretly strong.
The heroine uses all her strength to hold on.
Eugene, not having his way, takes off the female protagonist's indoor shoes and throws them into an artificial well.
Suddenly, the break time bell rings. Tiring, tiring, tiring, tiring.
Eugene and Hye-ri go into class first, saying that this period is a scary teacher. (Eugene and Hye-ri are in class 3, and Yeo-ju is in class 9)
But the teacher, Mr. Saeng-An Bu, was coming to send the children outside back to their classes.
생안부 선생님
"What are you... Get in there quickly! Hurry up, hurry up!"
But I couldn't leave my indoor shoes behind.
But I was worried that the teacher would wake up and ask me who did this to ask for my indoor shoes.
생안부 선생님
“What… why are you standing there instead of going in?”
Because of the teacher's urging, I ended up asking him to save my indoor shoes.
생안부 선생님
Who said that..?
최여주
“I was playing around with my friends and this happened.”
최여주
“Thank you. I’ll go straight to class.”
생안부 선생님
“No. Who said that? Your student number and name.”
최여주
“It’s okay, it’s just a joke.”
생안부 선생님
"No. This kind of prank is bound to get so big that it leads to bullying."
생안부 선생님
“Tell me your friend’s name quickly.”
최여주
“Ah,….Kim Yu-jin, class 3, grade 1, and Jeong Hye-ri, class 3, grade 1…”
최여주
“I’m really okay…”
Teacher Saenganbu had already contacted Eugene and Hye-ri's homeroom teacher.
After what period?
혜리
“Hey Choi Yeo-ju. Did you tell Saeng-an-bu everything?”
최여주
“No… I didn’t want to say anything either… but the teacher forced me.”
최여주
“I couldn’t help it. I’m sorry….”
혜리
"it's okay…"
After that day, Hye-ri and Eugene didn't speak to Yeo-ju and ignored her.
So the female protagonist just ignored it.
I stayed with the other girls in the group.
A few days later
KakaoTalk from Eugene
유진
“Why are you ignoring us?”
유진
“I didn’t like you joining the group from the beginning.”
유진
“Since you joined the group, the kids have been fighting more often.”
유진
“If you keep doing this, I can’t help but look down on you.”
The heroine was scared and did not reply.
Then Eugene sent it again.
유진
"Are you chewing? Is it an error that Instagram activity is showing up? Please don't chew."
In the end, the female protagonist answered cautiously.
The female protagonist did nothing wrong and responded based on facts.
Eugene seemed flustered because he had nothing but the right answer, and instead, he ignored the female lead's reply.
All these things happened at once, and Yeoju's self-esteem hit rock bottom.
The bright and cheerful smile gradually disappeared, and I began to feel self-conscious about even the slightest word.
The heroine no longer wanted to talk to girls.
school bench
최여주
“…I’ve become really weird.”
한동민
(While sipping chocolate milk from the side) “It’s not you who’s strange, it’s the people around you who are strange.”
최여주
“No. I used to be really funny and talkative. But these days, I’m just… afraid of what people might say behind my back if I talk.”
최여주
"...Since then, something has fallen apart. I've become cautious about everything I say and do. No one would believe me anyway."
한동민
"Those kids are the problem, it's not your fault."
최여주
(smiles slightly) "That's comforting, isn't it?"
한동민
"No. I was just telling the truth."
최여주
“Ha… You really don’t change.”
한동민
(Taking a sip of water) "You've changed so much. Because of those bad kids."
최여주
“But… why am I telling you this? I find it funny too.”
한동민
(Indifferently) "Because there's no one around you who will listen to that story."
최여주
“…Hey, that’s a bit sad.”
한동민
"It's a fact. And I don't mind hearing this. I don't feel anything."
최여주
"Do you know that you're secretly kind?"
한동민
(grimacing) "Don't say that. It's creepy."
최여주
“Hahahahaha but thanks to you I’m still smiling…”
최여주
“Thank you, Han Dong-min.”
한동민
“Thank you….”
The heroine smiles quietly.
That gave me a little bit of relief.
He's cold, blunt, and doesn't say much... but strangely enough, the heroine's heart starts to open up a little around Dongmin.
Perhaps a true friend is someone like Han Dong-min.
작가
As I was writing, I felt like I was being comforted by Han Dong-min, and I got emotional.
작가
It's not like it's bullying or anything, just think of it as something that happens often among girls^^
작가
The next episode was originally going to be about what happened in my second year of middle school... but there were too many, so I decided to move on to what happened in my first year of high school (last year).
작가
Please take a good look..!! Please leave some comments too... I'm lonelyㅜㅜㅠ