Chapter: 20

"But senior, why were they after you?" Nari asked.

They were again in the library, but Min Jae was there to collect some books while she waited for Ye Jun to come so that they could start the work and study together.

"Well, how should I sentence it? They wanted to fix the match with me earlier but I rejected and even won the match, so I guess they had grudges." 

She gasped.

"Woah! Can this be done?" She was utterly shocked.

Min Jae scoffed.

"No, but yeah, many people do that." 

"Aren't you scared? Of them?" 

Min Jae looked at her monotonously.

"No, what I want to say is. It's just a match, and they were ready to kill you." 

Min Jae walked out of the shelves and Nari followed him.

"Well, the winning team was supposed to get selected for another level leading to more recognition." 

Nari nodded with a pouty face.

"But Nari-ah!" Min Jae looked at her.

She looked back with her pouty face. Seeing her that way, he laughed and looked to the other side. 

"Why?" She raised her eyebrows.

"Why are you looking cute today?" 

As he said, Nari's cheeks flushed a little and her eyes went wide. She never knew such a cliche compliment would ever make her blush this way. While Min Jae just smiled slightly looking at her.

But before any one of them could say something, someone cleared their throat gaining the attention of both.

"Excuse me..." Ye Jun said, and they both looked at him. 

Nari looked at him, sighed in frustration, and looked away. While Min Jae and Ye Jun shared a monotonous glare.

"Hello!" Min Jae spoke first.

"Hello Senior!" Ye Jun replied with a bit of stress on the word senior.

"And you!" 

He looked at Nari and so did she.

"I was looking for you. Thought we'll come together."

Nari coughed and caught Min Jae's attention.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

She nodded, but Min Jae was worried.

"She is fine, just she has been fangirling over someone too much." Ye Jun walked forward.

Nari glared at him between her coughs.

"You're fangirling someone?" Min Jae found it strange for a girl like her to be a part of a fandom. 

Suppressing her cough, she stood straight and answered quickly, "No." 

Min Jae nodded.

After a moment of pause he said, "I will leave now, take care." 

Nari nodded and Ye Jun glared at him before he left the library. Ye Jun finally sighed in relief. Whenever Min Jae was around him, it felt like a battle. And he never wished to lose, stressing him out.

"But you," Nari let out and he looked at her

"Are you alright?" She asked, monotonously.

"Yeah, what will happen to me in an hour."

"Where were you, by the way? I waited outside of the class for you." she frowned.

"Oh...I was with Eunji. Sorry for being late." 

Hearing him being with his best friend, Nari, felt bad for him. On one side was Ye Jun who cared so much for Eunji and on the other side was Eunji who didn't give a damn even when Ye Jun was missing for three days.

"Did he know that your father was...in the hospital?" She asked.

"Who? Eunji? No, I didn't tell him." 

Nari nodded with a long face.

She went to sit on a seat and Ye Jun followed her.

"What was Kim Min Jae saying?" He asked out of curiosity.

"Nothing much." She replied.

"But you were blushing." He squinted his eyes at her and sat beside her.

She looked away and ran her fingers through her hair. He smirked, Nari was changing bit by bit. She wasn't as rude to him as she was some weeks ago. 

"Anyways, teach me now. Whatever I missed, everything." 

She turned back to him and he smiled. She nodded and opened her book.

It had been an hour since they were studying together. Both were so concentrated that they didn't realise when they started to doze off together. 

Nari was reading something different and so was Ye Jun now, looking away from each other. And they both slept looking to the opposite sides of each other on the books they were reading. In a while, Ye Jun turned his head to the other direction and as he opened his eyes, he saw Nari sleeping soundly. 

She looked peaceful. A slight smile on her face showed how comfortable she was. Ye Jun kept looking at her.

'Is this how it feels having a true friend?'

All his life he either had no one or Eunji. He never knew how it was to be with someone who really cared about him, who really wanted to help him out. 

'Why do I find myself looking at you every time you're near me?' he wondered.

'Why do I feel so giddy and comfortable around you?'

This new feeling he had, now that he used to be Nari; he didn't know how to define it. But in the end, he knew, whatsoever this might be, it made him happy. It gave him a sense of freshness in his life. This one person gave him something new to live with. 

'Nari-ah do you feel the same?' he wondered.

Park Ye Jun, the guy who never knew what a true friendship was, didn't realise that Nari was becoming his first love too. He just loved this feeling of being extra happy with everything around him as long as he was with Nari.

He was admiring her and his feelings when someone came running into the library,

"Nari-ah there's a problem!" 

Ye Jun popped his head up and looked at Ae Jeong who came panting. Nari's eyes fluttered by the sudden voice which filled the silent library. She opened her eyes and looked at Ae Jeong approaching them.

"Yah Nari-ah! Park Ye Jun! What happened last night? There are students of the other school claiming you beat them up."

Nari clenched Ye Jun's shirt from his shoulder and he looked at her. She looked alarmed and it was obvious. She was on the verge of being suspended and now this news would definitely kick her out of the school, Nari had the hunch.

Ye Jun could see her throat drying up as she gulped. He held her hand clutching his shirt and she looked at him.

"Don't worry, you have asked me to help you. And I will."

"But-"

Ye Jun interrupted as he shook his head.

"Let's go." 

He held her hand and they walked out of the library along with Ae Jeong.

~~~~~

As they entered the principal office they could see Yeong Min already standing there with his nose stuffed with cotton and another guy with a plaster on his hand and all the others they beat all together with their parents and their principal.

"Come in both of you." 

Alongside those students were their parents and probably the principal of their school. Nari held Ye Jun's hand tight. Her heart was beating crazily with nervousness and her palms were sweaty.

As they entered, behind them came Min Jae.

"Yeah, Kim Min Jae. You too, come in." 

They both turned to look at Min Jae who looked at them and quickly lowered his head.

"Now tell me, WHY DID YOU ALL BEAT THEM?!" The principal was enraged.

Min Jae looked up and spoke

"Sir I-"

"Sir I did it!" Ye Jun interrupted.

And Nari's eyes went wide while Min Jae frowned as he looked at him.