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Minju's Story
Minju's POV
I came to this school the same month my parents divorced.
They fought in court.
Not for love.
Not for family.
For me.
Like I was a trophy.
My mom won.
So I transferred schools.
New uniform.
White shirt.
Long skirt.
Big transparent glasses.
Hair tied tight.
I looked like a nerd.
And they noticed.
On my first day, whispers followed me.
"Who is she?"
"She looks weird."
"She thinks this is a library?"
They pushed my books off the desk.
One girl laughed.
"Why are you even here?"
I wanted to disappear.
Then
A chair moved loudly.
"Yah. Would you stop?"
I looked up.
Jimin.
Standing there.
Eyes sharp.
"Why are you bullying her just because of how she looks?"
The class went quiet.
No one answered.
He picked up my books.
Placed them gently on my desk.
"Are you okay?" he asked softly.
I couldn't speak.
My face was hot.
My heart was beating too fast.
That was the first time I saw him clearly.
And that was the moment…
He became my first crush.
I wanted to thank him.
But I was shy.
And embarrassed.
So instead…
I bought him yogurt from the school store.
And secretly placed it inside his locker.That day after PE, he returned to class sweaty and tired.
He opened his locker.
Saw the yogurt.
The class was watching.
He looked around slowly.
I quickly hid
Then....
He opened it.
And drank it.
In front of everyone.
Like he was saying,
"I'm not ashamed."
My heart exploded.
One rainy day, my taxi didn't arrive.
I was standing alone outside the school gate.
Girls were surrounding him.
"He's so cute."
"I want to be his girlfriend."
They followed him.
He smiled politely but walked past them.
I ran into the rain.
Books on my head.
Trying to protect them.
Suddenly..
An umbrella covered me.
I looked up.
It was him.
"You'll get sick," he said simply.
He didn't smile.
He just stood there.
Holding the umbrella over me.
Getting wet himself.
I wanted to say thank you.
But all I could say was,
"Sorry…"
He shook his head.
"You don't have to apologize for existing."
That sentence.
I replayed it in my head for weeks.
After that, I watched him from afar.
During basketball practice.
During lunch.
During class.
He was bright.
He laughed loudly.
He lived freely.
I was just… background.
One afternoon, he fell during basketball.
His hand hit the ground badly.
Everyone gasped.
He brushed it off.
"I'm fine."
But I saw the blood.
I ran to the nurse's office.
Grabbed disinfectant and bandage.
When I returned, the court was almost empty.
He was sitting alone.
Checking his hand quietly.
I walked toward him.
Hands shaking.
"Your hand…" I whispered.
He looked surprised.
"You don't have to...."
But I was already kneeling.
Cleaning the wound carefully.
My fingers were trembling.
He watched me silently.
"You're always helping quietly," he said.
I looked down.
Because if I looked at him
I would cry.
Then he hugged me
Then one day...
Sucy came.
Ara.
He defended her.
The same way he defended me.
He gave her his jacket.
The same way he once gave me his umbrella.
But this time…
There was something different in his eyes.
Something softer.
Warmer.
Love.
I saw it.
And my chest hurt.
What if he never liked me?
What if he just helps anyone?
What if I was never special?
Maybe I was just the nerd.
The girl he pitied.
Every day after school, I watched him leave and sneak around.
Everytime with her.
I would stand far away.
Smiling.
Pretending it didn't hurt.
But when I got home....
I cried quietly into my pillow.
Because loving someone silently…
Is the loneliest feeling.
**************
Back to Present
"Minju!" Sucy grabbed my wrist.
"Let me go!" I tried to pull away.
"Yah, be still!" she said, dragging me forward.
"i love you" I said
And all I could see was darkness