Lee Ji-seo's POV (Point Of View)
We were finally going to Jeju Island. I got up very early, and my mum and dad decided to drop me off at school, even after I told them not to, but they insisted.
We arrived, and I got out of the car. "Hey, Ji-seo!" My mum yelled as I was about to walk off. I turned back to them. "If you have any issues, don't forget to let us know, okay?" She said with a smile.
Ha-ri and Dae walked up to me and greeted my parents with a bow and a smile, to which they responded with a smile. My dad got out of the car and opened his car boot, and brought out my suitcase.
"You want to go on a trip without your necessities? Are you that excited to leave us?" He teased.
"This is her first school trip, so that's probably why she's a bit forgetful," Ha-ri said with a giggle. My dad nodded his head in agreement, then turned to me, "Don't forget to call us if you have any issues, especially with that girl who bullied you," he said in a low tone to avoid my mum hearing.
I nodded and was about to walk off when I saw Arin and Taemin getting out of a car together, "What a weird sight. I even forgot to ask Taemin what happened on that day," I said, wondering why Taemin and Arin came to school together.
"We would have to ask Taemin about it. Even everybody around us is confused," Dae said, looking at the crowd of students around us. Everyone stared as they walked together. Arin whispered something to him, to which Taemin rolled his eyes.
He increased his pace and left her side and walked over to us. "What was that all about?" Ha-ri asked with a raised brow.
"What?" Taemin asked in confusion, then he seemed to realise, and his lips formed an 'O' shape, "Oh, that. Arin has been coming over to my place for the past few days to 'tighten our sibling bond, ' but to be honest, she has just been hanging out with my dad. So my Dad told our driver to pick up Arin on our way to school," he explained.
"This sounds fishy. She is getting close to your dad, and I bet she has an ulterior motive," Ha-ri said, rubbing her chin in deep thought.
"Oh, I'm sure she does, but I want to see how things play out," Taemin said before putting an arm on my shoulder, "Are you ready for your first school trip, Angry Bird?" He said, wiggling his eyebrows.
"I'm a bit nervous, but I'll be fine," I said with a smile. I saw Chaeyoung walking with a cast-down look. I waved her over with a smile on my face, "Chaeyoung! Over here!" I yelled.
She paused and gave me an apologetic look before walking past us. We all stared at her in confusion. "That's weird," Ha-ri stated.
She walked over to Arin, who pushed her suitcase to her, "Here you go. Take it to the bus," she commanded, and strangely enough, Chaeyoung took both her and Arin's suitcase to the bus with her head bent low.
Arin turned to us with a smile, but her eyes were fixed on me more. We saw Min-ho walk up to Chaeyoung and take both the suitcase from her and keep his duffel bag on Arin's suitcase. "I've got it," he said before walking off to the bus.
"Hey, Kim Min-ho!" Arin yelled. Min-ho turned to her with one of his brows raised. She stomped over to him, before turning to Chaeyoung, "Didn't I hand my suitcase to you?! Why did you let Min-ho take it from you when you saw he was carrying his bag?" She ranted.
Chaeyoung nodded her head meekly, "I'm sorry. Don't worry, Min-ho, I can take it to the bus myself," she said, trying to take the suitcase from him.
"Also take his, too," Arin said, folding her arms. I stayed silent, watching the scene unfold in front of me in confusion, 'What's going on?' I thought inwardly.
Chaeyoung nodded, then tried to lift Min-ho's duffel bag on her shoulder but was stopped. "Is something wrong with your hands, Arin?" Min-ho asked, looking at Arin's hands.
Arin looked at them and shook her head, "No, they are perfectly fine, but Chaeyoung knows why she's doing this. Don't you, Chaeyoung?" Arin asked. Her lips curl into a smile.
Chaeyoung bent her head low, not saying a word, but her silence spoke words. "Arin is definitely threatening her. I'm sure of that," I said, glaring at Arin.
"Even a blind person can see that," Dae said lowly. Everyone stopped staring at the scene before them.
"Oh? Your hands are not hurting you at all? So you won't have any issue taking our bags to the bus, would you?" Min-ho said before kicking the suitcase away from them, then held Chaeyoung by the hand and walked off to the bus.
Arin stared at them in shock, then at the suitcase in anger, "Hey, Kim Min-ho!" She yelled out in anger.
Min-ho paused, "Isn't it too early for you to be embarrassing yourself this early morning? Remember, all these could have been prevented if you had just taken care of your suitcase yourself. Don't waste my time; carry those bags to the bus right now," he said before walking off with Chaeyoung.
"Remember what I told you, Chaeyoung! You don't want me to ruin your family, right? " Arin yelled in anger.
"Bullseye," Taemin said firmly, "Now I know why she's acting like this, and I bet my dad is behind her sudden confidence," he stated.
"So she's basically using your dad? Wow, who would have thought?" Ha-ri said sarcastically. Chaeyoung's eyes widened in shock, and she pulled her wrist out of Min-ho's grip, "Don't mind Min-ho, Arin. He doesn't know better. Let me help you out with your belongings," Chaeyoung said nervously, but was pulled back by Min-ho.
"Oh, I get it now," he said with a nod before turning to our teacher, "Make sure she takes the suitcases into the bus or she's not coming along with us,"
Our teacher nodded nervously, trying not to anger the owner's son. "So you think because you are the owner's son, you can do this kind of bullshit?!" Arin yelled.
"I mean, isn't that what you're doing? You think because you are in my dad's good books, you suddenly have control over other people's lives?" Taemin said next to me.
Arin turned to us, "Stay out of this!" Taemin tilted his head to the side in amusement, "Why? I can't stand seeing someone disgracing my family's name like this. Remember that you are getting into the Min's family, so you have to act like someone who has self-respect. I wonder how my... Sorry, 'our' dad would feel if he heard something like this happened," Taemin said with a mischievous grin.
"Okay, kids, enough with the banter. Arin, take these bags to the bus," our teacher said. Arin turned to him sharply, "Who are you to tell me what to do?!" She screamed.
"He's our teacher. He can tell you to do anything. I can't believe this is the person my dad wants me to marry into the Kim family," Min-ho said with distaste. "I'll make sure to report your behaviour to him," he said before walking off with Chaeyoung.
Arin's eyes widened, "Wait! I'll take care of the bags!" She yelled after him, but he had already entered the bus.
She looked at the bags in anger before taking them onto the bus. I watched her struggle with the bags with a pleased smile on my face, but a thought ran through my head, 'I wonder what she's threatening Chaeyoung and her family with,' I thought inwardly, my brows narrowing in concern.