"Good friends are like stars.
You don't always see them,
but you know' they're always there"
Y/N POV :
Today's Friday, so we get to leave school early. I walked to school excitedly when suddenly—
"Look, your crush!"Nari nudged me, nodding toward the front.
There he was—Sunghoon, walking just a few steps ahead of us.
"He's so handsome,"I sighed, "even from behind."
Nari fake-gagged and rolled her eyes. "You're so dramatic. You can't even see his face!"
" It's a very nice back,"I defended, just to watch her fake convulse.
We spent the rest of the walk teasing each other, laughing the whole way.
By the time we reached the gates, Nari was wheezing. "I need new friends."
"Liar," I laughed, looping my arm through hers. "You live for this."
The bell rang, and our homeroom teacher walked in with unexpected news. "There might be a picnic and outing," he said casually, instantly electrifying the classroom. Even though it wasn't certain, our friend group exploded with excitement - we were already planning outfits and imagining the day.
The teacher groaned. "It's not even approved yet—"
Too late. We were already mentally at that picnic, outfits coordinated, snacks packed, and dignity left behind.
Lunchtime chaos was normal for us—but not like this.
"Save me a seat,"Juhee had said, heading to the restroom like a sane person while the rest of us stampeded toward the cafeteria.
We were halfway through stealing extra kimchi when the rumor hit: "Class 3 girls cornered Juhee behind the school!"
We knew Juhee would never start trouble with anyone. Without hesitation, we all dropped our trays and sprinted to the back of the school.
Juhee was surrounded by five girls, while the other students watched like it was a cinema. We pushed through the crowd.
Haerin struck first. "You bitch!"she spat, getting nose-to-nose with their leader. "Why the fuck are you harassing our friend?"
The girl's lips curled into a sneer. "Then ask her why she's been texting my boyfriend—".
We cut her off with laughter—cold, mocking, anything but genuine.
"Maybe your boyfriend texted her first…"I smirked, tilting my head. "I think he's just bored of staring at your pathetic face all day".
I could practically see the steam coming out of their ears.
We knew Juhee wouldn't text him first—
"Don't try to get involved—this isn't even your business," snapped the girl who seemed like their leader, her voice sharp with anger. "And your friends aren't on my level to even compete with me. Tell your girl to stay away from my boyfriend."
" If it's Juhee's problem, then it's absolutely our business," I said sweetly, tilting my head. "And if she's soooo beneath you..." I paused for dramatic effect,"...then why is your precious boyfriend looking her way instead of yours?"
The crowd erupted in "OOOHs" as the girl's face turned scarlet.
Nari and Haerin shot me a look—our silent signal.Haerin flicked her eyes toward the exit.Message received.
"You're right," I sighed, raising my hands in mock surrender. "We don't want trouble. We'll go—after all, you're our precious seniors." My voice dripped with exaggerated sweetness as we slowly backed away.
Then I dropped the bomb with my most devilish smile:
"But maybe focus less on us and more on keeping your boyfriend?—if your boyfriend's chasing girls who don't even know him?" A theatrical gasp. "Oh dear. How long until he dumps you for someone who actually cares?"
The crowd erupted in whispers. Someone stifled a laugh.
We turned to leave, the tension coiled like a spring. Every muscle in my body was primed for the fight I knew might come.
I'd barely taken two steps when sharp pain exploded across my scalp—one of them had yanked my hair hard.Just like I predicted.
I whirled around and drove my fist straight into her face. A sick crack echoed as her head snapped back.
Chaos erupted.
Her friends lunged at me, but Nari and Haerin were already there—Haerin elbowed one girl in the ribs while Nari shoved another into the crowd. Somewhere in the blur, I heard shouts to stop, but I didn't care. My blood was roaring, fists flying. I wouldn't stop. Couldn't.
Not until they regretted ever touching us.
Then—out of nowhere—someone grabbed me from behind, lifting me clean off my feet.
I twisted, kicked, clawed at the arms locked around me—useless.
A second later, my shoes scraped against the pavement as I was dropped to the ground. I shoved the tangled hair from my face, blinking up—
Sunghoon.
He stared down at me, his expression unreadable, the chaos around us fading into muffled shouts.
My gaze darted past him—Jake had Nari in a firm bearhug, her legs still kicking wildly at empty air - Heeseung stood between Haerin and the bullies, his arms outstretched like a referee - while Sunoo hovered protectively near Juhee. Across the courtyard, Jungwon and a few others blocked the remaining girls, their voices sharp with warning.
The ringing silence after the storm was deafening. Sunghoon's gaze dropped to my split knuckles, then back to my face. His lips parted as if to speak -
"ALL OF YOU! PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE NOW!"
Miss Bok's voice cracked like thunder, leaving no room for argument.
We marched down the hallway, the other girls trailing behind us—a mess of smeared makeup, bloody noses, and murderous glares aimed straight at me.
Pathetic.
They only knew how to pull hair and scratch.Sure, my scalp burned where they'd yanked my hair, and Nari's wrist was red from someone's nails,my friends and I looked almost untouched.
The moment we stepped into the office, they started sobbing—dramatic, ugly tears.
My friends and I exchanged glances. Were they serious?The audacity was almost impressive.
But we stayed silent.
What was the point?
Most of the witnesses were Class 3 students—Ha-eul's loyal little sheep. Even if we defended ourselves, they'd twist our words. The teachers would believe the crying girls, not us.
So we stood there, jaws clenched, as the lies piled up.
Let them talk.
Truth doesn't matter in a war of favorites.
The principal gave us a final warning, and as punishment, we were sentenced to laps around the school yard after class.
When we walked into the classroom, every head turned—some curious, others whispering. We ignored them and dropped into our seats.
Before we could even sit down, Jake and Sunoo burst in, their grins brighter than the afternoon sun.
"My brother, you are the coolest," Jake announced loudly, throwing an arm around my shoulders in a playful headlock.
Sunoo added with a smirk, "By the way, Some of us might transfer to your class.A certain someone's been begging the teachers".
Nari perked up. "Wait, really? Then where's Niki? Shouldn't he be here gloating too?"
Sunoo sighed dramatically. "You know our Niki—he only honors us with his presence once a week."
We burst into laughter—loud enough to earn a glare from the teacher walking in.
Jake and Sunoo scrambled out, but not before shooting us a final thumbs-up.
Every teacher who walked into class scolded us like clockwork—monotonous, predictable, and utterly boring.
It wasn't even our fault.
But the worst part? Sunghoon's presence
___
After school, we trudged to the field for our punishment laps. Nari dramatically collapsed after half a round. "I'd rather get suspended," she wheezed, flopping onto the grass.
Haerin wheezed "If... they wanted... us tired... so we wouldn't fight... why... does this... make me... want to... fight... more?"
" Ughhh… I'm dying—can't… run… anymore…" Nari wheezed, collapsing onto the grass like a deflated balloon.
I was just as exhausted—my lungs on fire, legs trembling—but I couldn't stop laughing.Maybe it was the delirium.
When the teacher finally dismissed us, we flopped onto the ground like starfish, too dead to move.
"I'm gonna be sore andsniffly tomorrow," I groaned, wiping sweat from my forehead "This punishment was basically war crimes."
Juhee wiped her brow with a dramatic sigh. "Don't complain. This was basically charity - the principal clearly noticed you need exercise."
"Me?" I scoffed, still catching my breath. "You're the one who needs it more. I exercise every morning and night!"
"Yeahhh, if by 'exercise' you mean wrestling with your bedsheets!" Haerin shot back, dodging behind Juhee.
Nari peeked out, eyes sparkling with mischief. "Remember when you rolled right off the bed? That floor *kissed* you goodnight!"
The group erupted into laughter as I lunged for Nari—only to wipe out spectacularly, landing face-first on the grass. Instead of helping, they pointed and howled.
As we stumbled toward the school gate, Jake and Sunoo were leaning against the school gate when we finally dragged ourselves out.As we started walking home together, Juhee suddenly turned to Haerin with a curious look.
"Hey Haerin, you announced you were dating Jay, but none of us have seen him since. Is he a ghost boyfriend?"
We all nodded in agreement - now that she mentioned it, I realized I hadn't spotted him either. With everything that had happened recently, we'd barely noticed his absence.
Haerin smiled, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear."He took his grandmother overseas for a medical checkup. But he should be back today - might have already arrived, actually."
Sunoo perked up immediately. "Oho~ Does that mean we'll finally get to meet the famous boyfriend?"
Jake reply grinned, elbowing Haerin playfully."Better prepare him - our approval isn't easy to earn!"
Nari suddenly clapped his hands together."Let's all go out tomorrow! It's been forever since we hung out properly."
I nodded in agreement."Yeah... with all the chaos lately, we barely get to just chill together anymore."
Haerin pulled out her phone, already typing. "I'll tell Niki. Let's meet at Y/N's mom's café at noon." She paused, grinning. "If he bothers to show up."
"What does this guy even do all day when he never comes to school?" I wondered, kicking a pebble. "He's more mysterious than the Bermuda Triangle"
Juhee giggled, swinging her bookbag. "His mom called me last week - she's worried sick because he's been locked in his room all day. Thinks he's depressed or something."
Sunoo immediately clutched his chest dramatically. "Our poor Niki! Maybe he's writing emo poetry in there. 'The darkness... it calls to me...'"
"With his vocabulary?" Jake snorted. "More like 'School bad. Sleep good.'"
We all burst into laughter, the sound echoing down the quiet street. Haerin nearly dropped her phone while trying to type, and Juhee had to grab my arm to steady herself as she doubled over giggling.
As we reached the intersection where our paths diverged, Sunoo pretended to wipe away tears. "Alright, drama club adjourned. Tomorrow at noon - and remember, if Niki doesn't show..."
"Text him the crying emoji fifty times?" I suggested.
"Perfect." Haerin gave a thumbs up as she turned down her street. "See you losers tomorrow."
"Bring your detective hats!" Jake called after us, already walking backwards toward his house. "We're solving the Mystery of the Missing Niki!"
With final waves and lingering laughter, we headed our separate ways, the setting sun painting the sidewalk gold behind us. I couldn't help but smile - tomorrow's meetup was already shaping up to be anything but boring.