How was I supposed to do this? How could I possibly get close enough to Winter to figure out what was going on without getting burned?
"I can't just walk up to her and start a conversation. She'd know something was up immediately." I reasoned, that, was reasonable.
"Nobody's asking you to become her bestie, pabo."
"Aw! You don't have to do that!" He just flicked my forehead and it stings.
Hyun apologized and spoke again. "Just keep your eyes open. Watch her. See if you can spot anything more weird, arraseo?"
"Yeah..." Yeji chimed in. "Be like a secret agent. Just observe and report, got it?"
I took a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves. Observe. Okay, I could do that. I could be a silent observer. I wouldn't have to talk to her, wouldn't have to risk getting humiliated.
But it sounds more like suicide mission.
"Okay, I think I can do that."
As we headed towards class, Yeji and Hyunjin peppered me with advice. "Watch her body language," Yeji said. "See who she talks to, what she does when she thinks no one's looking. "
"And listen," Hyunjin added. "You never know what you might overhear. Just be careful, Jimin-ah."
But all I could think about was the fear churning in my stomach. Winter Kim was unpredictable, and I had no idea what she was capable of.
I slipped into the classroom. Winter was already there, sitting at her desk, her head bent over her Korean textbook. Again, ignoring my whole existence.
I took my seat, trying to ignore the weight of her presence beside me. Operation Observe Winter Kim was officially underway.
~•~
The rest of the afternoon felt like an eternity, each lecture dragging on and on. I kept sneaking glances at Winter, trying to figure out what was going on in that head of hers. But she was like a closed book, literally unreadable, not like before.
She was just sitting there, studying that Korean textbook like her life depended on it.
The final bell rang, signaling the end of the school day.
To my surprise, she just gathered her stuff and headed for the door. Giselle and Felix were right behind her, yakking away like they always did. I hung back, trying to blend in with the other students, but my eyes were glued to Winter.
I let out a sigh of relief when Giselle and Felix split off, heading towards the school's parking lot. But not before Felix leaned in and gave Winter a peck on the cheek...? then a quick hug.
Yah, what was that? A peck? Only? And on the cheek? Heol!
Winter kept walking, her long legs covering the ground fast. I followed her, keeping a safe distance, making sure I wasn't too obvious. She turned the corner and headed straight for the hakgyo doseogwan – the school library.
The library? Daebak!
I hesitated for a second, wondering if I should follow her.
I took a deep breath and followed Winter into the building. The air was cool and quiet, a welcome change from the chaos of the hallways. Rows and rows of bookshelves stretched out before me, filled with all sorts of books.
I scanned the room, trying to spot Winter. I saw her near the back, in the eohak mich munhak section – the Language and Literature section.
I pretended to browse the shelves, but my eyes were totally focused on her. She pulled a book off the shelf, flipped through it quickly, then put it back. She did this a few times, her brow all scrunched up.
What's she looking for? And why is she suddenly so interested in books?
I took a step closer, trying to get a better look at the books she was checking out. I squinted, trying to read the titles from a distance.
Korean Poetry Through the Ages... Classic Korean Short Stories... wait, is that a book on Korean folklore?
What was Winter Kim, the queen of all things trendy things, doing with books on Korean literature and folklore? It didn't make any sense.
She was already sitting at a table, surrounded by a stack of books. She was reading intently, her brow furrowed in concentration.
Okay, this is unexpected. She's actually staying here to read.
I realized I couldn't just stand there and stare at her. I needed a plan. I scanned the room for an empty table and spotted one near the window, a few rows away from Winter.
Perfect. I can be productive and keep an eye on her at the same time.
I grabbed my backpack and headed for the table. I pulled out my English textbook and notebook, trying to look like I was engrossed in my studies. But my eyes kept drifting back to my target.
I was working on an essay about Shakespeare, but I couldn't focus. I kept rereading the same sentences over and over again, my mind a jumble of Shakespearean sonnets and Winter Kim's mysterious behavior.
I sighed, hitting my forehead lightly, trying to shake my brain on. This was impossible. I couldn't concentrate on my homework with Winter Kim sitting just a few rows away.
"Having a little trouble there?"
I jumped, startled by the voice. I looked up and saw a girl standing beside my table. I didn't recognize her. But she had this kind eyes and warm smile.
"Oh, uh, yeah..." I said, feeling my cheeks flush. "I'm just having a hard time focusing."
"English homework, huh?" she said, glancing at my textbook. "Shakespeare can be a bit of a pain. Need some help?"
I hesitated for a moment. I didn't know this girl.
Was she just trying to mess with me?
But her eyes seemed sincere. And honestly, I was desperate.
"Actually, yeah," I said, mustering a weak smile. "That would be great."
"Awesome!" she then pulls up a chair. "I'm Hyeri, by the way. You can call me Hyeri unnie if you want."
"I'm Jimin." I replied, shaking her hand.
Hyeri unnie dove right in, explaining the Shakespeare stuff with so much passion. She broke down the sonnets, analyzed the characters, and even helped me brainstorm ideas for my essay.
I was seriously surprised at how much I was understanding. Hyeri unnie had this way of making even the most difficult things seem easy. I found myself getting totally absorbed in Shakespeare, forgetting all about Winter Kim and my secret agenda.
Hours passed, and the library slowly emptied out. The only sound was the gentle hum of the AC and the flipping of pages. Hyeri unnie and I were totally focused, poring over my textbook and scribbling notes.
Finally, we finished everything. I looked up at Hyeri unnie, feeling so relieved and accomplished.
"Daebak, I actually get Shakespeare now! Seriously, thank you so much, unnie. You're a total lifesaver."
Totally forgetting that this girl was literally one of the chaebol and still unaware what her real motives are.
"So," she said, her voice getting a bit lower, "you're in the same class as Winter Kim, right?"
Winter!
I whipped my head around, my eyes scanning the tables near the back of the library. But Winter's table was empty. Her books were gone, her chair was vacant. She was nowhere to be seen.
I mentally face palmed myself.
Aish, I blew it.
I turned back to Hyeri unnie, trying to hide my disappointment. "Uh, yeah. Why?"
Hyeri unnie sighed, there's a sadness in her eyes. "Well, I know her. Everyone does. And I know she hasn't exactly been the nicest person to you, Jimin-ah."
I stayed silent. I'm confused. I don't really know what to say about that.
"I'm really sorry about all the stuff she's put you through," Hyeri unnie continued, her voice soft. "Especially that racing incident. That was totally messed up."
"It's okay... I... I really don't have a choice." I mumbled, looking down at my lap.
"Hey... I know I don't know you very well, but I can see that you're a good person. And you don't deserve to be treated like that. If there's anything I can do to help, please let me know."
Uh... what's happening again?
I hesitated for a moment, there's a question bubbling up inside me. "Hyeri unnie... why are you being so nice to me? I mean, we barely know each other. Why are you even bothering?"
Unnie looked down. She fidgeted with her fingers, avoiding my gaze. "It's... complicated, Jimin-ah. To be honest... I haven't always been a good person. I made a mistake a while back. A mistake that hurt you, that you didn't even know."
"Hurt me? How's that even possible?"
Hyeri unnie took a deep breath. "It was before the racing thing. There was... like, this rumor going around about you. Something about... your family. It wasn't even true, but... I helped spread it around. I didn't start it, but I didn't exactly stop it either. I just... went along with it, you know? 'Cause everyone else was doing it. I was young and dumb, and I just wanted to fit in, I guess."
She finally looked up at me, her eyes filled with mix of guilt and shame. "I didn't realize how much it messed you up until later. I saw you struggling, and I knew it was partly my fault. I've felt like such a jerk ever since. Helping you now... it's not like I'm trying to be some kind of hero or anything. It's just... I'm trying to make up for being such a terrible person back then."
I stared at her, totally speechless. I remembered those rumors, the way all those students had started treating me like their personal trash can.
"So... you're helping me 'cause you feel bad?" I asked, my voice kinda flat.
Hyeri unnie nodded slowly. "Yeah. But it's also 'cause I see how strong you are, Jimin-ah. Even after everything Winter's done to you, you're still fighting. I wanna help you find your voice and, like, stand up for yourself. 'Cause maybe, if I can help you do that, I can finally forgive myself for being such a horrible person."
I thought about what she said, about the guilt that had been eating her up inside. I thought about those rumors, the pain. But I realized that maybe, she deserved a second chance.
"Okay... " I said, nodding slowly.
Then, Hyeri unnie suddenly burst out laughing, but it was this fake, mean laugh.
"Byul-ah! You got all that, right?" she said, her voice all nasty and mocking. The nice unnie act was totally gone.
My stomach dropped. I whipped around, trying to figure out what was going on.
That's when I saw it – a camera propped up behind the bookshelf, recording everything. The little green light was on.
I felt like someone poured freezing water on me. It was all a setup.
Hyeri unnie smirked, all pleased with herself. "Awe, Jimin-ah..." she said, like she was so sorry for me, but she wasn't. "You're so easy to trick. Did you really believe all that BS? Did you seriously think I felt bad for you?"
She leaned in close, her face right in mine. "Winter's gonna love this, maybe her memory will resurface again after she sees this," she whispered, and it was like a threat. "She's gonna be so happy you fell for it so hard."
Tears started stinging my eyes. I felt totally sick, like I was gonna throw up. I'd been so dumb, so trusting. I'd let my guard down, and now I was screwed.
"You..." I choked out, my voice shaking. "You used me! You're such a..."
She just shrugged, like she didn't even care. "Hey, don't take it personally. It's just business, okay? Winter's fans pays good money, you know?"
She turned to the phone and gave it a little wave. "Thanks for playing along, Jimin-ah. This is gonna be legendary."
Then, she picked out the camera on the shelve, turned around and walked off, leaving me standing there like an idiot, her mean laughter echoing in my ears.
It wasn't just Hyeri. It was Winter. Always Winter.
I sank to the floor, this cold feeling spreading through me. I'd actually thought... I'd hoped, like an idiot... that maybe Winter was changing. That maybe she was trying to be a little less... evil. But this? This proved it. She hadn't changed one bit.
She'd just gotten smarter about it.
She wasn't getting her own hands dirty anymore. She was making other people do it for her. She was using her popularity, her power, her stupid fangirls, to mess with me, all while pretending to be innocent.
It was even more messed up than I thought.
Just then, my phone vibrated in my blazer pocket. I pulled out my phone, my fingers trembling as I unlocked the screen. And there it was.
My own face filled the screen, all pathetic and teary-eyed. Next to me, Hyeri unnie was grinning like she'd just won the lottery. It was a screenshot from the library video, all blurry and distorted.
Someone had turned it into a meme and tagged me on it.
Stupid, mocking text was plastered all over it, making fun of how easily I'd been tricked, how desperate I was for a friend. It was designed to make me look like the biggest idiot in school.
And below it, the comments were already pouring in. Mean, nasty stuff. People calling me names, laughing at me, saying I deserved it.
Winter's fans wasted no time.
The room started spinning. I wanted to disappear, to crawl into a hole and never come out.
This wasn't just some stupid prank. This was a whole new level.
Winter Kim wasn't just trying to make my life miserable. She was trying to destroy me.